148 thoughts on “Pitt Basketball Open Game Thread – Kansas State”

  9. 9-0 KSt. Pitt w 4 early fouls/ 0 from the field/ 5 turnovers. I see about a 20 point loss. This is like watching the first half of the VA Tech game.

    This is unwatchable if you’re a Pitt fan.

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  13. I’m out. Check back in second half.
    KST a very good basketball team but Pitt just beats itself. Very hard to watch.

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  17. Quit punishing yourself POVerts.. either start drinking or watch a PITT ladies VB replay… it ain’t BB ANYMORE – lots of palming, traveling, pushing and shoving by a bunch of “ look at me” street playas… time to re- fresh my drink…coach dan72- this group would frill ya…

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  32. X man w 3 turnovers in a row. Blew a 6 point lead and he is almost solely responsible. What on earth has happened to him???

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  51. Won against a good coached team with McGowens only getting 3 points. Looks like Hamilton has replaced Toney as the sixth man.

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      1. 35 rebounds to their 24 is how I guess. That and FT’s. We have half our game down now. Make some 3’s and cut down on TO’s and we might go somewhere.

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  55. Never thought Pitt’s bigs would be the strength of this team. 22 turnovers is just not winning basketball most nights. Once again, this team can’t shoot 3s..

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  56. Wow. Just wow. But a W on national TV is a W nonetheless. I loved Bill Rafferty telling Coach Capel at the end of game interview that he was “sure that he was going to go into the locker room and tell his guards how to run an offense”. Coach didn’t appreciate that.

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  58. Hamilton had 13 pts and 12 reb. He and Champagnie are the two most athletic frontcourt players I’ve seen at Pitt in a long while

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  60. Wow can’t believe we won that. That was U-G-L-Y!!! The newcomers were excellent. The sophomores were bad! Man if we could get everybody playing well at once…

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  62. We just won a basketball game shooting 1 of 16 from 3-point range with 21 turnovers and 2 assists. And both Xavier and McGowens fouled out. And against an almost perennial NCAA tourney team. What if we really played a solid all-around game?

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  63. So I was busy tonight and turned the BB game on while driving home. First thing I heard was KState making a three, then Curtis Aiken says “Wow, that makes them 8 for 16 from 3, and we’ve only hit one…”

    I figured we must be down at least 15 points, probably 20. Then they say we’re down two… Huh?

    What a crazy back and forth finish!

    (And our top two guards had 13 turnovers between them! Yikes!)

    Go Pitt.

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  64. ^^ Right Frank, a win is always a win. Itry and stay off game threads of any type. Blogs and message boards are for cheering, complaining and bitching. That’s why I love the POV so much. Maybe someday I’ll share my chilli recipe?

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      1. I do Tx, otherwise it would be called chili con carne. My secret is beer and roteli petite diced tomatoes with green chilles. Very little tomato sauce. 3/4 ground beef and 1/4 ground pork or sausage browned with yellow onions, green and red/yellow peppers. I use Penzey’s chili seasoning, it seems a little better than regular store bought. I cook the chili down for a few hours with a lid on but a little askew-ed then add the beans. Cook for a half hour with lid off. Toppings are whatever you like but fine chopped scallions are a must. Another secret is to season the meat while browning. It blooms the seasoning. Accent, salt and pepper.

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        1. Beer is a good one. Flavor enhancer.

          I add some soy sauce, dash of worshishire. You can even sparingly use fish sauce to help meld the flavors and allow them to pop. I’ve also tried Mexican chocolate and coffee grounds.

          Using good ground meats are key. I like a combo of beef and pork. Browning is essential.

          You might make a good showing at the cook off contests down here. You’ve got the basics down and then some.

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          1. I actually was joking about sharing my chili recipe but I’m glad you took me serious.

            Fish sauce is a good one, I use it more than anyone realizes. Another secret is to season everything as you cook and or add it to anything you are cooking.

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            1. chili was on my mind. i cooked a batch for my daughters football coaches. she’s a trainer in high school. expect to see her on TV on either the longhorns or sooners in 3 years. she is a Pitt fan however…when they win.

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            1. I’ll take that as a compliment Eric. 🙂 I would love to see your work in person. Sat in a courtroom for years.

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        1. That’s been discussed and a known fact. No beans in “real” Texas chili. But it’s not against the law to put beans in any food you wish to put them in.

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  66. Here’s a gem from twitter. I didn’t recognize the “tweeter’s” name but I’ll post it anyway: “Pitt went down 8 points early and I saw at least 4 “PITT die hards” tweet about how bad we suck and the season is over….You know who you are. Please continue riding the ghost of Jamie Dixon while he finishes in 7th place of an average basketball conference.”

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  68. Even by Pitt’s standards tonight’s game was a strange one when you look at the stats. Somehow they pulled it out which puts one in the W column. That’s what counts.

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  70. I can’t tell you how important Capel and his staff were to this victory. The little things he did as head coach to steady the team were nothing short of incredible. I could write a book on his subtle moves he made that allowed Pitt to win this game!.

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    1. Dan, if you can do a “Cliff Notes” version we would appreciate it…
      Taped the game…excited to watch it today.

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  72. Pitt – tied for first in ACC and 5-2 and easily could be 6-1. Feeling good about this hoops team?

    21 TO’s, 6% from 3,,,,I think I’ll curb my hopes and expectations until next year, I’m glad they fight but…

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    1. Next week they play # louisville, but first we play 2 Big Ten teams in NW tomorrow and then Rutgers.

      If we could find a ball handler who HCJC will give some minutes to, we’d maybe be fine.

      Aikens or Ekeceboody?

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  73. That was fun. What an exciting finish! Basketball, like football, heading in the right direction. Just need time and patience to accept setbacks along the way. Sure hope we can keep Heather. Maybe Coach Capel can ask Santa for a 7-footer.

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  74. last year it was the 2 frosh guards and Wilson-Frame when he was hot…. and nothing else. This year, there are more options and as shown last night, the frontcourt carried the team thru most of the games. This never happened last year,

    So, if and when these 2 soph guards learn to rely more on others without having to force things, the better this team (and they) will be.

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  75. It was fun to watch our front court perform. Can you believe the rebounding and blocks they had? Haven’t seen that kind of action around the hoop since … since … in a long time.

    Loved how Coach had them using their inside game. X has got to learn how to control himself – tries to do too much himself. Leaves his feet too often with no options but to shoot.

    Would like to see how this EZKudo plays point. Would also love to hear how to pronounce his name.

    BTW, EZ Kudos to the whole team last night for that effort. The difference between 1st Half Pitt and 2nd Half Pitt was amazing!

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  76. What a break we fans and the team caught with Champagnie’s injury not being season ending?

    This kid is dynamite and doesn’t look like a freshman. I also like Coulibaly, who I thought was a year away from seriously contributing.

    If these guys can just cut down on the turnovers. I’m not sure it can be cured, like the drops in football. McGowens seems to really struggle dribbling when pressured. X is who he is with the ball: a wild man.

    Beat Northwestern!

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  77. Was at the game. It was maddening to say the least. Capel needs to do something about turnovers for sure. The lineup of Hamilton and Brown in the at the same time was very effective. Anyway enjoyed the win.

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  78. Crazy stuff, but very encouraged by the new guys increased production. Champ is the real deal. McGowen’s and Brown’s games have improved. X has regressed somewhat, or at least hasn’t improved in terms of decision making.

    He reminds me of Ffrench, making too many poor decisions, but his upside is so high and his big play ability cannot be denied.

    Last night X went from goat to hero in no time flat. We don’t win the game without him.

    When X realizes he doesn’t have to carry the team this year because he has a better fast of characters, his decision making should improve.

    But like the football team, be ready for high frustration.

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  79. I’d rather be frustrated knowing there are good recruits coming in and progress is being made each year. You cannot say the same about the football program. On one hand, pitt has a capable head coach. On the other hand, it has a bag of meatballs. 🍝

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  80. Hey Dan — went to the women’s basketball team’s “Practice With the Panthers” event last night. It was a lot of fun.

    The event was for season ticket holders. They gave us a tour of the player’s lounge and pre-game prep room. Coach White gave us a pre-game talk. (Said we need to play better defense, rebound better and take better care of the ball…)

    Then out to the floor where the players ran us thru some shooting, rebounding and ball-handling drills. I hadn’t touched a BB in years, but it was fun.

    Got to meet all the coaches and talk to all the players. The bad news was that the 6-3 forward from Greece is going to redshirt due to some paperwork issues. They could use her now, but will be nice for the next four years.

    Was a fun event to engage with the fans. Enjoyed talking to the players who couldn’t have been nicer.

    At the end we had a shoot-around. I couldn’t hit a thing but then my last baseline jumper just happened to swish thru just as Coach White was walking past. He gave me a “Hey, nice lookin’ shot!” Made my day…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. Major,
      This coach white guy seems to be a capable coach like capel. Does Narduzzi and pitt football offer fans and donors anything close to this experience and level of engagement? I think I know the answer. But If it works for basketball, why not football. I think it’s a great way to grow new fans and develop stronger supporters via stronger bonds and connections. Does coach Capel do anything similar?

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      1. Tex — I guess, from a practical standpoint, the women’s team can do this right now because the number of season ticket holders is low. I’m not aware of the men’s team doing anything like this, but it would be tougher from a logistics standpoint.

        Football has the LOI event and the Kickoff Luncheon where you can talk with the coaches and the seniors. ( I wish they had “Chalk Talks” out in the local communities like Coach Gottfried used to do…)

        The women’s team also signs autographs after some games — nice for the kids…

        Go Pitt.

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  82. Next day reflections…. On a night when you’re shooting 1-16 from 3 pt range (good shots, K St was just lucky they did not fall) versus K St shooting 50% from 3, AND your offense has only 2 assists AND -7 turnover differential, how the heck do you win??? What stuck out to me was this: (1) 18-21 free throws vs just 3-13 for K st, (2) +10 rebounding differential, thanks to Capel using 2 bigs, and (3) change in 2nd half offensive strategy, going inside more allowing us to improve our shooting percentage from 37% in the first half to 55% in the second half. I’m no hoops expert, look forward to Dan’s insights.

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  83. Pitt obviously added some much needed talent. Champagnie being the most obvious. That kid is going to be really good.

    This team’s issue for the entire season will be lack of consistency. Mixing FR and SO with transfers isn’t the best recipe. Hopefully the have steady improvement as the year goes on.

    So Eric Hamilton showed in one game more post moves than Brown has attempted in his career. If Hamilton can keep playing like that maybe it will light a fire under Brown’s rear end to be more aggressive.

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    1. I hope Coulibaly keeps getting more PT so he can get used to the flow/chemistry and can adjust properly to the speed of the game, because he seems to have some potential, and I suspect there are games this year where one of our bigs gets in foul trouble, so we will need him I suspect. Also, valuable PT this year will help a lot for next year, when we lose Hamilton.

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  85. The Panthers fought through adversity but never quit in this one. Nice win but this team is going to be a bit inconsistent throughout the season.

    I’m sure they are going to surprise a few teams and lose to a few inferior squads.

    Agree about Champagnie and Hamilton observations.

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    1. couldn’t agree more. Not all opponents are going to go 3-13 from the line nor is Pitt likely to make 18-21 on a regular basis. We may all be cursing again tomorrow night but I can at least see the some light at the end of the tunnel

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      1. formerlywbb, you are right about the free throw differential, but Pitt may never go 1-16 from 3 pt range again, and frankly K St. may never (if rarely) shoot 50% from 3 pt range again; the 3 pt shooting differential was greater than the 3 pt shooting differential, so that more than evened out.

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        1. sorry for the typo, that’s “the 3 pt shooting differential was greater than the free throw shooting differential”…

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  86. PITT has beaten a couple of decent teams so far this year. If Johnson can get his act together for the whole game they can make some noise in the ACC. Maybe not at the top of the leauge but win some games.

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    1. Both sophomore guards need to get their act together. They need to learn to dish the ball as when necessary. Both are playing street ball.

      Good thing Murphy is here as well as this recruiting class. Next year will even be better. No way Johnson is NBA ready after this year.

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  88. Don’t look now, but Champ is the most consistent player on the team right now, at least offensively (defensively he makes errors leaving his man and over committing).

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  92. Pitt Wresting is ranked #10! By the way UPJ is as usual ranked number 1 in D2 wrestling. Often wonder why Pitt Oakland never hired Pecora. He has won three D2 coach of the year awards and UPJ has won two D2 national championships.

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  94. Some of you guys make me chuckle. No one, I repeat , no one jacks it up as much as Skippy. Even Johnson and McGowens . Our 3 pt shooter is behind both of those guys in 3 %. He is, currently the leading scorer, but please, take a look at the season stats before making a statement like that. Then go to a game and actually watch him. If, after that, you still think he currently is the best player on the team I will give you your due.
    He is small, slow, an average ball handler, a terrible rebounder, ( even for a guard), and a below average defender. He is however, a very good free throw shooter.
    Also, as one of the sweet 16, which statements precisely were inaccurate at that point in time? Some were , I think, sarcastic, but factually correct.Comments during the game ebb and flow. Nothing that was said was any different than what the game announcers weren’t pointing out, and probably what Capel was thinking. It would be different if they were playing well and someone just got on them . When they play well point it out, when they are stinking up the place you can note that also. When they win with the box score they put up it’s OK to smile and scratch your head. All good.

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  97. Also OT – but Kwantel Raines has contacted Pitt about transferring in from WVU. Says he wants to be at his new school in January.

    Would have to sit one year and then could play two. Wonder how Pitt is viewing him after he turned down Pitt’s offer for WVU??

    Go Pitt.

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    1. I would welcome him with open arms, need to reopen the Quip/Beaver pipeline.,unless there are other issues unknown to us.

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      2. Perhaps Raines could be Ford’s successor at safety…

        And speaking of speed – LB Bright has really come on this season. He’s now another playmaker on that defense.

        He’s one of those guys who came in at 200 pounds and took some time to learn/develop, but he’s looking like a Star now — excellent speed…

        Go Pitt.

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  99. Something must be done concerning the ridiculous number of turnovers. Guards need to lose playing time. This means X should sit when he blows up.

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