The small forward/third guard position for Pitt has been a revolving door all season. Now John DeGroat is the latest to provide a spark at the position. So, that means he gets the media love today.
DeGroat, a little-used reserve forward, scored 10 points in 16 minutes, giving Dixon a much-desired spark from the small forward position that has been a trouble spot all season.
“Hard work pays off,” said DeGroat, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound junior-college transfer. “I’ve been working hard all season. The opportunity finally came tonight. I just tried to take it. My team needed me.”
DeGroat’s 16 minutes were his most since he played the same amount against St. John’s in mid-January. He played 21 minutes in the 10 games before the one Monday night at Boston College and had not played in three of them, including the loss Saturday against Connecticut. He had six baskets in Big East play before Monday night.
Against Boston College, he had five, all off offensive rebounds. He was in the right place at the right time, retrieving errant misses for easy baskets.
“I crash the boards hard,” DeGroat said. “I get pretty much the garbage stuff. I can hit an open jump shot, but I like to go in there and bang with the big boys. I’m too fast for them.”
I think Coach Dixon was coaching him on his quotes. They seemed to have been paraphrased from Bull Durham.
“[Dixon] has been searching and trying to find the right person. I still may not be the right person. But all I know is I just want to win.”
He has, to be fair, apparently been working real hard in practice and getting closer. And that put-back slam was excellent.
“Oh, wow — I haven’t had one of them in a long time” said DeGroat, who last dunked in a game a year ago, while playing at Northeastern (Colorado) Junior College. “It helped me a lot. It got me fired up for the rest of the game.”
DeGroat went on to score 10 points, all on offensive rebounds, and showed why he is Pitt’s resident garbage man at practices, the guy who cleans up after missed shots.
“Ask my teammates about it — they’re always complaining about me being around the rim,” said DeGroat, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound native of Monticello, N.Y. “(My style) definitely frustrates people. Once I get people to that point in a game, they’re done. Their mind is gone. I do the garbage stuff, but I can also hit the open shot. But I’d rather go bang with the big boys because I’m too fast for them.”
Although one game does not make a season, DeGroat could be emerging at a time when coach Jamie Dixon is looking for some help at the “three” or small forward position.
…
But several of his teammates got the sense that a night like Monday was coming — and that DeGroat could be instrumental in coming games.“He didn’t surprise me,” Taft said. “He plays like that in practice every day. He’s a workaholic. He’s an energy guy. Whoever he’s guarding in practice, he makes them play their best game. He got his chance in this game, and he jumped on it.”
A common theme in discussing DeGroat is that his work ethic is unparalleled.
“He’s always the first one at practice,” Krauser said. “And he’s always on the bench cheering for us. I’m just glad to see him do the things he did in that game.”
I’m not sure how much of a chance he will get against ND. ND tends to use 3 guards so Benjamin may get more time to match-up. Depends on whether DeGroat can be fast enough on defense.
