note that tonight’s game is scheduled approx 10. but ESPN2 is showing it after the football game. As I write this, it is nearly 9:30 and the game has 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

it is going to be a pleasure watching this team improve and exceed the ‘experts’ expectations this year. j williams and gottlieb just spent 3 minutes talking about texas and every other team in the BE. not a word about pitt’s status as an elite program.

There is so much time left in this football game.

Update: Tip at 10:25.

Tx Starting guard Perez Ward got hurt in warm ups and was taken off on a cart and won’t be playing tonight. He is their best defensive player.

Thanks for double booking ESPN. I can’t remember the last time a college football game ended in under three hours. I have no chance of making it past the first half without falling asleep.

That’s “varez”

Going to start in one minute on ESPN360

I’ll start watching Letterman again if Ball State continues to run the ball… and the clock. Hurry up boys!

Pitt being totally outclassed by Texas, they are better is every facet of the game, not that this was totally unexpected…

Unreal, Pitt leading at the half. Still wouldn’t be surprised if we lost by 10, but good run to end the half.

game online anywhere?

I feel like Ron Burgundy after the rumble with the rival newsteams – “Boy, that escalated quickly… I mean, that really got out of hand fast!”

Quality game for 30 of 40 minutes. Tied up with about 10:30 left and then all of a sudden the white team couldn’t find the bottom of the net. I hate to say it, but I feel pretty good about a lose. There is a lot of fight in this young team.

Great job by Texas fighting through adversity when they easily could have collapsed.

PITT played well for 30-34 minutes, and really hustled all out. Give UT credit, they played a tight D and worked the ball inside well.

Brad and Gary really worked hard in the second half, and seeing Brad slash to the hoop was fun…and Nasir/JJ despite giving up inches battled for the ball.

Still, as a PITT fan, lots to be happy for, and thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Hail to PITT!
-al-

Thought they acquitted themselves reasonably well, considering the athletic and experience disparity………

It was good for Pitt to face a team like Texas — good for them to face athletes like James, Balbay and Bradley and a big body like Pittman.

Obviously it was a lot tougher for Gibbs to shake loose last night, which was to be expected.

Woodall looked good again, which is really encouraging. When he’s out and Adams is playing, the offense basically shuts down. Adams is a nice role player to eat some minutes and he can play D and hit open jumpers, but that’s it.

At least Wanamaker played aggressively, drew some fouls and got to the hoop a couple times. Unfortunately, he’s never going to be able to shoot and that makes him a one-dimensional, easy-to-defend player.

Love Robinson’s hustle, but he is just so undersized to be competing inside with the big boys. It’s painful to watch him get tossed around.

But at least we don’t have to worry about Taylor leaving Pitt early for the NBA. Somehow I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Hoping he turns into a nice 4-man, though. Him ever playing center seems a stretch, unless they’re able to change his body dramatically over these next couple years.

It will be fun watching this scrappy group fight their way through the Big East.

Very encouraging performance last night.

Positives – Great hustle and fight. Free throw shoot was not bad for most of the game.

Negatives – Lazy passes in the first half lead to turnovers. Foul trouble.

The flagrant foul on Wannamaker changed the tide of this game. Should not have been a flagrant.

I’m so spoiled …. not used to see Pitt get ‘out-physicaled’ and outrebounded. Maybe it would have been better to get that JC center from Floria instead of Chase Adams

“Very encouraging performance last night.”

Fletch, I’m discouraged. McGhee is a suprise and a bright spot. He doesn’t get pushed around and had a double-double while playing only 20 minutes. He has to stay out of foul trouble. It’s a different team when he is on the floor. Way too many turnovers for a Pitt team

I think we as fans as selling progress and patience, and overall that this was a good experience for this team.

However, I love Jamie selling the “no excuses, we came to win mentality”… basketball is a game of matchups, flow and mental toughness (how do you finish), any game can turn on talent/fouls/shooting, but many times, it comes down to having a winner’s mentality at the end to close out games. Pitt has done well with that in the past (sans the Villanova game in E8) Jamie expects that from all of his teams, and I love that he is selling this (regardless of the rankings and talent disparity)…

Agree with the above positive comments on this young, improving team. Never thought I would be yelling from my couch to get the ball to McGhee. Gary is showing up. Made all tournament team. Taylor is not. Jamie D. made the right move by sitting him for most of the first half. He has the talent and will improve. Wannamaker should not take the 3. Miller didn’t hit the floor and we could use his size and strength, but he seems lost in there. Refs made some horrible calls, but Texas is worse than us at the line. Overall a good showing by our young team against a top 5 club.

watched the game with UT fans and it was probably the first pitt game they’d actually paid attention to…. unfortunately, it was unrepresentative of pitt bball as we, obviously, were over matched physically for the first time i can remember. i took solace knowing that pittman wouldn’t have felt so big at the end of that game if he had to try to move blair around all night…

the problem with mcgee is that he cannot defend the entry pass to the post bc he’s too slow. then once he gets worked past the block, he’s dead in the water bc he can’t elevate or move his feet quick enough. he was backed down with ease many times last night, but hopefully he can improve there as much as he has with his offense and rebounding hustle.

Mcgee is actually playing very well. Pitt just couldn’t make a shot in the last 10 minutes. Gibbs missed a couple in and out. Wanny missed a few at the line and the kids looked tired on the defensive end. Give Texas credit, they put the hammer down. It is such a huge advantage to have juniors and seniors in college basketball. Stud freshman are great, but you have to surround them with experienced upperclassmen. Right now we have no experienced players. Gilbert Brown really put this team in a bad position early. The Jermaine Dixon injury hurts as well, but that isn’t his fault. Gilbert has no one to blame but himself. Pitt really could have used him last night.

This team can definitely make the NCAA tournament. In fact, it would be very disappointing if they do not.

With a team as undersized as Pitt, why was Dixon reluctant to use Richardson? The kid came off the bench with energy and didn’t appear overwhelmed with the Texas big men, so why not use him more? Same old Wannamaker, one good play and three rotten plays. The kids a role player at best! Get use to a lot of hustle, but not many wins in the BE. This team is toooooo unsized and will wear down as the season progresses. Robinson works hard and is definitely a player, but his size will never allow him to shine in the BE. Taylor has miles to go to be an impact player on this team. If he works hard in the off season and develops some shoulders, he may be ready to contribute next year, if not, he could be the next Taft. Taylor’s schooling may start with learning how to make a layup. I’ve got to hand it to McGhee; he’s worked hard to become a decent player, but to be your starting center in the BE. doesn’t bode well for this team. Sorry, but this team has serious problems in the front court.

I didn’t see the game last night (I have it recorded and may watch it over the weekend), but it’s good to hear that Richardson played better. He has struggled so far this season, particularly on the defensive side. Not unusual for a freshman, but Dixon has maintained publicly that he wants to play him. I think he just needs to earn more trust from the coaches. A third option, and five more fouls, at the 5 position would be nice.

Robinson is undersized, but there is a history of undersized guys being successful in the Big East. Everyone likes to compare Robinson to Jaron Brown, who was a pretty good rebounder. Brown was actually smaller than Robinson, and although he turned into a decent shooter, he did not start that way. Robinson may always be a niche player, but I think he has a role on this team.

They really miss Gil Brown – not because he is some type of star in waiting, but because his particular skill set and size give them much more flexibility. He can play three positions, and has the ability to get to the hoop. He is also a good perimeter defender and has shown flashes of being a good rebounder.

The “lot of hustle, not many wins” is a real possibility, and Dixon really needs to guard against this. I think this is what Dixon’s post-game comments about not accepting the concept of good losses is all about. I may be looking through blue and gold colored glasses, but I think this team pulls a couple upsets along the way, and probably loses a game or two they shouldn’t, and ends up being on the bubble come March.

ltl49 I disagree completely with your statement this team will wear down as the season goes. I think they will only get stronger as player mesh, the lineups are figured out, and these young guys get experience and confidence. Too hang with the number 3 team (although I think that UT will end up lower than that) is remarkable considering how inexperienced and shaky this group was at times. Add Dixon and Gil back thats more depth to throw at teams. This team will continue to improve as the year goes on, Dixon wouldn’t have it any other way.

I remain bullish on this team. Jaime Dixon is well aware of his front court limitations this year. McGhee does not have to “win” games for us. He just has to patrol the middle. I completly disagree with statements that he is “slow” or that he “can’t jump”. For a man of his size he moves very well. As for Taylor, the only thing that kid lacks right now is confidence. Once he gets his BE leggs under him, he will be fine. When Dixon and Brown return they will both eventually start and that will take care of some of those wide open 3s that TX had last night. The offense will come from Woodall (who impresses me more with each game) Dixon, Brown, Gibbs, and Wannamaker. We have a program that has been to eight straight tournaments. The recruiting classes have been better and better. I can’t see this team finishing any lower than 6th in the BE and I can’t see them not making it to the NCAA tournament again.

This team has no business winning even 20 games. If they do it’s only because of Dixon’s greatness as a coach.

I strongly disagree Mark.

These kids are talented and are going to get better as the year goes on.

McGhee…”was backed down with ease many times last night”

Greg in N.O., are you sure that you were watching the Pitt-Texas basketball game?

Interesting read from Chris Dokish, reviewing the team after 5 games:

link to bebballreportpitt.blogspot.com

It’s a sobering read. In short, the team is basically what he expected, although a couple of individual performers are not. McGhee has been a pleasant surprise; not an elite player, but solid so far, particularly with improved focus, and proved last night he can maintain that against elite competition. On the downside, Dokish expected Miller to contribute, and indicates his lack of progress may eventually lead to his exit from the program.

His overall analysis is that this is a team of role players with no real stars. Based on talent level and experience, he feels this team should not be close to 20 wins, but between the coaching staff and the intangibles that are ingrained into the team, he predicts a regular season record of 20-11. I’m guessing that would mean they would be need to win a game or two at the Big East Tournament to play into the NCAA’s.

His final word: “memo to the Big East: you better get Pitt now, because this may be your last chance”

It’s a long write-up with comments on all of the players, and it is a bit sobering to us optimists (at least for this season), but well worth the time.

Sorry, but I think people just want them to be talented and convince themselves that they are. I just noticed on Pitt’s NBE site from Dokish that Pitt has ONE top 50 player on the roster, while Villanova has 6, UConn 5, Louisville and Georgetown 3, and West Virginia and Cincinnati 2. The others with 1 included DePaul and Seton Hall. Sorry, but the talent on this team is not great. They win because of Dixon and usually one star. Last year they had two and it was their best team. This team has none and it’s time to pay the fiddler.

I agree with a lot of what Dokish has to say, but I think he is underestimating some of the talent. Woodall is a very, very talented player. He is only going to get better and that bodes well for Gibbs. I think Dixon and Brown will help a little bit more than Chris. Dixon was a pretty solid offensive player in limited opportunities last year and a great defender. If he gets medical clearance and is in uniform soon, then he will help early in the big east season. Brown will help at the 4 immediately. If Robinson is the starter at that position, then Brown is certainly going to play it as well. He is a better athlete than Robinson and has a better outside shot. This will really help this team. Last year Pitt had 1 top-50 player. Same as this year. Pitt can win a bunch of games this year. I think they will get much better as the season goes on.

Article in the Big East Basketball report states that Maurice Walker has picked the team he would like to play for… Pitt. He said is has talked back and forth with the coaching staff and is now waiting to hear back from them. That would help strengthen the front court for a few years.

first of all … has anyone noticed just how good the Big East has been doing do far? Even DePaul is 3-1 with the only loss by 4 pts to highly ranked Tennessee. It may be a long year for this fact alone.

I believe the staff wanted M Walker to commit before JJ Moore did because of the need at the 5 position … now the staff aren’t so sure that they want to go 2 schollies over the limit.

Finally, I agree that by next year Richardson will be a very capable replacement at either the 4 or 5. I’m also hoping that Zanni will be a contributor — saw him in the summer league and was impressed by his athleticism — he just needs to build up his strength, thus getting M Walker may not be as necessary as it seems now.

It appears that right now, Dwight Miller is the big disappointment. He is 6’8 and supposedly very athletic but i not getting any PT — very troubling unless he is injured.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Kansas City GAMES. Woodall was smooth against the Shockers and MaGhee is the surprise of this neophyte season. Richardson was a WELL-kept SECRET until last nite. PATTERSON and Robinson HAVE potential. It looks like an interesting season. Biggest disappointments ARE Taylor and miller. Our BEST and BIGGEST PLUS IS COACH DIXON. He does more with less. BRING ON THE LADS FROM yOUNGSTOWN sTATE. gEORGE FROM Columbus

I don’t think Miller is injured. He played in both exhibition games and did not do much. My guess is that he is not showing much in practice and therefore is not getting into the games. A few days ago I gave my opinion that Miller might be one of the guys that leaves to make room for the additional scholarship offers, and after reading Dokish, I’m more convinced that may be the case. Of course, I also thought McGhee might be on the way out, and right now that just looks like a foolish statement!

I found myself cursing Brown a lot last night for not being there on the court… Stating the obvious, but we could have used him last night.

pantherman, did find the Dokish summary to be informative … but not so sure of is evaluation of Richardson. He seems to think that Richardson has to show a lot this year, but I would think that is little premature. I think he has the body type that could really be an asset for this Pitt team.

Dokish hit the nail squarely on the head, including his assessment of Richardson. Saw him play in Green Tree and was impressed. Plays hard, hustles his butt off and is pretty smart, BUT the dude is 6’6″ish and not a great leaper/athlete. How many centers not named Blair, have been dominant (or even decent) in the BE at that height? My point is that JJ has a very low ceiling. Talib, while not the player that JJ is right now, has much more potential.

It is interesting to think about this team WITH Blair. I’m not as convinced as Dokish that this is a top 25 team even with Dujaun. Just replacing McGhee with Blair doesn’t solve all the other problems that Dokish so accurately points out. Would/should Blair play the four? McGhee, Blair, Brown, Dixon and Woodall is potentially a far superior starting lineup to what Jamie is trotting out there now. Imagine having Gibbs, Robinson, and Wanamaker coming off the bench? But the Dixon injury and Brown immaturity are a big part of that equation. It makes for an interesting barroom discussion.

Boubacar,

Good points. But don’t forget, a Blair/Dixon/Brown starting lineup, supplemented with McGhee/Gibbs or Wanny/Robinson with a breaking-in period for starters Woodall/Taylor was the PLAN.

If you asked JD (and most fans) which options they would coose for 2009/2010:

Option A — current, trial-by-fire Baby Panthers

Option B — Blair/Brown/Dixon/Woodall/Taylor starters suplemented by McGhee/Robinson/Wannamaker/Gibbs

I think B would win out in a vote.

If pundits think the Option A Baby Panthers are a bubble team (at best) right now…I find it hard to believe JD could not create a 24-26 win, tournament team out of option B.

Thoughts?

The Turk brought this up…

link to w3.nbebasketball.com

Interesting if we can land him, for sure.