Sure they lost to Bucknell, but hey that happens to everyone at some point. They had a decent trip to Brooklyn. Beating St. John’s in OT and losing to Ole Miss by a few. Pat Chambers has done a nice job of trying to build this team. Tim Frazier has come back really well from his injury last year. D.J. Newbill has been outstanding. They have a very talented backcourt — on offense.
Their weaknesses are just as obvious. The defense is lacking. They’ll gamble on steals — as much because they struggle to guard players as by design. Not much of a frontcourt. And they lack depth. Frazier, Newbill and Ross Taylor all are averaging over 33 minutes a game. And this is just 8 games in, with a decent amount of scrub teams on the schedule. Don’t be surprised if Frazier and Newbill are out there for nearly the entire 40 minutes (barring foul trouble). Though, as you would expect, their coach downplays the minutes issue.
Penn State shoots 3s more frequently than Pitt 38.5% vs. 30.5% of FGA, with a slightly better 3-point shooting percentage 38.9% to 37.9%. Their tempo isn’t particularly faster than Pitt. A slight bit faster — 67.0 to 65.5 in Adjusted Tempo.
It is kind of staggering how much of a 2-man team Penn State is. Newbill and Frazier have accounted for 199 of the 455 FGA (43.7% of the team’s FGA). They have taken over half of the Nits FTs this year. The pressure will be on Pitt’s backcourt to shut them down and make other players beat them.
Those “other players” will likely be forwards Ross Travis and Brandon Taylor. Taylor in particular is intriguing as a 6-7 sophomore forward who leads PSU in 3-pointers and is shooting at a 40% clip.
Pitt doesn’t have to do anything it hasn’t been doing to win this game. Mix up the man defense with zone to keep Penn State off-balance and control the penetration from the guards. Force the turnovers with active hands and get out on transition for the easy baskets. On offense, working it inside and force Penn State to play defense more than they want to.
The game Duquesne gave Pitt will probably help — well, at least that will be the narrative with a win. Lose, and it becomes how Duquesne exposed some big flaws that PSU exploited.
Lamar Patterson has shown growth in his game so far, and had an exceptional week to earn ACC Player of the Week honors.
The Geno Thorpe-Mike Young storyline is nice, but other than being teammates and friends, there isn’t much else. Thorpe plays lightly and may barely see the court in this game.
Both sides like to say how they’d like the teams to play each other annually, but I don’t really buy it. It does practically zilch for recruiting. It generates no buzz outside the Commonwealth — and sometimes not even there. Personally, I think the basketball series would be ideal to be played in Philly. Then it would matter more for recruiting.
Lamar Patterson, ACC player of the week, never thought I’d see that. Well done Lamar!
Point about the Pitt-Duquesne game. Yesterday, I wasn’t picking on Duquesne.
Sure, play them every year. Just not at the Consol every time. Make it a home and home.
Also, I know most teams play 10 cupcakes.
However, not ALL teams do that. I have mentioned before that there are quite a few teams that have a home and home series. (they seem it’s okay to miss one home game payday).
Florida and UCONN have a home and home, played at UCONN last night.
How about just a team from another BCS conference that doesn’t have a directional after it’s name.
We used to do it, just 5 or 6 years ago.
Wisconsin, Washington, Ohio State…………
Why’d we stop?? The budget got that tight, that one home game made a difference??? Ok, I’ll buy.
But, now, you’re getting 20 million a year from the ACC. Start bringing some friggin’ teams in here!!!!
The City Game, I was thinking it was at the Consol every year, isn’t that the case???
I don’t remember seeing Duquesne at The Pete.
Anyway, what I meant was, Duquesne can play their “home” game at the Consol.
Pitt should play them at The Pete.
That’s what I meant about home and home, no Palumbo, certainly.
Even a home and home with Duquesne costs us.
I get that.
Don’t forget, I’m one of the people that says bag them alltogether, and get a home and home with someone in the top 20.
It is clear, that allthough not a lot, there are certainly a good number of teams in say, the top 50 (BCS conferences) that still do home and homes.
I also don’t buy the “it’s hard to find someone”.
These coaches all know each other, for the most part, a lot of them are friends. They go to meetings and conferences and vacations together. Recruiting visits, high school tournaments etc. etc..
You telling me, Jamie doesn’t have some friends in the coaching business, that are in the top 20 or 30, that he couldn’t say, “hey, let’s do a little home and home and play each other a few times”.
C’mon.
Can’t be fear, we beat Wisconsin, Ohio State, Washington. Beat Duke, hell in the regular season, Pitt has rarely lost to a non-con BCS conference team.
Just for the “W”???
I bet even losing to Kansas by 6, or Indiana by 5, would raise your power ranking more than beating Savanahh State by 20.
I don’t get it.
One of the leagues I played in during the 90s with all the local D1 and ex-D1 players was at the Palombo on Sunday mornings and it was full of Pitt and Duquesne players and everybody knew each other and the games were great. Believe me, none of those guys would have cared where they played the games. They just wanted to play…..
Never forget William Herndon (played for Calipari at UMass) dunking on all of us, Pitt and Duquesne players included. Think he was in the Final 4 dunk competition at one point. He took no prisoners….
So forget all this crap about who we should play and where and “we’re too good for that” and whatever. I’m all for a better non-conf schedule, but until that happens, let’s play PSU and Duquesne and whoever else we can rustle up.
Millions of dollars for playing 1 or 2 additional away pre-season games ….. really?
To the admistration, I am.
We’ve sold out the Petersen Center for 12 years in a row, throw the fans a bone.
Hey, play Duquesne, Penn State, Robert Morris, hell I even liked when we use to play IUP.
But, for crying out loud, bring someone to The Pete besides Howard, Lehigh and Savanah State!!!
Make no mistake though, this isn’t some kind of false argument, Pitt’s OOC schedule, is always the butt of jokes on the sports channels when the subject presents itself. Our SOS is saved for have been being in the BE and now the ACC.
Our OOC schedule the past few years absolutely sucks, there is no debating that.
Further, The Pete is over half-empty for most of the preseason games against these patsies
Alcofan, I’m in for 100 rupee.
Send my winnings to Chas.
Nate Barnes ?@NateBarnes_TPN 1 Dec
#Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said Joseph Uchebo is making progress, has done some “minimal live work” in practice.
Retweeted by Chris Dokish
link to post-gazette.com
Pitt athletics factors zero to these trustees. I’m assuming Pederson was in on the cash as well.
Just as a point of information, remember when Pederson refused to play any games at the Civic Arena, even the biggest Big East games? Seems contradictory that he has allowed the “City game” to be played at the downtown arena, which from television shots, wasn’t near to capacity.
On the take with regard to athletics: Fans haven’t seen evidence of the millions in cash Pitt is making now. Workers at local UPMC facilities can’t get a decent raise – an issue about which Nordenberg has said nothing. If you don’t believe me, do the research yourself. Nordenberg appoints Pitt’s representatives on the UPMC governing board.
When the Republican governor cuts funds for colleges, it a travesty. But it’s a greater travesty when Nordenberg, the trustees, and the “in group” who now benefit from bonuses vote to up the Pitt tuition so high Pitt becomes the most expensive state-related university in the country.
Pitt sends out numerous requests for alumni donations, looking only for cash, not opinions or advice. The inner circle does whatever the hell it wants, alums be damned. Good example of that today.
Pitt may win by only 15.
@spirit, well I’m assuming the schedule 3 years ago was weak due to financial restraints from lack of money. Next year will be the real test. No reason to not schedule at least one quality opponent. If they don’t next year, then they never will. I’ve pretty much given up any hope of a quality team coming to the Pete before January 1st any year. What’s annoying that as a season ticket holder I have to pay full price for these early games.
@Spirit, I understand about the money, we all know that.
Florida and UCONN must have decided it was okay to give up a home game against Bryn Mawr, or Gainesville CC to play each other.
Why can’t we??
“Nordy insisted his 2011 salary be frozen, and his pay raise this year be equal to the smallest one given to others”.
Wow Nordy, you’re my hero. Insisting your salary be frozen at $542,000
BTW, I was a season ticket holder for the 1st 4 years a the Pitt (had to move away in 06) .. and I did not look at all as to how many home games were on the schedule. I looked to league games and quality preseason games …. and could have cared less if we dropped St Francis PA or Coppin State for one less home game.