116 thoughts on “Pitt Basketball Toasts a New Recruit”

  1. Liked by 1 person

    1. Dokish’s speculation on next years roster is crap.

      No way Brown, Chukwuka and Ellison leave, nor does Pitt want them to leave. Not having bench players on this years roster wore the team down. They need all three to stay. Ellison and Chukwuka are what they are, but Brown still has room to grow and get better offensively.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Dokish is an optimist. He still thinks Capel will bring in another 3 or 4 really good prospects.

        I do hope he does bring in at least 1 more biggie and 1 good outside shooter — I would be overjoyed with that

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      2. I think Chukwuku played himself onto the team next year, but Ellison and Davis could easily be replaced.
        Not saying it is going to happen, depends on who Capel can get that will make this team competitive next year. Ellison and Davis added very little this year. Brown has good upside and Chuk is scrappy with one year left. Davis chances are better if N’Dir doesn’t get the extra year.

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  2. Thanks JWF!!! Best in your future!!!

    I have no idea whether JC is a good coach anywhere near where JD proved to be over the years but I am very glad to see the recruiting headed in the direction JC DOES seem to have capelabilities to achieve.

    Really hope this freshman front court stays all years as they will be amazing as seniors if they develop at all and have real talent around them. Coach ’em up Capel and keep up the big time recruiting.

    H2P!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. The new recruit looks like a Capel-like player …. he is 6’7 versatile forward who defends, scores and “plays aggressively”

    Glad that JWF got in the Pitt record book in his last game. Pretty sure he will be playing in Europe if he wants to

    Liked by 1 person

  4. the guys being recruited are athletes and yes versatile
    solid players who fit ACC style of play with some hard nose old Big East toughness
    Capel still needs to get that one elite scorer that can take them over the top
    need to replace the outside shooting of JWF
    and of course get a big man…with hands

    i see around 7 ACC wins next year
    and probably an invite to the NIT

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  5. All of our recruits will have hands Tex………

    Glad this has happened. Another solid recruit or two and the winds and wins should be changing. Realizing of course, they haven’t suited up for a game yet.

    Now go build Panther Stadium and start winning some games in any sport!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. X Johnson is already on record as saying he has intentions to leave early and not be around for four years. Better get him help asap. See Khadim Sy

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  7. JWF is a class act. Glad to see he got a win in the ACC tournament and shot the lights out in his last game as a Panther.

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  8. Hopefully Capel still adds Diallo, Sy and Timberlake. No Justin, then a grad transfer guard.

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  11. gc, one word. Raw but he would be a nice pick up for the future. PITT also needs help now. Lot’s of room to add both.

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  15. Perhaps the better play at the end of this season may help ramp the commits over the near term.

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  17. ^^ Nate, hope he is a 6’3″ white kid who was the valedictorian of his senior high school class named skippy. Those kids just don’t miss a shot very often. 🙂

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    1. He’s Sean “Skippy” McNeil, 6’4” and 190 pounds.

      Could be exactly who you’re describing, ike. 😊

      Go Pitt.

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      1. More Skippy info…

        D-II Leading Scorer (29.7 ppg) six 40+ point games & national leader with 4.3 three pointers/game (43.1%)

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      2. LOL John but it was pointed out to me that not many valedictorians go to jr college but you never know.

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  18. Fans that are hoping for Ellison to transfer don’t really know basketball. He is a versatile defender and rebounder Who does all the little things right. And he is a great kid and teammate. It would be insane to push a kid like that out especially when he only has one more year of eligibility.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Ellison seemed to show a bit more in the last couple games – even hit some foul shots. 😊

      I agree that there’s a role for him mainly on defense and rebounding…

      Go Pitt.

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    2. Hit the like button by mistake. I am sure Ellison is a great guy, but seriously in no way is he an ACC level player. He is one of the least productive members of a team that won 4 ACC games. Forwards need to score and he just doesn’t. If he is back next year he won’t get many minutes.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Although I like Kham Davis, he could very easily be replaced. Same with Sampson George. I hope these two move on and the rest of them stick around.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. But a serious question. Why would George or Davis choose to transfer? They are getting a full scholarship to a very good school and can sit on the bench for what should be some pretty good teams especially when they’re seniors

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      1. I can remember Dixon nudging a few players towards the door …. not uncommon at all. Pitt helps find a landing spot for them, usually D2 teams. Not always … anybody remember Dwight Miller going to Houston, and a kid from Philly going to Texas when Khem Birch reclassified?

        I definitely expect George to be moving on, and Kham would likely be next

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  21. Couple things:

    First, just heard that Earl Timberlake is a very good possibility to reclassify and jump on the PITT bandwagon. This is BIG!

    Between Toney, Ellison, Champagnei and possibly Timberlake that could be one too many?

    Scholarships in college are renewable at the coaches discretion. Not up to the players.

    Here’s Earl

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ranked #35 right now
      good chance to finish in the top 20 recruiting with another 4 star and a 3 star
      Narduzzi can only dream of that

      Liked by 1 person

  24. JD used to preach the an O rebound is worth 1 point – meaning we converted 1/2 our extra possessions due to O Rebounds – and I always believed that.

    Think back to this past year – I wonder how many more games we could have won if we had out rebounded the opponent on our end of the court! I think that is a huge target for us to capture this year.

    Of course, I realize that if we can’t shoot worth a cr-p, our ORs won’t be worth 1 point! On the other hand, if we can’t shoot worth a darn, there will be plenty of OR opps!!?

    Liked by 3 people

    2. ike — one problem. Skippy kicks his feet out when he shoots. He’d be fouling out against Syracuse! 😊

      Go Pitt.

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      1. Right you are John, Jimmy “the stud” Boehiem with his 19 year old son at the very ripe old age of 74 would be crying a river to get fouls called.

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  27. My wish list would be Diallo, Earl justin timberlake, and a 3 pt shooter to kill the zone. Is that too much to ask for by Monday?

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  28. Huggy must be coaching up a storm. Won last night; won again tonight in the Big 12 tourney…

    Will be nice when the Panthers get back to doing stuff like that…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. Big B. — I remember Devenzio knocking down long jump shots in those long-ago high school playoffs…

      Go Pitt.

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    2. Loved Dickie. Deadly shooter from 2 steps over the half court line. Ambridge maybe the best HS team of all time! And they were only worth 2 points then. Good call BigB

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  30. Diallo would be a big get in more ways than one but keep in mind, he’s considered a project. But boy would he be a good project to haul in!

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  31. We need a big 7 ft stud in the middle. Needs to have muscle …could care less if he could shoot. But no Lucious Keese.

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  33. Although Pitt said they just hired JMI for marketing, this is what JMI did for The University of Houston.

    The scope of services provided by JMI Sports included the creation of a sports venue benchmarking matrix, development of a revenue model and evaluation of alternative financing mechanisms. As part of this analysis, our team evaluated the proposed site options for a new football stadium, created a detailed project program, provided a recommendation on the overall development budget and produced a master project schedule that evaluated all phases of development for two scenarios (a 2013 vs. 2014 completion). In addition, our team produced the RFQ for architecture and engineering services in order to kick off the design phase. One of the more critical services we provided was to create a business model for the new stadium based on various seating options and premium amenities, which resulted in significantly improved revenue projections for the University. Most importantly, our consulting effort provided the University with the information necessary to formulate a long term strategy regarding the financing and implementation of the stadium project.

    We can dream, lol.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Populous was asked to perform a feasibility study for Pitt back in 2017. Pitt has those results.
      https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2016/6/2/Pitt_Partners_With_Populous_on_Facilities_Master_Plan.aspx

      I imagine their findings gave rise to the Victory Heights initiative. This was initially driven by Barnes which he deserves credit.

      For Pitt to build a facility, it must meet these criteria:
      1. Pay for itself in a reasonable time frame
      2. Be financed with as little debt as possible
      3. Provide homes for existing and future programs
      4. Be located on campus

      For a facility to pay for itself, it must generate a quick ROI. To do this, Pitt needs to create multiple revenue streams. You do this by making use of the facility 24/7, 365 days of the year. That means, it becomes more than just a facility for athletics. Think dorms, classrooms, retail, office space, etc. It also becomes multi purpose from an entertainment design standpoint.

      Pitt like most universities is scared of debt. There are covenants that govern the amount of debt a university can incur. Fortunately for Pitt, they are well under these debt thresholds. Therefore, they can finance a portion of the project through low cost bonds. However, the majority of financing for this grand endeavor must come though public and private donations as well as upfront monies for ticket sales, seat licenses, naming rights, third party contracts and advertising. Pitt is a notorious poor fundraiser and lacks an AD who excels in this realm.

      As I previously mentioned, the facility must be more than just an OCS. It cannot be a venue for just one sports program. It must be multi purpose. Pitt needs new homes for gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling. It needs future homes for lacrosse and hockey. Hence, the design must accommodate these sports and the seating capacity be configurable. I envision a venue with a max capacity of 45k, retractable ‘clear’ roof, different playing field elevations, expandable/contractible seating, ‘open-end’ endzones (think tall movable glass like Jerry World).

      A venue location on campus would make the most sense. It becomes a focal point on campus. It contributes to the Pitt brand and how Pitt is recognized. It becomes a source of school spirit and pride. It helps connect fans, alumni and visitors to the Oakland campus. It helps showcase a vibrant, charming and beautiful campus. That campus connection is missing when football games are played off campus. This connection is key for student engagement. Engaged students have better campus experiences and are more likely to support their school with future donations and more likely to come back to campus and keep engaging.

      There are concerns. But each concern can be addressed with pragmatic solutions.
      Yes – parking and traffic wont be as easy as Heinz but it wont be a nightmare either. These are issues with every on campus venue and schools have a variety of solutions.
      Yes – the project will cost hundreds of millions and one could argue the money could be better spent elsewhere. Moreover, one could make a convincing case that Pitt would not be able to raise the funds given its poor track record.

      Keep in mind, nowhere did I say that this will help improve attendance. That this will help Pitt win more games. That this will improve recruiting. I could build arguments supporting these positions but its irrelevant for the discussion.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Like the detail and the vision.

        Populous is obviously BIG time when it comes to feasibility and design. But if Pitt were to EVER move forward with the actual construction of a new venue, it would only make sense to have an independent Project Manager to ensure successful on-time and on-budget completion. Pretty basic.

        JMI certainly could fulfill this role.

        If anything, in the short term… Pitt sports marketing should IMPROVE. This has been a major area of complaint by more than a few.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I’m pretty sure Populous said it was feasible.
          Do you own the land? Check
          Can it be financed? Check
          Is there a need? Check

          The land is the OC Lot and Cost Center. Pitt owns it. Its on campus. Minimal demo and land excavation is required. A 45k venue will fit.

          Financing is dependent on a massive fundraising campaign with the remainder to be paid via debt. Pitt could probably raise the funds over a 5 year period but this would require a stellar ad campaign, visuals (what will it look like) and someone like Wanny to take charge. Hey Fitz, for $10M we’ll name the plaza after you and build you a statue. AD – for $10M, we’ll name the new Pitt HOF after you. Hey Reed, for $100 bucks, we’ll lay a brick with your name in Fitzgerald Plaza.

          The cost would be enormous though. I’m thinking $500M. Pitt would need to bank $50M each year over this 5 year campaign period. It is doable particularly with former pro athletes as donors. Pitts Day of Giving generated over $5M.

          And Pitt will need a home when the lease at Heinz expires in 10 years. What will the Steelers do? Move further out into the suburbs? Tear down Heinz and build a new stadium? Heinz was only built to last 25-30 years before significant and very costly renovations would be required. But can the volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics teams wait another 5 years for their new home?

          Liked by 2 people

  34. Don’t be surprised if Capel gets a kid that is not currently on the radar. Some coaches will be moving around, which will free up recruits.
    Isn’t that how he got the X man?

    Liked by 2 people

  35. Given the disappointing season at Arizona, I wonder if Ryan Luther regrets his decision to leave Pitt and would having him on this years team have made any difference?

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    1. Maybe, but he played the entire season at Arizona without getting injured. Ryan was always getting hurt at Pitt so for that reason alone I doubt he has any regrets.

      He definitely would have helped this team if healthy.

      Liked by 1 person

  36. remember, the list of transfers and grad transfers will be out shortly. I can definitely see a big man coming as a transfer. He may not be a 4-star but a mature big man who can at least provide some rebounding would be very valuable for this team right now

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  37. a few notes ….

    — the new recruit, Champagnie, wet to the same high school as Ronald Ramon (get that NYC pipeline re-started)

    — a former Pitt FB player Lou Palatella is involved in the college admissions scandal. Get this — he played at Pitt in the early 50s and is now 84. His wife, (64) is being charged for paying to get the son n USC a few years ago. He is her 2nd husband and not sure if he is biological father, but if so, I’m proud of they guy

    — the NCAA wrestling championships begin in 5 days at PPG Paints Arena. I believe Pitt has 4 or 5 wrestlers who qualified (not sure), and one of the reasons I’m not sure is that I haven’t read or heard a word about this in the local papers or sports broadcast (TV or radio). God forbid they mention this instead of the 4,579th story about Antonio Brown over the past few months

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  38. Hey Tx, thanks for the reasonable input. Seems like we got the Dr Jekyll version of TX this morning?

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  39. Unlike Narduzzi’s recruiting, Cap’s is creating much positive buzz and hope for the future.

    Obviously there are more obstacles for Pitt Football recruiting but just like basketball, impossible to get to the next level without excellent players. Also very difficult on the marketing team when you have no marquis players.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. and you dont think Capel is using a packed Pete and the Zoo as some Aces in his recruiting. Your darn right he is.

      and you dont think that Franklin is using an off campus stadium and those yellow seats against Narduzzi. Your darn right he is.

      so yes I can argue than an on campus venue can help with recruiting if the coach has a good tactical plan.

      Capel uses it to his advantage. Would be more difficult to recruit players if Pitt played in a half filled PPG arena.

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      1. It is one of the obstacles, just like there are numerous obstacles, probably insurmountable to building an OCS.

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      2. I still scratch my head over Paul Evans’ recruiting when we played at the F. Field House.

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  40. and Pitt was probably another school performing this study
    http://www.themackreport.com/college-hockey/four-nhl-college-hockey-feasibility-studies-underway/

    The NHL wants to grow and promote hockey
    Along with providing pipelines of prospects

    yet another justification for a multi-purpose venue on campus
    Future ACC revenues as well. Big wigs in ACC are thinking about it. Filler for the ACC network.

    Plus the NHL and Pens might even pony up some dough for it. Maybe they throw in a Zamboni.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Again perception comes into play here. Capel’s recruiting hasn’t been all that much better than Narduzzi this far into season two. Considering football recruits somewhere in the 22 player number and basketball receives roughly around 4 or 5 recruits usually. Capel has 4 3* and 2 4* players. That’s one 4 star in each of his two classes……. so far. I do look for that number to go way up though.

    Narduzzi’s abrasive beginning has hurt the entire perception he’s received. Capel on the other hand was hailed day 1. Fair? I guess it is. But, most forget this was Narduzzi’s first rodeo as a head coach, third time for Capel and lets not forget who he sat beside for many years. I don’t think narduzzi has been treated fairly over-all but he does bring things upon himself. Let’s hope Pat passes a head coaching etiquette class this coming summer.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Capel’s class is #35 right now. With 2-3 more players, there is a very good chance it becomes a top 20 class. To being doing this well after the program had been left for dead is remarkable. He’s selling kids on his vision and how they can be part of it.

      Pitt football would be fine if Narduzzi could recruit in the #25-#35 range. Instead, he pulled in a class ranked in the 50’s. And this was Year 4 of a stable program and after winning the Coastal. What is he selling recruits?

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I don’t agree, Narduzzi was treated very well by most until his recruiting failed to inspire and continued to trend downward. It really was the record in his third season that started the skepticism. The two bowl fails also raised questions. I can tell you that the Pitt Fans in Annapolis were really positive until the team got trounced. No doubt Navy was good, but not that good.

      You need to look at Capel’s 4 stars as a percentage of the total vs Narduzzi.

      After 4 years a 50th ranked recruiting class is nothing to brag about.

      I could care less about Narduzzi’s personality, it is results that matter. A coastal trophy is great, a 7-7 record with another bowl loss is not. It is the first time Pitt ever lost three straight bowl games.

      You prefer to see the glass half full, I see it as half empty.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. so one way to look at it is that Capel’s 4 star hit ratio is 33% while Narduzzi’s hit ratio is 5% (one 4 star out of 20)

      i think Capel can actually get to 100% of his classes being 4 star and above at some point. That would make Pitt very competitive in the toughest basketball conference.

      Narduzzi needs to land half his class 5.7 rated and above to get the program consistently ranked in the top 25. Because thats the hit rate of consistent winning programs with a few exceptions, and Pitt is the rule and not the exception.

      Capel does get the benefit of a packed Pete, one of the toughest venues for an opposing team to play in, a rabid student section called the Zoo and on-campus practice facilities.

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    4. One would have to use the star rating average….Narduzzi would fall quite short by Capel’s 2nd – 4th years recruiting.

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  42. Sure gc, plenty of negatives to dwell on when considering Narduzzi. How many expected PITT to win the coastal? Not very many thought PITT would win 7 regular season games either. So there are two ways to look at the bigger picture. I do like lots of the young men in this years recruiting class. They will prove the experts wrong just like they are always proven wrong

    Tx, Beville was a 4* on other recruiting sites. Look, I’m all in Capel’s corner here and I’m with you, this class can and most likely will end up very highly ranked.

    Bottom line… I’m not a star star watcher.

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    1. There are going to be good players in every class, just not enough. Again, very pleased that Pitt won the Coastal, but does it signal an upward trend or just an aberration. I just see Pitt treading water, always wondering is this the year Pitt turns the corner?

      Liked by 1 person

    2. if you dont recruit the stars and just hope these kids that Pitt finds are the diamonds in the rough or will exponentially develop their talents under Pitt coaching, you will be disappointed.

      15% of Pitt recruits rated 5.7 or above last year
      45% were rated this way under the previous year (50% is the mark)

      i’m hoping last years recruiting was an aberration
      But why the slippage?

      also tough for Pitt’s new marketing partner to market the program and build brand equity when you have no marketable/elite players or a jerk of a coach.

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      1. Balls and strikes in major league baseball are no where near as subjective as evaluating a 3 * high school young man and they are very subjective. Yeah, it’s easy to see a grown man with a full beard as a senior who runs circles around less mature kids but how do they project these two and three * kids and which ones will “become” a big time player in college? It’s impossible.

        Liked by 1 person

  43. so NHL, chip in $50M and help Pitt build its multi-purpose venue on campus
    https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/ncaa-eyes-expansion-with-interest-from-illinois-pitt

    seriously, Victory Heights is projected to cost $50M – $100M to provide new homes for its track, volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics teams. All these programs cannot support themselves independently and run multi-million dollar deficits.

    so why not build a venue where 2 money maker programs can help subsidize these teams and provide a broader pool of support to get this project off the ground.

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  44. Good point gc and when PITT won the Coastal, I can’t look at it as an aberration. There’s no reason to. So, I wait on next year like I’ve been doing for the past 40 years or so and see how the season shakes out. And while were talking the previous 40 some years…. Narduzzi has the best record of any coach after 4 years since Jackie (not an aberration) . or did I mention that before? 🙂

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    1. no ranked seasons and no bowl wins (not an aberration either). even Paul Hackett won a bowl game.

      just hire the Toledo head coach and move on

      i want a string of 10 win seasons before Pitt moves into their new home on campus beginning 2025.

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    2. As has been said before he won 8 games in each of his first two seasons with Chryst’s players. The transition to his players has not been great and this year they are 100% his players, so we shall see.

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  46. TX – I agree with your thoughts, especially on the multi-use facility.

    Where I don’t agree is that this facility could be crammed on top of the hill in the Cost Center/ parking lot spot. I think you need to somehow find property on the Oakland flatlands…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. it would be a tight fit, but it does fit
      the footprint is similar to old Pitt stadium
      if designed as a tiered stadium, there is room
      a bowl stadium would be too large…old Pitt stadium also had that track forcing the stands out
      so build vertical and dig down into the earth…the lower tier would be below ground
      there wouldnt be any open lots near the venue…the Fitzgerald site would be a parking garage and the Cost Center side is also possible
      tailgating (no grills) could occur on the soccer field or open grassy space outside the Pete if Pitt allows
      also wonder if parking at the VA is possible
      otherwise, you’re tailgating in remote Oakland lots and hopping on a shuttle

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  47. So here’s what needs to happen. PITT needs to hire someone to drop off 300 gophers at the Schenley golf course and then offer to hire Carl Spackler to have them exterminated.

    Liked by 1 person

  48. The Pens want Pitt to play hockey at PPG. They will not chip in for another rink. Further, hockey is a title 9 killer. It killed football at BU after I left.
    Now BU is not Pitt, but having both was unsustainable. You would have to add 2 women’s sports at least and hope they could make some money.
    I hate Heinze field. It is a dump. It sucks for Steelers games when full and really sucks for Pitt games when empty.
    I see no way we get out of Heinze until the Roonies flee.
    They shafted the Panthers with us going down there to lend support for the cheap build.
    We are stuck.

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    1. Pitt just added woman’s lacrosse at the tennis teams expense
      So Pitt could add both men and woman’s hockey
      Womans hockey is the fastest growing US sport
      And add woman’s rowing (Pitt has 3 rivers and they’re already built)
      And bring back tennis if need be…they only had 1 coach and 3 players on scholie and didnt even have outdoor courts

      That should suffice

      Hockey can be profitable much like basketball. Historically, the Pitt basketball program has generated between $10-$15M in annual profit. Pitt basketball could also generate additional gross revenues (maybe an extra $1M) by playing the larger marquee games at Dan Marino Stadium (after he donates $100M for 30 year naming rights).

      I think hockey is break-even at worst case for the men. Penn State has a very successful and very profitable hockey program.

      The Pens want Pitt to play at PPG for the extra dime. Getting ice team would be a killer. Thats why the Pens dont practice there. And few recruits want to be bused to Cranberry for practice. On campus is critical.

      No extra practice rink or hockey specific building needs to be built. Incorporate seating and surface configuration into the new Marino stadium.

      Unfortunately, the Pete is a basketball specific venue and wasnt engineered with hockey in mind like Wisconsins. Not to say the bottom tier couldnt be converted and retrofitted, but it most likely wouldn’t be economically feasible or worth the trouble.

      And Pitt would have the coolest hockey unis in college

      Liked by 2 people

  49. @ Ike – Winning the Coastal when all the other teams and your own is .500 at best, is not an accomplishment in my opinion. To me, it equates to a participation trophy. Look, I just reviewed the AP top 40 final rankings and there is not one ACC Coastal Team to be found. None, zippo, nada! That is not being negative. It is being truthful. It’s like winning a sun coast title. Yeah it’s great, but at the end of the day, you stink in the overall scheme of the sport!

    Somebody out of that mess had to win so I suppose I am happy we finished first out of a horrific football division. The problem is that our competitors within the coastal had very good recruiting years and we did not keep pace. The rankings in the coastal were VT at 26 with 7, 4 stars. UNC at 31 with three 4 stars, Miami at 35 with seven 4 stars followed by a 39 Virginia, 43 Gt and 48 Duke ranking. For 2019, We may have been last in our division. In 2018 recruiting, miami had like 14 4stars, VT and UNC had a bunch too. I don’t know who is left out of those recruits at their schools, but the numbers are not leaning in Pitt’s favor.

    For 2020 already, Miami (8) and NC (4) 4 stars! Duke has one too and VT has three 3 stars. Yeah, I know, Pitt brought in 10 recruits in one weekend last year yadda yadda. The problems was that many of them were three star guys. Glad to have em, but I would prefer five, 4 star guys on that same weekend.

    The basic optimism for Capel III is that he has shown an ability to close out the high level talent and get commitments, and candidly I don’t care how he does it. Narduzzi has not shown that same ability and that is the lifeblood of the sports.

    Liked by 1 person

  50. @TX – Penn State got a HUGE donation for their ice hockey campus from the owner of the Buffalo Sabres. The facility is awesome! But your point is well taken. Pitt can do it if they have the right AD’s gladhanding and a commitment to winning in all sports. Noone pays money to be surrounded by losers, because the folks that have the money….are the anti-losers from a money perspective only. No pc police on that.

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  51. Thanks Huff the third and a couple things.

    Where to start where to start? Well you said so yourself that the OOC schedule was way out of bounds and would be difficult to navigate through. So there’s that.

    What if Narduzzi wasn’t able to win the Coastal? The uproar would have been deafening considering the ACC Coastal division.

    I’ve been told numerous times on the POV you play the schedule you have right in front of you. So what else could have Narduzzi done to get a crumb of credit?

    All the hand wringing over PN’s recruiting and he’s still the most winning-est head coach after 4 seasons in almost 40 years.

    He’s done what he was hired to do. Blaming the coach for winning is really bass ackwards to me. The season started with one main goal in mind. Winning the Coastal and he did that. Now it was by default. Very telling to me.<< Is this the first time in NCAA football history a team won a division that may have been weak that year? I highly doubt it my friend. Still counts in the record books.

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    1. Interesting. Wonder if Dick Groat mentioned Coach Capel to anyone at Pitt as a head coaching candidate?

      I still wonder if it was the death of his father that really triggered Coach Capel to consider leaving Duke and taking another head coaching job – and then we just happened to be in the market…

      Go Pitt.

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  54. The PSU BB coach with a B10 record of 45-101 just got a contract renewal. And they have a really nice BB facility. But the middle of the state just doesn’t seem to appeal to the Philly kids. They had a brief recruiting windfall a few years ago but a couple of those kids transferred out after a couple of years.

    I saw the new hockey facility and it is really nice. The main arena rink holds about 5500, and there is another rink that is used by the students and the community.

    The winter sports in Dairyland is (1) wrestling and (2) hockey .. with BB a distant third

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  56. BTW, the latest college BB story is that Georgia Tech is being accused of major recruiting violations. Pitt BB is definitely in the minority among ACC teams

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  57. I say Pitt should scrap the football program and replace it with hockey. While FB is dwindling in WPa, that’s not the case at all for hockey. Did you know that there are 4 ice hockey rinks and at least 3 dek hockey rinks (that I know of) in the northern suburbs of Pgh. Did you know that the small village of Wampum PA (approx. 750) boasts an NHL player … one of several in WPa?

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  58. —I think it’s silly to compare Pitt’s basketball and football recruiting…

    —“Ditka Field” at “Marino Pitt Stadium?” 😊

    —Hoping Kene can get that back condition corrected… I think it’s good, especially for younger players, to see a player who plays his heart out like Knee does…

    Go Pitt.

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  59. Pitt will host Florida State on Wed, Nov 6 in basketball … 7 ACC games will be played in the 1st week of Nov beginning their regular seasons

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    1. Actually not sure if this has already been posted. I am behind on my comment readings of the last week.

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  61. @Major – I think you can compare coaches with regard to recruiting. You either have the ability to recruit or you do not. Some coaches are great tactitians, preparers, while others recruit exceptionally well. You either are a closer or you are not.

    Ike, i am not blaming narduzzi for winning the coastal, that is just crazy. What I am saying is that if you lined up to run the hundred yard dash against upitt, major, bigb, erie, gordon, me and five others and you won with a time of 19 seconds, should you be celebrating or should the reality be that you were the best of a bunch of untalented competitors. That’s how i view the Coastal. Nothing more and nothing less.

    It is what it is. Somebody had to win and I am glad we can say we won. The historians and the POV’rs will determine where this stands as far as accomplishments. Not many have mentioned the coastal victory as a great accomplishment, because it wasn’t.

    Don’t get me started on hockey. I have a D1 caliber kid and a not D1 caliber hockey player. TX is right that Pitt should have a D1 Team. They have a better chance winning a championship there, then in any other sport. The recruiting ground is key. Pittsburgh has an excellent talent base and a ton of talent in the midget level (U-16) on up. DO IT!!!

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    1. Huff – I just don’t agree on recruiting. In football, we just don’t offer what other schools offer. I think that matters, especially to the high-level recruits.

      IMHO, the crowd size and game atmosphere at Heinz eliminates us from consideration for the vast majority of elite recruits.

      You expect Narduzzi to steal a kid from not one, but multiple other schools who can offer everything school-wise that we can plus a stadium packed with fanatical fans? Seems unrealistic to me in this internet/instagram era.

      I hate that this is the case but it is. This isn’t your Wanny’s-recruiting-scenario anymore (and I thought Wanny’s recruiting was over-rated).

      Go Pitt.

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  62. Huffx3… love the 100 yd dash comparison – thinking running pierogies for some reason ….. a winner under 20 secs.. LMAO……lot of truth to that analogy!!!

    Mike and Susan Aston ( the Animals’s mom and dad) stopped by our tailgate after we clinched the ACC Crown(Royal)… (they stopped by pre-game and told me “ the Animal” guaranteed a win)…. I said to them after the game “ Pitt is at a Pivot Point in their history and the 2018 team could change the course of PITT football by beating Miami, playing Clemson tough and winning a bowl game…and just like the pierogies in the 100 TD dash “ they all fall down!!!”

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    1. He is what Lebron would have been if he played in college! He’s unstoppable Duke will never be beaten with him healthy. Best college basketball player I’ve ever seen.

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  64. I’m counting 3 available scholarships still remaining for Pitt. It seems they are focused on bigs and forwards but they still need a guard for depth. Someone may get bumped from the current roster.

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  66. The Pitt baseball team is on a horrendous slide losing their last 7 games. This past week has been really bad, losing to the Nits on Tuesday night and then to Youngstown State on Wednesday, 0-14. Yes, you read that correctly.

    Last night they lost their weekend series opener 4-11 to VA Tech. The team was down 0-9 before their first score. Last year’s team was known for it’s pitching and D. This team has struggles with both and lacks good hitting. Not a good start for a new coach, who by the way has ZERO head coaching experience.

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