Two games into the basketball season and Pitt is 2-0. A not completely surprising, but still disappointing tough win over Eastern Michigan and a relatively easy win over Gardner-Webb
In terms of the raw numbers, Pitt is as expected. KenPom ranks them at 52d nationally based on their Adjusted Efficiency Margin (Offensive efficiency – Defensive efficiency). On the offensive side, they are 23d nationally and defensively down at 81st. Their tempo at this point is 181st nationally — right around average.
As much as those numbers are relatively meaningless given only two games and the quality of opponent, the defensive numbers are a bit disturbing — though not surprising for anyone who has seen this team for the last couple of years.
Anyone who has watched this Pitt team knows, it is not one that likes to play defense. Coach Kevin Stallings was disturbed by the lack of effort on defense in last night’s game.
“With all due respect to Gardner-Webb, I thought we missed an opportunity to get better tonight,” an emotional Stallings said after the 99-80 victory in the 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project at the Petersen Events Center his second game at the Panthers’ helm.
“I was disappointed in our intensity, concentration and our focus,” he said. “While we do some really nice things offensively in terms of moving the ball, I think if you look at our defensive numbers and our turnover numbers and our foul shot numbers, that’s kind of indicative of a team that’s not wired in to play. That’s my fault.”
Stallings’ displeasure and disappointment revealed itself early when he pulled all five starters off the floor before eight minutes had elapsed with Pitt clinging to a 12-10 lead amid a flurry of turnovers. This was against a team from a low-major conference (Big South) that lost its opener to SMU on Friday by 28 points.
Frustratingly, to me, it starts with the upper-classmen. As talented and skilled as they are on offense (I’m pretty sure I have been typing variations of this sentence and graph for the fourth straight year), Jamel Artis and Mike Young do not show any desire to work on the defensive side of the ball. They will talk about it, say the right things, know what they should do. But more often than not, you can see that they don’t want to be doing it.
In a game that was never really in doubt, Young only played 15 minutes and Artis 21. They both racked up double-digit scoring, but neither seemed engaged. With Young, that was especially disturbing since he didn’t even get to start because of what was termed “a minor team rules infraction.”
Sheldon Jeter is a little different on defense to me. He wants to play defense, but just isn’t good at it. His tendency to overplay the ball constantly gets him out of position.
I think that struggle to see decent defense on the inside manifested itself, not simply in Stallings criticisms in the post game. But in Corey Manigault making his debut last night. Manigault makes it more likely that Pitt is going to use 10 players (if not 11) in the rotation rather than limiting it to 9 — at least until conference play. Manigault, like Ryan Luther, brought a lot more energy to the defensive side of the ball.
The other thing Manigault showed he can do is seal off his defender inside. A vital trait that has been lacking inside the last two years. If we want to see Pitt attack the hoop with the guards and small forwards more, the lanes have to be open. Not simply getting past the perimeter defender is enough. There can’t be a secondary defender waiting in the paint.
On offense, Pitt looked a lot better. Which may have been helped by a lower-quality opponent and not facing a zone.
Another thing that helped the offense look crisper: making threes. Pitt still appears to be a feast or famine team on the perimeter. Against Eastern Michigan, Pitt was 8-33 from outside. Last night, 13-26.
I see no evidence whatsoever for anyone having made a significant jump. Cam having a nice year so far but it is all 3 pointers, and the defense is so-so. This whole “Jones is a different player” seems utter crap.
If anything I would say Jeter looks to be the only one to have improved a bit.
Stallings needs to encourage Kithcart to drive the lane more and dish. The kid could do it all night long.
Corey Manigault needs to play now and play often. No redshirting him, they will need him to have experience next year.
Even the Gardner-Webb coach said Pitt, compared to SMU, was easier to drive on, easier to get the ball in the paint.
Pgh fans like tough minded D teams….remember those days? This team doesn’t resemble those teams in
any way. Too early to tell. This weekend will tell us a lot. If getting burned by Gardner Webb guards the ACC guards
will have a field day. Assert your self coach!
With regard to offense, I think one of our major obstacles against better competition will be our inability to penetrate and collapse opposing defenses, which will make us relatively easy to defend. We either need a player who can penetrate (a PG), or we need to pass the ball inside and kick out a lot more, but we are challenged by 2 things: (1) we still do not have a center so it makes it harder to pass the ball in deep, and (2) when Kithcart is not in, we do not have a point guard which limits our ball penetration; even when Kithcart is in the game, I’ve not seen him attempt to penetrate and I am not sure why.
@TT Spot on regarding attendance.
In observing commentary on the first two games I find it interesting that the consistent complaints under the Stallings regime focus on defense rather than offense as they did under Dixon.
Stallings may be the right guy to finish the transition, but it’s going to take some time and he’s going to need to win bigger than they did last year. Unfortunately, this year may be the most talented team he’s going to have for a few years.
Thursday will be the 1st chance I have to sit and watch a game from start to finish. From what I’ve seen and read so far, not expecting much this season and as Boubacar said this may be the most talented team Stallings has for a few years. It will definitely be the most experienced.
And they have for several years now.
And that is Matador Defense.
I know it was late in the game, etc. etc. But I liked what I saw out of the Human Aircraft Carrier.
Rosie Nix, the kid was putting out at 110%, had a wicked shot block and like 4 rebounds. Clogged the middle as well, and cause several altered shots.
Would like to see him in there with the starters.
And it was less Jamie changing his style and more the kinds of players he brought in, whether by choice or by happenstance.
Gonna be 70° on Friday and get ugly Saturday. It’s November guys. It’s not always pleasant. Football team coming off a huge win. Stick your excuses up your ass. If weather is what holds you back, you’re not a fan. Please if it’s logistically possible, be there Saturday. After that win Saturday, this team deserves a good and vocal crowd Saturday…
Stallings is going to have about 3 less cupcake games on the schedule every year than Jamie, so getting to the Tournament with 20+ wins is going to be even tougher.
Stallings though has got to get his players to buy in the was Narduzzi is doing it with his guys or they will fall short this year too. He better start doing a better job of recruiting too….but 4-6K at the Pete isn’t doing him any favors either.
Wouldn’t miss it for anything (I think)…
They aren’t exactly doing it with a roster of 4 or 5 star recruits.
Bennett has their kids playing hard 100% of the time, which is what Howland and Dixon (until about 2012 or so) had Pitt kids playing at. Virginia like Pitt use to be, OUTWORKED the 5 star laden teams.
A lot of it was rebounding, as Pitt use to control BOTH backboards, and excelled at Offensive Rebounding.
For whatever reason, other than just the passage of time, we stopped outworking other teams and took for granted some of the lesser teams, that started outworking us and beating us.
When the few 5 stars kids we got didn’t work out, like Birch specifically and Sleepy never blossomed, that seemed to be the apex of the program.
You’ve got to strike while the iron is hot, the Pete and the Program was HOT, almost White HOT for about a decade. We as we all know never got over that Hump and now the Iron is quite cooler.
Stallings might work out, who knows. But the whole thing was handled so poorly by Pitt, it killed whatever buzz that’s associated with a new Head Coach. The media was also partly responsible by suggesting names like Sean Miller might be coming.
And we all know the local media’s feeling towards Pitt athletics, so they did their best, to build our expectations to a crescendo and then have the bubble burst with the hiring of a middle aged guy who seems the anti-thesis of what the media was suggesting Pitt was after.
He had a couple .500 seasons similar to Howland’s first two and then the program took off.
He might be getting better players now, but he wasn’t before.
Bennett has already been in Hootersville 8 years.
Another reason amongst many to come see the Pitt Panthers entertain their fans at 3pm vs the Duke Blue Devils. The start time is perfect for a fun afternoon to tailgate with friends and support the team.
See you all at the ketchup bottle for some Canadian, I mean college FB.
A little rain NEVER hurt anyone. Now lightning or a hurricane, that is a losing proposition.
Play him few minutes against a top team, see what he can do.
So far it appears that Stallings is having the same difficulties recruiting a big man and forwards.
Next year could be a disaster.
It’s all about creating matchup advantages and then exploiting those matchups.
I would think Sheldon Jeter would create matchup problems as well, and we saw some of that last year, when he blew up in a game.
BTW…Dixon has needed a big man since Adams decided he’d seen enough around here.
A tougher OOC schedule and no NCAA bid as a result or a more reasonable OOC and an NCAA bid?
IMHO, a team that doesn’t smell the NCAAs will play in a mostly empty Pete even against quality OOC and ACC opponents. Attendance will be lower even if the style of play is “exciting.” Burghers only support winners. Style of play is a distant to non existent secondary consideration. Too spoiled by Steeler and Penguin (and past Pitt) success.
I don’t want a coach padding his win total like Dixon & JoePa. This does not prepare kids to play well in March. Dixon is proof of that.
And Kids don’t like playing Div 3 teams at home.
The offense to me looks a lot like Dixon’s…again probably because this is the same cast of characters we are used to…pass around the perimeter, never drive, and settle for an open jump shot. Not terrible but the jumps shots go cold sooner or later.
In the end, we won’t know what Stallings is capable of for at least 3 years. Dare I say, these players seem uncoachable…they are who they are. And likely this will be Stalling’s best team for at least 2, maybe 3 years…Dixon left him almost nothing.