in Pitt Football 69 Words

Pitt Men’s Basketball (arguably) Not the Worst in the ACC

With a nod towards the venerable Jerry DiPaola, I proudly inform the POV Faithful that Pitt fended off fellow cellar-dweller lower-mid tier Florida State last night with a 56-51 win on the road. This effectively moves Pitt to third-to-last place in the ACC standings, and so it can be said (with tongue firmly planted in cheek) that reports of Pitt Basketball’s Demise have been greatly exaggerated. Hail to Pitt?

257 thoughts on “Pitt Men’s Basketball (arguably) Not the Worst in the ACC”

  2. with NCSt next, how can anyone feel anything but PUMPED!!!

    I need to take a little credit, first I bad mouthed Femi’s skills and he goes on a couple game stats roll, then I call out a seemingly subtraction by addition Ithiel and he goes and provides all of the scoring and some added ball handling too v FSU

    sooo, looks to me like the anchor dragging this team is clearly Gueye,,,, I’d have said Jeffress or maybe even Capel but no way either bucks the trend

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  3. and can’t help but mention the pristine, flawless officiating again last night

    is it me? maybe I can’t see through my bias but is looked bad both ways however mostly against Pitt

    the HOLD from behind no call on the drive by Burton(or Femi?) from the top of the key almost immediately after the same call goes against Hugely

    I know we always have apologists here for those of us observing anything going against Pitt as OUR bias problem so I try to keep myself in check but this an the marginal pull up on the rim v Hugely are questionable

    I do think Hugely shouldn’t have done that pull up but have seen as bad or worse not called in many other games

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    1. It looked like the refs were calling everything really tight last night, and that extended to those Ts against Hugely. FSU had a few offensive fouls early, then they got called a couple times for things that weren’t fouls as well. The ONLY one non-called was Burton’s drive!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. seems fair and looking at the box score, which doesn’t always tell the story, FSU fouls 23 to Pitt’s 16

        I didn’t watch the first half, forgot – sad commentary – and our poor FT shooting probably influenced me too

        2 bad teams, we fortunately had a single shooter have a good night

        How does Femi continue to make some nice drives and miss at the rim?

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Yeah I really hate it when they. Call those because there really isn’t a bright line test. Comes down to a ref’s mood and bias…. Whic they all have just like us.

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  4. To win when Mo, Hugley and Femi had awful offensive production including 6-17 from the free throw line is pretty amazing.

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  9. It is very possible that Pitt can win two in a row. They may even be favored on Saturday

    But sadly, I wouldn’t bet on them with Tex’s money

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

      2. Plus, I don’t think Pitt has beaten NC State since January of 2014. I really want to beat those clowns.

        There should be no complaints about that dreaded streak. NC State has been a proven cheating program and Pitt wants to be in compliance, so those Pitt alums should be happy the program is losing the right way.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. This game (NCS) is for all the marbles…, or rather, for none of the marbles. Last place is at stake! And I predict positioning will go down to the final game of the regular season with every game important in determining who will be crowned #15!

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  10. wbb – part of the problem is the overall state of the sport. Pitt is microcosm of what’s going on all over the country … it’s just magnified a bit here. Probably because we were at rock bottom when the shift started to happen. I, personally, think this will sort itself out but may take a few seasons. Covid is certainly not helping. Collegiate athletics was bound to come crumbling down at some point … it was built on a very poor foundation.

    I said in another post that I have no idea how you hire a new coach in this climate. It’s almost better to just ride Capel until it sorts itself out. That won’t be a popular opinion but who do you hire? HS recruiting is starting to become de-emphasized. Why take an unknown entity when you can take a kid a year or two or three or four in a program that you already have a baseline for how they will do? The elite recruiting schools will continue to be elite recruiting schools but kids probably as low as 50 are going to have a lot less options. Less and less P5 schools will come knocking and they will end up going to smaller conferences … then, transfer to the P5 later.

    Do you hire a coach that goes all in on the portal? Do you hire a coach that tries to get those 50-100 rated kids who will take a season or two to develop?

    It’s literally becoming like AAU.

    Tryouts and new teams each season. Best kids stay. The rest leave.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. First, Florida State is not a cellar dweller, so it is a good win (anything is) i must admit after the last two games I couldn’t bear to watch.

    Maybe, I will v. NCSTATE. The rest of the season will be a tough go. Maybe Horton will take some pressure off Femina, Hugley and Burton to achieve some balance.

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  12. Tossing. I wholeheartedly agree. CFB and CBB have changed significantly over the past few years. And the fact that a player can enter the portal at any time throughout the year just makes it that much of a puzzle

    If just Champagnie, Toney and X stayed another year, this team would have been so much better.

    In the previous 5 years, Roy Williams won a national title and lost a title game to Nova on a last second shot, yet he retired allegedly because because he didn’t put up with the new climate. And I wouldn’t be surprised if this didn’t hasten Coach K’s exit

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Roy and K are leaving the sport because of where it’s going. You’ll probably see others. Narduzzi has called it out too … you’ll see more and more college football coaches going pro, too.

      I, personally, think college athletics needed to re-define itself. Everything happening now will lead to something else in the future with more structure but with the athletes interest also considered. Loyalty is a two way street … why would an athlete be loyal to an institution or coach that doesn’t reciprocate that loyalty? The recruiting antics to get these kids to commit only to have the rug pulled out from under them when they arrive on campus leads to a lot of the transfers … Kids will stay with coaches who help them develop and didn’t sell them a bag of lies just to get them to sign on the dotted line. Character and progress will keep kids … at the same time, it’s on the coaches to recruit character and kids who want to be better.

      In reality, it’s just like any job. I can accept a job offer tomorrow, work for a few weeks and be like this sucks I’m going somewhere else … Hey coaches, make sure the experience doesn’t suck for your athletes …

      It’s created quite the mess though in the short term.

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  13. The technical Hugely got was deserved. He held onto the rim, pulled himself up and slapped the backboard with his hand. Not smart. They will call that every time. Then shortly after or before he grabs a guy around the waste. Just careless play.

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    1. 100% the right call … but a stupid rule. haha. Let the kids have fun. I hate anything that takes the fun out of sports … you know, at it’s very core the reason people play them in the first place …

      But, yeah, he deserved the the T and no one should complain.

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    2. to be clear, Hugley probably deserved the rim pull up T, but have you not seen equal or worse not called?
      definitely stupid and at a critical time

      did the FSU kid not grab from behind virtually the same as Hugely and got the call but not the additional “intentional” or “flagrant 1” or whatever

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  14. Actually an impressive win against Florida state on the road despite the game being one of the most unwatchable in the history of basketball.

    So I think Capel has some redeeming qualities and there is some hope for the near future. And all you need is some hope.

    Capel has been sort of snake bitten. He’s a good man. Generally says the right things. And is a good leader of men and representative for the university. I don’t think he’s as good of a recruiter that many give him credit but nor do I think he’s as bad of a coach as some think

    However the man needs help even if hes too proud to ask for it. And heathers soft words of encouragement and gentle pats on the back don’t go nearly far enough.

    I can see Capel back another season or two if certain conditions are met. But those stipulations must be driven by the AD. Heather must take a far more aggressive and active role in managing this crisis. And frankly pitt can’t afford another costly buyout and the resulting reputational damage.

    Heather can help coach Capel in the following ways

    1) Force Jeff to completely overhaul his staff. Fire everyone on it. Bring in the best assistants you can find and pay them like they are the best. I might even insist on having an assistant HC for Capel. Some old Barry R type.

    2) create a booster fund account for NIL. Find some boosters willing to provide the money to buy the very best transfers in the market. If Texas has boosters giving every four and five star lineman recruit $30k, then Pitt can find a way to give $50k to each of its transfers. It’s all legal now under the new NIL rules.

    3) find a way to schedule like Dixon did. Dixon notched his ninth win around mid December each year by playing schools ranked outside the rpi top 250. Find those schools, pay them to play if you must and put them on the schedule.

    I think those three things alone could make a huge difference and provide coach Capel with some real tangible support instead of just flowery public displays of confidence.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thoughtful post. All makes perfect sense to me. I always said that a coach’s supporting staff (basketball or football) should be comprised of guys that fill a void in his skillset. So in Capel’s case, if offensive sets and teaching are a weakness, then we need to pay up for an assistant that excels in that area, or if defensive coaching is an area Capel struggles, hire a defensive specialist, etc. In other words, if a HC is strong in an area, selling, motivation, whatever, he can succeed, he doesn’t need to be good at everything, he just needs the right people around him. I think to his credit Narduzzi was cognizant of that, he is a defensive coach, and gives the OC a lot of latitude to run his offense, as one example.

      Liked by 3 people

  16. I watched the unwatchable last night. It was unwatchable street BB. We won because we woke up before FSU woke up. ACC BB is the worse I have seen in years. We should be doing better.

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    2. I only watched the first half, where Pitt scored 5% more than Florida St, 21-20, but it’s hard to imagine a worse half of basketball (by both teams). That said, Pitt scored a respectable 35 points in the second half, so I am not sure what changed (since I didn’t see it). Were just making shots in the 2nd half that we were missing in the first half? Better ball movement? Combo?

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  17. FSU has been struggling but it’s definitely a good win … especially after the last few. Much needed for everyone involved. Getting blown out the day you get a weak commitment from your AD was not a good look.

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  19. The ACC is a disaster of a basketball conference right now. They’ve been affected the most with the changing landscape. They were always a conference that relied on recruiting and, outside of Duke, developing high recruits … that’s slowly becoming the wrong way to build a team. Kids get to campus and are like “wait you told me I could play right away and I’ll be an NBA prospect … I didn’t sign up for this for 3 years …”

    Even UNC, traditionally, did not have many one and done’s. It was about a mix of upperclassmen and young, fresh, talent. Those upperclassmen are just not sticking around like they used to. “You mean I can go to Weber State and become the star player? Sign me up.”

    It’s kind of like NBA players. Most people assume it’s win at all cost but that’s not necessarily true. Some guys just like to be the guy. Look at Dame and Beal. Both could have left and joined a super team but they like being the number 1 option. They want to win a championship, sure, but they want to be “the guy” more. Nothing wrong with it. Just a different state of mind.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. History shows us that any school not named alabama, Ohio state and LSU will struggle when breaking in a new QB AND New OC.

      And Pitt has a far tougher schedule this season. And pretty much every Coastal school outrecruited Pitt this year.

      I see 6-8 wins as the range and another crappy bowl game in Detroit against a MAC school.

      I don’t fault Narduzzi for leveraging this season with a near 24 year old and 5th year QB to increase his pay. I fault Pitt for using all their budget to pay one individual.

      Pitt has inferior coordinators and assistants because they don’t pay above market. Narduzzi hogs all the gold.

      And I stand by my psycho analysis of the man as an insecure narcissist.

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      1. And I just don’t see much improvement in a secondary that couldn’t cover a piece of bread with peanut butter.

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      2. You said that this year LOL … and they got you your top 15 finish that you asked for … and yet here we are …

        They had the smallest recruiting class after a top 20 last year … It will be a big one this year, again … and they added one of the best QB’s and WR’s in the portal.

        Always moving that target …

        15 wins … but, I still don’t like Duzz so Pitt still sucks

        Vegas says 5 wins … but, Pitt has top 10 odds to win 11 games …

        C’mon … Your obsession with Duzz and Heather most likely ruined a fun season of Pitt football for you.

        Let it go … both are going to get extended, too. And paid big money.

        I don’t even like Duzz. Or the west coast offense … but, man, I can enjoy some W’s.

        Coastal Champs
        ACC Champs
        Heisman Finalist
        Belitinokoff Finalist

        Not sure how you can be so angry, man. Yes, it took Duzz forever to get it but he did it. And he did it better than anyone since 1982.

        Duzz is not going anywhere for years … years … and he’ll be playing in Heinz Field because we’re never ever getting an Oakland on campus stadium.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Enjoy some 6-8 win seasons going forward then. And crappy bowls. You won’t ever see me in Detroit.

          One 11 win (and 3 loss) season doesn’t make a trend. And this season was the result of one heisman player. Good luck finding another Kenny. They only come around once every 40 years.

          I don’t hate success or have anger but I will call out irrational exurburence over one single season. Show me some consistent top 15-20 seasons first. My vinyl collection doesn’t consist of one hit wonders.

          Koolaid is a helluva drug.

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      3. I agree with your first statement, but the schedule is not “far tougher”. Sure they play WVU rather than UMass, but they play the game at Pitt. WVU’s starting qb transferred, they did not get an experienced QB from the transfer portal, and their holdover QB’s barely have any experience. Plus they have a new OC and you know what some people say about a new qb/new OC. Western Michigan’s starting QB and best WR are gone. In the conference schedule the only 2022 difference is instead of playing pre-season top 10 Clemson, Pitt’s 2022 second crossover game is L’ville who was 6-7 and is not ranked in the top 30 in most pre-season rankings. Also, VT, UVA, Miami, Duke all have new HC’s/ OC’s/DC’s, whereas, UNC’s Mack Brown (6-7) and GT’s (3-9) Geoff Collins are both on the hot seat and brought in a new DC.
        I am not predicting Pitt will go undefeated but they will be playing for the coastal title going into the Miami game.

        Liked by 2 people

  21. If you haven’t already gone to PSN and read the article on OT Ryan Baer…I learned a new word “FANBOY”and how to use it properly..i.e.”.I am a FANBOY when I see lastrow and Farmers @ Red5A” and what a refreshing read for a change…looking forward to 3-4 years pf this bull-dozer doing that “road-grading thing.”

    BTW, Iek’s Angie is having her new knee put in today…keep’em in your prayers.

    Liked by 7 people

  22. OT: Both Pitt and PSU open their FB seasons next year on Thursday Sept. 1st. Pitt versus WVU and PSU versus Purdue. Should keep many Pennsylvanians up late on that day to watch the games.

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    1. When you have a high scoring offense, you generally will give up more points … and yards … especially passing yards … It’s all relative to what your offense is. #39 defense looks real good next to a top 5 offense. A #39 defense probably struggles with #50 offense.

      Pitt won 11 games, has 75% of its production returning, and replaced Kenny Pickett with a top transfer … plus, added a freshman all American WR for kicks and giggles.

      If you truly love Pitt you had a fun season. Even with the ups and downs … it ended up a great season. The ebbs and flows can be emotional but the season ultimately was very rewarding. There are literally fans so obsessed with their dislike of Duzz and an AD … an AD lol … that they still hate Pitt under the guise that they want what’s better for them.

      Hey, the football team had a good season … but track and field … kills me every time.
      Hey, we are top 10 in the Director’s Cup … but women’s gymnastics … ummm, what?
      Hey, the volleyball team had a good season … but my crystal ball tells me Pitt football will suck next year …
      Hey, the soccer team had a good season … but they spent too much money on Victory Heights
      Hey, the wrestling team is pretty damn good … but Pitt has a balanced budget … that one especially gets me …

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Let me correct you like a child. I speak for myself. You do not speak for me. I love my alma mater. I want what is best for it from a branding and financial perspective. Don’t twist my words. I’m pretty clear and consistent with where I stand on things. I won’t be satisfied until pitt achieves excellence in athletics. Pitt still has a long way to go. I’ll go back into my hole now. You’ll hear from me on cinco de mayo.

        Liked by 1 person

        2. And I was replying to gordon, not you … I have no idea why you took “you” to mean actually “you”. Just a generalization.

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    2. Pitt ranked 115 in passing yards allowed though.

      Football has become a passing league particularly with the ACC.

      Narduzzi still coaches like he’s in the Big Ten.

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  25. Heard Yogi Roth on the FAN. He spoke either glowingly or with irrational exuberance, depending on your viewpoint, about Pitt football and Coach Duzz.

    Yogi said he sees Duzzer combining the good qualities of Walt and Wanny in his coaching approach…

    He loved Slovis transferring to Pitt. Said Slovis was coached in HS by Curt Warner. Said what stands out about Slovis is he’s a hard-worker.

    Yogi was Larry Fitz’s roommate. Yogi also spoke highly of one of my all-time Pitt favorites — Antonio Bryant.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  26. SP+ preseason FB rankings has Tenn at No. 9 and Pitt at No. 13.

    SP+ is apparently a “power ranking.”

    Go Pitt.

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  27. Ryan Baer early freshman enrollee runs into Mike Tomlin his first day entering the South Side practice facility and gets a “fist bump” from Tomlin. After that he entered his “fanboy mode”. I’m sure that was the topic of conversation when he called home to let the family know the details of his first day at Pitt.

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  28. It didn’t take long for Tex to get under everyone’s skin. Tex, it is never enough for you. From your never ending complaining, YOU are the child that needs corrected.

    Liked by 3 people

  29. Was on the road this evening and heard some of the Jeff Capel Show. I think it’s sad because Coach Capel sounds exactly like I would hope Pitt’s BB Coach would sound. Well-spoken and sincere.

    I kept thinking – if only this guy could coach!

    A guest on the show was Pat Cavanaugh. Pat said a highlight moment in his Pitt career was beating Syracuse in the Carrier Dome before 35K in the last game of the season to win the Big East Championship. I think he said it was his Sophomore season…. An excellent memory, indeed.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  30. One thing I noticed last night was that 3 to 4 of Pitt’s players were standing still in the offensive zone on many drives. I just don’t get that. Is it scheme for them to hold a spot or are they just statues? Seemed like that allowed FSU to press our ballcarrier and in a few cases, forced him to shoot off balance – and miss.

    Im not as knowledgeable as many of you here in the hoops area and I don’t catch many Pitt games, but it seems to me those guys ought to be perpetual motion machines to create passing opportunities and loosen up the D. Am I missing something?

    Best wishes to Angie and Ike!

    Liked by 2 people

  31. OK a little blurb about tonight’s Lady Panthers game against the UNC.

    We lost 64-54>>>( I may be slightly off on the following) Free throws Pitt 1 for 4 Heels 20-26
    Whatta disparity >>>tobacco road refs?

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    1. This is especially questionable since up until this game Pitt Lady Panthers lead the ACC in free throw attempts. So getting to the foul line is what they do, or at least they do when the ACC isn’t trying to have another team drop out of the top 25 and jeopardize a better tournament seating

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    2. I saw that too.

      The women’s team generally struggles to score early in games. Against UNC, they scored 7 points in the first quarter. Being down 18-7, the game is pretty much decided at that point…

      Another bad stat for Pitt – the women had 10 assists and 22 turnovers. They need a new offensive coordinator…

      Go Pitt.

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  33. John (Major), I couldn’t agree with you more. Every time I hear Capel speak, I love the guy. His answers are thoughtful and honest. I really hope against hope that if he stays he can put it all together. BTW, I watched Narduzzi’s last presser and thought that his public speaking had improved too. I think this year’s success has made him more relaxed/confident, as it should.

    Liked by 3 people

  34. And I’m assuming you think he can learn how to coach also? Well spoken but should be doing something else in life besides coaching Pitt BB. But then again if you can get any university to pay you for any job at his pay level then why not let the university waste its money on my incompetence.

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  35. I guess in my mind, we don’t really know how good a coach Capel could be because he wasn’t able to use all the players he assembled. Toney transfers, Abande goes down for the season before it starts, and Horton is lost for a big chunk of the season due to his malarkey. I will say though, that the early season losses the St. Francis last year and the Citadel this year are especially troubling, and if Hugley and Femi enter the portal this year, I would opt to pull the plug.

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Mark – I agree with your thoughts on Capel. But you need to capitalize the “t” in “the” when referring to The Citadel (insert smiley face).

    Liked by 3 people

  37. I don’t drink Kool-Aid, metaphorically or otherwise, but I do have one small request in their defense. The drink consumed in Jonestown was the much cheaper Flavor-Aid. Kool-Aid has unjustifiably gotten a very bad rap. Perhaps that in itself is a metaphor.

    H2P!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A tidbit – after the win at Florida State, the team didn’t get back to the Pete until after 3:00 am.

      Hope no one had an 8:00 o’clock class…😊

      Go Pitt.

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  41. Veteran Miami BB coach Jim Larrenaga was just on ACCN and said something that I always thought about. He said that this time of year, you have to be careful that you don’t overdo the practice sessions. It’s not a sprint but a marathon. And he tones down a lot of practices and tries to interject some fun

    I’m wondering if Capel may be overworking his teams which is why his teams seem to play worse this time of year

    Dan, any thoughts here?

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    1. I totally agree with this approach. That said, I have no way to know what Capel is doing, but in Pitt’s/our case, it’s far more important that with most teams, because we have zero depth; we don’t even have a full ACC caliber roster.

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    2. It’s a balance that’s at the top of every coaches list. Capel is a very competent coach. What you’re seeing is a lack of ACC talent. Not tiredness from overwork.

      But, Capel did install a new spread offense to get players open vs FLA St. I hope he’s scrapped the Flex until we get shooters.

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      1. Is Flex what Pitt runs? I realized something was different but was unsure as to what. Asked on Pantherlair. Was told less working through post, quicker passing, less weave, quicker into attack mode because of how FSU was light pressing

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  42. This is from a prognosticator who puts his money where his mouth is: Betting expert Collin Wilson of The Action Network unveiled his CFB top 20 for the 2022 season. Four teams from the ACC are in his Top Ten (Clemson, NC State, Miami and Pitt) with two additional making his Top Twenty (FSU and VT). The SEC had only 3 in top 10 and a total of 4 in his top 20; whereas the B1G has only 1 in his top 10 and a total of 4 in his top 20.

    https://thespun.com/more/top-stories/betting-expert-ranks-his-top-20-college-football-teams-for-2022

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  47. Rest In Peace, Chance.

    As they say, and as Reed’s post reflects, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened…. 🙏

    Liked by 1 person

  48. Reed – My condolences to you, your Mrs. and your family. What a nice tradition that you were able to observe this morning and that everyone could be there. Godspeed Chance.

    Liked by 1 person

  51. Reed–I can only echo the heartfelt feelings of all POV’ers who have posted and will post our expressions of deepest sympathy for you and your family.

    Liked by 1 person

  53. Reed–so sorry to read about your sons passing. But its certainly a blessing that he no longer has to suffer through this ordeal. May god bless you and your family.

    Liked by 1 person

  57. Reed – sincerest sympathies. May memories of all the good times shared with Chance ease the grief you and you family are experiencing.

    Liked by 1 person

  60. Just got settled from a long day of driving and read the news of Chance’s passing. JeanieB and myself will continue to prayer for the Kohberger family.

    Liked by 1 person

  62. Unranked Pitt wrestling manhandled by NC State in Fitzgerald Fieldhouse, Pittsburgh – two PA brothers for the Wolfpack with major decisions.

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    1. Why is Pitt wrestling so average ? Pa is # 1 state for h s wrestlng. Western Pa. is loaded with great wrestlers. Pitt has not had a national champ in 26+ years. What is the problem?

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      1. HC Gavin was never a head coach prior to taking the Pitt job. In his first few years, his recruiting has been ok – below average for the hotbed that PA is for talent.

        Last night was senior night – of the five seniors honored, 2 were transfers that Gavin brought in and neither won their match. In fact, only one senior was victorious for Pitt and that was in OT.

        Gavin is a former national Champ at Pitt and he was more of a tactical wrestler – I thought that might translate to being a good to great HC, but seeing the passive wrestling styles of our wrestlers, I’m thinking maybe not.

        NC State wrestled aggressively like Butkus and Aaron Donald play football.

        That was the difference that I saw in every match.

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  65. The worst thing that can happen to a person is to lose a child. Reed, you have our deepest sympathy and may God help you through this difficult time.

    Liked by 1 person

  68. My sincere condolences, Reed, to you and your family.
    The way you all have endured this tragic loss is an inspiration.
    You are in our prayers.

    Liked by 2 people

  73. That’s exactly the kind of dude you DON’T want to see coming at you in a power running game…
    H2P.
    See some of yinz at Hemingways around noon.😎

    Liked by 2 people

  74. So sorry for your loss Reed. I know you and your family are strong. We lost my niece at only 28 a while back to an overdose.

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  75. Reed, I can identify in that my mom (also cancer-stricken) struggled on her final year, and it was a relief when she passed. But I have always taken solace that I was able to spend a lot of time with her in her final months .. and have a lifetime of pleasant memories

    I have no doubt that you and your family will continue to be strong and realize that the good times largely outweigh the bad ones

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    1. My sister in law was 32 when she died of cancer 9 years ago. It was and remains a heartache in our family to this day. Similarly, my heart aches for Reed and his family. Reed, I will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers.

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  76. Nice to see our new lacrosse team with a win in the LADIES CITY GAME in triple overtime! The competition in the ACC will be much stiffer but a positive tone has been set.

    I am going to make a rare prediction (always a disaster Mr isnore99) and call for a win today against the Wolfpack. Both teams have had major problems, however, home court and a well populated ZOO might just be the tonic needed for a victory. H2P!

    Liked by 1 person

  78. Thanks all. The POV family is indeed strong and gracious.

    Been doing a lot of thinking lately and feel that it’s time for me to dive back into Pitt football again. If nothing else the tailgates alone are a big draw. So…

    See you there.

    Liked by 14 people

  85. It would be great if Gueye had an old injury he could request an extta year of eligibility for. I love his game!

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  96. Totally undisciplined play by Pitt may cost Em this game. Busy congratulating each other over a block and get the ball stolen. Inexcusable.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Rarely do I ever get pissed about something Pitt players do on the floor. Frustrated, sure. Disappointed, on occasion. But pissed, very rarely. Well, today I was so pissed at Hugley and Odukale over that “high five” turnover that I don’t care that we won. If I am the HC, I am calling timeout and taking both of them off the floor for the rest of the game. They displayed a lack of respect for the game and a lack of understanding for where they were at in the game.

      Liked by 1 person

  104. Pitt made 23 of 25 free throws. Who are these guys? I thought I heard someone say they made their last 14 FTs…

    Billy said Chevy Troutman was in the house…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  105. First time in many moons -maybe forever – against NC St. where we had the big body in the paint. And usually the NC St. big body controlling the paint was someone we had recruited…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah, I love it anytime we beat them. They always cleaned Dixon’s clock when it came to recruiting.

      Like

  106. Good day at the Pete, decent crowd although the Zoo at 25%, football team allthough most didn’t stay, Narduzzi there the whole time, lots of basketball alumni.

    Two wins in a row, an NC monkey off our back, happy for the kids.

    Liked by 3 people

        1. Doc didn’t find anything but was concerned about some fluid around the heart. Gave me a prescription for Lysic and told me I was going to pee more often. The problem, I never noticed the difference.

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  107. Pitt men’s basketball is doing just enough so Capel does not get fired at the end of the season. There needs to be some changes in the coaching staff at the minimum. The Georgia Tech game is the only other game that Pitt could win this season. The other four will be blowout losses.

    Liked by 3 people

  108. Maybe we shouldn’t ever again put up a new post per game!

    I give Capel a ton of credit for nixing the Flex offense. He’s gone to a spread which isolates his best players one on one and helps Hugley immensely. Then back to the 1-4 which allows for solid screens to be set.

    Liked by 1 person

  109. I must admit I’m surprised Horton has played so well the last couple of games. He looked slow and out of shape when he came back. But 39 minutes today is quite impressive . They are a different team with a legitimate 3 pt shooter to open Hugely inside.

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  110. Capel was never going to lose his job come season end. In fact I’m pretty convinced he will be around for at least 2 to 3 more years regardless of the record. Heather will use up as much of his contract iwith the hope he may be able to put a respectable team on the floor via the transfer portal.

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  111. Several basketball alums introduced at the game yesterday. Ontario Lett, Chevy Troutman, Terry Knight, Kirk Bruce. A few more that I can’t remember. Musta been an event of some kind. Some were wearing name tags.

    Nice to get a win and stay out of the ACC basement.

    Liked by 1 person

  112. Reed, just saw the post on the loss of your son. It is a cruel world when parents have to bury their children. Much love and many prayers for you and your family.

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  113. I have a new take on Big John – several weeks ago I commented how it looked like his actions and efforts were pointing toward a portal jump.

    However, someone on the POV mentioned that the FSU game announcers said Hugley may have hit the FR wall, per Jeff Capel.

    I recently read the same thing about Erie native Jeffress. Both players were young and did not get much playing time in their redshirt year last season. So technically, this is their FR year, playing-wise.

    HC Capel cannot afford to sit Big John for long stretches in a game, but he can with Jeffress. Thus, 18 year old Jeffress disappeared for two games to possible rest and get his legs back whereas Big John needed to play thru the wall.

    Both played meaningful and impactful minutes in the win vs NC State yesterday. Big John’s were obviously more impactful with stats, but Jeffress hustles for loose balls, rebounds and plays solid D. The offensive hesitation with the ball will hopefully be worked out in the offseason.

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  114. I just completed a Nielsen consumer survey designed for the Pittsburgh area. I was sure to mark Pitt for football and basketball teams that I watched but not PSU or WVU, also marked ACCN as a channel I watched but not B10 (I don’t even get it)

    Not sure how many I represent but every little bit helps

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. with digital content I’d think this type of survey will be obsolete soon and am surprised it isn’t already

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  115. Erie, I root for both Big John and Jeffress. Not only because they play for Pitt, because I believe they really play hard. Yes, many times they don’t get the desired results (especially your fellow Eriean), but I believe the effort is there

    I would luv to see Big John to drop about 20 pounds in the off-season. As for Jeffress, I will continue to hope for a Gary McGhee transformation in his final 2 or maybe 3 years

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    1. I think Jeffres needs a sports psychologist. Be utterly panics almost every time he gets the ball. Moments seem too big for him. He can’t be that bad!

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      1. Similar to Brown, thinking too much, lack of quick twitch.

        Also total lack of confidence.

        A shrink can only do so much

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  116. The case for Jeff Capel

    Most of the talk has been about why Capel hasn’t got it done and can’t get it done, but here are some of the positives.

    After losing his three most experienced and productive offensive players and rebounders, Capel pretty much had to start over this year with a group of guys that had never played together, some portal guys with experience and some young guys with very little previous playing time. He lost two guys early who had some experience at Pitt. Then Burton was injured prior to the season starting.

    You could see at the beginning of the season that the team was not ready for prime time. They lost games to teams they had to pay to play. Games they were competitive in they couldn’t finish.

    They lost to Minnesota, VA, and ND all by 1 point each, Louisville by 3 VA by 4..

    They are worse on the road which makes perfect sense, but they are making fewer unforced errors and are now winning some of the closer games against the bottom half of the ACC.

    Somewhat surprising considering how they started. No doubt Horton has made a difference, but it took Gueye and Burton time to fit in, and Odukale as well. This is Big John’s first campaign and he is a force of Nature, who will only get better.

    They all could be back next year except for Mo who by the way gets above the rim higher than anyone I can remember at Pitt. If just one of those spectacular jams would have gone in he would make the national highlight reels.

    While most predicted the year end fade, Capel has them playing their best ball, No it isn’t good enough for the top half of the ACC , but much better than they started.

    Let’s hope Capel can keep these guys get 2 or 3 more and not have to start from scratch again next year.

    Liked by 5 people

  117. The case for Jeff continued, what might have been dream sequence, minus snakebite

    Imagine if Champ would have stayed, this team could be contending at the top of the league.

    His scoring and rebounding added to Hugley and Burton. How much more space would Hugley have to work in, plus fewer double teams.

    Imagine if Toney would have stayed, not quite the impact of Champ but solid points and rebounding, both would have put Jeffress on the bench with much more time to develop.

    I don’t think X would have helped this team at all, addition by subtraction, I don’t think his selfish play and turnover ratio could have been overcome. His leaving was good for him and for Pitt.

    One other guy that might have been interesting is Brown, imagine the combined shotblocking of him and Mo.
    Too bad he couldn’t get more aggresiveness in his game.

    Hopefully we are not re-living the same dream/snakebite next year.

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  118. —I can’t remember Pitt having a better leaper than Mo. Extremely springy! I think you have to see him in person to appreciate how he gets off the floor…

    —I appreciate the positives of Coach Capel, but the “coaching” negatives standout. I keep hearing how his players don’t box out properly; don’t set picks properly; don’t defend properly. I keep thinking about the fact that a coach can know everything about the game, but if he can’t “teach” that knowledge and can’t get his players to perform the basics correctly and consistently, then he’s not a good coach.

    Maybe since all the assistants are former head coaches, they all have the “big picture” view and no one is into the “devil’s in the details” approach…

    But it’s all a mystery to me…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  120. What makes a team competitive

    Individual Talent

    2 Team Chemistry

    3 Having quality players at all positions

    4 Having few weak links

    5 Having players that are coachable

    6 Coaches that can make adjustment to their opponents strengths and weaknesses

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  121. NC ST was in the game last night because

    They only missed one free throw

    They made timely three point shots.

    Their guards made some very nice drives and finished, usually getting fouled

    Pitt made a few too many unforced errors.

    Mo Gueye’s foul trouble

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  122. it would’ve been nice to have Femi just dribble the ball rather than high five Hugley after the nice block

    😦 , quite possibly would’ve been THE most embarrassing error of 2022

    hey Femi, leave the high fives during game time to us fans 🙂

    .
    Femi had 9 rebounds, only 1 behind Hugley and Pitt outrebounded NCSt 45 to 25

    btw, most amazingly NCSt missed 2 FT’s on 16 attempts, we missed only 2 on 25

    Liked by 1 person

  123. That was a very entertaining game last night. Especially knowing our record of futility against NCSt in recent years. Would have loved to see more of Mo. When he is blocking what you expect to be a sure layup by the opposition, that is worth the price of admission right there. Sure hope the few remaining games are as competitive.

    Appeared to be some interesting taunting between a group of the Zoo on the end line next to the NCSt bench and some players on the bench. I think Annie was seated close by. Wonder what that was all about? Any comments, Annie?

    By the way, if you want a break from the Waste Management golf tourney, the Lady Panthers are 7 points up on Syracuse in the final minutes of the first half on the ACC Network. Pitt now up by three at the half.

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    1. Lady Panthers held the lead through most of the second half and could”t stop one sensational Orange player who shot lights out. Game lost in last minute>>>SOUND FAMILIAR? Coach White has not found the magic potion to put the team on the right track. I think he will be given one more year to prove that he should be a head coach.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Coach White needs an assistant who can teach/coach an offensive system – and consistency. For about half of any game, this team looks pretty good, but then they have spells where they just play stupid, which leads to long scoring droughts.

        Today they had a 12 point lead early in the 3rd Quarter, but then scored only 9 points in the 4th quarter…

        Go Pitt.

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    2. I could not hear what they were saying, but I was kind of embarrassed at how the kids were acting. It was a bad look for fhe university. Most of the people around me weren’t wearing masks either, even though that is a requirement at the Pete. IDK what your feelings are about that rule, but it is there for a reason. My feeling is if you don’t want to wear the mask just stay home.

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  124. Pitt’s softball team drops 3 of 5 games in their season opening tournament.

    All 3 losses to B1G teams and the 2 wins were vs Akron and E.Kentucky.

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        1. I was mad about the Clairton reference too. Kurt said it’s a thing with the Cincy players to say their high school….

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  128. Just read about all the Capel staff hires this season. No way he gets fired and puts all those new guys back on the street.

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  132. I’m glad LA won and AD gets a ring. I think the Bungles were getting too arrogant, and that “Joe Cool” moniker is wearing on me already.

    Liked by 1 person

  136. Heard Coach Underwood on the radio the other day. He said his hair style – flat top; high fade, whatever they call it — works as a recruiting tool. He said when he goes and meets a high-school coach or a recruit, they don’t forget him.

    I can see his distinctive hair working to his advantage in that way. He sounded good in the interview…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  137. Dooz needs a Mohawk hairstyle for recruiting purposes…
    AD was awesome last night!
    …already tired of the “Joe Cool” image, although I can imagine Big B in Red 5a wearing the outfit Joe Cool sported walking into the stadium.

    Liked by 3 people

  138. Tyler Boyd played reall well too. Unfortunately he dropped a pass when they needed it most, although I think he would have been tackled short of the line to gain, but who knows.

    Donald was flat out amazing, blocked by two or three guys most of the night, but just like the last game he made the game saving play.

    Like

    1. I don’t think he makes it either but the Bengals would have had a 4th and short and a decision to make.

      Like

  139. One would think that there may be some kids that want to go to school where Donald played.
    there really should have been co-MVPs last night, but Kupp was also truly amazing.

    For a school with years of football mediocrity we have had more than our share of NFL greatness.

    Liked by 3 people

  142. They vote on the MVP of the game before it’s even over. They start collecting ballots at the 2 min warning. AD never really had a shot. They have to have everything tallied for the presentation.

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  143. Joe Cool is a jag-off. He couldn’t even run onto the field with his helmet. He didn’t have to wear it but he should have at least carried it in with him. I predict we will see him on the football field crying one day. Looks spoiled to me, then again he also looks like Dennis the Menace.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ike, the kid is a warrior. Not good enough to get an offer to his dream school Nebraska, never sees the field at Ohio State, bets on himself to get the starting job at LSU…and wins a national title. People like him that don’t have things come easy have a chip on their shoulder and rightly so.

      Like

      1. People who say that only have seen his off the field persona and haven’t actually heard him speak. They think he’s cocky but he’s actually very humble. He has a confidence about him. He’s overcome a lot of doubters so he definitely believes in himself and that rubs on players around him. But, I think he’s great.

        Full disclosure, players who know their better than everyone else and let them know it is a guilty pleasure of mine … I also love players who “THINK” they’re better than everyone else but aren’t but still act like they are. Lol. I love those guys who point to the scoreboard and also the guys you have to point the scoreboard out to.

        But give me Deion high stepping into the end zone all day long … I want to be entertained. Give me Broadway Joe. Give me Magic Johnson.

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        1. I loved it when folks would run right at Deion and knock his one-dimensional butt onto the turf.
          Tell ya what though… he sure knew how to market himself.

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          1. Give me that all day, every day. Lol. Entertain me. One dimensional? Not only was he the best corner of all time he’s the top returner of all time … Devin Hester … that guy was one dimensional …

            Liked by 1 person

              1. I don’t remember sports prior to 1984 when I was 9, so if it happened before 84′ they don’t get ranked. Haha. I stick to only ranking era’s I’ve seen or at least remember.

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            1. Yet he loved Ricky Williams … Ditka wanted an interview when he was with NBC and Deion was like you’re not relevant anymore.

              “This is the same man who had a wonderful team in Chicago, right?” Sanders said. “One of the best teams ever assembled. Buddy Ryan gave him the best defense ever assembled, and all he could do was win one Super Bowl. I think he was too busy doing Chunky Soup commercials to focus on what really was at hand. I think this guy is (ticked) off because nobody would hire him but the television network.”

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              1. Sanders thinking winning Super Bowls is easy is so typical. I guess winning them with backup QBs because McMahon couldn’t stay healthy also should have been easy.

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  144. I am really happy for Aaron Donald. It is truly fitting that he made the last meaningful play of the game. The joy emanating from the screen during his on-field, post-game interview was overwhelming. And you could understand the man he’s become when he said all he wanted to do at that moment was play in the confetti with his kids.

    I can’t be certain (it’s been 63 years) but I’m pretty sure my first football memory is having my heart broken watching the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, December 1958. In all that time, my single favorite play is still AD tackling two Duke players in the backfield at once.

    Well done, Aaron, well done.

    H2P!!!

    Liked by 5 people

  147. Interesting side note that I saw on Twitter (not independently verified) when looking at Craig Meyer’s post:

    “Aaron Donald (Pitt) beat Quinton Spain (WVU) on that final play.”

    H2P!!!

    Liked by 5 people

  148. So when Tyler Boyd caught that 9 yard pass at the midfield marker, how many thought the Bengals wouldn’t get one yard in three downs? I sure didn’t. I was convinced they would get the 10 to 15 more yards to kick the field goal and send the game to overtime. But three tries and nothing. Couldn’t get one yard. Doesn’t mean the Bengals coach is a bum. It happens. Whether at midfield or at the goal line. It happens.

    Liked by 1 person

  149. On 4th and 1 the Bengals were going for the home run. They had Chase wide open. Ramsey had fallen, again. But … this number 99 messed that up. Haha.

    Liked by 1 person

  153. As a Pitt Panther and Cincinnati Bengals fan, this was truly the best season of football of my life (40 years old this year so I don’t really remember the 80s success of either program).

    I think I have seen too many 4th and 1 passes for an entire lifetime in just the last few months between the two.

    The biggest gut punch was Boyd’s drop. His only drop of the year, and it happened at the most crucial time. I really hope it just makes him more determined in the future. Coming from Clairton, I am sure he won’t let it get to him. As soon as that happened, I figured a win was not in the cards.

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  154. Switching back to Basketball, I find it hard to believe but Pitt Mens Basketball has more wins in the ACC than PSU in the B10, or WVU in the B12!

    Liked by 3 people

  155. Watched the UVA — VT game last night, great blue collar, hard-nosed basketball. Offensive sets, tenacious man to man, no playground look-at-me antics. Totally refreshing.

    Don’t know the background to Mike Young but he can flat out coach. I know it is an off-year for UVA, but I was surprised by the mental errors and, at times, undisciplined play.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He was a long time Head Coach at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. In the SoCon Conference, his teams were usually a top tier team. Won the SoCon and made the NCAA tournament a few times. Did have an upset one year.

      At Wofford, his teams liked the 3-ball. I believe he had a player who either held the NCAA record for career made 3’s or that year’s record. When he became HC a VT, he used the TP to bring two players with him. He recruited Storm Murphy to Wofford and then picked him up in the TP this year.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. My niece briefly dated Mike Young’s son two or three years ago. My mom said the son was a great kid. Frustrating seeing the Hokies getting their hires correct and Pitt is on its second dud since Dixon.

      Like

  157. USFL coaches:

    The Maulers will compete in the North Division with the Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals and Philadelphia Stars. Longtime NFL head coach Jeff Fisher will coach the Panthers, while former Nebraska coach Mike Riley and journeyman Bart Andrus will lead the Generals and Stars, respectively.

    The South Division includes the Birmingham Stallions (Skip Holtz), Houston Gamblers (Kevin Sumlin), New Orleans Breakers (Larry Fedora) and the Tampa Bay Bandits, notably coached by former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

    Wonder if Sumlin thinks back and wished he stayed at Houston? I guess all he has to do is look at his bank account.

    I’ll watch the games. No rules that a player had to play college ball. Some stars may be born. Smart to play all the games in one city. Cuts expenses immensely. The first games are horrid, then it usually get entertaining.

    Like

    1. Sam Clancy was my favorite Mauler.
      Mike Rozier, Glen Carano, Jackie Flowers… fun to watch thos guys.
      I remember going to see them vs the Houston Gamblers and Jim Kelly’s family took up half of the lower level seat on the visitor’s side.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Plus, Don Maggs on the offensive line. I wish the Steelers had territorial rights to him and he was a Steeler. He was a big dude who could have played on the right side but instead was an Oiler.

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  160. As the article title points out, Pitt basketball is arguably not the worst team in the ACC, but they can sure see it from there……

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  162. I’ll post a new article tomorrow morning for the POV. Remiss in not picking up after Mike scheduled a few and with Reed’s attention understandably somewhere else. It will be something like Mike’s for his basketball posts. At least, you won’t have to wade thru 150+ comments.

    I got a football related article I’m working on but seem to have writer’s cramp. I enjoy the research more than the writing. Maybe Thursday if I force myself and don’t get distracted.

    Liked by 3 people

  163. The good news is the date. We are 2/3 through another Capel-cursed basketball season and in a month it will all be over. We can hope the baseball team will not fold this year like last year. Spring ball won’t tell us much and no one thinks Lyke will move on Capel. Has anyone heard of the big money guys coaxing his removal?

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  165. Pitt women BB team lost to BC tonight. For some reason Everett didn’t play. Starting to wonder whether Coach White can get this done. He has brought in much better talent and size, but they struggle to score points.

    I caught the game Sunday where they led Syracuse by 12 early in the second half, but lost on a late Syracuse jumper when Pitt only scored 9 points in the 4th quarter.

    I wonder about Coach White because he keeps playing players who turn the over way too much. The team had 22 turnovers tonight – turnovers in the twenties is just way too common for them.

    I’d like to see Coach hire an assistant who can improve the offensive play…. They seem to make the same blunders over and over.

    I think that makes them 2-12 in the ACC. Ugh…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Pitt has a real knack for hiring bad coaches.Heather’s basketball hires both stink.

      Typical Pitt hiring two assistants instead of going after head coaches.

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  166. X Man and Parker Stewart on the court for Indiana tonight. X Man still can’t shoot. He is 3-14 from the field.

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    1. Au’diese Toney with an odd stat line in Arkansas’ win last night – zero points, zero shots, zero rebounds in 6 minutes of play.

      Could not find anything regarding an injury – he is listed as a starter for the game last night.

      Toney’s best scoring season was last year with Pitt where he averaged 14 points per game – this season he averaged 10 points per game.

      I believe he gets a 5th COVID year and can opt to play college ball again next season.

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