Hope everyone is staying warm and safe. Trying to reestablish the rhythms of kids going back to school with all of the other things after winter break. Coupled with the perfect timing of bad weather and a wife that waited until now to catch some bug to lay her out. And of course, we are all coming off a lousy weekend for sports in Pittsburgh.
So, tonight is a kind-of-late weekday game. Pitt at Boston College at 9pm. The game is all over the RSNs — Root, NESN, YES, CSN, plenty of the FoxSports and ESPN3.com.
Pitt is coming off a very bad loss to NC State. The Wolfpack may have played one of their better games while Pitt played one of their worst — but it doesn’t make things any better.
We know Pitt has practically nothing at the 5-spot at this point, and that lack of a big man has been a killer for the defense and has wasted a lot of offensive rebounds. It makes you wonder how bad Ty Haughton must look in practice that he still can’t sniff the floor at least for defense. It’s been the weak spot on recruiting the last couple of years. Pitt has gone hard after high-end big men and whiffed. The problem has been that when you take that risk, when they go elsewhere it leaves you scrambling.
Even project centers have plenty of suitors owing to the paucity of available players. So, unlike whiffing on a 4- or 5-star guard, miss on a big and there aren’t a bunch of 3-star centers still out there late in the recruiting cycle. The attempts to plug the hole with a transfer and JUCOs has been a big bust.
Pitt’s problems go beyond that, though. The perimeter shooting has been very disappointing. Over the past five games, Pitt is only 30.2 % (16-53) on 3s. Artis – 3-12; Wright – 2-8; Newkirk – 2-6; Jones – 5-14; Robinson – 5-11.
If Pitt cannot even hit enough 3s to keep teams honest, they are going to further pack it in on Pitt. Clog the lanes and force contested jumpers. Mike Young is a very, very good player but he is not a bruiser inside. He needs a little room.
Not too worried about a raucus atmosphere at the Conte Forum, and BC lacks depth. At the same time, they still have Olivier Hanlan who can and will cause fits for Pitt.
Probably going to be a tighter and more frustrating game than desired. But then, that does seem to be the theme this season.
I want Diallo… But if Yakwe is part of the deal too, I’m fine with that.
New strength and conditioning coach is Dave Andrews from Notre Dame. He went to Ohio State.
Special teams coach is Andre Powell from Maryland. He has a lot of ACC experience.
Can’t agree on everything !
At least we’re starting to see some action.
He has 18 years of ACC coaching experience at Maryland, UNC, Clemson, and Virginia.
link to umterps.com
Here’s the best part:
Powell has been a special teams coach.
Should be the end of “onsidekick-osis.”
Fair enough…i respect the research !
Newkirk and Jeter really stepped up offensively. Newkirk either scored or assisted on every bucket in OT. The layup he made at the end of OT was brilliant. Pitt set an early high ball screen, forcing a slow 7 footer to try to defend the ball, allowing Newkirk to attack the rim before BC’s defense got set. I wonder if that was planed or if Newkirk just saw an opportunity.
Jeter hit a big three, 2 important lay ups, a couple free throws. Robinson played great defense, creating a few turnovers and drawing a big back court foul. Then he made a couple free throws.
Jeter, Young and Newkirk all made some critical defensive mistakes, that fortunately BC couldn’t convert. BC gave that game away, every bit as much as Newkirk and Pitt took it.
Need Narduzzi to get someone impressive.
Your point has lots of merit with me still, made me think, and I know I’m not all right either.
You can’t just go by rankings either.
And please, don’t let that stop you from posting.
Perhaps you do post a lot, I just haven’t seen, but many excellent points.
I enjoyed your comments.
At first, I was a big wholesale change guy.
Then hearing more Rudolph, I said, ok maybe it would be good to keep him.
Whatever, as long as Narduzzi gets someone he is happy with. I mean, he knows a lot of people, so this is not the end.
The only thing I don’t want, is a offensive coordinator hired, to fit the players we have now.
If that happens, and that’s who he is happy with, by all means, hire that guy.
I certainly hope they aren’t hiring a coordinator just because of we have Boyd and Conner, and some big O line.
Blowing it totally up is no good either I understand that, but you can’t hire such an important position, just because we have a few of these and few of those.
Get who you want now, then go from there.
I thought it was from one of you Blatherites, that Narduzzi does have an opinion on offense, and knows what he wants.
It went something like, a pro style offense, but he prefers a one back set.
Maybe I was dreaming.
Dave Andrews – time at Cinci
Andre Powell – at Rhode Island when Narduzzi was there
Ben Mathers – MSU
All coaches do the same thing. They hire people they can trust and have the same philosophies.
Now, the players know that Duzz tried to keep the guy they like and Rudy spurned Duzz (and them in turn). So, Duzz is now free to go to whom he chooses.
Note the “to whom.” I went to Pitt—not Penn State or WVU.
H2Proper Grammar
Shows he is not the guy who really wants to be a head coach as he said.
Thanks for the good work. Good luck in Whisky.
Bring on the Coach Duzz era…
What I have thought all along, though, is I don’t want to see the Groundhog Day scenario again where the new HC, both Coordinators and a few of the other coaches are all being promoted to a job with more responsibility than they’ve ever had before. I’d like to believe at least the top 3 guys will not be learning on the job again. With a new, first time HC, I’d like to see him be surrounded by guys who have done the job they are being hired for before. I am hopeful Coach Narduzzi feels the same way. I felt Chryst surrounded himself with his buddies who wouldn’t rock the bait or fight him on anything. If Narduzzi follows the Dantonio template, that won’t be the case .
Following from the Maryland Website…
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“While at North Carolina, Powell coached a future NFL standout in running back Willie Parker…”
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That means this guy is an idiot who can’t judge talent. They refused to use Parker.
Andre Powell, Special Teams
Parker played a little more at UNC than most ppl think.
2000- 84 carries. 10 receptions
2001 – 83 carries, 2 receptions
2002 – 70 carries, 12 receptions
2003 – 48 carries, 7 receptions
I’m surprised myself, as I was led to believe he never played at all for the Tarholes.
Apparently the UNC HC then, John Bunting, preferred larger backs for power running attack. But as you can see, Parker played quite a bit his first 3 years.
He’s the best RB we’ve recruited since the kid from Hopewell.
Didn’t get a lot of fanfare from the local rags when he committed. Go figure.
Wouldn’t it make sense to hire your Coordinators first and allow them to have input on the positional coaches? That said, strength and conditioning isn’t a big deal as they work with both offense and defense. Powell was the one that was a little off…unless of course, he is going to be special teams only. I don’t see under the Rivals site that he was solely responsible for recruiting many top notch kids. I don’t know for sure, but looking at the site, it seems he brought in a 3 star on his own and everyone else was a combo. Again, odd when coupled with “he coached Willie Parker”. Almost as bad as Inoke taking some responsibility for AD! A lot of smoke and mirrors in this business.
My sense is that OC and DC will come from the NFL. Who knows. Radio silence can be good at times.
We know that Hall injured his knee during his senior year. Did he have surgery and if so, what type?
If nothing else, Powell is at least qualified for the position, and it will be handled by someone fulltime.
Instead of whatever the hell, no accountability, every chips in, nobody does anything, Special Teams philosophy held by the previous regime.