masthead.jpg

switchconcepts.com, U3dpdGNo-a25, DIRECT rubiconproject.com, 14766, RESELLER pubmatic.com, 30666, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace appnexus.com, 1117, RESELLER thetradedesk.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER taboola.com, switchconceptopenrtb, RESELLER bidswitch.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER contextweb.com, 560031, RESELLER amazon-adsystem.com, 3160, RESELLER crimtan.com, switch, RESELLER quantcast.com, switchconcepts , RESELLER rhythmone.com, 1934627955, RESELLER ssphwy.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER emxdgt.com, 59, RESELLER appnexus.com, 1356, RESELLER sovrn.com, 96786, RESELLER, fafdf38b16bf6b2b indexexchange.com, 180008, RESELLER nativeads.com, 52853, RESELLER theagency.com, 1058, RESELLER google.com, pub-3515913239267445, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
January 13, 2011

Coming into last night’s game I expected a few scenarios. I thought Georgetown would come out desperate and energized. Knowing that their season was hanging in a precarious balance. They couldn’t afford a second straight home loss and start the season 1-4 in the Big East. They would be playing a lot better and with purpose against Pitt.

My expectations were honestly that Georgetown might overwhelm Pitt right away and put Pitt in the uncomfortable and unfamiliar role of having to come from behind for most of the game. Or that it would be a back-and-forth tight game throughout with it coming down to the final minute or two to decide it. I never expected to see Pitt just take it to Georgetown like that and see the Hoyas fold.

They sagged. They were like a car with a leaky fuel pump. The energy drained out of them and their fans. Dispirited was the word I kept coming back to with that Georgetown team.

Rob Dauster at Ballin’ Is a Habit, was at the game and couldn’t believe what he saw with this Georgetown team either, but wonders if it is because this Hoya team has never learned to win. Not sure I buy it, because that sort of idea that a team self-reinforces an expectation of losing because of past failures experienced suggests perpetually staying down.

The guys at Casual Hoya are really down on their team, and are just at a loss to explain it. How do the wheels fall off a team that looked so good earlier in the season. Staged a big comeback and OT win in a hostile arena against Mizzou. Now they are a mess.

I watched the Hoyas get pounded by ND in South Bend and decided not to read much into it. ND, to me, is one of the most schizo teams in the Big East when it comes to home vs. road. Practically unbeatable at home, but in Big East road games they are 5-15 from 2008-09 to date. And with what they did to Pitt in the Joyce Center last year, I figured it was just one of those games. No. Instead, that game is now pinpointed as the time when the wheels fell off Georgetown in 2011.

Mike Wise at the Washington Post thinks that the Hoyas’ problems stem from the fact that the Big East teams are better prepared to defend against Georgetown’s offense unlike teams from outside the conference.

No other team in the Big East plays the hybrid of the Princeton offense run by Georgetown, which means they all prepare extra hard for it.

So, when a senior-laden team like Pittsburgh prepares for the Hoyas, Jamie Dixon looks at his players and essentially says: “You remember the guy who beat you six times on a back cut your sophomore year? He’s still there and they’re still running the same thing.”

Dixon, the Panthers’ coach, admitted as much afterward Wednesday night, saying he was “impressed with how quick our guys pick up their stuff.

“I tell you, from Monday our first day they really jumped into what they were doing, understood and picked it up.”

John Thompson III disagreed with that theory and so do I. The Big East has more than a few quirky styles. Whether it is Pitino’s pressing, Cuse’s zone, Pitt’s motion, Providence pushing pace, etc. The size of the Big East has too many disparate styles for teams to do extra preparation for any one team.

Now I’m not saying Pitt wasn’t prepared for what Georgetown does, but Georgetown made it easy by not actually running their offense as patiently as the style demands.

“If they had a meticulous film session, God bless them, it showed out on the court,” he snapped. “That being said, we have options A, B, C, D and counters to everything and different reads. If, on this particular set they look for this, we always have something else to go to. We have to do a better job of getting to our second, third, fourth option.”

For most of the night, the Hoyas chose option No. 1: shoot. And, in what has become an all too common refrain in recent games, neither the ball nor the rim cooperated.

Like Pitt’s offense, if all you do is pull up for shots or drive the lane without working for the best shot, you are going to struggle.

Now, if you think I am putting this Pitt win all on how badly the Hoyas played, you are wrong. I was impressed by Pitt. After struggling to handle Providence on the road, Pitt came out and dominated Georgetown and made sure the Hoyas had little hope.

With all that said, the result of the night goes to Pittsburgh, which delivered a 15-point thumping of Georgetown that may say as much about the Panthers’ dominance as it does about the Hoyas’ problems…

As for the Panthers, after they lost badly in downtown Pittsburgh to Tennessee, doubters wondered if their ranking and Big East expectations (they were picked to win the league) were overblown.

Yeah, that would be a “no.” Pitt has won six in a row, dispatching Connecticut (by 15), Marquette (by 8) and Georgetown in the process.

Pitt struggled with frontcourt foul trouble in the first half, and Gil Brown had his first off-night shooing in a while, but it paid off as the Hoyas stayed out of the lane a lot more in the second half. Less willing to drive as hard, and their cuts not as crisp.

The only downside to the game was a 5-7 minute scoring drought that saw Pitt’s 22 point lead shrink down to 11. Even then Coach Dixon downplayed it.

“We probably could have gone inside more,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “But the outside shots we were getting were good looks.”

Dixon did not have a problem with the second-half execution. He said the Panthers ran the offense well and got quality shots. The shots simply were not falling in the second half like they were in the first half.

“I thought we played well during that stretch, but we just didn’t make shots,” he said. “It’s hard to play perfect for 40 minutes.”

The players, however, weren’t satisfied.

“We’re happy with the win,” senior guard Brad Wanamaker said. “We hit a dry spell in the second half. That’s something good teams can’t do it they want to advance far in the NCAA tournament.”

And of course the it’s only one game/we’re on a mission mantra.

“It’s definitely a good thing, but our mission is not over yet,” said Gibbs, scored a game-high 22 points, including five 3-pointers. “We still have a long way to go. We have a lot of games to play. We can’t step back right now.”

Finally, if you watched the telecast you watched Bob Knight go slobberfest over Syracuse Pitt — when he could keep the name right. It was almost embarrassing. Almost.





You get that feeling things are beginning to right themselves in Blue and Gold Land… Hopefully the guys aren’t looking past Seton Hall on Saturday with Syracuse coming Monday, but I have to admit I am. That game is going to be awesome.

Comment by 85 01.13.11 @ 10:00 am

It is nice to put the hammer down on Georgetown.

Great shooting and solid defense from Gibbs and Wannamaker.

That was the best defensive game Pitt has played in a long while. Very nice to see.

Pitt needs more from the bench. Taylor and Zanna both played poorly yesterday. Pitt was much better with McGhee on the floor. McGhee is really playing like a monster underneath right now. Great to see him step up his game after a lackluster finish to the previous season.

Woodall played okay. Not spectacular, but solid. He needs to be consistent.

This is a very good Pitt team. Relies a bit too much on the jumper, but is almost impossible to beat when they are going down. I would like to see a bit more offense at the rim. Gibbs is a great weapon when the shots are falling. However, the defense tightens up in March. We need to get more easy buckets at the rim.

Pitt has been so good for so long, that even a die-hard hoops fan like me is simply waiting for March. Brad Wannamaker even mentioned the second half drought when he said something like good teams can’t let the opponent back in the game or they will get beat in the NCAA tournament. I really like that these kids are preparing and thinking about March.

Comment by Omar 01.13.11 @ 10:07 am

Omar – I realize Woodall isn’t the most explosive and doesn’t have nearly the touch that Gibbs does from outside, but Pitt is still a great team with him on the floor and he played very well yesterday. I realize stats don’t tell the complete story, but last night Woodall had 5 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 0 turnovers. I would argue he has the best court vision of any Panther on this year’s team.

I understand why Woodall underwhelms people when they watch him, but he’s so underrated, even by Panther fans. I have complete trust in him and he will be the biggest piece in creating a seamless transition from this season to next when Pitt loses Wanamaker.

As for last night, the most telling team statistic of the night was 3. Pitt had only 3 turnovers all night. I don’t expect them to have only 3 turnovers every game going forward, but if they can operate with that type of efficiency frequently, we will see more games like last night’s in the future.

Comment by Mark 01.13.11 @ 10:21 am

I thought that the Syracuse team played really well last night. By the way, they look good in Blue.

Comment by Justinian 01.13.11 @ 10:26 am

Mark:

I am a huge Woodall fan. He is a very effective player and some games I wish he would play more. Woodall is Pitt’s only true point guard and really tries to get his teammates the ball in the right place. I love his game, but he needs to be more consistent from game to game and half to half. He is still in his second year of playing time, so I think it will come.

Comment by Omar 01.13.11 @ 10:29 am

Was at the game last night, what a dreary place to play. The only energy in the arena was Pitt (and its fans in the rafters)except for a few minutes in the second-half, when Georgetown went on a little run. All in all, a win. Let’s move on.

Comment by Dynamiks 01.13.11 @ 10:35 am

I can’t say enough how much I love Robinson’s play. The guy just knows his role. Gets rebounds, sets screens, good defense, high energy and intimidating.

Comment by WC Steve 01.13.11 @ 10:46 am

Mark: Also agree. Woodall has improved tremendously, and he’s become a real asset as the most pure point guard on the team.

In his role on this particular team, though, I think he’s most effective because he gives the offense a completely different look than it does with the starting five on the floor. With the starters, Gibbs handles it more, and the offense tends to run through Wanamaker and Brown, and Gibbs’ shots come off kickouts and rebounds. When Woodall comes in, Gibbs, who’s also gotten better as a point guard, is able to move to the wing and run off screens looking for his own shot. In turn this opens the middle of the floor for Brad and Gil, and the high post for the big guys to pass to each other, which they’ve done a fantastic job of.

Comment by 85 01.13.11 @ 10:46 am

I’m sure there will be more analysis upcoming, but Pitt has been pretty successful breaking up Syracuse’s 2-3 zone in the past years. Wasn’t our ability to do so predicated upon having a strong presence in the paint? Someone who can handle an inside pass, and either effectively shoot a high-percetage shot, or pass it to someone open on the perimeter?

I may be wrong with my understanding, but I know there are others around with more basketball smarts than I…

Comment by Lou 01.13.11 @ 10:48 am

I was at the Georgetown WVU game on Sat. (my significant other is GTown Alum), GU played the exact same as they did last night, shoot first and none of the passes to the cutters that makes their Princeton hybrid famous. Its really puzzling.

Glad were not them.

I think the reason many, including myself, have a clouded view of Woodall is simply because he takes some terrible shots. However, Woodall is a good solid player and could be pitts next great point guard. Only time will tell. Because he is a true point guard it makes sense his development has been considered slow by some. Bottom line, however, is true point guards take some time to develop due to the complexity of the position.

As for the rest of the team I am incredibly impressed. Especially with Wannamaker. That guy can ball. Where the hell did his mid range game come from? His development is astounding and is just a credit to him and Dixon’s ability to develop talent to its full potential. Personally I feel that this is Pitt’s best team yet as far as NCAA tournament potential. Guard play is everything in the tournament and We have 3 really, really good ones, and a few more who can come off the bench and give quality minutes.

Comment by dan 01.13.11 @ 10:48 am

WC Steve, A couple of thing that you left our about Robinson. He has great moves to the hoop and he finishes!

Comment by Justinian 01.13.11 @ 10:50 am

Lou, that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. They are going to need to be able to get the ball high up in the paint and hit some jumpers from there to loosen up that extended zone on the perimeter.

Comment by Carmen 01.13.11 @ 11:04 am

I’m glad people are recognizing Woodall’s value. People beat up so much on him last year when he was a Freshman. He’s a good point guard who is doing really well considering he’s lucky to by on the floor for 20 minutes a game. He does a lot of great things and every once in a while he takes a shot that makes you scratch your head. This team looks like they are built for the long haul. This is Dixon’s finest coaching job yet and you can see how every player on his roster gets better from one year to the next. It’s incredible to watch.

Comment by Glen Frankenfield 01.13.11 @ 11:09 am

I was optimistic about Zanna due to his play in Ireland and his play at the beginning of the season. He has regressed and is becoming (or has become) a non-factor. Thank Goodness that Robinson became healthy.

Comment by BigGuy 01.13.11 @ 11:15 am

Zanna is struggling to adapt to his new role. He is still extremely talented. He has a knack for grabbing rebounds, he can block shots, run the floor and has a soft jumper. He needs to get more time. He has been saddled with some cheap foul calls and has been in foul trouble as a result.

If this team is going to win the BE and make a final four run, HE HAS TO PLAY and play well. They only way he is going to be ready for March is if he gets more time in January and February. If you want to win games in January, continue to give Robinson the bulk of the PT, if you want to win in March and maybe play in April, GIVE ZANNA MORE PT.

And you guys must have watched a different game last night when it comes to Woodall. Aside from the three pointer he hit in Providence (and the free throws) Woodall has really struggled the last three games. I have last nights game on TiVO and will watch it again, but I came away thinking Travon has to step it up.

Comment by Boubacar Aw 01.13.11 @ 11:29 am

Woodall is young, he is the point guard of the future and will get more consistent. Aside from Wannamaker he is the only guard that can put it on the floor and get to the whole. I really think he’ll be a 1st/2nd team all BE guy by the time he is done.

Comment by Henry Hynoceros 01.13.11 @ 11:38 am

It doesn’t matter what Gtown’s record is, anytime we can beat them is great, kicking their ass in their place in front of Thompson and his dad is double great. Not a whole lot to dislike. Gary was initially a liability, now he’s a force. Amazing transformation! Not only could be be ALL BE, he will be playing for pay next year. Maybe an international league, but most would have never predicted that. Jamie has two entire squads and the various combinations are very unique in college ball. I also like Woodall, he’s solid, not dynamic and dynamic guard play gets you into the final four. If Dixon had not folded TWICE v Villanova…. I’ve heard nothing about Epps, is he our long term answer at the point?

Anyone else notice that sometimes on the road and when he’s had a hot first half Gibbs doesn’t transition well to the new basket?

Comment by Old School Panther 01.13.11 @ 11:41 am

Cut Woodall some slack, the guy is a solid contributor and he’s still just a sophomore. For some perspective, go back and read some of the comments on this blog about Brad Wanamaker midway through his sophomore season. He was not highly thought of, to say the least.

Comment by maguro 01.13.11 @ 11:42 am

I really like Zanna and he’s improved tremendously from last year. Nassir Robinson has also stepped up his game and is giving us all around good play and he’s a terrific finisher around the hoop which we need inside. I realize that Zanna needs playing time, but we need to have Robinson on the floor.

Comment by Justinian 01.13.11 @ 11:42 am

Woodall has some bad stretches, but overall he played well last night. A few bad shots, but no turnovers and 5 assists is what you want from your backup point guard.

Nasir Robinson will be perfect in the high post against Syracuse’s zone. He can pass and can attach the zone off the dribble. That will be key, because the zone will extend because of Gibbs shot.

Comment by Omar 01.13.11 @ 11:48 am

BTW, Woodall fits perfectly into the mindset required by Jamie. Woodall was a member of one the greatest high school teams ever. I believe that 6 or 7 players from that team received scholarships from I-A schools. Woodall accepted the role of 6th man for the good of the team after being a starter.

Comment by BigGuy 01.13.11 @ 11:59 am

As we’ve seen before in this league, sometimes the big guys struggle with foul problems when they’re only freshmen/sophomores. Even DeJuan had some foul issues early on in his career. Zanna will figure it out and adjust.

Comment by merlin 01.13.11 @ 12:05 pm

What is up with Zeise on jan 11 he said i will be back after news conference with all things pitt this is the 13 still no new post. I find out more news on this site than i get from him what is up with him these days.

Comment by FRANKCAN 01.13.11 @ 12:06 pm

Hard to find much to complain about, but I feel like Gil B. played one of his worst games in a while last night. Doesn’t matter how many times I say it, though, it just never gets old- Pitt doesn’t need to have everyone ‘on’ every night to win or even to dominate. Such a good feeling.

Comment by PPD 01.13.11 @ 12:33 pm

I like Zanna’s potential but I don’t see him being a huge factor this March or April. It appears his athletic ability is great but he needs more experience and seasoning. Maybe we’ll see him more verse seton hall or depaul but I’d stick with Robinson.

Although I already man-crushed on Robinson above with the things he does well (as Justinian pointed out too) i forgot to say he has been getting out on the fast breaks too showing we aren’t just a half court team anymore!

Comment by WC Steve 01.13.11 @ 12:36 pm

Gtown was totally outcoached by Jamie. Thats why their players looked stymied.

Comment by alcofan 01.13.11 @ 1:00 pm

i think zanna could have a big game on monday. i can see him flashing to the high post vs cuse’s 2-3 zone. he’s capable of consistently hitting that 12-15 footer.

Comment by wilk 01.13.11 @ 1:04 pm

Zanna is not ready to play more and he isn’t the key to Pitt’s Final Four chances. I like him but he needs to learn the game more. He’s an awesome 8 or 9 man in the rotation. It just shows how good the depth is.

The offense just seems to run better in my mind when Woodall is playing the point.

Comment by XBlackMagicX 01.13.11 @ 1:05 pm

Two interesting comments from ESPN last night: The first was from Bob Knight who said that he believed that the Big East was “by far” the most competitive college BB Conf over the last five years…The second was from the ESPN Sports Center announcer after the game who referred to the BE BB conference as being the “SEC FB Conference” of college BB…Nice! Last night was the most complete game I have seen this team play so far. Very quick and efficient on offense…really expoloited GT defensive mistakes well all night…solid perimiter and inside defense…Just a really fun game to watch.

Comment by HbgFrank 01.13.11 @ 1:14 pm

One of the reasons Pitt has been successful against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone is because of good interior passing. It is not so much that they have a big guy on the inside that Syracuse cannot handle, it’s that they effectively move the ball between the high and low post. Syracuse likes to extend their zone (particularly with shooters like Gibbs), so there is often space in the middle. As Omar points out, Nas Robinson is ideally suited to play the high post against this type of team. Wanamaker also could play a huge role because he has the ability to get into the middle of the zone off the dribble. The other guy that could benefit is Taylor because playing against this zone is less about posting up with your back to the basket and more about finding open space in the zone. Both he and McGhee could have huge opportunities on the offensive glass.

Comment by Pantherman13 01.13.11 @ 1:17 pm

Woodall is essential to the success of this team. That being said, this is his 3rd year at Pitt and if you’re sure he’s ever going to be a big-time PG in the BE, then you’re seeing something I’m not. I’m hopeful, but need to see way more…..

I think Pitt’s way better when he’s on the floor, but that’s only true because of the limitations of the other ballhandlers. Gibbs is playing out of position and we can’t expect Wanamaker to do everything. Woodall is the only speed Pitt has in the backcourt and there’s no way they’re going to beat teams like Nova without him.

I think he’s got to play more, especially against quick teams (L-ville, Nova). Then we’ll have a better idea about whether he’s the PG of the future. I hope he’s not — not because I don’t want to see him get better, but instead because his ceiling isn’t that high. Pitt needs better talent at the position……….bottom line.

Comment by hugh green 01.13.11 @ 1:45 pm

Woodall is a good young player. His decision making is his biggest crutch right now. That will improve with playing time. I look for him to be very solid for us in the next 2.5 years.

Comment by Joe 01.13.11 @ 1:48 pm

Big fan of Bob Knight as a coach, but he may be one of the worse announcers. Its ok to point certain things out, but he gives a basketball lesson after every play. Very annoying! Stick him back in the studio. Also, note to Bob: Dont drink out of Hillgroves glass anymore. You called us Syracuse like 10 times.

Comment by Z-Boy 01.13.11 @ 2:03 pm

@Z-boy – Couldn’t disagree more about Knight, I love his little digressions on the technical aspects of basketball. It beats the hell out of listening to moron Dickie V scream about some guy being a PTPer for the millionth time. Knight’s analysis was really educational, IMO, even if he did keep calling us Syracuse. To each his own, I guess.

Comment by maguro 01.13.11 @ 2:08 pm

Folks forget that Jamie is trying to develop players for the future (that means for the tournament and next year) while trying to win games. He gave Woodall minutes last year when he was an out of control PG for that reason, and its obvious he’s far better this, and benefited from the PT last year. Dixon did the same thing with Wanamaker (who many on this board used to chide as the turnover machine) and Brown. Now it’s Zanna (he’ll be great next year), Taylor (he’s much improved from last year — combine his and McGee’s numbers for any game and the 5 production is tremendous) and Woodall. I think Dixon has the rotation just about right.

Comment by velvil 01.13.11 @ 2:19 pm

Great point, velvil… JD is the master “cross trainer” and player developer… he knows how to insert a lineup that will give a less tenured guy experience yet not hurt the team. I remember Nas’ first year and how he worked him in on occassion in zone matchups…because of his high Basketball IQ, hustle factor nd excellent interior passising. The kid couldn’t dribble two steps without travelling, and had a jump shot that looked worse than mine, but JD found a way to get him PT in those early games. Now, look how far he has come!

Comment by Pauly P 01.13.11 @ 2:30 pm

I’m going cosmic here, but I think a huge part of this team’s success is its depth. There is very little drop off as opposed to previous years.

Knight asked his compatriot last night how our effort during this game differed from the TENN game. Answer: Pitt’s physicality was absent back then.

I agree wholeheartedly: Pitt was playing not to lose. The key indicator in my mind: fouls charged on Pitt. In the 1st half of the TENN game we were charged with only FIVE fouls. Last night, TWELVE!

This means to me that the starters have learned that the bench can do the job too and are therefore now going 100% from beginning to end. They’re not afraid to take a foul. This has the added benefit of disrupting the other team’s offense.

Contrast to previous teams. This is a big departure from the past when we typically went 7 or at most 8 deep.

And, Hail to Pitt!

Sidenote: Pederson was there. All rumors that he’ll be fired went out the window last night.

Comment by steve 01.13.11 @ 3:13 pm

Comic interlude:

link to bing.com

Comment by steve 01.13.11 @ 5:11 pm

Lots of insight here, great stuff. I also like Knight, great B Ball mind who clearly respects Jamie and the program. He’s a little crazy, comes from his passion for the sport. Maguro nailed it, DV spouts mindless fodder. Last time we won the BET Knight did those games, was so impressed with Pitt he predicted as a 3rd seed we’d win it all.

What a three day stretch: Steelers and Pitt. I’m looking for a 3 game sweep.

Comment by Old School Panther 01.13.11 @ 5:44 pm

I agree that Wooodal is inconsistent and Zanna has been a bit disappointing after his initial splash. However, we have all seen all the players continue to improve each year and are abe to step up when they are juniors and seniors.

The best examples right now are McGhee and Wannamker, and I expect Taylor and Woodall to be that much better and more polished next year when they g from role players to starters.

The same the year after for Zanna

Comment by wbb 01.13.11 @ 6:05 pm

Best news is that the more physically gifted, the better the results of the Dixon treatment. And we’re getting better and better talent. Taylor’s raw talent could translate into something really special. He’s getting there. Zanna has it too (if not as much as Taylor). And Birch, if we get him for two years, even higher. Good stuff going forward.

Comment by PantherP 01.15.11 @ 1:50 am

Powered by WordPress © PittBlather.com

Site Meter