229 thoughts on “Syracuse at Pitt Basketball Thread”

  2. Bring Gueye up to the high post and have him move opposite side of the ball. Run your offense thru him.
    Finally …. Get out of the Flex offense pattern as it does not overload the zone. Cuse just stands around while Pitt runs around. Gotta make that zone move

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    1. I agreed with Mo at the top of the key. Hasn’t worked so far. Fran says put Burton in that position. I agree. I think Burton can at least effectively shoot from that spot.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Some of the worst basketball I’ve ever seen by both sides. Pitt has Cuse playing down to their level.

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    1. Especially when open, which has been rare. Most Pitt shots have been contested tonight.

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  18. Much better announcing tonight not one of the good ole boys. Dave O’Brien is a key announcer for the Boston Red Sox. Big Papi voted into the HOF.

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  19. Nick Patti in a floor seat. I’ve seen him support the basketball team more than any other football player this year. Used to be a regular thing.

    Liked by 5 people

  31. be great if Femi would make a shot or stop the TO’s now

    skills? which is the first IF you’re suggesting there’s a 2nd one 😦

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      1. again, your posts didn’t stand out but they are now

        I forget the other but if you were as far off as this, you’re on a roll

        Kid having skills is the funniest thing I’ve read, he probably has a nice personality

        or please list the skill(s) you’re seeing in your dreams

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  35. Haven’t watched much BB this year but I tuned in for the second half tonite. Geech, what’s all the complaining about? They scored 40 points and held Cuse to 25. Don’t they always play that way……….or is it only when I’m watching?

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Really good performance and great coaching! Dan got what he wanted with Gueye, great ball movement, shooting, rebounding, defense.

    Go team

    Hail to Pitt!

    Liked by 3 people

          1. Really appreciate it.

            Otherwise we’d all be mistakenly thinking that Pitt basketball is now on track to win the ACC Championship…. 🤔

            Go Pitt.

            Liked by 2 people

  38. Excellent job by Wolfe and Fran!

    They clearly got into the heads of the Boeheim boys — who went a very uncharacteristic 12 for 33!

    Go Pitt!

    Liked by 4 people

  42. The team played with poise and energy in the second half. Ezeukudo is doing a nice job and has earned his minutes. Burton and Gueye were very solid. Hughley was a beast on the boards.

    Downside was how empty the Pete looked. My daughter, who loves being part of the Zoo, elected to go to the Penguins game instead. I’m not sure if she even knew that the hoops team was playing tonight.

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  44. And they hit some shots. Shooting 3s is a lot about confidence, and tonight they were firing shots up with confidence! Except Jeffress, who has a long way to go…

    Liked by 1 person

  46. Just a useless fact for those who use the term “drinking the Kool-Aid”. It was Flavor-Aid. It was never Kool-Aid. So, because you have used the phrase just because others have, you have indeed, ironically, “drunk the Kool-Aid”.

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  47. A Moment of Silence Please!

    University of Texas athletics revenue has dropped $48 million this past year due to Covid concerns. UT which will jump the B12 to the even more lucrative SEC actually suffered a loss of $15m this year … and get this .. it still accumulated a total revenue of nearly $153m this year

    Yes, for the past few years, UT was getting > $200m annually in athletics, and it will get even more in the SEC

    Now maybe some of you Pitt alums will realize what your alma mater has to deal with when it comes to competing with the big boys

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 4 people

    1. Nah, these Pitt fans still want 11/12 wins a season with 85 choir boys. If it doesn’t happen, the coach is a bum.

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  48. The data posted above came from a USA Today article

    But please note …. This revenue has nothing to do with NIL. These large schools with plenty of big pocket boosters can now legally spend big sums to lure recruits

    Sent from my iPhone

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  49. went to bed with the Orangemen leading in the 1st half…PITT had a 4-6 minute scoring dry-spell throwing up some uglies…Glad to wake to all of your smiling faces!!! Hope they continue to improve along this year’s journey.

    wwb…colleges (like hospitals) seem to be flush with cash these day’s….. maybe it’s time to cut the tax-payers a break..

    Liked by 1 person

  50. I watched the Pens last night, only picked up the last 10 minutes of hoops when we were already up by about 7, but I for one was impressed with what happened. Yes, the Cuse is pretty bad this year, duh. But this is the same team we just got blown out by a week ago. I thought we would’ve packed it in for the season by now, especially after the last game, and specifically, the ball movement was really good, the game plan was better, and most importantly we played with a lot of effort on the defensive end, all of which contributed to the starkly different result. Also, I’ve really grown to appreciate Burton, he plays the game with a lot of maturity and leadership, he strikes me as a coach on the court. I’m happy for the young men.

    H2P

    Liked by 3 people

  51. At this point, does it really matter if an opponent is having a down year?
    Any win is a good win this season. Gotta walk before one can run.
    And any win in any year over Cuse is a good win.

    Saw some highlights on Packer and Durham this AM – agree with isnore’s playuh comment.
    Saw that we made 85% of our FTs…. well done.

    Liked by 5 people

  53. @huff – read your post a few days back about whats going on with the NCAA revising its bylaws, etc. You made a comment about writing an article on that. Please do… I would enjoy reading it!

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  54. Some stats:

    Guard play last night

    Burton 6-14 3-9 6-6

    EZ 4-6 3-4 0-0

    Femi 1-8 0-5 0-1

    Pitt’s defense held Syracuse to a terrible night shooting

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah, Femi was really bad, but the amazing thing is that we combined that with ZERO points from the bench. Truly amazing. Great defense was needed, and answered the call.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Also saw the writeup on Horton. Glad to have his problems resolved, and I hope he learned a lesson that sticks with him and the rest of the team.

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Both Pitt and Syracuse are not good.

    Another thing in common is that neither team got any points from their bench last night. 0

    Ya think that the 2nd item may have something to do with first one?

    Sent from my iPhone

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    1. We know why Pitt isn’t deep with talent, but that is probably the least talented Syracuse team that I can remember. Do you think the Boeheim controversy has something to do with it? He has always recruited well.

      Liked by 1 person

  58. The fact that Gueye and Burton are contributing at a very high level is pretty encouraging that Capel could find a couple more for next year.

    Also Hugley has really matured, didn’t get frustrated and rebounded like a madman.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. This is a really good point, I hadn’t considered this, but Capel (if he returns) will have demonstrated significant success with transfer impact/contributions, and this track record could bear some fruit in the portal after this season; it may not work out this way, but I think that’s now at least a possibility.

      The other thing is, Capel’s hot seat status is less of a factor for a transfer than it would be for a HS recruit, so this may in part explain the stunning recruiting situation we are facing right now.

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  59. Good point GC. Face it, Hugley, Gueve and Burton are the only 3 legit ACC starters on the squad. And 2 of them are transfers.

    Wake now has a competitive team made up almost exclusively of transfers. In the current portal environment, it is possible to get pretty good pretty quick. This off season should be Capel’s last if he doesn’t find at least 3 legit players

    Sent from my iPhone

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  60. There are some winnable games ahead:

    BC although on the road
    Two games with VT
    GT at home
    NCST at home

    If we win 3of the 5, pretty good considering how we started the year.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Especially when you consider that Femi has hit the wall somewhat at least scoring wise and nothing from Jeffress. EZ the biggest surprise.

      Liked by 1 person

  61. Some sad news with regards to the Pitt Women’s Volleyball Program. Jordan Lockwood, a 6’2″ outside hitter, entered the transfer portal yesterday. Jordan apparently believed she would not see much playing time this year due to the two recent 6’5″ outside hitters who are transferring into the program. Jordan was injured last year and was just getting back into playing form during the NCAA playoffs. This leaves Pitt a bit thin in the outside hitter position unless some of the freshmen who did not play last year step up. Hopefully Jordan finds a new school where she will get lots of playing time.

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    1. Also, Rachel Jepsen from a Utah high school, a Notre Dame commit, has been flipped and will be coming to Pitt. 6’4″, I believe.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for the information, PetePitt73! I missed that. This will give us two tall middle blockers to fill in after the present three playing middle blockers leave. Coach Fisher is really going tall now that Pitt has become a volleyball destination school! With the recent success of the program, it is getting easier for him to get these recruits.

        Next year’s roster is starting to look similar to this year’s roster. Pitt could possibly field two NCAA tournament teams next year.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. I didn’t mean that to sound so cruel. It’s just I don’t think she would see the floor much. I wish her luck anď good health moving forward.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Jordan is a solid player. There were several matches this past year when she came into the match and gave us a spark. She is going to be very good on some lesser team! She also has some leadership skills that some team could use. I would rather she have stayed and given us some experienced depth on the bench but I can understand her leaving.

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        1. and to be clear @Annie, no way did I think you meant it the way it read

          thought, wow that’a girl, quite the competitor!!! 🙂

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  62. As long as Pitt doesn’t collapse I’ll be okay. We’ve collapsed at this point every other season under Capel. If Pitt keeps fighting and competing and winning at the current rate, I see that as a win for the direction of the program.

    Liked by 3 people

  63. It’s obvious Capel and staff are working hard with this team. What a difference on how Pitt attacked the 2/3 zone last night. Key to a lot of the success as Gueye moving opposite of the ball all night. EZ and others hitting 3s forced Cuse to extend the zone leaving baseline wide open. Also, great interior passing by Pitt. That’s how Dixon used to dominate Cuse. H2P!

    Liked by 4 people

  64. Liked by 2 people

    3. The annoying part about this, is this is exactly what was going to happen and the police knew it so tried stalling as much as they could. Horton messed up badly, very badly, but the allusion of spite is not a great look either.

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  66. Right now we only have one roster spot open. I’m sure someone will transfer but no guarantees. I doubt Mintz reconsiders.

    This was an interesting stat …

    Liked by 2 people

  67. Tossing, given the change in rules to allow an extra year due to the Covid hysteria, it is hard to figure out which “Seniors” are allowed back vs must graduate. Do you have any ideas who will exhaust their time here after this year? I read somewhere along the way that Mo must graduate, and Burton can return along with Sibande presumably due to injury, correct? Any others?

    Gordon, I had read that Pitt has not been recruiting Lindsay very hard, don’t know what to make of it. Like Tossing implied above, Pitt will bring in more than one guy, but I’m starting to suspect that they are just waiting out the portal this time.

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    1. I don’t. There was an article in the PG that said as much but I could only read the comments here … it was behind a paywall. Sidenote, trick around the PG paywall is a private browser … but I was too lazy. I recall only one roster spot for next season though.

      All indications is Pitt is not recruiting anyone very hard right now. Sounds like they will focus on transfers. Their own and others.

      Okay … I got less lazy … here is what Craig had to say … I was wrong about Horton. I thought he was done after this season.

      Craig: I’ll use this as an opportunity to go over Pitt’s scholarship situation because even as someone who covers the team, it’s a confusing exercise given the extra year of eligibility offered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

      To address Onyebuchi Ezeakudo specifically, he has another year of eligibility left, should he choose to use it. Every player who was at Pitt for the 2020-21 season gets an additional season. That does not include freshman Nate Santos, who wasn’t there last year. While seniors who returned for that fifth season do not count against a program’s scholarship limit in 2021-22, that will change next season, with teams going back to the traditional limit of 13.

      Let’s take a look at how many years of remaining eligibility each player has beyond this season.

      Mouhamadou Gueye: 0

      Jamarius Burton: 1

      Nike Sibande: 1

      Onyebuchi Ezeakudo: 1

      Dan Oladapo: 1

      Ithiel Horton: 2

      Chris Payton: 2

      John Hugley: 3

      Femi Oduale: 3

      William Jeffress: 3

      Noah Collier: 3

      Max Amadasun: 3

      Nate Santos: 3

      Some of this is fluid. I had mentioned it last week, but the belief around the program is that Sibande will opt to return for a final season. That can certainly change, but that’s where it stands right now. The number attached to Ithiel Horton depends on what happens with his legal situation and whether he might get to play more games this season. Even if he doesn’t, he has played in one game this season. Would that be enough to burn a season of eligibility? And if the charges he faces materialize into convictions, particularly the aggravated assault felony, he may not be back with the program. We’ll have to see.

      But as things stand now, Pitt is set to bring back 12 scholarship players next season. The number of open scholarships will almost certainly increase, too, given that almost no program is immune to players transferring in the offseason and I don’t expect the Panthers to be any different.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. I can see a large number of those guys leaving to go where they can play.
        Just hope the ones we want to stay don’t enter the portal.

        Liked by 1 person

  68. Louisville’s head coach Chris Mack is 38-23 in the ACC in his 4th season. Jeff Capel is 18-45 in the ACC in his 4th season.

    Chris Mack about to be let go by Louisville. In the middle of the season.

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  69. Two years ago Mack’s team had 24 wins and got screwed by the cancelled tournament. I’d take him at Pitt in a second. He was very successful at Xavier.

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  70. I think Odukale will end up being a good player at Pitt. He has improved in some ares this year and struggled in other areas. He is good getting thru traffic to the rim and has improved his horrid foul shooting from last year (still a wats to go). I think he will improve a little each year. With Simbande, Horton and Burton back, they can be patient and let him develop.

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  71. Not sure what this means, but Mo Gueye’s stats at Pitt are almost identical to what he did at Stony Brook. He did improve his FT percentage by about ten percent.

    You would think his stats would have dropped moving up to the ACC. Either way, there are tons of players just like him that got overlooked in recruiting. TJ McConnell is another perfect example.

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    1. McConnell’s late growth spurt hurt Pitt. He was a terrific college point guard and succeeds Fields as the next great Pitt point man if he was 6-feet as a senior in high school.

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  72. Horton struck a cop who we learned was in regular street clothes. No excuse period for being intoxicated and finding trouble.

    But shame on this cop for dragging this out. No way did Horton deserve to miss this much time. This seemed like it was done with intent to a Pitt athlete.

    Also, time for Pitt for look again at its policy for suspensions. Horton should have been reinstated and playing as was until his second hearing and then a determination made after, which, in this case is he continues playing and the case is closed.

    These basketball players need to avoid trouble or if they find it, find it between April and August.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The cop was in street clothes?? Rufkm ?? Why is this the first we’ve heard it. That makes a huge difference!

      Again, Horton was wrong but….

      Anyone else never been drunk in public as a student at Pitt?

      “Crickets”

      This sounds like a cop meting out
      his own punishment!

      Liked by 1 person

  73. Fwiw, a week or so ago, I was wondering why Olafapo and Payton weren’t playing. Then I saw them both try to play defense last week and got my answer. I wouldn’t mind these two plus Amadaseum being nudged out the door to places they can play … like maybe YSU.

    I see potential in Collier and Santos and think they can become productive. Same for Odukale and Jeffress, but maybe not starters

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 1 person

  74. Odukale should be fine and a productive player. I think Jeffress could go either way. The speed of the game is still too much for him, like he has to think before he acts.
    To me the team really progressed last night. Their passing showed they are developing enough trust to pass and expect their team mates to be where they are supposed to be.
    Jeffress looks thinks then passes too late. Same thing with his shot. Questionable whether he can adapt to the speed of play.

    Liked by 1 person

  75. Gordon, unfortunatley I agree with you on Jeffress. He was rated 4 star as we all know, but that by itself is meaningless, it’s just a rating and VERY often ratings are wrong, especially in basketball. My guess is that he’s just not good enough to play D1, and he never will be. That said, terrific kid and family, and I hope I am wrong about his potential if that’s something he wants to pursue, but either way he does not have the handle to drive by guys, so he will need to become a much better shooter if he is going to stick. He is certainly easy to root for.

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  76. Is it possible that Capel has learned a lesson in trying to get players to matriculate a year early. My scorecard says he is 1 for 4, with only Champagnie working out. X and McGowens may have been physically ready but don’t think they were near mature enough. Jeffress may have issue with both. He needed to redshirt last year.

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    Liked by 4 people

  77. Jeffress will be fine. He is so young. He has all the physical tools. Peyton is very athletic, he just has to learn D. Both are thinking too much. The game will slow down for them.

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  78. There is an article on Julianna Dalton in the latest Pitt News. For some reason dear Word Press will not let me post a link to it. She has 4 years of eligibility left and may be a six-rotation player for Pitt.

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      1. Thanks Pitt-cocks Fan! I tried twice to do that and it did not let the comment go through! I must be doing something wrong by just a couple of keystrokes!

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  79. NRS is right about Jeffress. He has all the tools, but his mind is just not there yet. He hesitates way too much. and you can almost see him thinking too much. It will be interesting to see how many minutes he gets the rest of the way with Horton back, but if Capel sees him as part of the future he will need to play him a bit.

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    1. Jeffress has been disappointing in the lack of progress with all the minutes he’s gotten.

      Not to compare the two, but I remember how tentative Chevy Troutman was with the ball when he first started playing. It was like he just wanted to pass the ball off to someone else as soon as he caught it.

      Chevy certainly came on to be a confident playmaker — but he red-shirted as a freshman and then did not play as a red-shirt freshman. Went on to have three solid years…

      Here’s hoping…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I’ve heard this argument before, that its psychological with Jeffress, several people have proposed it. I’ll believe it when I see it, I just don’t think he can play at this level.

      Meanwhile, I will be hoping you two are correct, and rooting for him regardless.

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    1. Indiana defeats PSU 74-57. Xavier is the leading scorer for both teams with 19. He shot 7 for 12, including 3-3 from the three. Also had 6 assists and 4 rebounds.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. He’s up and down just like he was at Pitt. Overall his minutes and production are down. It would be interesting to look at an IU blog and see what Hoosier fans think of him.

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  86. Jeffress brings to mind the play of Terrell Brown, who did get better but just was not up to the speed and physical nature of the game. Brown could have helped this year. Also Cam Johnson who got much better as he matured.

    I really don’t know whether Jeffress will elevate his play to where it needs to be. It would be great if he does.

    With Horton coming back there will be even less playing time for him. The three guard lineup has been effective and there will be more of it.

    If Jeffress stays he needs to dedicate the off season playing faster and thinking less.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I guess where I think he’ll be held back is by his lack of ball skills, meaning his handle and shooting, plus his lack of strength. The guys I always have in mind in terms of epic improvement were Sam Young & Gary McGhee. McGhee represents the the greatest leap of improvment I’ve ever personally witnessed, but he’s irrelevant here because he was a big man. But Young improved because he was a driven gym rat, and developed greatly as both a shooter and with his body by using fakes and changes of pace, and these may be 2 areas where Jeffress has opportunity to grow if he puts in the time (the ball handling will never come, at this age you have it or you don’t).

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  88. Note that I’m being hypocritical since I have scoffed at pre-season expectations on a number of occasions

    But if you look at the current ACC standings, you will see 3 teams (slightly) lower than Pitt. All 3 of these teams were picked much higher (especially NCSt and VT) … and these picks were made before knowing about Sibande and Horton.

    Yes, Capel is responsible for the team stability and output, but I will argue that he is coaching his butt off right now. I’m like everyone else, if he is fired.. fine .. just hope a better candidate is hired

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 1 person

  89. I don’t think Capel will be fired unless there is a wholesale exodus again this year.
    Heather standing pat after last year tells me there is still a reasonably long leash.
    Plus all things considered Capel has done a pretty good job this year in development.
    Still a lot of games left but with Horton back and the team winning it’s third game
    who knows.
    Unless Capel is so frustrated he leaves on his own, but I don’t see it.

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  90. The reason for the long leash is the cost to Pitt for getting rid of him with no guarantee his replacement would do any better. So it’s my guess we will see Capel as HC for his contract duration unless he leaves voluntarily for another position. The end result a half empty Peet for many games going forward.

    Liked by 1 person

  91. Just a painful reminder…. Dixon was on a downward trend but still he left an NCAA team with 6 of the top 7 scorers coming back. AD Barnes hired the only candidate he interviewed

    AD Lyke reportedly reached out to Oats, Hurley and even our buddy Crean, (and likely more) before hiring Capel

    It’s possible to hire a promising mid-major upstart who can turn this program around … but Pitt will not even get close to the caliber of candidates that were available to Barnes

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 1 person

  92. Yeah, despite supposed insider info that he will be gone after this year, I too agree Capel will be here for at least another season. The empty seats are a huge $ consideration, but its not easy hiring a coach, the ncaa is littered with the very largest P5 colleges who have failed in hiring both hoops and football coaches, despite huge alumni bases and endless financial support. I’m not saying what I think should happen, just the reality of how I’d guess it will play out. I will say this, the portal situation does make it a lot easier to rebuild a program quickly with the right coach.

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  93. Well patience paid off with Narduzzi. The empty Pete hurts, but COVID has had a lot to do with it.
    This team is certainly better than Stallings last year and with the Portal could improve quickly.
    Time will tell.

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  94. Jeffress was 17 when he enrolled at Pitt … he probably should have gone the prep school route and delayed his enrollment by a year …

    Even now, he’s younger than a lot of freshman coming in. Anyone expecting him to make the leap seamlessly was not thinking rationally.

    Jeffress is in year 2 and I think last year was a free year with COVID. So, he has 3 more years after this one to develop. Be patient. He’s very young and on a bad team. He could be quite the player by the time he graduates. He’s probably never going to be an NBA prospect but there is a lot of time to develop into a solid ACC contributor.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Pitt is no longer a “bad” team with Horton back. Pitt will dominate the inside vs anybody and Horton will give Pitt balance with his outside shooting. Hugley will be unstoppable. Just wait and see. I’m excited about the possibilities first time since Dixon!

      Liked by 5 people

      1. I hope so. The one positive this season is Capel seems to be learning how to coach. If he can regain his mojo in recruiting and combine it with at least good coaching, there certainly could be a boom on the horizon. Pitt’s fallen so far, it’s really hard for me to see reality. It’s very blurred and I really have no gauge of where the program actually is.

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          1. Not to make excuses for Capel, but we sure have had to suffer while Narduzzi grew into becoming a head coach. Hopefully our suffering on that front has come to an end.

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  95. There are empty seats everywhere in collegiate athletics. Lots of factors outside of the product on the field, too. The entire landscape is changing and colleges were not prepared.

    Pittsburgh is the city of champions. They will support winners. That’s the only fix to Pitt football and basketball … and before we jump to conclusions on Pitt football by saying “but, we fielded a winner” … Pitt football has to show consistency and not that it was flash in the pan season …

    You say you arrived? Go out and do it again … and then again … and then again … The fans will start coming. They always do.

    Fan committees, access to the team, access to practices, special promotions, Pitt branding at Heinz, pro-Pitt local media (print and tv) … all nonsensical and wastes of times … Winning consistently, year over year, is the only way to do it … Any and all promotional money should go to the teams directly to help put them in a better position to win …

    Pitt Stadium would be in the same boat without a winner … you know how I know? Because I went to Pitt in the 90’s. Look at the Pete. Now look at what it was 12 years ago … The difference? A winner played there.

    Winning will also bring a bigger spotlight and higher expectations … which will also lead to more scrutiny and a much easier ability to hold people accountable. Pitt underestimated this the last time. I don’t think they’ll make the same mistake twice. But it is Pitt, so I could be totally wrong there. Haha. #Hedge

    Look at how quickly fans bailed on Pitt Basketball. Look at the absolute scorn and accountability demanded at the presser introducing Stallings as the coach. It was such a disaster because Pitt administrators miscalculated the success of Dixon and was not expecting to be held accountable at a presser introducing a new coach …

    It happened because people cared and could see what going to happen … even that supposedly anti-Pitt media jumped all over the decision and called Pitt out for what it was … being cheap and trying to take short cuts.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I totally agree. This is especially true in Pittsburgh, vs a place like Nebraska or Penn State where there is nothing else to do. In Pittsburgh, entertainment dollars will be spent elsewhere if you consistently produce losers (see: Pirates). Even this year at Heinz, when Pitt football started turning the corner, the crowds came out despite decades of mediocrity with the program prior to this year. If we could produce another comparable year next year (not expecting it), then we’ll see this trend continue.

      Liked by 1 person

  96. Jeffress’ age is well known, I take/took that into consideration, and I didn’t see anyone say or imply expectations for a seemless leap at this level. This is a message board, we are just speculating based on what we’ve observed over 2 years, its not about having patience or not. In my case, as I’ve said over and over again, I am rooting for him, I am just not seeing the raw skills, but I do think he has enough going for him to be a good player if he takes the Sam Young route in terms of focus and prep. We’ll see.

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    1. Players tend to make the biggest leaps in ability between year 2 and 3. If he doesn’t show progress over the offseason, next year is the year to get concerned. He should have gone the prep school route and redshirted this year. Pitt was desperate for a high recruit and he was a western PA kid.

      Liked by 2 people

  97. It is unfortunate that Pitt has lost the ability to redshirt and not play the younger guys till they are ready.
    Kids develop at different rates but the system has changed, not just at Pitt. In the Big East days you had to be physically prepared to play hard nose basketball. In the ACC athleticism matters more.
    The portal has really changed the dynamic, kids aren’t going to be willing to wait their turn since it may never come if the coach finds someone ready made on the portal.

    Capel has had to play a lot of young guys that were not really ready. This year Burton and Gueye have provide a lot of needed maturity and leadership. Moving forward teams will need a blend of home grown and portal guys to succeed.

    Liked by 3 people

  98. Dan72, you have been running hot and cold all year going back to football lol
    No doubt Horton should help, a much needed weapon and depth, but I don’t think he turns this team from bad to good, maybe from poor to better, we will see how much. I didn’t find him to be all that impressive last year, and there has been a long layoff.

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  99. How refreshing it is to read some hopeful, maybe even optimistic, comments on the POV. I also hope that Coach Capel is given a long leash and the maximum time needed to try to save this program.

    I don’t know if this is a valid point or not, but as I think back over the 49 years since I last closed the door of the apartment on McKee Place, I can’t remember a time when Pitt firing a coach led to the resurrection of a sports program. Either my memory is bad (very likely) or you need to play fast and loose with the term “resurrect” to come up with an exception.

    I felt like we had pulled a coup when Coach Capel was hired. I suspect the Athletic Administration might have felt the same way. Can we be that lucky again? I don’t know. Can we be even more lucky? That would be too much of a stretch for me to expect.

    Liked by 6 people

      1. Slight technicality, Bernie. Johnny was hired before my graduation. In fact, I remember being in the Student Union when Majors and his staff were introduced to us students. But point taken.

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    2. Farmers
      Where did you live on McKee? I was in an apartment at 312, owned by some doc who had his office in the Jenkin’s Arcade (long gone).
      pmdH2P

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      1. 310 McKee Place, pmd. One step up from living in a box on the street. Ok, maybe not that bad. What amazes me is that the outside has not changed one bit from the way they looked in the early 70’s. What are the chances that the inside has changed? Maybe we were neighbors. I lived there from 1971 to 1973.

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  100. Capel’s contract gives him a long leash. What you won’t see IMO is any extension of that contract anytime soon. From the portal he should be able to put a half way competitive team together with recruits that want play in the ACC. After all you could showcase your above average talent in the ACC you will have a decent chance of making some money playing pro ball somewhere else in this world.

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  102. And it appears that while my overall cash outflow didn’t change too much… they shifted a fairly decent portion to a higher Panther Club donation, offset by a lower ticket price. Smart move, imo. Get more folks in the Panther Club and try to build on that year over year. Move in line with how most of the P5 schools operate.

    Even in an 7-8 win season, the overall cost of season tickets is a pretty good deal. I tell my UVA, VT and UNC friends down here what I pay and their eyes bug out.

    Liked by 4 people

  104. I haven’t seen anything yet Dan..
    Hoping it’s not when I’m in Myrtle…or my buddy’s daughter wedding day.

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  106. There has been a lot of constructive conversation here on this thread. Not everyone is in agreement on all points, but I wouldn’t expect there to be.

    I am thinking that this is the kind of blog that Reed has envisioned. Yes, you certainly don’t have to agree with me, just please don’t call me an idiot. Too bad the world doesn’t work this way

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 7 people

  107. I just turned the women’s bb game on against Clemson. Pitt down by 4 points / game at Clemson. Shooting AWFUL for both teams. Missing shots from all over the floor and running around like a bunch of kids on a playground, I have seen women’s games and many of the teams are quite impressive not Pitt and Clemson. Coach White has a ton of work ahead of him to get this team on track.

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  108. I think I saw where Mack’s buyout at Louisville is $4.8 million, which is lower than I expected given his short tenure. That must be about one year’s salary. Firing someone that quickly sends a message that cheating is okay just so you win in 3-4 years.

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    1. The contractual buyout was much higher than 4.8mil VOR. Because UL had some justification for a “for cause” firing, Mack agreed to take less. They negotiated an agreement. I suspect that something similar happened with Kevin Stallings, although I do not believe that the actual buyout number in his case was ever publicly revealed.

      Liked by 1 person

  109. Kool Aid Alert….. I just had a thought. You know how sometimes you don’t know know how much you love something until it’s taken away from you? Perhaps Ithiel Horton has been practicing with a vengeance and is ready to take his game to a new level now that he is back. It could happen, right??? Really hoping the Capel February swoon doesn’t happen this year.

    Liked by 4 people

  113. A key player for the Pitt women basketballers tonight was Liatu King. She had some excellent games early in the year and then faded – don’t know if she was injured. Anyway, tonight she shot 5 for 7. And what this team badly needs is better scoring.

    Everett and Harris have been taking the majority of shots and both have been on the cold side for a while. Everett was 5 for 20 tonight. That kind of shooting percentage is killing they’re chances….

    As ragged as they can look, there is some talent and they have cut down on the turnovers – which I’m guessing is tough when you play 10+ players with significant minutes like they usually do…

    Pitt is now 11 and 9.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Yes, I think 2:00. Haven’t been following to close, doesn’t sound like we recruited him very hard, perplexingly.

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    1. Tread carefully, the Big10 has set and cast another trap and the ACC and PAC fell right in. The Big10 recruiting footprint and supply chain (students) is typically in the midwest for it students. By partnering with the ACC and PAC, the big10 schools (whose graduating high school senior population is falling off a cliff for the next 5 years), is looking for avenues to expand its footprint to both coasts. They need students and athlete students.

      By allowing this partnership, the ACC and PAC are not prioritizing their own benefits, rather allowing the Big to prioritize theirs. Big strategic error in my opinion. Big already pulled the wool over the ACC by gaining access for its schools by getting eastern seaboard schools rutgers and maryland to join the fold. There is a reason the bigs name schools have been doing extremely well in all sports and it all begins with access. Access that the ACC and its individual athletic departments couldn’t see because they are too inexperienced. Folks, I told you many years ago that those rutgers and maryland schools were not invited because of television sets (yes it helped, but…). They were invited to expand the brand and footprint. This move is similr but without inviting a school in. The Big will have access to ACC schools in the southeast and the PAC schools in the west. They will be bi-coastal for ALL of their programs. Pitt will not benefit from playing oregon and oregon state, wash st and many other schools because that is not our base….for anything.

      Pitt and the ACC should have been smarter, but couldn’t figure it out. I would love to hear our AD respond to the question of What is in it for Pitt? What is in it for the conference? The crap answer is that the landscape has changed…that is correct. However, the landscape change is due to population change and people don’t study these things and share information globally so it can be factored into making decisions.

      SEC won’t wait around for the nonsense because they already cast a great footprint for athletic and academic talent on the eastern seaboard and now texas. I earned the retainer for the day! Peace.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Huff:
        I think the SEC is moving into Florida. My guess Miami and FSU. Espn has constant articles about Miami.
        Why would ESPN constantly hype the Canes? It makes no sense.

        If the SEC takes Florida, they then have both major producers of players Texas and Florida. The Pac will have Cally.

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        1. Why would FSU or Miami want to move to the SEC when they aren’t competitive in the ACC?
          I guess money which is really screwing up everything.

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  122. The video narrated by Louis Riddick if absolutely fantastic! Thanks for posting it, GC. I’m a little disappointed that they scan across the North Shore from PNC Park to Heinz Field without stopping to highlight the Red 5A lot. But, hey, that just means we have more work to do. Count me in!

    Liked by 5 people

  123. OK, so my girlfriend/wife lived on McKee 1971. Her roomate was Ronna Eisner, Pitt nursing School,very popular with the guys. I went to one of her parties, a house full of men and about 4 ladies. Funny I didn’t stay long. House was newly remodeled and near the police station.

    Liked by 2 people

  127. Blizzard headed to Boston tomorrow will lead to a cancellation of the basketball game. I hope our guys don’t get stuck at Logan Airport.

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  128. I just checked and almost all flights in and out of Logan are canceled tomorrow. Hopefully, we have stayed home.

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  129. Pitt adds directional school. Central Michigan to 2025 non con schedule
    In case anyone cares!

    Was really looking forward to BC Game tomorrow w Horton back. Oh well.

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  133. Going to be a tough week with Wake away Wednesday and VT at home Saturday.
    Virtually no practice time.

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  134. If Boston gets 20+ inches of snow I would not be surprised to see the game canceled on Sunday. NFL football rules Sunday, so if we end up playing I will be flipping channels like a wacked out Hoopie.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. quoting Lindsay – “Their play style is how I play,” he said. “They love to get up and down the court, play fast and don’t really run a lot of sets if they don’t have to. I feel like Coach Martin is going to develop my game the best.”

      “I can see myself coming in and making an immediate impact and contributing,” he said. “They really need shooters and I feel like I can come right in and be a point guard or combo guard who can score the ball and facilitate.”

      hey, isn’t that Pitt, don’t run sets? can impact immediately? must not feel the love from Capel off the court 😦

      c’mon Jeff, work on that hugging thing

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      1. From what I recall reading, it really sounded like Lindsay wanted to come to Pitt, but for some reason Capel didn’t put much effort in and apparently wasn’t that interested, this has been know for months. You can debate whether Lindsay really wanted to come to Pitt or not, but it was very clear on the lack of Pitt interest angle. In fact, you could say the same thing about other available HS recruits, the Capels are not pursuing them. This is just speculation, but I suspect Capel feels he has one more year to get things turned around, so it’s going to be the Portal or bust.

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        1. And it makes a lot of sense when you consider how badly he was burned last year with guys he developed all leaving. Champ leaving early, X playing well at Indiana, Toney playing well at Arkansas.
          When you can get guys that can produce immediately like Burton and Mo, it makes more sense.
          Especially when you don’t have time and a patient fan base on your side. The empty Pete dictates a great sense of urgency.
          The problem is that the portal is such a last minute thing and getting the guys that can really make a difference is really challenging.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Especially when you don’t know if that freshman will be like Champ ready to go or like Jeffress, needing time to develop. They need both the physical skills and the mental makeup to make that transition.
            When you can get a guy with a track record in Division 1 ball there is no contest.

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  138. If Capel goes, any new coach will have to deal with this new paradigm. An empty Pete and an impatient fanbase. The portal has changed everything.

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  139. True, but the portal does make it a lot easier to turn things around right away, IF you get the right coach. And as soon as Pitt starts winning, the Pete fills right back up again. Tons of potential at Pitt (with the right coach). Who knows, maybe Capel will turn it around. Almost everybody understandably wanted Narduzzi gone after the Western Michigan loss, so you never know, even though the odds have stacked up against Capel to this point.

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  140. OK, stupid questions. So, it’s Junior Day and guys come who are not Juniors? And, are they invited or just decide to show up? And, if I am coming from Miami, who pays my travel expenses?
    pmdH2P

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  142. Pitt will have enough guards next year. Capel will need to replace Gueye, he will badly need another big. The problem, every teams needs them. He needs a portal kid.

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    1. Could explain why Capel backed off the Lindsay guard. The current prediction is that there is only one scholarship available unless someone leaves so a big is a must for the one scholarship. He must have learned early that Sibande was coming back.

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    2. Absolutely need a big to take pressure off of Hugley, even if its another PF, like Gueye, otherwise next year will not be pretty. We really lucked out with Gueye this year. We could use a PG too.

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      1. Will EZ be graduated leaving us with no point guard again?

        There is a BIG who entered the transfer portal in mid-December from Baylor who reminds me of Big John.

        He is 6’9″ 260lbs from Minneapolis, MN – Dain Dainja (4 star prospect out of HS class of 2020 – national rank 91 – #18 as a center)

        Below is a scouting report on Dain:

        Has a wide, space controlling-frame at 6-9. Conditioning has been an issue in the past. Has nimble feet and a highly skilled game. Good athlete but not overly explosive. Proficient back-to-the-basket scorer who can also face up and shoot or drive from outside. Very comfortable with the basketball and has a feel for passing. Strong rebounder. Defending on perimeter can be a challenge. Good positional interior defender who can also block shots. Has potential to play in the NBA. Improving his conditioning is critical.

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  143. Interesting article about hand size in Friday’s Wall St Journal. Big hands are no longer considered a must have for NFL QBs. Both Mahomes and Joe Burrow have small hands. Mahomes measures 9.25 inches and Burrow comes in at 9 inches. These small handed QBs no longer grip the football by the laces. The biggest concern was the potential for fumbles. Good article.

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