It really does feel that way at times. In the moments of self-pity and “woe is me”
2011: Pitt goes down to UConn after a double-bye in the Big East Tournament when Kemba Walker hits a final shot. The Huskies. After struggling all season with inconsistent play storm through the Big East Tournament and then the NCAA Tournament to win it all. Pitt loses in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Butler who goes all the way to the NCAA Championship game before losing to UConn.
2013: Syracuse beats Pitt in the Big East Tournament. En route to falling in the Big East Tournament Championship game. Syracuse is now in the Final Four. Wichita State pulls the mild — sorry, I have to do it — shocker by beating Pitt in the 8/9 game. Well, beating up and and down the court is probably a better description. The Shockers are also in the Final Four.
Oklahoma State beat Pitt in a Sweet Sixteen meeting and made the Final Four. UCLA and Villanova. Frickin’ Marquette. All within the last ten years.
The flip side to the optimism of being so close and knocking on the door. That pessimism that Pitt is always going to fall just short and some other team will be the one to go through that door.
If Michigan and Louisville win their games today, Pitt will have faced — and lost to every Final Four team this year. Just keep twisting that knife.
We haven’t had the ones that can turn it up a notch and can pass, shoot, dribble and drive. Also they need to be shutdown defenders and make foul shots.
Wichita has em, Syracuse has em, we’ll see who has em today. Actually Louisville and Duke both have them, should be some game.
Also. I’m no longer allowing myself to make predictions because I thought the Shockers were gonna get trampled in the first round.
Looking at Syracuse last night, it looked like a different team from the one Pitt beat and certainly not just due to Southerland. There was an attitude and confidence evident in each Syracuse player that carried them as a team. We have had that in a few players over the years including Blair, Fields, Young, and a few others. Too often Pitt has players who show that potential to wilt under pressure(Zanna and Patterson this year, and several others in past) or players who don’t wilt and do “attempt” to carry the team but just don’t quite have the talent(Woodall).
That said, I am optimistic for next year.
Anyone else feeling a bit better about things WSU moving on impressively? Not much to hold on to, but IF Woodall just had an average game rather than the horrible one. Just one or two to fall to change momentum. Nah.
Wichita has em, Syracuse has em, we’ll see who has em today. Actually Louisville and Duke both have them, should be some game.
Comment by gc 03.31.13 @ 10:40 am
We have had some that were short on just one, as it seems many of even the best collegiate PG’s can be. What I see with the elite players at their positions, is that they tend to be SOOO good in their best skill that it compensates for their weak area(s). AND when it comes to crunch time (ie. end of games or tournament time), the best players and teams exceed expectations.
Looking at Syracuse last night, it looked like a different team from the one Pitt beat and certainly not just due to Southerland. There was an attitude and confidence evident in each Syracuse player that carried them as a team. We have had that in a few players over the years including Blair, Fields, Young, and a few others. Too often Pitt has players who show that potential to wilt under pressure(Zanna and Patterson this year, and several others in past) or players who don’t wilt and do “attempt” to carry the team but just don’t quite have the talent(Woodall).
That said, I am optimistic for next year.
Anyone else feeling a bit better about things WSU moving on impressively? Not much to hold on to, but IF Woodall just had an average game rather than the horrible one. Just one or two to fall to change momentum. Nah.
Double post was because I wanted to quote GC at 10:40. I really hate this rudimentary site with limitations on the box size for comments and inability to “reply” or “quote” in response to a post. How about getting an edit option? It would make me look a bit less stupid – PLEASE!
Outstanding athletes don’t always make outstanding BB
players. Jamie will keep Pitt in the hunt and one day
he will get to a FF.
Pitt could easily have been a final four team thenselves this year also. They just needed to beat Wichta State, Gonzaga, etc., etc..
Some can, most don’t, that’s why they call them the FINAL FOUR!!
If it was easy, everybody could do it. So if,,, when,,,, it ever happens for the Panthers, just remember to savor every single bite because it could be a very long time before such another special culinary feast is set before us.
I hope that all of the Wichta State fans are listening. GO SHOCKERS!!!
Maybe we didn’t get our “one and done” heads handed to us by such a scrub team after all?
When he was in his was never a part of Dixon’s offense, Woodall never gave him one assist (thank God he’s graduating/big plus going into next year).
Question: against W.S. someone who shot took so many shots and 5 or more did not hit the rim and gave the ball, not turned over, 5 times why was he even in the game in the second half.
Wright 2-3, a better defender would not have been the sixth man on the court for W.S. (Dixon’s live and die with marginal senior guards Woodall, Gibbs, Fields, Krauser {these are not gurads you build a team around].
I digress from my original point Adams.
After watching every orher center in the tournament Adams is by far the best and he has not even touched his potential lets hope Dixon uses him next year.
Against Pitt Louisville could not attack the basket as they are doing to Duke. They did easily getting around our guards but dared not challenge Adams they dished off to the big men as Adams had to cover.
I have not seen a better defensive center or offensive center if given the ball than Adams in the tournament.
Duke threw a lob pass to their center for a dunk.
Pitt never used a lob pass all year if they wnet to Adams they used the bounce pass at his ankles or the rocket pass below his waste.
Like it or not, we have the reputation of an underachieving team. The only way to get over that is to stop aging AND SCHEDULING based on a fear of losing.
Play games with am attitude that nothing can hurt you and you will never walk away a loser.
That is why the tears flowing after we lost to WSU bothered me so much. Quit crying!
If we played WS in a more comfortable arena, any BE venue or even MSG it would have been no more than a 5 point game. We don’t overcome some of the psychological aspect; we make FT in practice but choke in live combat. This stuff can be fixed, don’t know that it will.
Yes, we should beat those teams if we want to claim we’re good enough to be a final four team — and we actually did beat one of them, and played very close two of them away from home — but this should be a sign that we’re not that far off and all the claims about how inadequate Dixon’s recruiting has been are way over-stated.
Shell taking his time, is it good or bad. I say good, at least no snap decision.
In 03, Pitt lost to Marquette and D Wade by 3 pts, who two days later beat the overall 1 seed Kentucky by over 20 pts on ist way to the Final 4. Cuse won the national title, a team Pitt beat haandily at home that year and lost by just 2 at the Dome.
I have long thought that someone at Pitt sold its soul to the devil for the ’76 championship … especially since in the very next game, the opener at home vs ND, Pitt went out to a 9-0 lead when starting QB Cavanaugh was hurt with no feasible backup QB. ND went on to win that game en route to a national title. Since then, it seems that Pitt just comes up short
Can’t wait for next year.
No matter how good you are, you still have to be lucky.
I see your main point, but about that marquette team remember Keith Bogans got hurt in UK’s Sweet 16 game against Wisconsin. That certainly played a part in the blow out.
Dixon has said that he will never foul in that situation…but of course Miller fouls every time after seeing what happened in that game.
Charles Barkley said that there’s 2 things you want in BB…the lead and the ball.
The ball & the lead folks….the ball & the lead…
What gets Pitt wins in the Regular season is playing with more intensity than the other team, especially on Defense.
When you get to the Dance, EVERYONE plays with intensity on Defense. Syracuse is a perfect example, they played disinterested against Pitt back in early Feb, late Jan. However when the game meant something in the quarters of the BigEast tournament, they played with intensity especially in the 1rst half when they built up a 13 pt. halftime lead. Then they coasted in the 2nd half and Pitt came back to make it appear to be a closer game. Sutherland hardly took a shot in the 2nd half.
Bottom line when other teams with better talent match Pitt’s intensity, they win. As the better talent can score points and their ratched up intensity on defense negates Pitt’s predictable motion (or motionless) offense. Wichita was about the worst matchup we could get, as they play similar to us, except they are/were better at it.
If you can’t recruit better skilled offensive players, Coach better learn some gimmick defenses or hire an asst. who can !
Unlike some others, I’m OK with the extension. I know there were those that wanted his head but I always believed that the only way he goes is if HE wants to go… and he didn’t want to go. The only thing that really irks me is that once again that douche bag of an AD we have once again proves his utter lack of understanding in all things business AND sports. You know JD isn’t leaving unless he wants to, and if he does, there’s NOTHING you can do to keep him. But… instead of at least using the opportunity to send a message that petering out at the end of the season is somewhat less than desirable, you offer him a fat extension before the ink on the Shocker debacle recap is even dry. Exactly what kind of message does that send? “We’re desperate, suck all you want…”? Anyone who has ever spent any time in business knows that making your Q1, Q2, and Q3 numbers but failing to hit Q4 and the end of year number doesn’t earn you a bonus. You’re lucky to keep your job. Like or not, college basketball is business – we could at least try to keep that side of the house in order.
Look, I’m glad Dixon stayed, but like everyone else, he needs to prove himself beyond what he has already accomplished to warrant a huge extension. If our only goal is to not suck in conference and simply GET to the dance every other year and lose early, we can probably do that for less than $2 million a year.
Are you kidding me about Adams being better than the other centers you saw in the tournament?
You weren’t watching Dieng control the lane and swat shots or McGary (a freshman, I think) run the floor? You weren’t watching Plumlee help his guards handle L-ville’s press?
I think he’ll get the ball plenty more next year and we should all be plenty happy if he turns out to be as good as any of the above-mentioned players.
There was enough written that said Jamie did consider the USC offer justifying a vote of confidence from the administration. 2 mil is hardly outrageous in the current market.
There are plenty of guys desirous of a new coach on this site, but I don’t recall any of them saying we could get one on the cheap. Other than those that thought Miller would give a home town discount. Yeah right.
And by the way, there are plenty of examples of CEO’s (which is what Jamie is) getting major bonuses when their companies are going down in flames. So cut it out with the salesmen analogies.
Sorry, I must have awoken on the wrong side of the bed.
The talent level allows them to up the intensity of their game.
It’s like watching the Stanley Cup playoffs vs the regular season, there is a substantial difference in level of play, which has to be sustained. Our guys are capable of that level in small bursts but not over time.
I notice the difference between Dieng and Adams when we played. Dieng is probably a lottery pick right now. Adams will get there.
While we are not void of talent, many teams have more than we do.
About having that quick terrific guard, we had one…..Brandon Knight, but that was a long time ago.
I do agree with Emel’s intensity angle, and wonder if Pitt plays so intensely during the regular season that they can’t sustain it come post-season.
I also think that even more important than who they schedule, Pitt needs to get on the road more outside of the eastern time zone in non-con. We all knew they were doomed playing in SLC. Just not enough experience with cross country travel. I see they are going to Maui in 2014, that’s great. It’s about time.
It was surprising that all the final four teams won their last game with relative ease, although Wichita had to fight to finish it off. We never have the talent level to do that, part of it is style of play, but you have to be really good to separate at that level.
Duke is a strong team, Louisville dominated.
Boeheim is as loose as I have ever seen him, it’s like he is playing with house money. We have never had a guard like Carter-Williams, or a forward as smooth as Fair.
It would be great to have a Big East Final.
Every one of the Final Four teams have one guard that can drive and score, most have two.
For Dixon and Pitt now the challenge is making something happen in the post season. (was that 4 out of 5 years not a single win in the Big East tournament?… that just wears on everyone no matter what they say.)
HP
Then starting against ND the following year having a second team QB “Wade something” who dropped at least 5 snaps from center handing the game to ND! Maybe we are cursed. Anyone know a wichdoctor who can lift it??
Of course, if Mich shoots like they did yesterday, they may be able to beat that zone with 3s … but that is certainly not a given.
Do you think Bumblrbee could beat two guards to the basket on the dribble after a stealat half court and get the lay up-he is not quick enough or skilled enough to beat a center off the dribble let alone two guards as Adams did.
As for the outlet on the press your referring to the basketball knowledle of coach K to Dixon. I have always argued to bring Adams up as an outlet to beat the zone. You did not watch all the Pitt games were Adams when Dixon had a momentary lapse of reason and used Adams as an outlet and dribbled across half-court rather than his usual attack against the press give it to Woodall and have him dribble to the sidelined and get trippled teamed. Another weakness in your argument for the Duke ceneter is that he was Louisville’s game plan, he was to slow to stop penetration and the guards attacked hime the entire game. Louisville could not do this against Pitt when Adams was in that’s why at home they could only beat us by 3 points.
Deing destroyed the the club footed kid from Duke . You obviously have have a short memory or one of those convinnced that Adams underachieved and that without him Pitt would have been back in the NCAA’s with Taylor at center (you are delusional/Adams was worth 10 points on defense in blocks and altered shots)
As for Deing being so much better than Adams despite the difference in experience and the teams they play for check the head-on-head stats before Adams began to settle down.
In January at when Adams was still learning the game here are his statistics against Deing. least Total 3-point Rebounds
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
13 ADAMS, Steven c 4-5 0-0 0-4 5-2 7 1 8 0 0 1 2 29
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
10 DIENG, Gorgui c 5-7 0-0 4-6 4-8 12 2 14 4 3 5 0 39
Adams playing 10 minutes less went 4-5 from field 8 points and 7 rebounds to Deing 14 pts and 12 rebounds, mostly against Taylor.
Seing will play in the pro’s but his limited offensive game since he cannot put the ball on the floor or beat a man off the dribble will also bback him a backup in the NBA.
If both went NBA this year Adams would be a lottery pick Deing/2nd round.
Bumblee is slow footed and clumsy and weak underneath. He may play in NBA – I’d compare him more to Arron Gray than to Adams.
Adams has only played one year of basketball and he did not play for Louisville or his statistics would have been much higher.
Comparing Adams to other center you have to consider that his played on an inferior team with only one other quality player, Robinson. Further in Dixon’s scheme he was the 5 option in the offense. If that does not change next year it’s one and out in the NCAA’s.
Also remember a great Alabama team in 76 who killed Georgia (our Sugar Bowl foe) during the season but instead of being ranked #1, Notre Dame magically jumped over them after beating the #1 team. That eventually set up Michigan #1 and Pitt #2. Ah the memories.
As I have gone back and watched both Sugar Bowl victories 76,79, I am stunned by how deep Pitt was at every position.
Yet he is a senior and he is not nearly as atheletic as Adams and does not have the NBA potetnial because of his lack of quickness.
Make a good backup center in the NBA or starter on a team desperately in need of center. However too slow as Louisville showed his inability to defend the basket time and time again.
Adams at this point is a better defender than Plumbee.
If you want an example of a way to get to the Final 4 without one-and-done NBA talent, look at Loiusville. Of course they are a fast and talented college team, but they are also an experienced team, the core of which has been together 3 years now and it shows. Dieng will probably get drafted, but he may be the only one.
Next, I am laughing at Tom Ice Crean at IU. anyone who actually watched them (excludes Fittipaldi at PG) knew they were shot. But his cutting the nets after a senior night home loss to OSU followed by his imbecile behavior toward the U of M assistant sealed that crude dudes fate. He will win games, but the guy is a loser and a USDA grade A creep!
Happy for Belein. He gave WVU the only shred of class it gas known in the last 30 years.
Wares broken leg is indescribable.
If Jim B at Syracuse coached at UNC, he would be viewed as the greatest coach of his era. He is the greatest coach of his era. But he won’t get that credit.
Howland is still looking for work. Hmmmm. I think it means he wants to take a year off and stay on the left coast.
Agnes is gone. I despise CYANIDE STEVE, but this was handled properly. She is a class act: done in by some circumstances in recruiting I truly never understood. Someone knows. Regardless, she didn’t deserve a public flogging and firing her the second the team got back from it’s last loss would have amounted to that.
Anyone Cyanide Steve hires will look good at first because we have gone winless in conference for two years, but the guy hasn’t had a good hire in mire than 10 years. Look for a middling choice instead of the brass ring. Susie down the street is the brass ring.
I like the winner of the Syracuse, Michigan game to cut the nets when all is said and done. BUT BEWARE. Tom Creep Crean may cut ’em down anyway.
He does those sort of things!
Love the reading of body language. The owner operator of the greatest tennis school ever was an expert at reading body language. He watched the parents of candidates seeking admission into his program when the kids were hitting. If the dads crouched, putting painful pressure on their knees he figured the kid might get uptight also, especially on the 2 or 3 critical points.
What I mean, it’s better to be in the conversation than not even in the room.