178 thoughts on “Pitt vs Syracuse BB Game Thread”

  3. If stallings had a job outside of coaching I would suggest a enbalmer or creamatorium worker. He toches it and it is dead on arrival.

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    1. Well he’d be a failure at that too because it wouldn’t resemble how it looked when it was alive much like the Pitt hoops program.

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    1. Nova for sure. If there are still hard feelings over Bond (2011?) a recruiter just needs to point out that JD is long gone.

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  5. I don’t think Pitt is allowed in Philly due to what it did to Jaylin Bond. At least that it still the excuse for no Philly recruits since.

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  6. “This is a young,talented team here that is going to be fun to watch. And they are going to go out and fight,every single night, to honor these fans and to respect and appreciate the anger that they feel right now and to turn that anger into a loud and sold out arena.”
    Now, who said this and who were they describing. Wrong, It wasNeil Huntington in today’s PG talking about this years Pirates after they traded Cutch and Cole for a box of rocks!! These guys must pull out the same talking points!

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  7. This tidbit in the PG explains much:

    “Buzz Williams and Kevin Stallings are close, a friendship with roots all the way back to talking country music as the two coaches would sit courtside at AAU tournaments.”

    It prefaced Buzz’s praise of KS after the VT game.

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  8. No coach will say in public on record that any other coach sucks. They are all part of the same fraternity. Now those that are being investigated by the FBI are a different story.

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  9. This is fun too, just like Stallings’ brand of basketball! I tell you the guy is an offensive savant!

    “Through 18 games, the Panthers are 235th of 351 Division I teams in adjusted offensive efficiency, which measures the points per 100 possessions a team scores, adjusted for the quality of its competition. That mark ranks them last among ACC teams, with only Georgia Tech (193rd) within 125 places of them. Among teams from the sport’s six major conferences, only Rutgers (280th) has a worse figure.” from the PG

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    1. I am amazed at the offensive efficiency stat. I didn’t think there 116 teams worse than The Fightin’ Stallins’! That stat actually makes me feel better about the team…no not really.

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  10. Again, Pitt razed Pitt stadium and built the Pete for this Sh*thole of a program?? I’m sorry about the vulgarity but this program has sunk to depths greater than a hole to China.

    Pitt bears a responsibility to provide an excellent program to play in an excellent venue. But, this situation can be easily rectified by firing KS and starting over. It’s far easier in basketball to do than football.

    Can Pitt blow over $4M each year waiting to see if KS can turn it around?? Does anyone really think KS is Pitt’s future?? Does Pitt basketball have a future?

    The Oakland Zoo may very well begin attending Robert Morris games.

    The Panthers and Pirates have to be two of the worst run franchises in all of sports. Two from the same City.

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  11. Pitt Syracuse in January. I can’t watch it.. and I don’t care- even a little.

    After 30+ years, I’ve given up on Pitt Basketball. A couple more years more of the football mess, Pitt football will fall to the wayside in my conciousness, as well.

    And don’t kid yourselves.. I’ve seen the inside of the Pete and the stands at Heinz- Pitt can’t afford to lose even one more fan.

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  13. Syracuse is atrocious and that says a lot about us. I tried to watch but this is where basketball goes to die. Maybe SEC Gymnastics is on. Much better views.

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    1. This is the first I’ve seen Cuse this year. Not impressed thus far. I was surprised to see that Pitt is leading in turnovers because it sure seems like Syracuse is the more careless team.

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  14. Just got a “timely” call from Pitt asking for $$. I told them I’m as interested in giving Pitt money as I am in caring about Pitt basketball. … i.e. not at all!!!

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  16. Dan – The nerve for these people to call for money with this embalmer coaching these NAIA guys.

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  23. You have to be really a good teacher of basketball, since the kids today are so fundamentally bad coming out of HS. And you have to be someone who can demand their attention. I don’t think they were even looking at Otis while he was going thru this gyrations on the sideline. He is not someone who can command attn.

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  24. Both teams absolutely stink. Losing to this miserable Syracuse team makes a loud and clear statement — Heather and the BOT it’s time to bite bullet and terminate KS. The lost revenue in a
    competely empty Pete justifies axing stallings.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. I want to play the infamous presser that Upitt posted and then take a sledge hammer to my computer monitor when s-hole Herman Munster head talks above the noise.
    You POS g-dam f’in a-hole Barnes!

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    1. Tvax – Amen – His head is over 150lbs. I called garbage the second Pumpkin Patch Head was hired.

      His fat face smirks calling us noise.

      Let’s hear it for the band? What a joke that turd is.

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  26. Yes Tony unlike Stallings, Tomlin was handed the keys to a Ferrari. It’s now just an embarrassment. Players continue to embarrass the franchise and the city. He ran LeBeau and Adrians out of town and has been blessed with the Browns and Bungles in his division to pump up his numbers. Not to mention he’s not a X and O’s guy and a terrible in game manager

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  28. The Pirates and Pitt…. two 2nd rate organizations. Both play in some of the best venues(the Pete & PNC Park) in sports.

    Doesn’t matter. When you have very poor leadership at the Top. And cheap along with it.

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  29. I was a fundamentals freak as a HS Basketball Coach. Watched the last 5 minutes before the half.
    The violations of just basic basketball fundamentals by both teams were so egregious that my head almost exploded. I would love 15 minutes with the Pitt team just to teach them how to close a trap!
    Or receive a pass in the paint…or not to drift on their 3 point jumpers…or how to look off a player before a pass….disgraceful coaching.

    How do you guys watch this stuff??

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    1. And Turd Man is paid 2M. What Cronyism.

      He wouldn’t get hired at Bethel Park if he was fired from Pitt.

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    2. I truly feel sorry for you Dan, ‘cuz this shizz is even hard for an idiot to watch. I love watching good wrestling even high school and big-time youth level programs. This D-1 collegiate team looking like this is disgusting and in the ACC no less.

      Where is Barnes and my sledge hammer?

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  30. I have a solution to turn a drunk clean sober.

    He has to drink every time John Couger Mellancamp Parker Jefferies Stewart Passes the ball to a teammate.

    Guy will be sober for life.

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  34. The offensive savant’s team is shooting a torrid 33% fg…..thankfully Cuse is almost as equally bad at 37%

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      2. You have to look at it, as the dark comedy it’s become. So in that respect it has some entertainment value.

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    2. Imagine if you took Stewart away (which Cuse should have done after about the first 10 minutes of the game).

      Wilson-Frame is 1-6 and 0-5 from 3. He will be under 35% and 28% from 3 after this game. Still chucking!

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  35. Heather Lyke show you have a pair and end this. I’m not even mad anymore. I just feel embarrassed of this program. We (Noise) told them when this was announced it was a disaster. Syracuse is atrocious. I may bet against them all year. That is how bad they are.

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  36. I would think he would at least call timeouts just for the appearance of coaching. Nope, only does it when the game is lost.

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  39. I know Pitt is simply accustomed to losing badly, but why didn’t KS have Pitt fouling? It seemed like they were perfectly content to let Cuse drain clock and then drive. Cuse isn’t a terrible FT shooting team as they have been historically but…

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  43. I’m considering becoming a Hoopie basketball fan. There, I said it!

    I like their style of play and I can enjoy when they lose like last night.

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  44. Watching “The Nightly Sports Call” and Ron Cook just quoted Joe “I see nothing” Paterno.

    I fu$k1ng HATE Ron Cook. Anyone agree?

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  45. Cam with a great night for NC. I know a lot of people blame Dixon for this team, but I would be willing to bet if he were still here the roster would be better.

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    2. I don’t blame Dixon for this team at all. In hoops you have the opportunity (if you can recruit) to reload very quickly. Otis ran off guys who were better than this JV Community College team he puts on the court.

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  46. Ron Cook has always been a lard ball jerk. As are most of the Pedo Gazette’s so -called sports journalists.

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  47. Cam Johnson had 21 pts tonight on six 3pointers. Close to half of Pitt’s total for the game. Imagine how much Cam would have scored tonight if he played for an offensive genius like Stallings!

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  48. Anyone blaming Dixon are the same blaming Chryst…

    Just silliness.

    Stallings drove EVERYONE who could leave to leave. Narduzzi has-been here for nearly FOUR years.

    This basketball team is STALLINGS’ team. The football team is Narduzzi’s team. For good, for bad.

    STOP MAKING EXCUSES!!! It’s this BS that has created a smothered, entitled, lazy generation. Take ownership for your $h1t!!!!

    — and I’m only 44, not 70. So, I’m hoping that makes my rant pertinent, and not “old man rage.” Haha!

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    2. your opening statement is just plain silly. Pitt FB is a middling program that made an appropriate hire with Narduzzi. On the other hand, Pitt BB had been well above a middling program with an excellent venue, and the job opening could have attractive a large handful of attractive candidates. Yet, only one candidate was interviewed and Stallings’ hiring wreaked of collusion … as pointed out by the national media and NOT BY US.

      Hec, you have a good case that Stallings was more qualified than Narduzzi when hired by Pitt … but we’re talking about two situations. And BTW, even with his latest raise, Narduzzi after his 3rd year still doesn’t make what Stallings does.

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        1. Not exactly. What we know is that Stallings made $2.1M when hired, and Narduzzi $1.85m this past season prior to the raise which I believe begins this year. My guess is that Nard may be up to $2M or so.

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  51. Emel.

    At times I’ve been “on the fence” regarding your posts. But tonight, I’m on board.

    However, that could be the fact that I’m unexpectedly stuck on top of a mountain (-8 wind chill) at my cabin with little food and lots of booze! At least I’ve got plenty of TP.

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  52. I would love the Zoo to do something in protest this travesty. I would like it to be creative as opposed to paper bags over their heads but hell that would even be awesome.

    I wouldn’t suggest Otis bald caps because that moron and the braintrust would think it was a show of support.

    How about turning their backs during gameplay to show that they won’t watch this crap anymore.

    Any other suggestions?

    DaveD

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      1. Can’t think of a better protest actually.

        However if they’re going to attend how about with bald wig and Rockports?

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  53. start watching the game at halftime when I saw that Pitt wasn’t being blown out. Lasted until the 5 minute mark and decided to hit the stack. The clincher was when Cuse had a 6 minute drought and Panther smade up all of 3 or 4 points in that time.

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  54. The only way out of this now is if Pitt hires a big name coach. That will take money.

    We all know that will not happen.

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  56. It is what it is, rock bottom. Does anyone think that Pitt will do anything about it.

    I think they stick with Stallings for two more years (at least) because they don’t care,

    and they won’t spend the money needed for a major upgrade.

    Stallings, Lyke, Bates, no bonafide winners there. Will Lyke prove she is an up an comer?

    Or just another yes girl collecting a pay check.

    The front porch has collapsed, use the rear entrance.

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    1. Another of the countless, self-inflicted wounds Pitt does to itself. It’s a repetitious cycle over history.

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    1. lol Didn’t even know Howard had a football team. What is it…..club football or flag football. Kid must have realized he wasn’t D1 talent.

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    2. Exactly what I was saying…and it wouldn’t as bad if we were stacked deep with LB talent. Narduzzi had to be on bad drugs when he came up with the idea to make him a DE.

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  60. As the attendance at the Pete collapses, maybe someone will begin seeing that Pitt is losing money to run the place. Plus no national TV extra money to see the product. We are an on line product.

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  62. I think Stallings leaves after the season. Hopefully, anyways. I just get the sense he’s setting the stage for an exit.

    If he stays, this team has a shot at the NIT with the transfers sitting right now and Luther coming back. That’s a worse case scenario for the majority of people who want Stallings gone because he’ll get another year or two off that alone. Biggest improvement is generally from year one to year two and Parker, Carr and Stephenson all have shown they can play in the ACC despite what the record says. Add in some vets, an easy non-con, and the natural development from freshman to sophomores … and voila you have an NIT team.

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    1. It would be a merciful ending.

      I am assuming that you believe that Parker, Carr and Stephenson are starters next year.

      You believe that Carr has proven that he can play as an ACC starter through 6 games?

      27.83 minutes per game
      6.3 points per game
      13-49 for a 27% field goal percentage
      4-19 for a 21% 3-point percentage
      2.67 rebounds per game
      3.5 assists per game
      3.33 turnovers per game
      .83 steals per game
      2.67 fouls per game

      Then there’s the very valid question of whether he can defend an opposing guard.

      Personally I think if Damon Wilson had been given that kind of run he’d have eclipsed that. Wilson is 3 inches taller than Carr and quicker. However he’s no longer at Pitt or playing in the ACC.

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      1. TO me Wilson didn’t look quicker and looked clueless most of the time defensively. If quicker, clueless trumps it defensively. And he had a far worse handle with equally weak passing skills to Carr. Carr can shoot FT’s. I don’t even know why I just wasted my time typing that, I choose neither but am just as “happy” to have Carr. 😦

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      2. Concur Barvo, Carr was only scoring (for the most part) when he got to the rim in the non-con games. He doesn’t sniff the rim in ACC games, therefore his effectiveness is greatly reduced. 27% FG says it all.
        21% on 3’s is indicative of not being able to shoot over taller opposing conference guards.

        I would imagine the other kid’s ACC stats aren’t very good either. Stephenson. And Stewart while a good shooter can’t do that against Man to Man defenses and how often do you play against zones.

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  63. Hey UPitt … comments from the Shrine all-star game practices

    Mike Margittai NFL‏ @DraftMaverick
    Came away impressed with #Pitt CB Avonte Maddox’s movement/cover skills at #ShrineGame day 1.. super light/quick/coordinated feet.. also patient (not over-aggressive) & looked totally confident in his ability to shadow any receiver

    Draft Analyst‏ @DraftAnalyst1
    Avonte Maddox/CB/Pitt continues to impress. Terrific ball skills.

    Trevor Sikkema@TampaBayTre
    I’ll tell ya, this @Pitt_FB CB Avonte Maddox(5-9, 180) is having a really nice week. Playing with the first team now. Closing/recovery speed is very nice.

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      1. I don’t know the Stillers blew a second round pick on Golson and he was listed as 5’9″. Hilton was on the roster last season and played a lot. He’s listed as 5’9″.

        Maddox is listed at 5’9″.

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  64. Sorry, Carr is slowwwww and a turnover machine. Stephenson is undersized without a position, andParker can shoot vs a zone but that’s about it. You really think these are ACC quality players? Starters? Maybe role players on a good team, but that’s it. Again, they are not going to get quicker or taller. They don’t box out, rebound, or play defense. Guess we just look at talent a little differently.

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    1. Right Joe….actually I don’t think any of them would make a good team. Syracuse was dilly dallying around last night, when they decided to get serious they won easily.

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  65. Impossible wwb, the young man only started all four years at PITT. Just another lousy DB from PITT that will earn a NFL paycheck.

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    1. Born: June 25, 1988 (age 29)
      Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
      Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
      Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
      Career information
      High school: Harrisburg (PA) McDevitt
      College: Pittsburgh 2007-10

      Career history
      Detroit Lions (2010–2011)
      New York Jets (2012–2013)
      Cleveland Browns (2014)
      Toronto Argonauts (2016)
      Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2017–present)

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  67. Didn’t Holley play a few years in the NFL?

    On another note JoeK, we all look at the same thing in many different ways. It’s what we do. I agree more with TT on the young PITT hoop players taking into account their age and lack of experience. They may not turn out to be good players but I do see some ability there. I also think PITT needs a big man or two. Brown and Ilegumah need to get a lot stronger and hopefully an inch or two taller.. << but I also see some good things from them as well

    Ellison and Luther returning will help this team but I don’t know how much?

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    1. it’s easier when you are playing alongside upperclassmen. I do think Stevenson, Carr, Stewart and Davis will be decent ACC players .. and maybe couple more in a couple years.

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  69. JoeKnew – Disagree on your assessment of Carr’s skill set, yeah that’s easy to say after a bad game but he has enough raw materials to exceed the level of plenty of decent past point guards, once he learns to play within a decent system. Right now he is being hurt by playing in no system at all (except chuck it out to the open guy, if there is one), and it’s killing any development for him. I also disagree on Stevenson, this is a guy who could do very well as a role player in the right system due to his athletic ability and size, but he too is being hurt by this situation. I also disagree with your implications on Parker, we’re lucky to have him. In contrast, Tossing’s insight above seems spot on, I just hope his gut is right re Stallings, it’d be best for everyone involved, including him.

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  70. Unlike Dan72, I have never been a basketball coach. But I’ve been watching Pitt basketball for 30 years, so I do think I have enough knowledge to make some assessments.

    There are very few schools who bring in freshmen, play them immediately, and have success. The blue blood programs (Duke, Kentucky, UNC, etc) can do it because their recruits are mostly 5 star kids. Even then, there are often quality juniors or seniors mixed into the 7 or 8 player rotation.

    We are playing with half a deck. Our freshmen are 2 and 3 star kids (was Carr a 4*?). Our senior had no playing experience before this season. Wilson-Frame is OK, but not ACC caliber. As many have said, it is unlikely that this group will be much better in another 2 or 3 years. Might win a few more games, but not NCAA tournament quality.

    So even if Coach K were coaching these kids, I don’t see them winning much of anything. However, you would expect to see some progress as the season proceeds. There has been none.

    There is absolutely no inside game at all. Nobody on this team has any moves in the post. We have no center. Our point guards are turnover machines who cannot drive the basket (boy do I miss the days of Levance Fields and Carl Krauser). And the same turnovers keep happening over and over and over again.

    Defensively, they are always out of position. In fairness, I thought that they were a little better on D last night. But they still give up a ton of easy baskets.

    Offensively, I watched them pass the ball around the perimeter until there was 10 seconds left on the shot clock and then get into no position to take a quality shot. And they say Stallings is an offensive genius???

    With crowds of 1500 or less (excepting maybe Duke, Notre Dame, and Syracuse), they are losing lots of money on one of two revenue producing sports at the University. Our coach is not well liked by the fan base, which I blame in part on how he was hired. But regardless of how he was hired, he has done little to endear himself to fans, students or alumni.

    Money talks. He will be gone at the end of the season.

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    1. Let’s hope. For each year Pitt is a bottom feeder, it makes the climb back up the hill, that much tougher.

      One just has to look back on Pitt’s 2 big sports.

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  71. Name the teams that are starting 4 and sometimes 5 true freshmen without one other player with experience not named Milligan.

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    2. Otis only just recently went with the frosh lineup. Bringing the 30 yr old juco guy who takes a gazillion shots off the bench.

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    1. Do we really know. If the fix was in for Stallings because of the obvious connections, between Herman, The Search Firm’s Owner and his client, Otis.

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    2. Or do you only believe what Dokish tells you. None of these coaches were coming for the small money they were paying. Andy was close but 1M off. The younger coaches would of but were not targeted.

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  75. Unless some wealthy people pay for the buyout, I see Stallings back for year three. But I do think he will then be bought out Pitt can go two years max of crap attendance but not three years. By that time, football should be self sustaining and BB is now the priority. But start to leg work here to be ready to go once the change happens.

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  76. Response to Joeknew and Barvo and 1618:
    TO me Wilson didn’t look quicker and looked clueless most of the time defensively. If quicker, clueless trumps it defensively. And he had a far worse handle with equally weak passing skills to Carr. Carr can shoot FT’s. I don’t even know why I just wasted my time typing that, I choose neither but am just as “happy” to have Carr. 😦

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    1. I was writing about Wilson as a freshman. Stallings didn’t play him for anything other than token minutes last year.

      I am glad that you have alternate opinions. Unfortunately we may never see them race. I assume you’ll agree on height since that is a measurable.

      I don’t think Wilson or Carr are PGs. However at 6’5″ Wilson at least resembles a shooting guard. We’ll see how the season plays out, but Carr’s shooting stats have been steeply trending downward and may match Wilson’s freshman year.

      The essential takeaway should have been that Wilson is gone yet he wasn’t materially better or worse than Carr as a freshman. My basic point was that had Wilson received the same number of minutes as Carr that he would have produced better. So it seems we may agree there.

      In any event, so Carr looks “clued” to you? Is it the pounding it into the court for 10-15 seconds only to dribble into strips and bad passes that makes you feel that he has a handle?

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  78. Boy, if you want unbridled optimism for Pitt football read Dokish’s take on this recruiting class.

    http://panthersprey.blogspot.com/2018/01/pitt-football-early-recruiting-class.html#comment-form

    I like to read his stuff but sometimes it is over the top blue & gold. It would be nice if he reviewed his stuff sometimes and pointed out his hits and misses of what he wrote.

    He also thinks we’ll have a 9 – 10 win season which I believe he said last pre-season also.

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    1. I will let Ike do that for me and then regurgitate it here. Same with PSN.

      I was thinking the other day that I should keep a log of all of Dokish’s predictions, especially for recruits.

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  80. And Pitt is LAST in the ACC in attendance. All of these stats were either last or near to it.

    Click on above link and then look for MISC (last on the right of choices)

    This team and the coaching is horrid. We’re even next to bottom in Steals. So how does that jive with playing really hard and having all these kids who should be quicker than their larger opponents.

    It doesn’t jive.

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    1. Now don’t cherry pick stats to prove a point. There are lots of contributing factors on stats and those need to be taken in deep context and reevaluated. It’s far more relevant, and frankly much easier, to deal in strict opinion.

      Seriously though, you can make the incongruous hustle argument about all of Pitt’s defensive and rebounding stats.

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      1. I didn’t even mention that the Offensive savant’s team is last in scoring, by not a couple points, to the next to the lowest scoring team.

        But by a full 10 points lower. Would that be considered ‘cherry picking’…..or cold reality 🙂

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  82. At a glance Carr’s stats are pretty close to James Robinson’s as a freshman. Not really a high bar to shoot for, LOL.

    Huge difference. Robinson played with some established players so his stats should have been much better.

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    1. Carr reminds me of Robinson in a lot of ways. I suspect that Carr’s arc will look a lot like Robinson’s in that Carr is near his ceiling.

      Carr has mishandled the ball like this all season even when Luther was playing big minutes and Wilson-Frame was too. Stallings actually had Luther bringing the ball up the court in the few games.

      That said, Robinson’s freshman year and career ATO (i.e. taking care of the ball) were fairly consistently favorable FR-SR years. Carr is trending the other way.

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      1. The turnovers are a huge issue. I know you disagree, but I think he will be a much better shooter and can drive the lane better than Robinson.

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  83. Really, Carr is a very poor ball handler. Unforced turnovers. This is not just a one game observation. I give some slack for being a freshman playing with a bunch of never will be’s, but you saw flashes of talent in ever guys like Newkirk in their fresh campaigns. Once we left the cupcakes behind he’s tanked considerably. Of all the guys I like Stephenson the best. He’s just undersized which puts him in a bind and limits him to being a role player. As far as Parker, let’s see as the season goes on.
    There has never been a better ball handler, in my opinion, at Pitt when he was in traffic than Levance Fields. Kid was tuff as nails and had all the skills, and you saw it early on. Laced size and great outside shot, but I loved that kid.

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  84. Pitt’s players other than the 30 yr old juco kid, don’t look very tough at all. i realize kids are morphing into the other sex with all the hormones in foods and such, but this years team is the weakest looking weakling Pitt team I can every remember.

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  85. Joe, Carr is imo a decent ball-handler considering his maturity. He’s just like Christopher Columbus right now. He’s not sure where he’s going and doesn’t know how to get there. It will come to him..

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  86. I think Wilson had decent talent around him and so should have looked better in that he just needed to fit in and run things. Carr doesn’t have much and yet I see (a little) more.

    Again, not enough difference to matter, but thought Wilson had NO shot(accuracy) and Carr does and at least if Carr develops in general, other than height, he will be serviceable with anything around him.

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  88. Rebounding in basketball is akin to your Line play in football. It’s the Dirty Work, that has to be done effectively if you’re going to have any chance at winning.

    Pitt’s great teams under Dixon were all great rebounding teams. Think DeJuan Blair, Chevy Troutman, even Aaron Gray, Chris Taft, etc.

    Pitt’s other great teams in the mid to late 1980’s had players like Jerome Lane and Brian Shorter who either led the nation and/or the conference in rebounding.

    Pitt has 1 player among the Top 50 Rebounders in the ACC. If you can’t recruit the bigs who rebound, you aren’t going to win.

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  89. Oh……. our lone guy is #36 of the Top 50, should have mentioned that. We should be much better rebounders since there are tons of missed shots.

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  90. In three years many of these players will not be here if the timing of a new coach is what I think it is. As I said the buyout can be handles after next year. But the money train from the ACC will jump with the ACC network on ESPN and all the platforms. Disney didn’t spend billions on Bamtech for nothing. That data platform will be in the ACC package and will substantially increase the market and cash flow for the ACC network. Pitt will have the internal cash flow to pay some nice bucks for a BB coach then. Pitt extended Narduzzi and is increasing the budget knowing what is coming.

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  91. ……Ha, learned something today. I didn’t even realize Columbus was a point guard to begin with! Here I thought he was just a mere world explorer! Thanks Iek, for keeping us all informed! :>)

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  92. Wonder why Pitt doesn’t have a Men’s Tennis Team. We have a Women’s team.

    It can’t be much money to operate a 6-8 person Tennis team. Plus a Coach. Pitt is the
    only school in the ACC without a Men’s Tennis Team.

    Guess nobody at Pitt grew up watching the Pittsburgh Triangles or Wimbledon.

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    1. I’ll bet (with almost certainty) that it is a money thing. They don’t have a men’s team because they don’t have to; they have a women’s team because they have to have x number of women’s teams (Title IX).

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      1. It IS a money thing AND a title IX rhing. I had a fraternity brother that played for Pitt’s men’s team in the mid ’90s. When the push came to enforce Title IX, Pitt chose to shut down it’s men’s tennis team, rather than add a women’s sport.

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  93. To me, Carr & Stephenson are both kids that, if they bolted to another good program, we’d be all kick ourselves over, wondering, ‘wow, they didn’t look very good with us’. I’m not saying either one will be great college ballplayers, but both have talent (in addition to Stewart), and I suspect will be nice players in the right system. How would you like to play point guard with no offensive system and no interior players as a freshman in the ACC? And don’t tell me about Pre-Luther, early-season, because the team with Luther at that point was just as bad or even worse than they are now.

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    2. Wait, we have an offensive savant and you say there is no system?:-)

      I am not sure what “nice” means. If it means “ACC bench” then I agree.

      I wouldn’t and won’t kick myself regarding Carr and Stephenson if they were to leave. It would be a lot like Newkirk to me. I didn’t regret his leaving at all. In fact Carr may be more like a slower version of Newkirk rather than Robinson.

      However I’m now confused. You stated that we don’t have a system. You stated we’d kick ourselves if Carr and Stephenson left because they’d be nice players in the right system. Does that mean you’re on board with terminating KS? If so, I’m glad we can agree.

      The only guy I see being starting level player in the “right” system is Stewart because he can shoot. He’s like Ashton Gibbs to me. Ashton was slow. He was a defensive liability. He had a fair handle at best. However all his flaws were compensated for by the people around him for his first three seasons.

      I wasn’t in any way saying that the team was better in the OOC. In fact quite the opposite. The point had been made that Robinson had upperclassmen to play with. I had pointed out that Carr played with Luther in the OOC and he was reckless with the ball. In my mind Luther qualifies as an interior player.

      This point about the “youth” of this team is growing tiresome. The average age of the scholarship players on this team is like 20.5 years. Yes, Boykins, Milligan and Luther skew that, but they also count as upperclass leadership. So should junior Wilson-Frame. The remainder are nearly through 2/3 of the season now and a third of the way through the ACC schedule while playing big minutes. There’s been little demonstrable development (i.e. consistently improving play) outside of Stewart. That was supposed to be the expectation for the season. The flip side of the youth argument is that unlike last year, nobody is playing to be drafted. Nobody has settled roles that they’ve been performing for years. They haven’t been playing for the same coach for 3 years only to have to adjust to a new coach in the fourth.

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    1. Pitt benefactor John Hillman III was involved in the original ownership. And Evonne had such grace on the court, she played effortless…or so it appeared. The Triangles won the WTT championship in it’s first year. We had the all-time great Aussie Ken Rosewall as well.

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  96. Hey Pittman, nice to see you’re still awoke!

    I see the PITT football schedule is out today.. Looks like they go down to Chapel Hill Sept 22. That’s a great date right there. Anyone thinking about this as a roadie game?

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  97. Schedule breaks as well as you could expect. Unlike last year where they were quickly behind the 8 ball, this year gives them somewhat of a chance. I can see 7-5. I can a”so see 5-7. We will see if we have a coach or not this year.

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  98. Just saw the 2018 schedule and it appears we can have another losing September especially since we play UNC on 9/22 (a loss of course, we shouldn’t even show up). I don’t see 9 wins but 8 wins is a remote possibility provided Pickett stays healthy. Note the word remote

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  99. It’s great that we remember and compare kids that played 4 or 5 years at PITT with young men that haven’t played an entire season yet.

    another name not mention enough is Kam Davis. This kid plays defense and believe it or not, has a nice shot but needs to learn how to jump when shooting.

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    1. It is all we have iek, we can still compare first years but need to look at the full picture. Obviously turnovers aren’t only bad passes but bad hands on the receiving end or poor positioning/movement to GET OPEN. Last night I saw very inconsistent positioning at the top of the key which is huge to beat Syracuse’s zone. Was it the individuals passing or receiving it or the movement of the player OR the ball on the outside to open up the pass? I think it was a mix of all the above.

      I still blame Barnes for it all and the BOT behind the curtain. Not going to a game until changes are made and we had been attending a few yearly for the past several years.

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    1. Have some faith Jay! We’ve only had one game changing QB in our history. We have our second now. It will make a difference!

      Look forward to seeing some more of those 300 yd drives in April !

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  101. Where do the wins come from?

    You think we beat PeeSU? Nope. UCF? Nope. ND? Nope. At UNC? We simply don’t beat them. VT? Fuente vs. Narduzzi- I know my pick. Miami? Last year shows anything happens but what’s our record in Miami? (Spoiler Alert!- it’s awful.)

    Look, we’ll beat Albany (FCS- doesn’t really count). We’ll likely beat UVA, Wake and ‘Cuse (because they’re AWFUL).

    The rest? Toss-ups, at best. You “OPTIMISTS” tell yourselves the same $h1t you’ve been telling yourselves since Reagan was in the White House but this is not a good team. I hope I’m wrong. I want to be wrong.. but i truly don’t believe we have the talent (and DEFINITELY not the coaching) to win against this schedule. It just doesn’t.

    Pitt makes “good stories.” We get a James Conner. We get an Aaron Donald. Hell, we get a Baldwin and a Revis (Oops- word is Narduzzi isn’t liked at Aliquippa) but we can’t get out of our own way.

    But hey, I take it back.. we MIGHT get grad transfers from Rice and Rutgers. And we all know.. when you think of winning, you think Rice and Rutgers

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  102. Anyone notice during the game that there was a Pitt fan a few rows behind our bench living and dying with each possession as if we were in the Final Four?

    I laughed so hard watching this fan and his demonstrative demeanor for a team that will not win an ACC game. God bless him. I hope I can regain that enthusiasm but these are tough days.

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