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November 26, 2013

So Much For Texas Tech

Filed under: Basketball — Chas @ 8:29 am

It was close for a few minutes. No really. It was only a 4-2 game nearly five minutes in. I’m sure no one was panicking, though. As for my expectation of poor shooting in the beginning. Eh, not so much.

Pitt needed only six minutes to take a double-digit lead and just 13 to push the lead to 20 en route to an easy 76-53 win at the Barclays Center in a Progressive Legend’s Classic semifinals.

The Panthers advanced to the championship game at 9:30 p.m. today and will play Stanford or Houston.

Pitt (5-0) got off to another fast start shooting as it was 6 of 14 from the 3-point in the first half (43 percent) and led at halftime, 41-18.

Leading that barrage was senior Lamar Patterson, who hit three 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a career-high 23 points and a career-high five steals.

Cameron Wright added 12 points, and the Panthers finished 25 of 53 from the field (47.2 percent) and 10 for 24 from the 3-point line (42 percent).

Texas Tech never seemed to know what hit them. They were unable on defense to handle the ball movement by Pitt. And on defense, Pitt dominated them.

I think what has surprised me the most about the team defensively. It’s not playing zone, or even playing it well. It is how seamlessly Pitt has been able to shift from man to zone and back. There isn’t the initial confusion and missed assignments that often happen when switching defenses in-game. The defense was exceptionally sharp.

The talent level at Pittsburgh might not be as high-profile as some of its ACC rivals (yes, that still sounds weird to me too) – but the Panthers are going to be a threat in the league this season.

The top of the ACC has caught a bad rap in the early part of the season for bad losses and poor performances. Syracuse and Duke have barely escaped against mid-major teams, while North Carolina lost to Belmont. Notre Dame dropped one to Indiana State, and even Virginia lost at home to a VCU team that might not be as good as expected.

But Pittsburgh could potentially fill a void if one of those teams struggles in league play – and make a push for a top-four finish in the conference.

It’s not all that different a Pitt team than in past season. They defend, they’re physical, they rebound, they share the ball, and they’re well coached by Jamie Dixon. Moreover, they’re experienced. Patterson and Talib Zanna are both fifth-year seniors, Cameron Wright is a fourth-year junior – and although James Robinson is only a sophomore, he started as a freshman.

“We’re an unselfish team,” Patterson said. “We all stick together, we grow together. When you people who have chemistry, it translates to the court.”

Yet, it is a different team. Are they strong and physical? Yes. But not in the bruising way of past Big East seasons. The team defense is doing something surprising. Not fouling. They are smart with positioning on defense, they are staying in front of their man, and they have been exceptionally active with the hands. Not putting them on the opposing player or hand-checking or anything that would be called a foul. But disrupting the vision. Obscuring passing lanes. Taking smart swipes at the ball. The defense has not only been more active, but more harassing.

Why, it’s almost as if Coach Dixon taught and coached his team over the summer in anticipation of how the rules enforcement were changing and adapted to it. You know, rather than whine about it later.

Tonight it is Stanford. Yes, it matters for Pitt. Very important game since the non-con will only give Pitt one more shot a quality win.

Just as important for Stanford, however, as they have already missed on shot at a quality win when they lost to BYU earlier.  They haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in five years so they need to show something as well.

“I think it’s big for us,” [Anthony] Brown said of facing the Panthers. “Pitt has such a great tradition and is so well respected. We’re anxious for the opportunity.”

Pitt will be the one with the target on the chest tonight. The favorite, and expected to win.





Looking at the Johnny Dawkins Cardinals boxscore, they seem to be able to score alot of points with academic type players.

Comment by alcofan 11.26.13 @ 8:59 am

didn’t see Stanford play last night but would certainly expect a better game. Pitt seems like a good blend of veterans and youth.

A few observations:

– Patterson seems to becoming the player we were hoping for last year. A good all around player on all facets. He may not be the passer that Wannamker is, but is a better shooter.

– there is a lot of leadership in the backcourt. Both starting guards are showing maturity which bodes very well for the team’s success.

– Freshman Young, Artis and Newkirk show much potential .. and none of them will be considered the primary go-to people, but instead, will supply great support.

While Pitt is not as talented as Duke, UK, KU, etc, it looks like classic JD teams of a few years ago where they play above their talent level. Symmetry 1 + 1 = 3

Now of course, we really haven’t played anyone yet but it is not possible to be anything but optimistic so far

Comment by wbb 11.26.13 @ 9:08 am

one more observation … don’t know what NYC/NJ recruits were watching but had to be impressed; not only with the results, but with the style of play

Comment by wbb 11.26.13 @ 9:13 am

What strikes me is how smart they’re playing. I feel like we’re seeing fewer turnovers, fewer “WTF?” type shots, and fewer dumb fouls.

Comment by Justin 11.26.13 @ 9:20 am

I agree Wbb. The panthers are much more enjoyable to watch as they run the floor on fast break opportunities AND play a more aggressive half court if the break is not there. They’re easy on the eyes, unlike our FB team right now.

Comment by pittman4ever 11.26.13 @ 9:23 am

The mark of a great basketball team is how they finish the close games. How they do when faced with adversity. Do they make their foul shots down the stretch? Who takes the last shot?

We may learn a little more tonight and again against Cinci, but we really won’t know until we go on the road in the ACC.

So far so good, but these seniors have not had a lot of success in the big games, it is their turn and they have to learn how to win their share of the nail-biters. I like Robinson and Wright to help them rise to the occasion, but only time will tell.

Comment by gc 11.26.13 @ 9:25 am

Just an overall domination. Texas Tech clearly had significant flaws… turning over as much as they did won’t

Glad we won, I think we have an interesting group here that should do really well going into the season.

Comment by Benzene 11.26.13 @ 9:34 am

I keep saying it. This team has the potential to be a very special team. It is a long season but they seem to have more weapons. They are no longer a once trick pony (defense).

Comment by Pitt Fan In Atlanta 11.26.13 @ 9:44 am

What Benzene said, Texas Tech was dominated by the Panthers.

Comment by Dr. Tom 11.26.13 @ 9:58 am

Was concerned after that terrible shooting performance against Fresno St., but I guess every team has off nights (and I’m sure there will be other rough shooting nights, hopefully not 0-11 though).

Yes, Texas Tech is not a very good team, but you can’t deny that this team looked very good last night. Crisp passing, good shot selection, crashing the boards, active defense.

The offense, in particular, impressed me. It really flowed. Not plodding and stale like the past few seasons. That is the Patterson I’ve been waiting to see. Hopefully we see that aggressive, confident Patterson the rest of the season. If so, that will make a huge difference, because I think the other players really were feeding off of his game.

Newkirk looked more comfortable last night. Think he can bring a different dimension into the game at times, but we’ll see.

The bad losses are gonna come, but I was really impressed last night. Hopefully they can keep it going this evening.

Quick question: Does anybody miss JJ Moore in the least?

Comment by Carmen 11.26.13 @ 9:59 am

Chas,

I think you hit it on the head. Defensively they are much better at keeping men in front of them. Even then, they help much better on screens or when a man is beaten off the dribble.

They have played very well in the zone and are able to rebound within it. In my mind the rebounding angle has killed them playing zone in prior years. They also were forced to play zone in recent years because defenders couldn’t defend off the dribble.

Offensively the ball is infrequently “stuck” and they rarely find themselves deep in the shot clock requiring a desperate play.

It will be interesting to see this team against ACC competition.

Heck foul shooting even looks good this year. There is no Gray, Blair, McGhee or Taylor on the team for an opponent to intentionally foul. Zanna might be the weakest shooter and even he has become a 70% guy.

At this point there there is a lot to like about this team.

Comment by Barvo 11.26.13 @ 10:09 am

We have pounced on our last 3 opponents and had a foot on their throats by the 10 minute mark. Stanford should be a much tougher test. They are big, experienced and athletic. The Cardinal can score and we will have to work to keep them below 80 points, though we have been giving up scores in the 50’s. I have seen them play twice now and they can score the ball individually but don’t mesh well as a unit. This would be the wrong game for us to not shoot well as they are going to score. We need to do what has been working. 1) good team D 2) rebound 3)few turn overs 4) good shot selection. We will also likely have to play the whole 40 minutes for the first time this year. This one scares me as they are bigger, stronger, more athletic and equally experienced. We are better coached, less selfish, and deeper. This should be a good game. HTP

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 10:15 am

Last year we were ok if Zanna or Patterson showed up, but not when they both disappeared.

I think we have more scoring depth this year, with Johnson and Wright. Also Young and Artis have shots.

I am also hoping that Patterson has reached a new level and will produce as needed.

With the addition of the zone it appears that the defense is back up to Jamie’s high standards.

Robinson is definitely the glue. Hasn’t taken many shots this year, but based on a few key ones last year, he can make the big one when needed.

Zanna still the mystery man. He will have some big games, just hope he is more consistent.

JJ who?

Comment by gc 11.26.13 @ 10:17 am

@Carmen, you took my two thoughts.

Very crisp passing, and not the plodding i’ve seen especially the past two years.

More energy on the team, more whipping the ball around as opposed to dribbling, stopping and thinking for a couple seconds “where do I pass to next?”.

It’s early, but looks like a fun team to watch, and a team that could have a real good year.

Comment by Dan 11.26.13 @ 10:26 am

Did anyone notice Wright’s defensive gems last night? The sequence when he stole the ball while diving into the first row and then recovered to draw a charge stopping the fast break was spectacular. This kid has the heart of a champion and is a joy to watch play. Johnson could be as good a 6th man as we have ever had so I don’t think JJ will be missed. I don’t blame him for transferring though as he would have gotten less minutes with this group than last year. I wish him well.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 10:32 am

I echo Pitt Fan In Atlanta. This team could be special. The team fell apart in the off-season, but seems to have been back together/come together in a much better way.
I also like the style. I used to dislike the slow, plodding, “pass to the left, pass back, pass to the right, pass back” style. I think the new style will be more attractive to recruits, and certainly is great for the fans. Hopefully the wins accrue in the new style like they did in the old style.

Comment by Caw Miller 11.26.13 @ 10:39 am

Let’s wait and see if they can stop talented guards from penetrating, outrebound more athletic forwards and centers, and shoot so well against more aggressive defenders.

Comment by wbb 11.26.13 @ 10:44 am

I think they are playing the same style, they are just better, faster, and don’t have to think first pass second. There appears to be a lot more trust and Patterson and Wright are much more proficient at driving to the hoop. The fear of passing to the big guys also appears to be gone.

One word, confidence. Just hope it holds up against more talented teams.

spirit, I think Cam Wright has taken his defensive game to the next level. This should pay big dividends in the ACC vs. their better guards.

Comment by gc 11.26.13 @ 10:48 am

Caw, Our old turtle on it’s back offense was tough to watch. The reason this offense is working is between Robinson, Patterson, and Wright they will find the open man without throwing it away. Experience and unselfishness ,and whoever gets an open look , shoot.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 10:50 am

One more thing, they have been getting open shots and making them. We’ll see how they do when the shots are contested.

Comment by gc 11.26.13 @ 10:52 am

Agree… So much for Texas Tech. How about Miami?

Comment by PittofDreams 11.26.13 @ 10:59 am

Was it possible that last year Woodall and Sleepy resented Adams dropping in for his warm up for the NBA. That team never clicked into high gear and fell short of it’s potential. They never passed the ball inside and struggled to find an open shot. This team works the ball in out and around and as soon as anyone gets an open look ,up it goes. The amazing part is the D though. With last years offensive lethargy we kept the score down by limiting time of possession.(We wasted a lot of clock on offense) This year we are just playing good defense.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 11:05 am

Las Vegas has tonights game as a toss up. I think it will be physical and tightly contested. This could be a key game for both programs in building a resume for the NCAA.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 11:15 am

There is something to be said for a team playing to their own potential rather than playing down. Good teams never play to the level of their competition. So that’s definitely an encouraging sign. Crushing teams that should be crushed is definitely a positive.

The biggest challenge right now for Pitt (other than winning games obviously) is going to be getting any respect from the media. ESPN et al. are very negative about our OOC schedule so it’s gonna be tough to get any traction on the national stage before ACC play.

Comment by PittHW 11.26.13 @ 11:24 am

Good question PittofDreams, WHAT BOUT MIAMI????

Comment by Dr. Tom 11.26.13 @ 11:47 am

As I said earlier this team does not look like the Pitt team of the last 10 years. They are very very athletic. Reminds me a little of the late 80’s team with Smith etal. Guess we just wait and see.

Comment by Frank MD 11.26.13 @ 11:50 am

Pumped for the hoop game tonite – only wish there were more non-con games to get excited about.

As for football, Pitt not the only team banged up heading into Friday’s game.

link to miamiherald.com

Comment by Iron Duke 11.26.13 @ 11:53 am

Dr. Tom.

It’s in the BAG!

Comment by PittofDreams 11.26.13 @ 12:21 pm

Read that Bisno is done for the season. I guess that means the bowl game. How bad is he hurt?

I guess Price is done too, will he be back next year?

Comment by gc 11.26.13 @ 12:37 pm

Don’t know anything about Bisonwaty or Price.

Do know that Hollins played well enough to take the possibility of Dorian Johnson starting totally off the table.

Comment by PittofDreams 11.26.13 @ 12:40 pm

Dr. Tom…

Now, last week, I predicted an “UNLIKELY” win for Pitt against Syracuse. Not exactly a “Chryst Revival” like Notre Dame. But more like a “Chryst Survival.”

Considering the last second timeout Chryst called that probably saved the game, I think that’s a pretty accurate description of how things ended up falling into place.

Now, I was WRONG about one thing. I also predicted James Conner would have his “BIGGEST” game of his young career against the Orange.

Obviously that didn’t happen.

But it will on Friday against Miami!

One week off. My BAD.

Comment by PittofDreams 11.26.13 @ 12:45 pm

I would be surprised if we get by Stanford without a significant contribution from Zanna and Young. For those concerned about us getting in foul trouble, Stanford is actually more at risk as they lack depth. IMO If we win tonight, the polls would be wrong to not include us in the top 20. Stanford is better than half the teams we will face in the ACC.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 1:11 pm

I sure hope that you’re right PittofDreams because that lack of a consistant predictable running game has made our offense much more one demensionsl and has put a big target squarely on Tom Savage’s chest.

Comment by Dr. Tom 11.26.13 @ 1:22 pm

Pomroy has us ranked 6th, Stanford 38th. Oregon also from the Pac 12 is ranked 14 AP and 15 USA is 40th in Pomroys.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 1:36 pm

Said this a while ago in the turmoil of the hoops off-season, but this year has the potential to erase any doubts about Coach Dixon. SO far so good. Personally I think Pitt has a coach. Contract extension couldn’t look better if this year continues well.

Comment by TVax 11.26.13 @ 1:44 pm

Pomroy has Cincinatti ranked 39th so this might be our toughest non/con game.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 1:55 pm

Sagarin computers rankings has Pitt FB at 54 and BB at 7.

Comment by Frank MD 11.26.13 @ 2:07 pm

@Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 1:11 pm Right now we’re 39th in the AP poll and 32nd in the USA Today/Coaches Poll. I’d surprised if we’re in the top 25 next week even with big wins against Stanford and Duquesne.

Comment by PittHW 11.26.13 @ 2:14 pm

basketball seems to take care of itself. If we win consistetly, by the end of the year, we will be ranked appropriately.

Comment by wbb 11.26.13 @ 2:58 pm

Dixon has definitely recruited a particular body style. Long arms and athletic. They will be awesome defensively this year. If they can get some consistency out of Zanna, Wright or Patterson… look out… this team could be *very* special.

Comment by John Ramella 11.26.13 @ 3:30 pm

Only 2 pt. favorites tonight against Stanford.
link to sbrforum.com

Comment by TonyinHouston 11.26.13 @ 3:59 pm

@Pitthw, I concur we won’t be, that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t deserve to be. Please don’t confuse the polls with being a fair barometer of a teams strength. I meant what I said, “the polls would be wrong not to include us in the top 20.” They are often wrong.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 4:13 pm

Sportsbet.com has us as 6 point favorites, last night we were 11 point favorites and we won by 23. So I’m not sure how good Vegas is at sizing teams up just yet.

Comment by PittHW 11.26.13 @ 4:14 pm

In years past years (even the good ones), our offensive trips down the floor had such a premium on them that shot selection was at the top of the demands list. Our lack of natural scoring ability and outside shooting made guys almost afraid to shoot, let alone take a questionable shot. Many times a guy would take a shot and quickly be looking at the bench to see if JDix was mad or if someone was getting up off the bench to replace them. Guys were unselfish because they were AFRAID.

This year’s team looks different, plays different. Guys taking shots 10 seconds into a possession? Craziness. Confident, natural, it almost looks like they are having fun, which is the opposite of the reputation of playing at Pitt. Adding that dimension to the natural Dixon penchant for being unselfish and this team has some decent potential. It’s not even Thanksgiving and these guys look like they’ve been playing with each other for a couple years.

Someone pour me another glass of Koolaid please. Lol.

Comment by CNorwoodAZ 11.26.13 @ 4:15 pm

@pitthw, The line was even money when it first posted at 11 am. There are 340+ teams in div 1 and it would be unlikely they could get an accurate fix on that many teams this early. I don’t know anyone in my circle of friends that follows Pitt hoops more than me and I have seen us play 3games and Stanford twice. If I had to bet I would take the 6 because the Cardinal are bigger, more athletic and more mature. They should be able to cover. There loss came to BYU but they still scored over a hundred points. We will be fortunate to win let alone cover.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 4:25 pm

Bovada has it at Pitt -6
Book has it at Pitt -5 1/2

Comment by Dan 11.26.13 @ 4:26 pm

I’ve noticed, and I get a kick out of a few commenters, very few, and they are not regulars, who have in the past, criticized Pitt fans for being negative.

I’ve seen nothing but positive stuff about Pitt hoops so far this year.

Saw nothing but positive stuff about Pitt football after the Notre Dame game.

Funny how that works, when the teams look good and are winning, lot’s of positive stuff.

When they don’t look so hot or are losing, lot’s of negative stuff.

I wonder if that just isn’t the same everywhere??

LOL

Comment by Dan 11.26.13 @ 4:38 pm

@Cnorwoodaz, I have a different take on what you are seeing. I don’t find it at all crazy. The 3 guys moving the ball out front Robinson, Patterson, and Wright all are very experienced and they have more options than previous teams. They don’t turn the ball over and they are able to quickly find the open man. All 5 are a threat to score and rebound so that makes this group much harder to defend. The fact that teams can no longer hand check our backcourt allows them to be able to have more success penetrating as well. It is the same offense, without Woodall and Adams weighing it down. Last year Adams never got the ball, would have screwed it up if he did, and if Woodall ever penetrated he couldn’t finish. That offense didn’t have any options and was harder for us to watch than for other teams to defend.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 4:46 pm

I’m going to throw this out there and say that we handle Stanford quite easily.

I know everyone is still hesitant given how we haven’t seen this team in a real contest… but frankly, Stanford just isn’t that great of a team this year, and from what I saw last night… we are.

Comment by Benzene 11.26.13 @ 4:56 pm

@Spirit, it should not be “crazy”, but taking a shot in the first 10 seconds of a possession point after one pass is most certainly unheard of (if not crazy) for a Pitt team, even in our most successful years, not just the previous 2. Pitt has had the reputation for slow, possession limiting offense, defensive first play for as long as Jamie Dixon has been on the staff.

The offense may be the “same”, but the parameters on what’s expected and acceptable/allowed (and able to be accomplished by the talent) have changed significantly, IMHO.

Whether it is “crazy” is certainly up for debate, but whatever it is, I like it.

Comment by CNorwoodAZ 11.26.13 @ 5:05 pm

Benzene, I would gladly go along except I have seen Stanford. They aren’t a great team but on a good night they could beat us. They are bigger, more mature and more athletic. We looked great against an inferior team. That doesn’t mean we are great. I hope we win but this isn’t going to be another waltz down Broadway.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 5:10 pm

@CNorwodaz, There is no question that Dixon has loosened the reigns a bit, I think that has a lot to do with the guys manning the 1,2,and 3. The rule change has been a blessing too. It also helps to recruit some freshman that actually knew how to shoot when they got here.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 5:16 pm

Pitt is favored by 6 points.

Think we win in a rout. Stanford has played no one anywhere close to as good a defensive team PITT is.

PITT is #7 in the country in scoring defense(54.8ppg).
Nobody has scored more than 58 points. And these were all games where PITT played soft, with many subs in the 2nd half.

Meanwhile the Tree’s are #201 in Scoring defense.
(73.2)

Offensively not much difference in the team’s ppg.
Stanford is averaging 82.5 ppg and PITT is averaging exactly 80 ppg.

This will be a rout !

Comment by EMel 11.26.13 @ 6:29 pm

BETONLINE.ag -6 PITT: -110
+ 6 STAN: -110
143.5 o: -110
u: -110
PITT: -265
STAN: +225

5Dimes.eu -6 PITT: -105
+6 STAN: -105
144 o: -105
u: -105
PITT: -250
STAN: +230

SportsBetting.ag -6 PITT: -110
+6 STAN: -110
143.5 o: -110
u: -110
PITT: -265
STAN: +225

BOVADA -6 PITT: -110
+6 STAN: -110
144 o: -110
u: -110
PITT: -245
STAN: +205

Fantasy911.com -6 PITT: -110
+6 STAN: -110

Comment by EMel 11.26.13 @ 6:35 pm

They have way more size than we have seen and they can score. I think we should win but IMHO calling for the rout is big time optimism. I hope you are right.

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 6:42 pm

lol well history has shown us to be optimistic about the bball team and pessimistic about the football team. Right ?

Comment by EMel 11.26.13 @ 7:01 pm

Emel I concur lmao

Comment by spiritofsection22 11.26.13 @ 7:04 pm

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