You know how you love your family (hopefully this is true), but you don’t always like them. That’s the way I’m feeling about Pitt basketball at the moment. I love Pitt. Love basketball. I just don’t particularly like this team.
It isn’t the losses. It isn’t the issues with talent. It is that much of the time, this is just such a dumb, unlikable team.
I’m at the point where everything there is to say about this team seems to be in analogies.
Here’s another one. If you have ever worked with your kid on a project for school or homework. Or maybe just trying to team him or her something — a sport, riding a bike, flying a kite. Whatever.
You’ve explained things. You know what the kid is supposed to do. The kid knows. Yet seems determined to do it the way he/she wants to do it. You know exactly what will happen. As a parent, you can’t do it for them. You have to let them do it their way and get it wrong. Hoping, they will finally figure it out or comprehend that they have to do it a different way.
That’s kind of how I feel watching this basketball team… only they keep going back to the way they want to do it — and failing.
Do we need a recap? When we’ve seen this before? Even Coach Kevin Stallings knows it’s the same thing.
“I can’t really explain how you go from one half to another like that, and that’s happened on several occasions this year,” Stallings said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
The setback, particularly the way it occurred, unearthed some frustrations from Stallings that he has harbored internally much of the season. His team, as he sees it, again didn’t respond to an adverse situation. Without a true point guard, it often lacks on-court direction to the point where Stallings said it has no offensive flow if he doesn’t call a play. When asked if his team’s second-half fall-off was the product of fatigue, Stallings, while letting out a small chuckle, said his players didn’t play hard enough to be tired.
Pitt shot 16-33 in the first half, including 8-11 on 3s. In the first 7:32 of the second half they were 5-9 including 1-2 on 3s. The rest of the game they went 4-18.
VT Coach Buzz Williams who is friendly with Stallings (everybody likes Stallings it seems) even was asked what he thought happened to Pitt. Williams basically went with the idea that the team has not handled the change in everything around them well.
You can watch Stallings’ post-game presser, but here are some of the other quotes.
Even though the starting five played every minute of the second half, that’s no excuse, coach Kevin Stallings said.
“They didn’t play hard enough to get tired,” said Stallings in, perhaps, the most telling indictment of his team in a season full of them.
Pitt’s first-year coach repeatedly shook his head during his postgame news conference, his frustration stopping just short of anger.
…
The starters played 39, 38, 37, 35 and 33 minutes, but every time Stallings asked them if they were tired, no one admitted to it.His ultimate explanation, “A lack of energy, a lack of urgency, a lack of what it takes to win a game against a good ACC team.”
Stallings said the answers may run deeper than that.
“I can’t say everything that I think, so I can’t answer that question as honestly as I would like,” he said.
To think, Stallings is actually holding back on his thoughts.
Nothing epitomizes how Pitt self-destructed more then the 7-point sequence. A turnover that led to Ahmed Hill on a breakaway. Rather then let it go, Mike Young inexplicably made a half-hearted attempt to grab Hill at the basket. Hill still scored, Young was properly whistled for an intentional foul, Hill converted both free throws. Then on the inbounds play Justin Bibbs drained a three. All that took place with just one second of game clock.
Self-inflicted wounds and no will to come back from it. Nothing good to say.
That should be this teams slogan. A team that loks like it is in total control, but all Pitt fans know about the the little switch that goes off. That self destruct switch.
What is the opposite of that go to guy who wants the ball at the end of the game? When it is time for a hero, too many guys that stand sheepishly in the corner.
Certainly not all Stalling’s fault, but he deserves his share of the blame. Not many good coaches let that one slip away.
Why at this point in his career, Jeter’s best is a fall away jumper? Shouldn’t he be able to produce a couple slams a game, how bout receive an alley oop. The lack of individual skills improvement is amazing, the lack of team chemistry, decision making and ball movement among the big four even moreso.
Big players make big plays when the game is on the line, what is the opposite of that?
Anyway interesting that KS continues to criticize his players in public for acuity and effort. It’s possible he did it, but I don’t remember Dixon doing anything so explicitly or emphatically. Dixon would generally just state that some missing detail need to be addressed and that they needed to get better. He typically cited something positive that the players were doing at the same time. I suppose that’s why KS appeals to Zeise so strongly (wonder how that “KS hasn’t lost the team” piece he wrote feels to Paul now). In any event, it appears Mark Gottfried may soon be out at NC State for play similar to what the Pitt players have been accused of exhibiting:
link to espn.com
Ron Ramon had heart, guts and more —>link to youtube.com
H2P!!!
What I saw was a team frustrated by a lot of hand checking (and more with no calls) from VT along with a phantom over the back on JA (how does the guy in FRONT get called for over the BACK?).
When you have nearly 3 players posting a double-double I find it hard to say they gave up. The final 30 seconds showed that when they were able to get 3 decent looks at a tying shot.
1) You have to give the starters some blows in the second half, period.
2) When your team goes into self destruct mode, allows 7 points in 1 second, but then gets the lead back with 2 minutes left, you call a time out to get everybody on the same page for the next few possessions (and to give them a blow for the last 2 minutes).
3) If you’ve got any time outs left, when you’re bringing it up the court with a chance to tie, you call a freaking time out and set up a play. He’s an offensive genius, right? Then set something up, genius!!
Yes, Artis and MY’s constant brain farts are sooooo frustrating. But with a couple of strategic time outs to coach up your players who, throughout the season, have had a penchant for not playing the smartest basketball down the stretch, you can overcome those things!
And, lastly, given that VT was coming into this game with a 7-man rotation and missing a big body down low, I don’t understand how this team wasn’t coached to attack the hoop relentlessly. Maybe they were and just didn’t listen. Clearly that’s happening as well.
But nevertheless, clearly Stallings hasn’t been able to reach these players. A big part of that has to be on him.
The only palace intrigue remaining is who the new AD going to be and when will he (or she) make a move on KS. Now or in two or three years.
Is it spring camp yet?
Don’t believe Pitt substituted at all in 2nd half … except maybe when Jones hurt his ankle (if that was in the 2nd half – can’t remember)
How did we get so lucky to get Narduzzi??, when ppl start complaining about him I’ll be done with pitt fans
One of NC States 3 ACC wins was over Pitt.
For those of you that don’t know …the fundamental basketball rule is “unless you are even or ahead of a breakaway ball handler, never reach and try to strip him!…and never ever reach from behind when a player is shooting a layup and you trail!!!!)Young was 2 steps behind and not only stupidly/selfishly reached but he grabbed and waited until the player was shooting ! Unspeakably stupid !!! That sequence in effect cost Pitt the game. A VT 7 point play with 1 second off the clock!