225 thoughts on “Wake Forest at Pitt Basketball Thread”

      1. He had David Robinson at Navy and was a total A H as coach. But it was Navy and players were used to being berated often. I went to a few games to see Robinson play. Couldn’t believe the mouth and sweating by Evans. It didn’t fly at Pitt.

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  15. Maybe Pitt’s best first half since Syracuse. Wake playing less than zero defense! Wake going to 1-3-1 zone trying to slow down Pitt’s hot shooters. Pitt struggles mightily vs zone. Pitt w 49 and a ten point lead!

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  16. weak finish but WOW, hard to imagine Pitt playing near the same 2nd but need to play smart and continue to shoot

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  18. The last minute of the first half seems to rarely be kind to Pitt. And we just saw another wasted opportunity to grow the lead…. Curses!

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Poor finish to the half – weren’t we up by 17 with 2 minutes to go – 10 point lead to the locker room.

    HC Steve Forbes drawing up some money plays to hedge the Pitt players cashing in beyond the arc.

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  21. 49 points in a half! Shooting 50%, including 53% from three. Law of averages says you cannot keep that up. Hope we can hang on to keep it competitive to the end.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Remember, the players all disputed what Evans said that he instructed them to do on the play where Barry Goheen broke our hearts with the late 3 in the NCAA tournament.

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  25. BigB and JeanieB watching… the Spanish kid is a good player- team player…. 15 pt lead down to a 10 point lead… not good … played poorly vs 1-3/1 zone…. Terrible cross court pass afforestation picking up his dribble.. 3 points for Wake off that fundamental mistake…. Will be a close game as PITT has blown it in the 2nd half just recently…..

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  27. Last 2 minutes were played with several starters on the bench wit two fouls. Reduced lead better than third foul.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Our defense is absolutely atrocious tonight. If we don’t keep shooting like this, we will lose. Capel never calls a defensive timeout.

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  30. 3 turnovers for Pitt first half, 2 already 2nd

    both teams playing poor defense, we’re worse and missing a bit too

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  33. Cummings has to get his head together. Refs now calling ticky tack fouls on Pitt but that’s what happens when you stop moving your feet on defense.

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  37. Another 2nd half fade-a-way ? Did Capel know WF played a 1-3-1 trap. doesn’t look like it.
    Need to get Burton in there to dribble down the middle of it, then finish or dish.

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  38. Sibande open on left side and not getting pass to him with ball going to other side

    WTF?

    how do you fall apart so dramatically both on offense AND defense?

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  39. One last post and I’ll shut up GC –

    Any zone defense can be beat using quick passing, penetration, and drive and dish plays. You need a PG to feed the corners who then pass to the baseline or pop a three.

    Mums the word from here on to the end…

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  40. Burton hurt. Up to Cummings. Pitt always scored on after TO. I utterly hate Capel’s game “management”

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  44. Pitt has given up playing any defense at all. 34 points on layups for Wake. Hope we keep scoring or this will be a Wake blowout.

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  47. I don’t know bball but Pitt looks very disorganized, no one moving to open spots to receive passes, etc.

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  55. Pitt busy congratulating themselves for a O rebound and leaves Applebee open for a three. Cmon guys game awareness!

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  60. The only thing I ever liked about Stallings is he had a play whenever you absolutely had to have a basket.
    We need that play now.

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    1. The only thing I liked about Stallings was watching the door slam on his way out.😀

      Sorry,Dan. Couldn’t resist.

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    1. I’d say coaching, you got a bunch of very old college bball players….who got flustered by Wake’s 1-3-1, like they were freshmen. So they played like they were totally unprepared seeing a 1-3-1. They also usually fluster when pressed. Again coaching. If they were a bunch of freshmen or sophomores I’d say players. But they are all 21 to 24 years old.
      5th, 6th year players.

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  76. We got lucky there….not due to any coaching by Capel….despite what ex-coach Greenberg says. Let Appleby get to exactly where he wanted to go…and get a good look at a 3.
    Again no defensive scheme by Capel to stop that….like they could have trapped him
    to force the ball out of his hands.

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    1. Cummings screwed up a plenty…..but Hinson should have taken that shot instead of passing to the shortest player on Pitt’s team. Besides being able to shoot over the defender, he was making almost 60% of his 3’s tonite.

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  80. shot clock violation and other mistakes are on the kids. Not their first games after all.

    My UR Spiders are guilty of those shot clock violations often. Makes you want to pull your hair out. Shoot the damn ball.

    Good win against a good opponent. I’ll be there Sat… hope they send me home happy.

    Liked by 4 people

      1. Reminds me of when during the game Wake had cut the lead to three and the announcers were saying that Pitt needs to call a time-out.

        But stubborn Coach Capel did not call a time-out. Instead Pitt came down against the 1-3-1 and dribbled into the center of it and kicked it out for a wide open three, which they hit to get the lead back to six…

        Go Pitt.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s the way they ran things at Duke….only we aren’t Duke. Coach K seldom got up out of his chair during games except to yell at refs or during timeouts.

      Liked by 1 person

  84. Remember during & after Saturday’s game, the announcers were saying, well this is a different FSU team,(than the one that was 6-13) as a reason why they were giving Pitt trouble and then winning. Due to player changes…..blah blah blah.
    FSU went back home and played last night against Miami. Got blown away.
    Trailed 28-54 at the half in a rout…falling 86-63.
    Yep….different FSU team. lol

    Liked by 1 person

    1. On paper we should get killed on Saturday…but BB isn’t played on paper. It’s played on player hot streaks. It’s why Kansas got killed by 22 to Dixon.

      Liked by 1 person

  86. Pitt beat a very good basketball team tonight with some awesome shooting.

    Pitt was at a big disadvantage inside, Wake has some very large, strong and pretty talented guys inside. They also have a very talented point guard. Their size inside was tough on Burton. They also made some very difficult shots.

    I am not an x and o guy like some frustrated coaches here, but as a fan this has been the best basketball at Pitt for a long time. Yes it is a very flawed team and obviously poorly coached according to some, but without a true point guard, a couple bean poles inside, and a bunch of castoffs, no future NBA guys that I can see, they are putting together a pretty good record.

    There are a lot of tough games ahead so we will see what happens but you have to like these guys. They didn’t let Jerome down tonight.

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Good objective and observant comments GC. Easy to get caught up during the game with emotions. Thanks for being kind to those of us that did.

      Liked by 4 people

    2. I don’t comment in game for that reason. I’ll peruse sometimes (not all the time) comments after but, and I can’t speak for everyone, I enjoy this team. I like Jeff Capel. It’s taken longer than it should have … it took Duzz too long as well … and Capel has to close the season and then prove it wasn’t a flash in the pan … but I’ve had a fun college basketball season and I haven’t said that in a long time. The ACC may not be the best conference this season but I’m pretty sure it’s the deepest.

      Pitt has a brutal schedule to close the season. They have to find a way. Tough road ahead.

      Liked by 2 people

  87. Pitt nearly lost the game because they are one dimensional 3 point shooters without any inside game. After Pitt blowing a 15 pt lead, WF would have won except for some inept shooting at the line in the final minutes.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. plus when they missed the front of the 1 and 1 it was HUGE!

      iirc they started 8 of 8 from the line so finished from there 3 of 10 and one front end miss(or was there 2?)

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  91. Dan – gave you a response on the last thread.

    Just watched the game. Definitely lucky in the second half. Their dudes missed free throws when they could have taken the lead at the end. Pitt not being able to get a shot off is inexplicable. It’s a losing strategy and playing the prevent offense leads to not getting best shots. Making Appleby go to the left was a poor strategy. He positioned his body correctly for the shot and was square, so the “coaching explanation” was just wrong. It wasn’t a fade away jumper to the left, while trying to square up in the air. Good grief. Just say you were lucky on that Felton.

    Time, place and circumstance. We are bad at understanding all three.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. From where I sat the last shot was a little off balance and rushed, however they had made a few like that earlier in the game.

      Liked by 1 person

  92. —Speaking of poor coaching, why didn’t Wake just feed that big post guy the whole game and have him back our guys down?

    —And shame on Coach Capel for using analytics but not sharing it with the fans so we can criticize his use of analytics…

    —On our last possession, would love to have seen Hinson fake the three and then jump into that defender – but it’s always so easy after the fact…

    —Shame we couldn’t connect on those two back-door/alley-opp passes. Scooter would have gone bonkers… 😊

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I find it amazing we win anything when we do everything so wrong, bad, stupid, poorly planned, without effort….

      we must be the most talented team on the face of the earth to be 14-7 at this point

      I shutter to think if we had a functional Hugely and Dior to throw into the mix

      🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      2. yeah, I know, the ACC sucks this year

        lucky we’re playing in the Coastal too,,,,,, oh wait, that’s FB 😉 , and no longer 😦

        lol!!! truthfully come bracket picking time, I’m going strong with the B12 from what I’ve seen 🙂

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  93. A close win is a lot better than a close loss. Take Miami on Saturday as I don’t think our 3 point % will be near that 48% mark of the WF game. Also if you haven’t figured it out yet our Pitt centers gives this team almost no offensive production. And its very difficult to win just hoping your 3 point production is on target every game.

    Liked by 1 person

  94. I’ll start my day with coffee and some positive Pitt men’s basketball thoughts:

    On a night when Pitt was honoring a Panther legend (IMO) and one of college basketball’s memorable moments, who was a rebounding machine and glass shattering dunker, we win with record setting 3 point shooting.

    This team now sits at 7-3 and tied for third place in the ACC with its next two opponents – Miami this weekend and UNC next week. In first place is Clemson at 9-1 and UVA is in second at 8-2 (NOTE: 1 of those 2 loses was to Pitt).

    Our Panthers were picked preseason to finish 14th in the ACC (near the bottom) – we still have a lot a basketball to be played and it is not February yet, but this veteran team seems to have a cast of characters that like each other and are finding was to win, despite…taking a sip of coffee and ending my comments for now.

    Go Pitt!

    Liked by 8 people

    1. coffee tasting far better after a hard fought(or lucky?), hanging on win to think back on last night

      Hinson is a gem, in the post game said he doesn’t recall them having any trouble dealing with the 1-3-1, says he’ll have to watch the tape https://youtu.be/Gp90oEQ3ZQA?t=115

      then his comment about front seat/back seat players – he’s great https://youtu.be/Gp90oEQ3ZQA?t=218

      after his playing days are over, no idea if he wants to coach but he’ll be the worst coach in the world while players everywhere would want to play for him

      Liked by 3 people

    1. last 7 games his 3pt % is 43, 38, 40, 29, 29, 44, 57

      no doubt I see what you do(and didn’t like the look at all in the first couple games of the season), but if you watch the post game interviews he’s a very likeable guy

      I forget which game but when he first was asked about “selective amnesia” which is what Capel used to describe his shooting again after misses, he was engaging and likeable from that moment

      during the game they compared him to Clyde Vaughn and I thought, shooting yes, handling the ball, passing, and rebounding not whatsoever, and not the “look” 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. why doesn’t he post here?

      I’m bad enough here but a true joy in person 🙂

      .
      (don’t ask my wife or kids though)

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  98. Hinson and Elliott combined for 42 points all 3’s literally amazing. Our centers combined for 7 points, 5 for Guillermo his team mates call him G in very few minutes.

    Jorge got 4 minutes when Hinson got his second foul and did pretty well making two foul shots. Like I have been saying with some weight training and carb loading our bigs could really be something for the next few years, but they are outmanned every night right now.

    Wake defended Burton as well as anyone, but he played within himself and did not get frustrated made some key plays when needed most.

    Better defense last night but still too many lapses. All teams get many more easy baskets than Pitt, especially underneath, I expect Miami will try to exploit that weakness. I’m guessing Wake wishes they went inside more often, but hard to keep up with threes when you are making twos.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I thought Cummings played a bit more under control. He is not an ACC point guard. Huge diff with ACC and Ivy (Colgate).

      So hard to keep your emotions under control when the guy across from you is cleaning your clock every night!

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      1. Agree, it has to be tough when your strength is a pull up jumper that isn’t as effective in the ACC.

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  103. OT..
    Former psuX president Graham Spanier’s book is called “In the Lions Den: the Penn State Scandal and the Rush to Judgment”
    😳🤢🤮
    WOW!!
    I love that there was no Rush to stop it from happening!!

    Liked by 5 people

  104. I was shocked to see Donatas Zavackas on the sideline prior to the start of last night’s game in the Pete. I assumed one of his teams were being introduced at halftime and that is why he was there. But, nope. Just him.

    He was introduced to the crowd during a time out in the first half. He received a nice applause. I assume that means either the Pitt crowd is really old and can’t remember his antics or they are more mature than me and don’t hold a juvenile grudge.

    By the way, the first 1500 attendees received a drinking glass with a picture of Jerome Lane smashing the backboard on the side. The last 150 received baby bottles with a picture of Zavackas’ shoes on the side. It was a nice gesture.

    Liked by 6 people

  106. The drinking glass was a bad idea, clogged up all of the exits.

    Zavackas appearance was pretty random. It did make me wonder what life has been for Zavackas since he left Pitt. Maybe they are recruiting his kid or something, pure speculation.
    The shoe incident definitely in the category of Pitt’s bizarre moments.

    Liked by 1 person

  107. —So Appleby is a grad student who played 2 years at Cleveland State then 2 years at Florida. Nice portal get for WF. Seems like a lot of excellent athletes leave the U. of Florida…

    —I had the thought that if Appleby’s end-of-game shot had been just a bit more crooked, it could have banked in for the game winner. Wouldn’t that have been “just like Pitt” for a nightmare game-ender.. (I’m happy for Scooter that that didn’t happen. 😳)

    Go Pitt.

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  108. I am not a fan of jump shooting BB. But that is the game now. Raise the basket 6 inches and see what happens.

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  110. Just finished watching replay of Pitt Wake on espnu. The last two foul calls on Fede were utter BS. The only foul was committed by Wake!
    Another example of refs trying to influence a close game and make themselves more important than the game!

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    1. It was a weird game by the refs, at first it looked like they were going to let them play, then they started calling a lot of things that they didn’t need to. It is always difficult to be unbiased at the game, but we were lucky that the game result wasn’t affected. It sure seems like the refs bail out the opposition at the last second all too often.

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  114. I think I heard the radio guy say the Pitt Women’s team hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent in almost 8 years.

    Tonight’s opponent is UNC, ranked 14th…

    Go Pitt.

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  115. Believe it or not, Pitt women now down by 14 with 4 minutes left…. Pitt cannot buy a basket…

    Go Pitt.

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  116. Women BB loses 72-57.

    Pitt shot 4 of 20 from 3; and only 11 of 18 on free throws.

    The beat goes on…. I doubt they win an ACC game this season.

    Go Pitt.

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  117. Another brutal loss for the ladies BB Team. After coaching girls in rec ball and AAU my personal feeling is that woman should coach ladies BB!
    I could give Heather 100 reasons but I’ll send her about 10. Part of coaching college BB is recruiting. A Coach White weakness !

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    1. Makes a bunch of sense to me, Dan.

      There have been some big-time women’s players from the Pittsburgh area. I’d like to see Heather talk to some of them…

      Go Pitt.

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  118. I have been a bit startled by how well guys like Elliott and Hinson have shot the three. Seems like when they catch the ball facing the basket, like from inside-out passing, they are especially accurate – hence the high assist numbers we’ve seen from Burton.

    Anyway here are the three-point shooting percentages. First number is overall, second is in conference games…

    Hinson .377 / .373
    Elliott. .410 / .379
    Burton. .361 / .294
    Sibande. .321 / .373
    Nellie. .313 / .281

    Very interesting, me thinks…

    Go Pitt.

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  119. I admit I don’t know much about WBB, but from all your descriptions this team really stinks! I think as Capel said about the men’s BB team last year, they need to recruit better players!

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    1. The school needs to hire a proven coach instead of these cheap assistants.

      Appalling and embarrassing how the school has managed women’s basketball throughout its existence.

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      1. I must say that I thought Suzie McConnell Serio was going to be a great hire but, she turned out to be an example that just because you can play, doesn’t mean you can coach.

        Liked by 2 people

  120. Major, I always thought the stat for an excellent 3 point shooter was 40%. None of the Pitt players is hitting that mark. With these percentages, two cold hands can sink this team because they don’t have another dimension to fall back on, except maybe good defense. But they are giving up lots of points so it’s do or die with the 3.

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  121. great 3 point shooters for college imo are those at 40% or more but if shooting 35% by the simple math they are “effectively” an over 50% 2 point shooter so still very good

    I think Pitt needs to play to its strengths and this is one

    you can’t make a great point guard magically appear who can score off the bounce, not turn the ball over and facilitate like Levance or any of the greats Pitt has had like Knight or Miller, heck even the very solid James Robinson wasn’t a very good passer or scorer

    Burton then Nike then Cummings in that order at least have some of those skills and Burton has seemed to take on the lead role recently of being the assist guy with scoring mixed in

    one unfortunate effect of not having guys that can dribble/drive is that this very good FT shooting team doesn’t get to the line as often as we’d like

    that makes me think of another point, how over the last few years so many here would complain about the FT shooting and blame coaching, pffft, you think all of a sudden this coaching crew has that figured out because we’re shooting over 75%?
    I guess they haven’t decided to help Fede and never did much with Femi and others from the past….. no, they just are bad and will remain bad with maybe some small incremental improvement if worked on for years

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I disagree about Haba, unless he’s faster than I think he just doesn’t have quickness with that needed burst

      hopefully I’m wrong or he may have been limited by injury and he shows good numbers on pro day

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      1. You may be right but he was hampered by injury all year and was a different player the previous year. I am guessing but think he would have come back if he didn’t think he had a good opportunity in the NFL, just like the other three.

        Liked by 1 person

  126. https://triblive.com/sports/theres-no-explaining-some-of-the-plays-that-led-pitt-to-victory-against-wake-forest/

    I also thought it was strange that Hildreth went out limping like he was done then limped back on and played like nothing was wrong. He really looked hurt for a while, I wonder if this had anything to do with his missed foul shots. Also Burton twisted an ankle but came back and looked fine, hopefully ok for tomorrow.

    Their foul shot problems were reminiscent of former Pitt struggles.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Last weekend the Number 1 ranked team in the nation, Houston, lost at home to a very average 12-9 Temple team. Houston shot a slightly higher 3 point percentage, a slightly higher overall percentage, out rebounded Temple, and had 6 fewer turnovers than Temple. The difference? Houston was 11 of 21 from the free throw line, Temple was 20 of 22. Houston’s misses were spread across 5 different players. Obviously not a coaching failure.

      If the top team in the country can have an off night at the line, why can’t a less than top team have an off night from the 3 without it being a coaching debacle? A team that averages 35-40% from the 3 doesn’t shoot 35-40% every game. Sometime they shoot 20%, sometime 60%. 20% they likely lose. 60% they likely win. And I always heard most coaches tell their shooters to shoot their way out of a slump. Maybe it’s not the coaches or the players. It’s just human nature.

      Liked by 5 people

  127. Inquiring minds want to know…. Pitt is honoring the 2002/3 Big East Championship team on Saturday, and has announced the attendees. Included on the list is Yuri Demetris, who played that season, but during his Senior season was kicked off the team for what was reported as a burglary and assault of a girlfriend. So that happened years ago when he was a 20 something college student. Do you invite him back?

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  128. 47% 3-pt is equal to 70.5% 2-pt.  Oriemma last nite complained about refs changing how game was called

    Sent from my iPhone

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  129. looked up Femi’s numbers this year, pretty sure he was praised by someone here

    FT 50.8%, 3pt 28%, assist/TO 2.0/1.6

    coaching must suck wherever he goes

    wait, what about this: Seton Hall University men’s basketball Head Coach Shaheen Holloway ’00 was named the “best head-coaching hire in 2022” in a nationwide survey conducted by CBS Sports of his coaching peers. Sep 8, 2022

    Liked by 1 person

  130. Pitt Miami BB game tomorrow is a Pickum in Vegas. My heart is with Pitt but my wallet says Miami.—-By the way for those not attending the game is on ESPNU.

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    1. IF win tomorrow, we are tourney bound

      I have no idea but I’m saying we “have a chance” 🙂

      .
      kid at 125 for VaTech is a kid Will(son) wrestled around with in the travel team wrestling room here in Maryland
      Will could hang with him but he was a year younger and technically extremely good
      Will also faced the current NCState #141 kid at NHSCA 9th grade, lost 7-1 😦

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    1. Keep an eye on Zack Oswald LHP from Harford Community College via NJ.

      Imposing tall – saw him pitch one
      game last August. Wicked ball movement, hi 90s fastball, decent control. Best player on a very good team.

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    2. What I heard was our baseball coach received a contract extension through 2027.

      I sure hope Dan’s lefty is a self made winner. Then we need two other pitchers on the roster to take the mound and be competitive.

      Spring is in the air!

      I need to work on my golf swing and conditioning…

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  137. Pitt up 15-12 now.

    The Panthers with 2 top 5 wrestlers left in the final 3 matches.

    Heller # 19 up now vs the 6th ranked guy.

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  139. nobody in the gym in Blacksburg expected THAT!

    need to roll some of that momentum into tomorrow’s game but THIS would be considered the far bigger upset

    Liked by 1 person

      1. two simply stupid matches in the Maryland loss, Camacho the biggest error to get pinned

        the #174 Maryland kid Dom Solis who won in SV was another kid my son Will wrestled with in the Warhawk room often

        no idea what happened vs WVCC

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  140. Saw where Caesars Sportsbook has Pitt favored over Miami by 1 measly point and they have Pitt with a 56% chance of winning.

    Isn’t Miami ranked around 20 and wouldn’t Pitt be ranked maybe in the 40s???

    Hoping the experts get it right…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Jay Bilas said on the ACCN last night said that the Burton vs Wong match-up will be fun to watch and Miami has a counter to Hinson and Elliot. Combo of good perimeter D and their own 3 pt contributors. We shall see or I should say, yinz will see.

      We have friends from out of town visiting today. I will be sitting this one out with Big John Hugely and Dior Johnson.

      LaPhonso Ellis and Seth Greenberg both picked Pitt to win vs Miami on the ACCN last night.

      I’m wondering if we can keep pace with the athletically talented canes lead by a HOF coach. If Nike, Santos and the twin towers get ten plus minutes each, I say this team can keep the starters fresh enough to grind out the W.

      Go Pitt!

      Liked by 1 person

  141. I am a closet wrestling fan. Used to attend every Pitt match 69-72.

    That was as enjoyable a match and one of the best pins I’ve ever seen

    Pritzker will be a heavyweight star. Won every heavyweight match in PA HS by pin. His opponent won the heavyweight title in PA in 9th grade. When he gains weight and strength watch out.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Dan, do you remember Robert (Bob) Pinkos, he was a lightweight guy, wrestled those years.
      We grew up on the same little dead end road. He became dentist, died way to young.
      He talked me into going out for wrestling in ninth grade, I hated the workouts and went out for the gym team the next year.

      Like

    2. Pitt has a couple stud wrestlers on the bench waiting for a few to graduate. The future looks promising.

      I watched the NC State at VT wrestling match last week and the crowd was loud and the energy was exciting, as the Hokies pulled off a 2 point match victory over then #5 Wolfpack.

      The VT crowd was in uh-oh mode when Pitt won the first 3 matches of the night. I had both Hellers penciled in for close losses, and they both came through with huge wins. Good portal additions by Gavin.

      The Heller bro at 184 had an unbelievable pin – you must watch the replay if you haven’t seen it.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. And if Aaron Donald truely has retired from the NFL, if I’m Duzz, I find a position as one of the Strength & Conditioning assistants and he’d be a major influencer on the Pitt FB team immediately.

      FYI – Izzy was invited to the NFL Combine. We will get to see who is faster in the 40 – JA3 or Izzy. At one point they were teammates (ikr) and I believe it was reported behind the locked gates of the Southside facility that Izzy was the fastest player on the team. I believe a DB became that dude in their next season together…

      My money is on sub-4:5 for both and only one will get talked about as being on the Pitt roster.

      Liked by 3 people

  143. Just poking tvax, but I could easily argue that Femi was our best point guard last year and would be our best point guard this year as well. I do not think anyone thought femi was a first round draft pick or anything. I think point guard has been a problem on the recruiting trail at Pitt for a very long time. Hoping to double jinx nelie into a great game today as we will need it against a long miami squad.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Well maybe if he improved as much year to year as Burton. He did lead the team in assists, but his foul shooting is so awful you would have to bench him at the end of every close game. Still wonder why he left?

      Liked by 1 person

    2. of course you could argue, but you’d lose that argument 🙂 but I’ll give you it’s close

      CAN’T have a PG at the end of the game handling the ball and only able to shoot 50% from the line

      they’d Shaq-a-Femi every time

      could he handle the ball better than Nellie? yes
      could he shoot better from the field? no, both can’t be relied on but Nellie gets the edge
      better dribble/drive scoring? not really either
      rebounding? yes, Femi is tall and could help there
      defending? yes a little with his height and he could move well

      BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE A PG HANDLE AT CRITICAL END OF GAME TIMES SHOOT FT’S AT 50%

      THAT trumps everything and earns you the loss

      no worries, lawyers get paid either way

      I really am surprised Nellie can’t handle the ball and pass better

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah, that’s why I poked because it is such a close comparison. Neither is an acc point guard, although on their resume’s it will say that, so shame on me. I did check and his free throw rate seems to be a bit higher at 62% then his 54% last year with us. Coaching?? Hahahaha, don’t even consider that. When asked about his free throw shooting improvement this year, his coach Ray Charles said, “Hard Times”, then wrote about it. Ike will like that!

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  149. The last two crowds were a little disappointing considering the entertainment value, hopefully a little better today.

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  150. All the PG talk reminds me of a special Pitt player I first noticed back in the early 70s. Cleve Edwards (rest his soul) was a magician with the basketball. His spin moves were a joy to watch. I don’t recall much scoring from him but he could sure run the offense and distribute.

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      2. Cleve Edwards sighting! What I remember about Cleve was one thigh was always wrapped…. 😊

        The good old days…

        Go Pitt.

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  151. Also, I’ve also wondered why Buzz left Pitt when he did. After a 7 year run where he finally turned the corner with the great 1973 25-4 ream, he lasted only one more year. Looking at Buzz Ridl’s overall record it wasn’t real great, but he had to rebuild a terrible program that had collapsed in the late 60s. My guess is he was screwed by the Pitt administration in some way and left on his own. But was he pushed out?

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  152. It was a long time ago, but I thought Buzz Riddle retired on his own timeline. He was well liked by fans and, I think, by the Pitt admin. He took over a mess and created a competitive program.

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  153. Maybe Ridl wanted to go out on top, and felt the winds changing within the administration. As for Grgurich, 5 years and a losing record. Not exactly building on Ridl’s success, and not much to brag about. I recall that Grgurich was supposed to be a really good recruiter. Maybe he could pass out the bag money as an assistant, but too risky as a head coach.

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  157. Ridl returned to Westminster

    Sent from my iPhone

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  158. “In an attempt to help the current group connect to players of the past, Pitt will turn back the clock for the second time this week Saturday during the Miami game. Pitt will honor the 2002-2003 team that won the school’s first Big East Tournament championship. Coach Ben Howland, assistant Barry Rohrssen and 10 players are scheduled to attend.”

    https://triblive.com/sports/pitt-take-5-miami-game-starts-10-game-stretch-that-will-define-panthers-season/

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