Maybe there’s some good news from Pitt basketball.
Senior guard Cameron Wright, Pitt’s leading returning scorer, had surgery Friday after breaking his left foot a week before the team’s first practice, a team source said.
Wright, who broke his foot Thursday, is expected to miss 10 weeks.
The Panthers’ first practice is scheduled for Friday.
/sigh
Also might be an opportunity for PITT to actually be better in March than in January.
As this gives several players more PT and that might be very good for Newkirk and some of the others. Which might in the long run be very good for the team as a whole come March and next year.
but seriously, maybe Chris Jones will get a chance, or maybe DJ can show what he can do at the 4
While Wright is out, Newkirk will probably play 10 minutes at point guard and 20 minutes at the “2”. That still leaves 20 minutes available at the “2”. Who will play those minutes?
My guess is that it will be either Durand Johnson (who is nearing 100%) or Chris Jones. Slim (Cameron Johnson) was being prepared to play the “3”, not the “2”, according to Zeise’s report last week of an interview with Dixon:
Josh Newkirk looked better than Robinson for much of the last month of the season and would have been getting good minutes anyway this year. Now he’s almost 100% going to start the first 10 weeks which could be a blessing in disguise.
While this might mean a loss in the Maui and possibly a loss in Indiana if we need a senior to step up, it’ll help the long ACC stretch to have 2 players worth to be starting PG who got legitimate playing time in the non-con.
But that’s not the skillset of a “go to guy”. Often, good role players at Pitt try to make the leap to being the man in their fifth year. That hasn’t always worked out, Gibbs, Woodall, Gil Brown, Nasir Robinson etc. Patterson made the leap, but could only carry Pitt to one tourney win.
The glass half full view of Cameron Wrigh’s injury is that he will need to work his way into an established offense. Neither he nor Jamie will be tempted to run too much of the offense through him.
Oh and a much more offensively talented Newkirk will get valuable minutes.
Reading the tea leaves, this looks like the rotation to start the season:
5) Haughton, Randall, Uchebo
4) Young, Artis, Jeter, Luther
3) D. Johnson, Jeter, Jones, C. Johnson
2) Newkirk, D. Johnson, Jones, C. Johnson
1) Robinson, Newkirk
Luther will redshirt. Slim should redshirt, he’s still not physically ready to defend 2’s or 3’s at the ACC level. He’s going to be a star when he matures, be patient. The only way Dixon burns the redshirt is if Jones stinks and Pitt needs shooting. Don’t rule that out.
I hope Uchebo is near healthy, but am afraid he is permanently damaged. Even on one leg he can give Pitt 10 minutes/game. But not much more.
Jeter should get starter minutes, but it will be hard with Young and Artis also needing PT. He’ll need to play the 3, but I think he fits better at the 4.
Should be fun!
