Devin Ebanks. Scottie effin’ Reynolds. Tom Crean at Indiana. They all are connected by one evil thread.
Kelvin Sampson. The disgraced coach of Indiana and before that, Oklahoma has been an indirect but substantial thorn in the side of Pitt for several years. It looks to be that way until Ebanks goes pro.
He bails on Oklahoma for Indiana after NCAA trouble. That move reopened Scottie Reynolds who had committed to the Sooners. After Sampson left, Reynolds ends up at Villanova and we all know what went down last year in Boston.
He can’t stop making his excessive recruiting ph0ne calls — including to one DeJuan Blair — and everything implodes in Indiana. A outstanding recruiting glass runs away, including Devin Ebanks to West Virginia to make things that much better for Bob Huggins and the Hoopies.
That set things up for the new coach. Tom Crean can’t resist and brings his guard-heavy approach. This produces immediate recruiting success in Maurice Creek and Crean naturally beats Pitt at MSG this past year.
Now Pitt heads into a Sunday game with Xavier. A team with not only an ex-Indiana recruit in Terrell Holloway, but a transfer from Indiana after Sampson left in Jordan Crawford.
So if you have a system to disperse the negativity of the Sampson stink, do it. I’m going with giving blood. They can take the normal pint, but I’ll offer an extra if it will help.
Whatever it takes.
1. John Thompson Jr, or the 3rd, or whomever he is, is an awful coach. Just like his old man, but without the thugs his old man used to recruit. I remember fondly the days when Patrick Ewing sucker punched Matt Micklasevich, at least half a foot smaller than him, at the field house – he was ejected, and Pitt won the game. I was there. I still cannot stand seeing Thompson’s fat ass sitting in the stands watching his son.
2. While Pitt today won, and did about as well as any of the top seeds so far, giving up 28 points to Benson was disturbing, to say the least. Oakland, despite its record, is an awful basketball team. With no outside game, I really question why no double team on that guy. I guess Oakland is the standard for mediocrity. If this game was any indication, I can only wish I could have spent the last 26 years performing my job the way Greg Kampe has performed his. Is it me, or is Gary McGhee regressing over the last several games?
3. Jermaine Dixon is about 50% of what he was last year. A shame, but clearly he has never recovered from the injury. A class kid, and a really tough competitor, who deserved much better.
4. Even though his form is terrible, if Gilbert Brown can hit one outside shot a game, he can dominate. He is unstoppable when he starts a drive off of the fake.
Also, another terrible coaching performance in the Utah State game. That game was sitting there for Utah to win. It seemed like every shot they took from 3 minutes on was a desperation heave.
Do you not remember the 1987 brawls? Curious that the 2000-2003 Panthers were often compard to them in style…
McGhee had a good game versus Oakland. Benson scored 16 of his points against McGhee’s backups.
See — Gorman: McGhee key to Pitt’s NCAA run
link to pittsburghlive.com
For all the praise, Oakland looked very weak, no three point shots. The real test for Pitt starts tomorrow.
I too hated the way Georgetown used to get away with a lot of hacks while stripping the ball. However, Thompson was a great recruiter, a great coach and a class act. His son has brought G-Town back. Hard to figure how they got crushed last night.
How many Big East teams get through to the sweet sixteen?
Let’s Go Pitt!
I am no John Thompson fan but I have been to his coaching clinics and seen his teams play many times. He is a very good coach and tactician who in my opinion, recruited very physical players and took advantage of the ability to play “savage” basketball under the guise of his official buddies (who were terrified to make a call against him). That physical play cost him dearly in a great many BIG games …see Nova in the Ncaa’s and the aforementioned Pitt game.
Witht the talent that he had, he should have one at least 4 NCAA titles.
Also fact is JTII was a pretty darn good coach. And yet another fact … JTIII turned in the worst head coaching job in memory the other day (I’m still shaking my head.)
Last fact: Xavier has a tall physical front line which may be a bad match-up for Pitt tomorrow.
We’ll need everyone to step up tomorrow–go Pitt!
This year he has been a key in many games, particularly Providence, with his slashes. Yes, he is very inconsistent perimeter shooter but we was that last year ..to say that he regressed from last year is plain silly.
I hear you. Temple and Richmond were both genuinely good this year and Temple got a bum seed. I had both going deeper and they’re about the only sore spots on my bracket.
Seems to be a minority opinion on the PB Mayhem bracket — about 15 people leapfrogged me after the Cornell win went final. 1st win ever for the Ivy, and Temple was a tough 5 draw who just didn’t get it done.
I would put Dixon/McGhee/Robinson/Woodall as the best players yesterday, in that order. If Woodall stays in control it will be a huge asset.
He is the incarnation of Jaron.
When each one plays within his role, they play some awesome TEAM basketball. When one steps too far out of his role, things can, and usually do, get ugly. For the most part, Jamie has done an excellent job of keeping each guy playing within his role. He’s about the only person that this team cannot win without.
That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.
Nice work today by Dixon and crew. It was worth the halt of productive activity during the afternoon.
HTscriptP