Yes, the power is back.
You know, at the end of last season with Steven Adams leaving for the NBA. Trey Zeigler transferring. J.J. Moore’s slow decision to transfer. Missing out on remaining recruits like Lennard Freeman and Jon Severe. The fact that Dietrick Mostella couldn’t get his academics in order — for the entire spring and summer. If you just went from that point, this hasn’t been a bad season, given the expectations and losses.
Pitt finished 5th in the ACC. An 11-7 record and heading back to the NCAA Tournament. About what was expected. A little better than the 6th place finish predicted, but in all honesty that was due more ND being much worse than expected than Pitt being a bit better.
But of course we aren’t just skipping ahead months at a time. We went through each game. Each half. The individual plays, decisions and shots. Every disappointment and frustration magnified. Just as the encouraging signs and hope got blown to bigger proportion than they should have been.
At this point, if you were doing a work evaluation, Pitt would come in at “meets expectations.”
And yes, that feels something like a disappointment. They weren’t as good as they seemed to show at points. Nor were they ever really bad (Frustating? Absolutely. But bad? No.). They were slightly above average.
There were mitigating circumstances — Durand Johnson’s injury, Lamar Patterson’s thumb/hand definitely changed things — but also plenty of self-inflicted bits of pain.
Every team that beat Pitt has that win listed as a “good” win on their NCAA Tournament resume. That says something about the team and where they are. At the same time, with, likely the exception of Stanford, there is no team that Pitt beat that will get an at-large NCAA bid.
Yes, Pitt is in the NCAA Tournament. It has nothing to do with “deserving” a bid. Or Pitt being a team that can win it all. It has everything to do with 36 at-large spots, and Pitt being one of the best 30-40 teams in the country. As personally frustrated as you may feel about this team. Or the coach, don’t be so myopic as to think Pitt isn’t a good team. Or the only team to have disappointed and left fans ranting how a coach needs to change everything in his approach.
Now the ACC Tournament looms. It isn’t really like everything reverts to an 0-0 record. There’s too much from the season to ignore.
Pitt plays on Thursday against either Wake Forest or Notre Dame. Pitt has beaten both of them, but is nothing approaching a lock in Greensboro. Not with how the defense has looked. Not with Pitt’s cold stretches on offense that keep happening. I absolutely can see them going out to either team.
Here’s the thing. There’s still reason for optimism in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament that Pitt can do something. Make some noise. This is still a team that with really one exception was always in position to grab a game in the final minute or two. This is still a team that can get things going from all over the court and does know how to play great team defense.
Whether they put those things together for a couple games in a row. Whether they keep it together against the better teams. That’s a complete unknown.
Zanna’s intensity and improved play
Newkirk coming into his own
Robinson’s finding his shot
I think the extra day of rest will help, and if you thought the home cookin was bad today, wait till tomorrow.
Movin’ on though. Still high over the UNC win.
For me personally, I felt during the season we were the “other” guy from the Big East.
After yesterdays win, I’ve heard Pitt talked about again by several announcers and talking heads.
Guy on CBS tonight mentioned something to the effect of “can you imagine when Louisville joins Duke, UNC, Syracuse and Pitt”.
That made my night.
Certainly, was looking forward to the ACC Championship game, but, that’s the way it goes.
Ready for the games tomorrow, and looking forward to the seeding!!
Satisfying for me?? Would love to pull off a couple wins and get to the Sweet 16.
Can’t believe I’m jacked for the Tourney.
Couple weeks ago, I was about done with hoops.
Hail to Pitt!!!
There is a scouting priority on opponents during this time of year so get to it coaches! All in all, a real nice tournament for our Panthers in the inaugural ACC tourney. Lasted longer than any of our big east brethren (Syracuse, ND, BC, VT, Miami). I do miss the Eastern 8 tourney at the arena however…. Go Panthers, beat Lunardi!
Also, just posting to get us one post closer to 1000 posts.
Really good season (except for a few home losses)
nice first run in the ACC tourney…
now let’s see this team get 1 good upset in the big tourney and we would have to call that really good year.
The no-call at the end was BS… definitely these Good ‘ol southern boys aren’t about to cut us carpetbaggers and slack right now.
Should change in a few years and getting the ACC tourney to NY would be huge to that end.
A season to build on!
H2P
Would like to read more about this and about new refs for the ACC
“I wanted to contest it as best I could,” Mitchell said. “I definitely didn’t want to foul. But, you know, they let it go.”
It could have been worse. Pittsburgh Coach Jamie Dixon fumed on the sideline in search of a foul on Cavaliers forward Akil Mitchell as he challenged Robinson at the rim. Even Mitchell conceded after the game he may have committed an infraction.
“The referees definitely weren’t calling a lot of fouls today because I know a couple times I fouled a couple guys [and] they didn’t call it; I was really surprised,” Gill said. “But I guess it worked out for our benefit.”
The Charlottesville paper wrote something like Robinson was dangerously close to being fouled on the layup.
Gordo knows whose it will hit, if you want a list.
Had Pitt lost in OT, maybe we all feel a little less…….well, who knows.
Do we wait for pairings to book nights and which return flight?
The only bracket that matters is what is revealed at 6 pm.
LOL!!!
Now that our run through the ACC tourney has ended, I implore Chas, or anyone that can influence it, can we please have a new article under which to post? Scrolling through 1000+ replies on a phone is daunting!
“I wanted to contest it as best as I could. I definitely didn’t want to foul. But you know, they let it go.”
I was proud of the Panther’s gritty performance and how they shut down Virginia at the end and they came back. Pitt showed a lot to everyone who was there. Fox Sports stated that Pitt is in the NCAA Tournament. Then went on to further disparage them by saying, “The Panthers aren’t a very good team, but they’re not a bad one either.” Whether they get the respect they deserve from the talking heads on ESPN or Fox, they know they’re a good team
I really agree with Coach Al’s rant after game yesterday during which he said it was a joke that Pitt was ever talked about being on a bubble, how NC St isn’t even even and how crappy conferences like the A10 are getting so many teams in.
Sent from my iPhone. Ouch!
I know nothing about bogs and security. But, since Mike seems to have not worked out, is there some way that you can trust one of us to establish new threads? These long ones are killers when accessed on a cell phone.
And, this is the best Putt blog. Do you need any money from us to help pay for it? I would be happy to do it.
Hoping for a chance to play Villanova or Wichita State.
H2P
He also projects 3 other teams we’ve already played this year (Duke #4, Stanford #9 and Cincy #3) in that region.
My hope is that someone makes one of those legendary buzzer beaters on our team this year, we are certainly due.
Jamie don’t wear out their legs this week, we need to come out like we did vs Wake and NC.
I know we have seen some bad calls over the years, but I don’t remember a season like this and never anything like the last two games. We could have overcome it yesterday with some better shooting, but something needs to be addressed.
I know it is a tough job the way these guys fly around the court, but the integrity of the game is at stake, as well as the watch-ability.
The last two games were the quintessential example, against NC they call everything, except for the last 5 minutes when they put the whistles away.
Yesterday was hard to evaluate in terms of what they called vs what they didn’t. Then we finish with Artis fouled on the way up and then goal tending at the top. Of course the final coup de grace with Robinson.
Mistakes will be made, fouls will be missed, phantom calls will be made. But overall games, and tournaments should be called consistently.
Wouldn’t you expect a game with VA, a defensive struggle to have more fouls called than, a more free flowing game with NC? Instead we see just the opposite. VA is a great defensive team, but not so great that they don’t foul.
That would be near best case scenario. I would also like a St. Louis – Kansas draw. Without embid Kansas is very beatable. Self also has had some ealy outs.
The 8/9 and 1 match ups look to be a little tougher.
It was a tough year at the Pete after the domination of Clemson. Buzzer beaters by VA and Syracuse, Duke setting a record for threes, TJ Warren going off, a lackluster performance vs FSU. DJ and TZ going down.
But what a year on the road, four overtime wins, a win at ND, the Stanford win, the heroic comeback at Clemson, the stomping of Wake and the beatdown of NC in a sea of powder blue.
We overcame the loss of Adams, and DJ, the ankle and the thumb.
Patterson and Zanna are added to the list of Pitt’s Best.
And there still may be more to come.
who would try to make contraversy for the sake of discussion on whether the sun will come up tomorrow,
He and Steve Pederson are 2 of a kind and I understand it was Pederson who blessed the hire.