Durand Scott
Despite some recent rumors about Durand Scott, the 6'5" shooting guard out of New York City is not ready to commit yet, according to a source close to his AAU team, the New York Gauchos. Scott still has Pitt on his radar, but he lists other schools as well.
Scott, who attends Rice High School, is ranked as the #7 shooting guard and a 5-star player by scout.com
---OPINION--It is of our opinion at Crashing the Boards that it will come down to UConn and Pitt as his final two choices.
Thomas Robinson
The recent commit by power forward Dante Taylor has seemed to cool Thomas Robinson's interest in Pitt for the time being. Pitt is still listed as a possible destination for the 6'8" 210 pound Robinson, but he isn't sure where he will fit in with the Panthers.
Pitt believes Robinson is in a similar mold of a Jeff Adrien, the successful UConn stand out. Pitt's staff is very impressed with Robinson's ability to attack the boards.
Pitt is trying to persuade Robinson, who will head to New Hampshire for his high school ball, to come in and play the small forward position. However, with some of Pitt's players, and targets, showing they may have the ability to leave early, Robinson may end up back at the four in a couple of years.
The Squash All Beef AAU player has skyrocketed up the recruiting ranks. He is currently a 4-star player and the #27 ranked power forward on scout.com
Additional tidbit...
According to a source, Austin Wallace officially has been given his medical hardship. This frees up a scholarship, that could be taken by Mike Cook, if the NCAA grants him a sixth year.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Pitt Panther Update: Dwight Miller videos
The recruit that most Panther fans don't know a lot about seems to be Dwight Miller out of Houston St. Pius X. The Panthers were the 2008 District Champions.
Below are some game videos from his senior season.
He's #50 in white
http://www.athletesconnection.com/content/view/2267/10079/
He's #50 in orange
http://www.athletesconnection.com/content/view/2044/10079/
Below are some game videos from his senior season.
He's #50 in white
http://www.athletesconnection.com/content/view/2267/10079/
He's #50 in orange
http://www.athletesconnection.com/content/view/2044/10079/
Jermaine Dixon
According to a source close to the team Jermaine Dixon, a JUCO shooting guard recruit, may not be a member of the Panthers this year. Apparently the 6'3" 190 lb Dixon is struggling with some academic issues that may not be cleared up by the time he is to report to Pitt.
Dixon, who won NJCAA Player of the Week honors in December, was brought in to compete for time at the shooting guard position following Ronald Ramon's graduation.
Dixon shot 48% from the field, 26% from beyond the arc and 78% from the charity stripe. He averaged just under 21 points a game and was active on the glass averaging almost 7 rebounds a game.
However if Dixon doesn't qualify, this may create space for Mike Cook, if he is granted a sixth year of eligibility.
Dixon, who won NJCAA Player of the Week honors in December, was brought in to compete for time at the shooting guard position following Ronald Ramon's graduation.
Dixon shot 48% from the field, 26% from beyond the arc and 78% from the charity stripe. He averaged just under 21 points a game and was active on the glass averaging almost 7 rebounds a game.
However if Dixon doesn't qualify, this may create space for Mike Cook, if he is granted a sixth year of eligibility.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pitt Panther Target: Will Coleman
There's been a few of Pitt's targets that have decided to go elsewhere, so who might be the next option? Well for big men it could be Will Coleman.
He's currently playing Junior College basketball for Miami Dade College, also the home for Pitt recruit Darnell Dodson. Coleman was originally committed to Arkansas-Little Rock, but he ran into academic problems and had to go the JUCO route.
Coleman earned a spot on the FCCAA All-Southern Conference First Team this year. Miami Dade College went 18-9 overall. He was also named NJCAA player of the week for the week ending Jan. 27, 2008.
Over the last two seasons Coleman has added an inch to his frame, putting him at 6'9", and he's added 25 pounds putting him at 230 pounds.
If you would like to read more about Will Coleman click the links below...
Game Recaps of Miami-Dade
He's currently playing Junior College basketball for Miami Dade College, also the home for Pitt recruit Darnell Dodson. Coleman was originally committed to Arkansas-Little Rock, but he ran into academic problems and had to go the JUCO route.
Coleman earned a spot on the FCCAA All-Southern Conference First Team this year. Miami Dade College went 18-9 overall. He was also named NJCAA player of the week for the week ending Jan. 27, 2008.
Over the last two seasons Coleman has added an inch to his frame, putting him at 6'9", and he's added 25 pounds putting him at 230 pounds.
If you would like to read more about Will Coleman click the links below...
Game Recaps of Miami-Dade
http://www.4shotsports.com/artman/publish/article_1888.shtml
Miami-Dade Bios
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Dante Taylor video
Taylor Dunk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xk3CCa6Gcts
Game Highlights-he's #11
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-OQrxfNDKkQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xk3CCa6Gcts
Game Highlights-he's #11
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-OQrxfNDKkQ
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Recruiting Update: Dante Taylor, Dom Cheek and Aaric Murray
-Dante Taylor, the talented power forward from Fort Washington, MD, is talking Pitt up to other recruits while at a summer camp in Virginia. The 6'9" Taylor has Pitt at the top of his list, but is going to go thru the entire recruiting process.
Taylor, a 2009 recruit, has flown up the recruiting rankings, currently he's ranked 19th overall and the 4th best power forward by scout.com
-The news isn't as good for Pitt fans pertaining to 2009 target Aaric Murray. The Glen Mills center is currently very high on West Virginia. However, according to a source, West Virginia may not have a schollie available for his class. Which is why Pitt hasn't stopped from trying to set up a visit with the 6'9" player.
-Dom Cheek, the 11th ranked player on scout.com, still has Pitt high on his radar. The 6'6" shooting guard is extremely close to Travon Woodall, an incoming 2008 recruit and former St. Anthony's teammate, and Cheek is waiting to see how Woodall likes playing at Pitt. Newly promoted Brandin Knight is currently the lead recruiter for Cheek.
Taylor, a 2009 recruit, has flown up the recruiting rankings, currently he's ranked 19th overall and the 4th best power forward by scout.com
-The news isn't as good for Pitt fans pertaining to 2009 target Aaric Murray. The Glen Mills center is currently very high on West Virginia. However, according to a source, West Virginia may not have a schollie available for his class. Which is why Pitt hasn't stopped from trying to set up a visit with the 6'9" player.
-Dom Cheek, the 11th ranked player on scout.com, still has Pitt high on his radar. The 6'6" shooting guard is extremely close to Travon Woodall, an incoming 2008 recruit and former St. Anthony's teammate, and Cheek is waiting to see how Woodall likes playing at Pitt. Newly promoted Brandin Knight is currently the lead recruiter for Cheek.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Pitt Panther Recruit: Dwight Miller
I found a video clip of Dwight Miller training with Olajuwon. It's from before his senior year, so it's older, but it should give you a good grasp on what type of player he is, that is a face up power forward.
http://blogs.chron.com/prepsports/2007/07/video_dwight_miller_of_st_pius.html
and a shorter one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wYGQAyTfZA
http://blogs.chron.com/prepsports/2007/07/video_dwight_miller_of_st_pius.html
and a shorter one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wYGQAyTfZA
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Cassin Diggs
As has been known for a few days now, Cassin Diggs is no longer part of the University of Pittsburgh basketball program. We were informed several months ago that he would not be returning. We didn't know why until today.
Diggs was pushed out starting early in the season. The reports of an injury were grossly over played, according to someone close to the team. He did have blisters that bothered him, but they healed early in the season. His reason for not playing was simple; he didn't have the ability.
Diggs got caught up in a numbers game. He was recruited over by players, DeJuan Blair and Gary McGhee, from his own class. When it became apparent Pitt would need an extra scholarship, he was the odd man out.
This isn't a rare occurrence in D-1 basketball. Teams across the nation ask players to move on, either by transfer or by graduation.
Diggs was pushed out starting early in the season. The reports of an injury were grossly over played, according to someone close to the team. He did have blisters that bothered him, but they healed early in the season. His reason for not playing was simple; he didn't have the ability.
Diggs got caught up in a numbers game. He was recruited over by players, DeJuan Blair and Gary McGhee, from his own class. When it became apparent Pitt would need an extra scholarship, he was the odd man out.
This isn't a rare occurrence in D-1 basketball. Teams across the nation ask players to move on, either by transfer or by graduation.
JamFest Target updates
Pitt may be close to a commitment for 2009. It is uncertain which player is close, but they can be attributed to Coach Herrion.
Lets look at how some Pitt Targets did at the JamFest:
Dante Taylor-6'8" Power Forward
-Taylor played like a man-possessed all weekend. He has lost some weight and appears to be in better shape. Taylor was solid all-around, but was really explosive on the glass. His ability to get off the floor was evident on both ends of the court. He was called a pogo stick for his ability to continue to jump and attack the glass. A lot of the college coaches in the audience believe he hasn't reached his full potential yet. As with a lot of schools, he is a top target for Pitt.
Dom Cheek-6'5" Shooting Guard
-Cheek was really impressed with Pittsburgh, both the school and the city. Right now Villanova is pursuing him hard, and they seem to be the only one making major efforts towards him. The talk around the coaches was that he is a potential McDonald's All-American and a top 10 player nationally. Cheek is good friends with incoming Pitt recruit Travon Woodall and Woodall is working Cheek hard.
Lets look at how some Pitt Targets did at the JamFest:
Dante Taylor-6'8" Power Forward
-Taylor played like a man-possessed all weekend. He has lost some weight and appears to be in better shape. Taylor was solid all-around, but was really explosive on the glass. His ability to get off the floor was evident on both ends of the court. He was called a pogo stick for his ability to continue to jump and attack the glass. A lot of the college coaches in the audience believe he hasn't reached his full potential yet. As with a lot of schools, he is a top target for Pitt.
Dom Cheek-6'5" Shooting Guard
-Cheek was really impressed with Pittsburgh, both the school and the city. Right now Villanova is pursuing him hard, and they seem to be the only one making major efforts towards him. The talk around the coaches was that he is a potential McDonald's All-American and a top 10 player nationally. Cheek is good friends with incoming Pitt recruit Travon Woodall and Woodall is working Cheek hard.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Pitt Jam Fest: April 18th-20th
We're going to look at the Jam Fest leading up to the event.
The Petersen Events Center will be the host center for the Pitt Jam Fest. The event kicks off Friday, April 18th and runs thru Sunday, April 20th.
Teams from 15 different states, the District of Colombia and Canada will be involved. We've got the list of teams from www.hoopgroup.com.
From CAN: Grassroots Canada, M33M Bounce, TW Blue Hounds
From CT: Connecticut Basketball Club, M33M Express
From DE : Delaware Panthers
From DC: DC Assault, DC Blue Devils
From FL : Florida Rams, Team Elevation
From IL: Full Package Athletics, Old Gold Basketball, Team Illinois
From IN: Blessed IJN, Indiana Elite, Indiana Premier, Spiece Indy Heat, Spiece Gym Rats
From MA: Expressions, Hit Squad Huskies, Mass Rivals, New England Playaz, Team Boston Elite
From MD: Baltimore Select, Baltimore Stars, Cecil Kirk, Hoop Magic, Severna Park, Triple Threat, Washington Shock, WPC Elite
From MI : R.E.A.C.H. Legends
From MO: Team Missouri
From NJ: Central Jersey Hawks, CJEOTO, Jersey Shore Warriors, JJ Hoops, New Jersey Roadrunners, New Jersey Shoreshots, Playaz Basketball Club, Team BOSS, Team Jersey Elite, Team NJ ABC, NJ Ballaz
From NY: Albany City Rocks, GC Ballers, Harlem Kings, Juice All Stars, Long Island Rising Stars, M33M GC Ballers, New York Elite, New York Gauchos, New York Panthers, Upstate Basketball
From OH: AIM High, All Ohio Force, D1 Greyhounds, Ohio Basketball Club, Ohio Gators, Queen City Prophets, Squash All Beefs, Team CBIZ, Team Dayton Ballers
From PA: Basketball Stars of America, Hunting Park Warriors, Pittsburgh Storm, Positive Image, Renegades Black, Team Final, Team Kobe, Washington Warriors
From VA: Boo Williams, East Coast Fusion, GESUS Ball, Lynchburg Hoops
From WI: Next Level Elite, Terry Porter Elite
The Petersen Events Center will be the host center for the Pitt Jam Fest. The event kicks off Friday, April 18th and runs thru Sunday, April 20th.
Teams from 15 different states, the District of Colombia and Canada will be involved. We've got the list of teams from www.hoopgroup.com.
From CAN: Grassroots Canada, M33M Bounce, TW Blue Hounds
From CT: Connecticut Basketball Club, M33M Express
From DE : Delaware Panthers
From DC: DC Assault, DC Blue Devils
From FL : Florida Rams, Team Elevation
From IL: Full Package Athletics, Old Gold Basketball, Team Illinois
From IN: Blessed IJN, Indiana Elite, Indiana Premier, Spiece Indy Heat, Spiece Gym Rats
From MA: Expressions, Hit Squad Huskies, Mass Rivals, New England Playaz, Team Boston Elite
From MD: Baltimore Select, Baltimore Stars, Cecil Kirk, Hoop Magic, Severna Park, Triple Threat, Washington Shock, WPC Elite
From MI : R.E.A.C.H. Legends
From MO: Team Missouri
From NJ: Central Jersey Hawks, CJEOTO, Jersey Shore Warriors, JJ Hoops, New Jersey Roadrunners, New Jersey Shoreshots, Playaz Basketball Club, Team BOSS, Team Jersey Elite, Team NJ ABC, NJ Ballaz
From NY: Albany City Rocks, GC Ballers, Harlem Kings, Juice All Stars, Long Island Rising Stars, M33M GC Ballers, New York Elite, New York Gauchos, New York Panthers, Upstate Basketball
From OH: AIM High, All Ohio Force, D1 Greyhounds, Ohio Basketball Club, Ohio Gators, Queen City Prophets, Squash All Beefs, Team CBIZ, Team Dayton Ballers
From PA: Basketball Stars of America, Hunting Park Warriors, Pittsburgh Storm, Positive Image, Renegades Black, Team Final, Team Kobe, Washington Warriors
From VA: Boo Williams, East Coast Fusion, GESUS Ball, Lynchburg Hoops
From WI: Next Level Elite, Terry Porter Elite
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Mike Cook Update
Mike Cook wants to return. Cook suffered a torn ACL as well as a medial and lateral meniscial tear in a game against Duke on December 20th.
Originally Cook was believed to be out for all of next season too, since it was such a rare and serious set of injuries. Cook believed his best option was to continue to rehab and prepare for a chance to play professionally. However Cook has surpassed expectations for his recovery time and would like to now play for the Panthers next year.
Cook's return could add to a Pitt team that would return its top scorers in Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, etc. It could also help ease the pain of losing Ronnie Ramon at the 2 spot.
If Cook returns next year, he could play the 2 and Gilbert Brown could play the 3, or vice versa. This would give Brad Wannamaker an extra year to continue to improve and let some of the newcomers, Jermaine Dixon, Travon Woodall, and Ashton Gibbs, possibly take a red shirt or ease into the college game.
This year Cook averaged 10.4 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, and averaged 2.6 assists per game prior to his injuries . For his Pitt career, Cook is a 43.4% shooter from three-point range.
Should Cook return, it does bring up an interesting question: Which Panthers will leave to make room for Cook? If every player returns that could, Pitt would have 15 schollied players. The NCAA limit is 13.
Originally Cook was believed to be out for all of next season too, since it was such a rare and serious set of injuries. Cook believed his best option was to continue to rehab and prepare for a chance to play professionally. However Cook has surpassed expectations for his recovery time and would like to now play for the Panthers next year.
Cook's return could add to a Pitt team that would return its top scorers in Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, etc. It could also help ease the pain of losing Ronnie Ramon at the 2 spot.
If Cook returns next year, he could play the 2 and Gilbert Brown could play the 3, or vice versa. This would give Brad Wannamaker an extra year to continue to improve and let some of the newcomers, Jermaine Dixon, Travon Woodall, and Ashton Gibbs, possibly take a red shirt or ease into the college game.
This year Cook averaged 10.4 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, and averaged 2.6 assists per game prior to his injuries . For his Pitt career, Cook is a 43.4% shooter from three-point range.
Should Cook return, it does bring up an interesting question: Which Panthers will leave to make room for Cook? If every player returns that could, Pitt would have 15 schollied players. The NCAA limit is 13.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Pitt Targets
Dante Taylor-Class of 2009-National Christian Academy, Maryland-Lead Recruiter: Herrion. Taylor has not visited and a date has not been scheduled. He is a big time post player, with the potential to be similar to Jeff Adrien of UConn. He is tough and has good size and strength, 6'8" 215 pounds. He has a very high ceiling and would be perfect for the Big East. Looks like he is at least a 3 year guy, which is good for Pitt. Most likely Pitt or Maryland.
Brian Oliver-Class of 2009-Oak Hill Academy, Virginia-Lead Recruiter: Herrion. Oliver visited the University of Pittsburgh at Jamfest last year. He is most likely a solid four year guy that can shoot it and is fundamentally sound. He is not a superstar, but a very good college player. I'd say Pitt's chances are not very good just because of the numbers game.
Durand Scott-Class of 2009-Rice High School, New York City-Lead Recruiter: Antigua. He has not visited the campus. Scott will probably will be here for Jamfest in April. He is a tough kid with great touch and a very crafty scorer. He is a three or four year guy most likely. He is a quality kid and a kid that would make Pitt better. It depends on what positions Pitt is going to take in 09, but if Pitt focused on him we have a good shot.
Dan Jennings-Class of 2008-Oak Hill Academy, Virginia-Lead Recruiter: Antigua. A nice player that doesn't have the wow factor of some of his teammates. Jennings was up here for Jamfest and was shown around by Austin Wallace who knew him from the Gauchos. Jennings had a disappointing year at Oak Hill Academy but has really worked hard since then; getting into shape and hitting the gym more. Can be a bit lazy and tends to be little cocky. Coach Antigua is recruiting him because he is from Staten Island. He is a four year guy. He plays hard and is solid, but not in the league of Dante Taylor yet. Chances are pretty good, but the longer it goes, more schools will enter.
Maurice Creek-Class of 2009-South Kent School, Connecticut Herrion. Good player that can score. He has a solid all around game. Scott would definitely solve Pitt's problems at the 2, but we'll see because Pitt is still actively recruiting DeAndre Kane of Schenley and Pitt needs a big man. Position numbers could become an issue. There are no visits as of now set.
Tony Chenault- Class of 2010-St. John Neuman High School, Philadelphia-Lead Recruiter: Antigua. Chenault has a game similar to Maliik Wayns, who's going to Nova. Pitt might be able to sneak in and snag him, but Pitt might wait until the 2011 class and go after Sterling Gibbs.
JUCO Players- Pitt is currently keeping tabs on Steven Toyloy, a 6'9" 250 pound player for Miami-Dade. He is considered a PF/C. Also on the Miami-Dade team is Will Coleman, another post player. If Miami-Dade sounds familiar, that's because Darnell Dodson is playing there.
EDIT------
As a side note, Dodson is still very interested in becoming a Pittsburgh Panther. This can only help with Pitt's chances with the JUCO players mentioned above.
Brian Oliver-Class of 2009-Oak Hill Academy, Virginia-Lead Recruiter: Herrion. Oliver visited the University of Pittsburgh at Jamfest last year. He is most likely a solid four year guy that can shoot it and is fundamentally sound. He is not a superstar, but a very good college player. I'd say Pitt's chances are not very good just because of the numbers game.
Durand Scott-Class of 2009-Rice High School, New York City-Lead Recruiter: Antigua. He has not visited the campus. Scott will probably will be here for Jamfest in April. He is a tough kid with great touch and a very crafty scorer. He is a three or four year guy most likely. He is a quality kid and a kid that would make Pitt better. It depends on what positions Pitt is going to take in 09, but if Pitt focused on him we have a good shot.
Dan Jennings-Class of 2008-Oak Hill Academy, Virginia-Lead Recruiter: Antigua. A nice player that doesn't have the wow factor of some of his teammates. Jennings was up here for Jamfest and was shown around by Austin Wallace who knew him from the Gauchos. Jennings had a disappointing year at Oak Hill Academy but has really worked hard since then; getting into shape and hitting the gym more. Can be a bit lazy and tends to be little cocky. Coach Antigua is recruiting him because he is from Staten Island. He is a four year guy. He plays hard and is solid, but not in the league of Dante Taylor yet. Chances are pretty good, but the longer it goes, more schools will enter.
Maurice Creek-Class of 2009-South Kent School, Connecticut Herrion. Good player that can score. He has a solid all around game. Scott would definitely solve Pitt's problems at the 2, but we'll see because Pitt is still actively recruiting DeAndre Kane of Schenley and Pitt needs a big man. Position numbers could become an issue. There are no visits as of now set.
Tony Chenault- Class of 2010-St. John Neuman High School, Philadelphia-Lead Recruiter: Antigua. Chenault has a game similar to Maliik Wayns, who's going to Nova. Pitt might be able to sneak in and snag him, but Pitt might wait until the 2011 class and go after Sterling Gibbs.
JUCO Players- Pitt is currently keeping tabs on Steven Toyloy, a 6'9" 250 pound player for Miami-Dade. He is considered a PF/C. Also on the Miami-Dade team is Will Coleman, another post player. If Miami-Dade sounds familiar, that's because Darnell Dodson is playing there.
EDIT------
As a side note, Dodson is still very interested in becoming a Pittsburgh Panther. This can only help with Pitt's chances with the JUCO players mentioned above.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Recruiting Recap
We have a lot of information on some Pitt targets, so I wanted to put together a quick recap list for easy use…
Andrew Fitzgerald-Class of 2009-Owings Mills, Maryland- Fitzgerald did not make a scheduled visit during the weekend of March 9th. Heis viewed as a polished post player who can play either PF or C. He was to be offered a scholarship during his visit, we do not know if one was extended even though he didn’t visit. His lead recruiter is Orlando Antiqua with Tom Herrion in a secondary role.
Sterling Gibbs-Class of 2011-West Orange, NJ-Sterling Gibbs is the younger brother of incoming recruit Ashton Gibbs. Several on Pitt’s staff believe he will be the top rated PG in his class. As a freshman, he had several games where he scored 14 or 15 points on the varsity squad for Seton Hall Prep. Sterling will play AAU ball with Omari Lawrence, Durand Scott, and Kevin Parrom. He has high interest in the University of Pittsburgh.
DeAndre Kane-Class of 2008-Pittsburgh, PA-Kane is a sharp-shooting SG from DeJuan Blair’s former high school, Schenley. Rumors still remain about his eligibility, but Pitt’s staff is not worried about Kane qualifying. Kane would like to continue his basketball career beside Blair. His lead recruiter is Orlando Antigua. Kane has high interest in the University of Pittsburgh.
Zeke Marshall-Class of 2009-McKeesport, PA-Superb defensive Center that played on a very talented WPIAL AAAA team, McKeesport Area. Marshall has not received a written offer from the staff as of now. His stock could soar with some additional bulk and a strong showing in AAU ball.
Frank Ben-Eze-Class of 2008-Arlington, VA- Ben-Eze recently decommitted from Harvard. The 6’10” Center has high interest in the University of Pittsburgh. Tom Herion is his lead recruiter, however he is not the only contact.
Andrew Fitzgerald-Class of 2009-Owings Mills, Maryland- Fitzgerald did not make a scheduled visit during the weekend of March 9th. Heis viewed as a polished post player who can play either PF or C. He was to be offered a scholarship during his visit, we do not know if one was extended even though he didn’t visit. His lead recruiter is Orlando Antiqua with Tom Herrion in a secondary role.
Sterling Gibbs-Class of 2011-West Orange, NJ-Sterling Gibbs is the younger brother of incoming recruit Ashton Gibbs. Several on Pitt’s staff believe he will be the top rated PG in his class. As a freshman, he had several games where he scored 14 or 15 points on the varsity squad for Seton Hall Prep. Sterling will play AAU ball with Omari Lawrence, Durand Scott, and Kevin Parrom. He has high interest in the University of Pittsburgh.
DeAndre Kane-Class of 2008-Pittsburgh, PA-Kane is a sharp-shooting SG from DeJuan Blair’s former high school, Schenley. Rumors still remain about his eligibility, but Pitt’s staff is not worried about Kane qualifying. Kane would like to continue his basketball career beside Blair. His lead recruiter is Orlando Antigua. Kane has high interest in the University of Pittsburgh.
Zeke Marshall-Class of 2009-McKeesport, PA-Superb defensive Center that played on a very talented WPIAL AAAA team, McKeesport Area. Marshall has not received a written offer from the staff as of now. His stock could soar with some additional bulk and a strong showing in AAU ball.
Frank Ben-Eze-Class of 2008-Arlington, VA- Ben-Eze recently decommitted from Harvard. The 6’10” Center has high interest in the University of Pittsburgh. Tom Herion is his lead recruiter, however he is not the only contact.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Pitt Notes: Coaching, Echenique, Ben-Eze
No real need to rehash the loss to MSU, it happened and the season is now over...
-A couple of Pitt assistant coaches are candidates for positions with other teams. Coach Knight is rumored to be involved with NJIT. Coach Herrion is expected to be a candidate for James Madison University, Siena, and has been rumored to be on Providence's short list.
It looks like the coaching carousel will continue at the University of Pittsburgh with at least one move, maybe more, this off season.
-Greg Echenique's commitment to Rutgers took the Pitt staff by surprise. Echenique simply liked the campus location and the Rutgers' environment.
-Frank Ben-Eze has Pitt high on his list. The 6'10" center currently attends Bishop O'Connell in Arlington, Virginia.
EDIT----------------------------
James Madison has hired a new coach, it is not Coach Herrion...
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=cbask/news/AEN4140734.htm
-A couple of Pitt assistant coaches are candidates for positions with other teams. Coach Knight is rumored to be involved with NJIT. Coach Herrion is expected to be a candidate for James Madison University, Siena, and has been rumored to be on Providence's short list.
It looks like the coaching carousel will continue at the University of Pittsburgh with at least one move, maybe more, this off season.
-Greg Echenique's commitment to Rutgers took the Pitt staff by surprise. Echenique simply liked the campus location and the Rutgers' environment.
-Frank Ben-Eze has Pitt high on his list. The 6'10" center currently attends Bishop O'Connell in Arlington, Virginia.
EDIT----------------------------
James Madison has hired a new coach, it is not Coach Herrion...
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=cbask/news/AEN4140734.htm
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Gibbs Wins All-Star MVP Honors
This tidbit was passed on to us by The Chairman. It's a great read about a future Panther.
http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/03/gibbs-wins-mvp.html
http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/03/gibbs-wins-mvp.html
UPDATED Pitt Notes: Sterling Gibbs
-Sterling Gibbs will be playing AAU ball this summer. Some of his teammates will be Omari Lawrence, Kevin Parrom, and Durand Scott, among some others. He will be the youngest player on the team.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Pitt Notes
Some ramblings in the world of Pitt...
-Ashton Gibbs, Sterling Gibbs, and Travon Woodall were all in NYC for the Big East tourney. They weren't guests of the Panthers, but they certainly pulled for them.
-More on Sterling, a top-rated prospect, he is extremely interested in becoming a Pitt Panther.
-Also in attendance for the Big East tourney was Greg Echenique, along with his coach. Remember the St. Benedict big man recently visited Pitt during the DePaul game.
-It appears that Georgetown has rocketed up the rivalry scale, not just with the fans, but with the players as well.
-Rumors of Brad Wannamaker's transfer appear to be unfounded. Mike Cook has taken him under his wing and has really been a leader for the Panthers.
-Ashton Gibbs, Sterling Gibbs, and Travon Woodall were all in NYC for the Big East tourney. They weren't guests of the Panthers, but they certainly pulled for them.
-More on Sterling, a top-rated prospect, he is extremely interested in becoming a Pitt Panther.
-Also in attendance for the Big East tourney was Greg Echenique, along with his coach. Remember the St. Benedict big man recently visited Pitt during the DePaul game.
-It appears that Georgetown has rocketed up the rivalry scale, not just with the fans, but with the players as well.
-Rumors of Brad Wannamaker's transfer appear to be unfounded. Mike Cook has taken him under his wing and has really been a leader for the Panthers.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
NCAA Preview by The Chairman
- On the seeding: Pitt's 4 seed is just about right . . . I believe that the wins are there to be much higher . . . but Pitt's losses mitigate some of the great things on their resume. For a team that last week probably needed one win during the BET to cement an 7-9 seed, you can't complain about a 4. One somewhat odd thing though is that if I understand the curve right, Pitt is the second lowest 4 seed . . . meaning that they could have easily been a 5 and probably would have been a 6 if they lost to G-Town. That is kind of low . . . but, no matter, it is what it is.
- On the South Region in General: Looking at the bracket, it appears this bracket, along with the East, are the two toughest brackets. Memphis, Texas, Stanford, Pitt, MSU, Marquette and maybe Oregon or St. Mary's are capable of making a lot of noise. If I were Memphis, I wouldn't overlook that second round matchup, because Miss St. plays tough and has a guy (Jamont Gordon) that can win a game by himself and because Oregon is dangerous. If I was a Marquette fan, I would love that draw and would be very happy. Stanford could be rough, but they get past them and I think they have the tools to beat Texas.
- On the South Region in Relation to Pitt and Pitt's Matchups: The first thing you notice from looking at the bracket is that with Pitt being a 4, they would face a 1 in the Sweet 16. But they have to get there first. And so does the 1, who may have some second round issues.
Lets assume Pitt is going to win in the first round . . . Oral Roberts has some games on its resume, but Pitt should win there.
As for the second round, it would appear to be Michigan State as a probable matchup. Pitt and MSU are clones at points . . . Pitt is usually the toughest team in the Big East and MSU is usually the toughest in the Big Ten . . . the game would be physical and there will probably be blood. MSU throws big bodies at people on the inside, and has smaller, quick guards. They have a wing in Raymar Morgan that is a good and versatile player. They have two young wings off of the bench that provide offense, but are somewhat careless with the ball. They are a good team.
Pitt would need a good effort to beat them. Not a great effort, but a really solid one.
If Pitt faces Temple, I think they win easy underneath . . . Temple just doesn't have the bodies to bang with Blair, Young and Biggs. They have two guys that can get hot and carry them though . . . it probably is better that MSU disposes of those guys without allowing them to get hot, but if they get hot, it could be trouble.
As for the Sweet 16, if Pitt gets there, it appears Memphis would be waiting . . . a tough matchup for Pitt, because I don't know if Pitt can matchup in the backcourt. Pitt's frontcourt will score and gain them a lot of currency here, but it is all about how Ramon and Fields handle the dribble penetration. I am of the opinion that if Pitt plays Memphis, Gil Brown and Keith Benjamin will be very important for Pitt, because these guys are athletic enough to cause problems for Memphis' guards.
I just don't think this is a good matchup for Pitt stylistically and I would hope that Oregon or Miss. St. pulls an early upset. Pitt could handle those teams . . . but, against Memphis, I would place as a 40% percent proposition to win . . . Pitt has a good shot, but I think the odds are against them. Still, I remember back to the last time Pitt played Memphis . . . Pitt threw them around, dominated the boards and just punished them physically at every turn. This Pitt team is much better than that Pitt team was, but Memphis can say the same about themselves.
If Pitt gets past this point, I think they will head to the Final Four, because I don't think there is a team in the bottom of the bracket that Pitt wouldn't be a favorite against. Texas and Stanford are very beatable . . . Pitt has already defeated Marquette, who despite my feeling that they could far there, has shown a propensity to head out early.
- On the Rest of the Brackets: In the Midwest, if Kansas and G-Town don't meet in Detroit for the Midwest regional, I will be stunned. Those teams didn't get walks into the Elite 8, but they should be able to handle what is ahead of them. They both may have some Second Round issues, tough games, but they should be okay.
In the East, North Carolina could have hard matchups every round after the first . . . if Indiana decides that they want to play without Kelvin Sampson, they could be dangerous. Washington State could cause them some problems and so could ND . . . if ND can beat George Mason. Tennessee and Louisville are on a crash course to meet each other in the Sweet 16 and I think the winner of that game will come out of that bracket.
In the West, if UCLA gets past UConn in the Sweet 16, I think they are going to walk in. The West is weak . . . both WVU and UConn could make it out of here . . . I think if UCLA does not come out, something crazy (or UConn) will.
- Dangerous Teams: In the South, Pitt, MSU and Marquette are all very dangerous and could easily come out of there. In the East, Louisville, WSU and maybe Indiana. In the Midwest, Gonzaga, Davidson and UNLV are teams I will keep an eye on. In the West, UConn and WVU deserve for an eye to be kept on them.
- A Premature Pitt Prediction: I am not going to give you a team and round, but I will say this: If Pitt goes out, I think it will be in the round of 32 or the Sweet 16. If the loss isn't there, it will be in San Antonio. That is my opinion right now, and is subject to fast change.
- Possible Surprise Teams (Seeded from 5 and Up): Marquette, BYU, Gonzaga, Davidson, Clemson, South Alabama
- A Premature Final Four Prediction (Narrowing the Field): East: Louisville or Tennessee; Midwest: G-Town or Kansas; South: Memphis or Marquette (I really hope it is Pitt though and they have a chance); West: UCLA.
- A Premature Champion: UCLA
- Final Note: No matter what occurs, it has been a great ride. My advice would be to enjoy the rest of it, whether it is one round or five.
- On the South Region in General: Looking at the bracket, it appears this bracket, along with the East, are the two toughest brackets. Memphis, Texas, Stanford, Pitt, MSU, Marquette and maybe Oregon or St. Mary's are capable of making a lot of noise. If I were Memphis, I wouldn't overlook that second round matchup, because Miss St. plays tough and has a guy (Jamont Gordon) that can win a game by himself and because Oregon is dangerous. If I was a Marquette fan, I would love that draw and would be very happy. Stanford could be rough, but they get past them and I think they have the tools to beat Texas.
- On the South Region in Relation to Pitt and Pitt's Matchups: The first thing you notice from looking at the bracket is that with Pitt being a 4, they would face a 1 in the Sweet 16. But they have to get there first. And so does the 1, who may have some second round issues.
Lets assume Pitt is going to win in the first round . . . Oral Roberts has some games on its resume, but Pitt should win there.
As for the second round, it would appear to be Michigan State as a probable matchup. Pitt and MSU are clones at points . . . Pitt is usually the toughest team in the Big East and MSU is usually the toughest in the Big Ten . . . the game would be physical and there will probably be blood. MSU throws big bodies at people on the inside, and has smaller, quick guards. They have a wing in Raymar Morgan that is a good and versatile player. They have two young wings off of the bench that provide offense, but are somewhat careless with the ball. They are a good team.
Pitt would need a good effort to beat them. Not a great effort, but a really solid one.
If Pitt faces Temple, I think they win easy underneath . . . Temple just doesn't have the bodies to bang with Blair, Young and Biggs. They have two guys that can get hot and carry them though . . . it probably is better that MSU disposes of those guys without allowing them to get hot, but if they get hot, it could be trouble.
As for the Sweet 16, if Pitt gets there, it appears Memphis would be waiting . . . a tough matchup for Pitt, because I don't know if Pitt can matchup in the backcourt. Pitt's frontcourt will score and gain them a lot of currency here, but it is all about how Ramon and Fields handle the dribble penetration. I am of the opinion that if Pitt plays Memphis, Gil Brown and Keith Benjamin will be very important for Pitt, because these guys are athletic enough to cause problems for Memphis' guards.
I just don't think this is a good matchup for Pitt stylistically and I would hope that Oregon or Miss. St. pulls an early upset. Pitt could handle those teams . . . but, against Memphis, I would place as a 40% percent proposition to win . . . Pitt has a good shot, but I think the odds are against them. Still, I remember back to the last time Pitt played Memphis . . . Pitt threw them around, dominated the boards and just punished them physically at every turn. This Pitt team is much better than that Pitt team was, but Memphis can say the same about themselves.
If Pitt gets past this point, I think they will head to the Final Four, because I don't think there is a team in the bottom of the bracket that Pitt wouldn't be a favorite against. Texas and Stanford are very beatable . . . Pitt has already defeated Marquette, who despite my feeling that they could far there, has shown a propensity to head out early.
- On the Rest of the Brackets: In the Midwest, if Kansas and G-Town don't meet in Detroit for the Midwest regional, I will be stunned. Those teams didn't get walks into the Elite 8, but they should be able to handle what is ahead of them. They both may have some Second Round issues, tough games, but they should be okay.
In the East, North Carolina could have hard matchups every round after the first . . . if Indiana decides that they want to play without Kelvin Sampson, they could be dangerous. Washington State could cause them some problems and so could ND . . . if ND can beat George Mason. Tennessee and Louisville are on a crash course to meet each other in the Sweet 16 and I think the winner of that game will come out of that bracket.
In the West, if UCLA gets past UConn in the Sweet 16, I think they are going to walk in. The West is weak . . . both WVU and UConn could make it out of here . . . I think if UCLA does not come out, something crazy (or UConn) will.
- Dangerous Teams: In the South, Pitt, MSU and Marquette are all very dangerous and could easily come out of there. In the East, Louisville, WSU and maybe Indiana. In the Midwest, Gonzaga, Davidson and UNLV are teams I will keep an eye on. In the West, UConn and WVU deserve for an eye to be kept on them.
- A Premature Pitt Prediction: I am not going to give you a team and round, but I will say this: If Pitt goes out, I think it will be in the round of 32 or the Sweet 16. If the loss isn't there, it will be in San Antonio. That is my opinion right now, and is subject to fast change.
- Possible Surprise Teams (Seeded from 5 and Up): Marquette, BYU, Gonzaga, Davidson, Clemson, South Alabama
- A Premature Final Four Prediction (Narrowing the Field): East: Louisville or Tennessee; Midwest: G-Town or Kansas; South: Memphis or Marquette (I really hope it is Pitt though and they have a chance); West: UCLA.
- A Premature Champion: UCLA
- Final Note: No matter what occurs, it has been a great ride. My advice would be to enjoy the rest of it, whether it is one round or five.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Do you have questions?
If you do, then drop a line in the recent posts. We'll do our best to answer all the questions we receive.
BET Pitt-Lville Recap
- Great win, a team effort, everyone that played contributed valuable minutes. Pitt answered the call each time they were challenged by U of L. It showed great character and is a sign of positive things moving forward.
- Dixon coached an excellent game . . . you could see the team was very prepared . . . and you could see the team had the requisite intensity. Dixon is a great young coach.
- One of the most encouraging things about the game yesterday was Pitt's young players. Blair was very good, Brown was excellent, and Wanamaker gave them some valuable minutes (especially defensively). More on this later.
- The most encouraging thing about the game was Levance Fields, who just keeps getting better and better . . . more and more back to normal. He just makes the game so much easier for his teammates . . .
- Player of the Game: Going with Sam Young here . . . he hit the big shots . . . he stressed out U of L's D . . . he got lost a few times on D, but played good enough. He had to deal with some tough match ups and acquitted himself pretty well.
- Ramon was very solid, and he hit the big shots. When he is hitting the threes, he becomes invaluable because those shots also open the floor for his teammates.
- Biggs gave this team really excellent minutes . . . he produced on both ends . . . it is good to see him rounding into form at the right time.
- Gil Brown was everywhere on both ends . . . he changed the game as much as any player can with 8 and 8 numbers . . . he just means a lot for this team. Even though he played really, really well, Brown just has the potential to be so much better. Just wait until he becomes more comfortable offensively.
- Benjamin will live to fight another day . . . he will be huge tonight . . . and hopefully, his fresh legs make a big difference.
- Wanamaker gave them important minutes . . . he played well enough and did not hurt the team . . . he has to quit getting sucked in on D . . . and he has to play more assertive on O. But, he made a good contribution.
- Finally, DeJuan Blair played big in a big game. He is just a freshman . . . but, that has been his M.O. for the past two seasons . . . and I guess we have gotten to a point where we expect no different.
-Special thanks to The Chairman of the Board for this (and most) game recaps
- Dixon coached an excellent game . . . you could see the team was very prepared . . . and you could see the team had the requisite intensity. Dixon is a great young coach.
- One of the most encouraging things about the game yesterday was Pitt's young players. Blair was very good, Brown was excellent, and Wanamaker gave them some valuable minutes (especially defensively). More on this later.
- The most encouraging thing about the game was Levance Fields, who just keeps getting better and better . . . more and more back to normal. He just makes the game so much easier for his teammates . . .
- Player of the Game: Going with Sam Young here . . . he hit the big shots . . . he stressed out U of L's D . . . he got lost a few times on D, but played good enough. He had to deal with some tough match ups and acquitted himself pretty well.
- Ramon was very solid, and he hit the big shots. When he is hitting the threes, he becomes invaluable because those shots also open the floor for his teammates.
- Biggs gave this team really excellent minutes . . . he produced on both ends . . . it is good to see him rounding into form at the right time.
- Gil Brown was everywhere on both ends . . . he changed the game as much as any player can with 8 and 8 numbers . . . he just means a lot for this team. Even though he played really, really well, Brown just has the potential to be so much better. Just wait until he becomes more comfortable offensively.
- Benjamin will live to fight another day . . . he will be huge tonight . . . and hopefully, his fresh legs make a big difference.
- Wanamaker gave them important minutes . . . he played well enough and did not hurt the team . . . he has to quit getting sucked in on D . . . and he has to play more assertive on O. But, he made a good contribution.
- Finally, DeJuan Blair played big in a big game. He is just a freshman . . . but, that has been his M.O. for the past two seasons . . . and I guess we have gotten to a point where we expect no different.
-Special thanks to The Chairman of the Board for this (and most) game recaps
Thursday, March 13, 2008
BET Pitt-Cincy Game Recap
-Any win in the Big East Tournament is a good win. Last night we saw Pitt beat Cincinnati 70-64. Not hard to explain this one since Pitt outplayed Cincy's team badly, except for one player, Deonta Vaughn.
-Vaughn was unconscious in the second half scoring 23 points, he totalled 30 for the game. His overall shooting percentage and three-point percentage weren't anything to write home about, both around 33%, but he hit tough shots when the Bearcats needed it.
Pitt responded to Vaughn though. How many fans remember Dwayne Wade beating Pitt, seemingly by himself, in the NCAA Tournament a few years back? We've seen Pitt lose to teams when one player is able to dominate the scorer's sheet, but the Panthers weren't about to let that happen again.
-The player of the game for me has to be Sam Young. Forget about his 21 points or even his 6 rebounds, which were very nice considering he matched DeJuan Blair's game total, instead focus on his 4 blocks.
Sam Young played his best overall game of the year, by virtue of his best defensive game of his career. Other than one mental lapse on the perimeter that left Vaughn open, he was in the right position and he owned the middle late in the game. Young was challenged to shut down the middle because Blair was on the bench, and he passed that challenge with flying colors.
Offensively Young was superb. He looked very comfortable with his ball handling, going between his legs repeatedly, using his tip-toes shot fake, and dishing when he got into trouble.
If he was showing off for a few scouts, they had to be impressed.
-Incredible adjustments made by the players and the staff in the second half. When Vaughn started to go off Pitt's coaching staff ditched the hedge on the perimeter and went to simply switching off every screen. It was a gamble, but it paid off.
The switches shut down Vaughn from the inside and forced him to penetrate. He got fouled a few too many times, but he also got blocked by Young a few times too.
-Don't underestimate the decision to pull Blair and replace him with Tyrell Biggs either. Blair has shown a tendency to foul away from the hoop and can't keep up with perimeter players. Biggs isn't going win many foot races with guards either, but he played well when asked to switch onto Vaughn.
If the Bearcats' coaching staff started to dump into the middle, like I suspect Louisville might do in that situation, we might be lamenting another blown lead and critics would be all over Coach Dixon's decision to pull Blair. Could you really blame them?
-Biggs played one of his best games off the bench against Cincy. Aside from the solid defense against Vaughn, he contributed like a valuable bench player should. He had 6 points and never missed a shot. He was 2-2 from the field and 2-2 from the charity stripe. He also had 4 rebounds, 1 offensive, in 20 minutes of play.
-The guards deserve congratulations for a superb all around effort. Ronnie Ramon lead the team with 7 rebounds to go with his 12 points, 4 assists and 0 turnovers. Keith Benjiman had 5 rebounds to go with his 15 points. Levance Fields had 4 rebounds to go with his 10 points, 6 assists and only 1 turnover.
The biggest asset the guards brought to the table was their rebounding. These three had 16 total rebounds, but more importantly they had 4 offensive rebounds. Missing long shots doesn't hurt as much, if you're grabbing the rebounds.
Ramon and Fields combined for 10 assists with only 1 turnover. That's great ball protection.
-One final closing comment...Blair didn't have his best performance, for whatever reason. He attempted only one shot from the field, which he missed and only hit 2-6 from the charity stripe. It was obvious that Cincy was not going to let Blair beat them. They doubled him all night long. My only criticism of Blair is that he needs to recognize the double earlier, or realize when a team is late on the double and go up strong quicker.
I'm sure Blair had some butterflies, but we'll need him to shake them when we play Louisville tonight.
-Vaughn was unconscious in the second half scoring 23 points, he totalled 30 for the game. His overall shooting percentage and three-point percentage weren't anything to write home about, both around 33%, but he hit tough shots when the Bearcats needed it.
Pitt responded to Vaughn though. How many fans remember Dwayne Wade beating Pitt, seemingly by himself, in the NCAA Tournament a few years back? We've seen Pitt lose to teams when one player is able to dominate the scorer's sheet, but the Panthers weren't about to let that happen again.
-The player of the game for me has to be Sam Young. Forget about his 21 points or even his 6 rebounds, which were very nice considering he matched DeJuan Blair's game total, instead focus on his 4 blocks.
Sam Young played his best overall game of the year, by virtue of his best defensive game of his career. Other than one mental lapse on the perimeter that left Vaughn open, he was in the right position and he owned the middle late in the game. Young was challenged to shut down the middle because Blair was on the bench, and he passed that challenge with flying colors.
Offensively Young was superb. He looked very comfortable with his ball handling, going between his legs repeatedly, using his tip-toes shot fake, and dishing when he got into trouble.
If he was showing off for a few scouts, they had to be impressed.
-Incredible adjustments made by the players and the staff in the second half. When Vaughn started to go off Pitt's coaching staff ditched the hedge on the perimeter and went to simply switching off every screen. It was a gamble, but it paid off.
The switches shut down Vaughn from the inside and forced him to penetrate. He got fouled a few too many times, but he also got blocked by Young a few times too.
-Don't underestimate the decision to pull Blair and replace him with Tyrell Biggs either. Blair has shown a tendency to foul away from the hoop and can't keep up with perimeter players. Biggs isn't going win many foot races with guards either, but he played well when asked to switch onto Vaughn.
If the Bearcats' coaching staff started to dump into the middle, like I suspect Louisville might do in that situation, we might be lamenting another blown lead and critics would be all over Coach Dixon's decision to pull Blair. Could you really blame them?
-Biggs played one of his best games off the bench against Cincy. Aside from the solid defense against Vaughn, he contributed like a valuable bench player should. He had 6 points and never missed a shot. He was 2-2 from the field and 2-2 from the charity stripe. He also had 4 rebounds, 1 offensive, in 20 minutes of play.
-The guards deserve congratulations for a superb all around effort. Ronnie Ramon lead the team with 7 rebounds to go with his 12 points, 4 assists and 0 turnovers. Keith Benjiman had 5 rebounds to go with his 15 points. Levance Fields had 4 rebounds to go with his 10 points, 6 assists and only 1 turnover.
The biggest asset the guards brought to the table was their rebounding. These three had 16 total rebounds, but more importantly they had 4 offensive rebounds. Missing long shots doesn't hurt as much, if you're grabbing the rebounds.
Ramon and Fields combined for 10 assists with only 1 turnover. That's great ball protection.
-One final closing comment...Blair didn't have his best performance, for whatever reason. He attempted only one shot from the field, which he missed and only hit 2-6 from the charity stripe. It was obvious that Cincy was not going to let Blair beat them. They doubled him all night long. My only criticism of Blair is that he needs to recognize the double earlier, or realize when a team is late on the double and go up strong quicker.
I'm sure Blair had some butterflies, but we'll need him to shake them when we play Louisville tonight.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Predicting the Field
We at pittbasketball.blogspot.com decided to guess the 34 at-large bids. We assumed that the conference regular season champion would win the conference tourneys, unless already decided, as was the case with the WCC. Here's how it looks...
Big East-7 at-large bids
Louisville
Notre Dame
UConn
Marquette
West Virginia
Pitt
Syracuse-Cuse boasts an overall RPI of 51 with an overall SOS of 9. Don’t forget about the OOC RPI and SOS, 19 and 33 respectively. Cuse has been penalized for poor OOC schedules, but not this year.
Why we may be wrong…about Cuse. Home losses to UMass (36) and Rhode Island (58) may not be bad when you look at their RPI rankings, but these are still humans deliberating and the perception of these losses may hurt.
ACC-4
Duke
Clemson
Miami
Virginia Tech-Say what you want about the lack of a tough conference schedule, but they still had a winning record win in what is considered the #1 RPI conference.
Why we may be wrong…about VaTech. Losses to PSU (156), Old Dominion (116), and Richmond (120) are ugh-lee. They also don’t have a marquee win, their best is against Maryland (63), home and away.
SEC-4
Vanderbilt
Mississippi State
Arkansas
Kentucky-It’s hard to ignore their conference record, which included wins over Vanderbilt (7) and Tennessee (1). They obviously started slow with the new coaching regime, but they clearly regrouped.
Why we may be wrong…about Kentucky. Losses to Gardner Webb (205), and San Diego (90) are terrible and the UAB (53) loss in state is also bad. A quick exit in the SEC tourney could really hurt them.
Big 12-5
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Baylor
Texas A&M-They’re .500 or better in the #2 ranked conference. Wins over Texas (5) and Oklahoma (26) help bolster their chances.
Why we may be wrong…about Texas A&M. If a team has to be eliminated from the B12, it won’t be KSU with Michael Beasley. A&M did not lose to bad teams, but they lost some games by big numbers, including a 27-point loss to Texas, a 27-point loss to Oklahoma, and a 21-point loss to KSU.
Pac 10-4
Stanford
Washington State
USC
Arizona-They played the 2nd most difficult schedule in the country, the 7th most difficult OOC schedule in the country and still put up 17 wins.
Why we may be wrong…about Arizona. They still lost 13 games including one game to Washington (107) and one game to Virginia (106). Sometimes playing a tough schedule isn’t enough, sometimes you need a marquee win, and Zona lacks one.
Big 10-4
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan State
Ohio State-OSU beat Purdue (36) and Michigan State (15) back-to-back to get back on track. The 21st best SOS doesn’t hurt either.
Why we may be wrong…about Ohio State. Losses to Michigan (181), Iowa (184), and Minnesota (100) are bad to very bad.
WCC-2
Gonzaga
St. Mary’s-an OOC RPI of 17 and an overall RPI of 38 is hard to ignore. Wins over Drake (12) and Gonzaga (30) are very strong.
Why we may be wrong…about St. Mary’s. Losing in the first round of the West Coast Conference Tourney doesn’t look good, even if it was against eventual winner San Diego. They lost to San Diego (90) twice and they have a SOS of 137, ouch.
A10-1
UMass
MVC-1
Illinois State
Mountain West-1
UNLV
CUSA-1
UAB
Big East-7 at-large bids
Louisville
Notre Dame
UConn
Marquette
West Virginia
Pitt
Syracuse-Cuse boasts an overall RPI of 51 with an overall SOS of 9. Don’t forget about the OOC RPI and SOS, 19 and 33 respectively. Cuse has been penalized for poor OOC schedules, but not this year.
Why we may be wrong…about Cuse. Home losses to UMass (36) and Rhode Island (58) may not be bad when you look at their RPI rankings, but these are still humans deliberating and the perception of these losses may hurt.
ACC-4
Duke
Clemson
Miami
Virginia Tech-Say what you want about the lack of a tough conference schedule, but they still had a winning record win in what is considered the #1 RPI conference.
Why we may be wrong…about VaTech. Losses to PSU (156), Old Dominion (116), and Richmond (120) are ugh-lee. They also don’t have a marquee win, their best is against Maryland (63), home and away.
SEC-4
Vanderbilt
Mississippi State
Arkansas
Kentucky-It’s hard to ignore their conference record, which included wins over Vanderbilt (7) and Tennessee (1). They obviously started slow with the new coaching regime, but they clearly regrouped.
Why we may be wrong…about Kentucky. Losses to Gardner Webb (205), and San Diego (90) are terrible and the UAB (53) loss in state is also bad. A quick exit in the SEC tourney could really hurt them.
Big 12-5
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Baylor
Texas A&M-They’re .500 or better in the #2 ranked conference. Wins over Texas (5) and Oklahoma (26) help bolster their chances.
Why we may be wrong…about Texas A&M. If a team has to be eliminated from the B12, it won’t be KSU with Michael Beasley. A&M did not lose to bad teams, but they lost some games by big numbers, including a 27-point loss to Texas, a 27-point loss to Oklahoma, and a 21-point loss to KSU.
Pac 10-4
Stanford
Washington State
USC
Arizona-They played the 2nd most difficult schedule in the country, the 7th most difficult OOC schedule in the country and still put up 17 wins.
Why we may be wrong…about Arizona. They still lost 13 games including one game to Washington (107) and one game to Virginia (106). Sometimes playing a tough schedule isn’t enough, sometimes you need a marquee win, and Zona lacks one.
Big 10-4
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan State
Ohio State-OSU beat Purdue (36) and Michigan State (15) back-to-back to get back on track. The 21st best SOS doesn’t hurt either.
Why we may be wrong…about Ohio State. Losses to Michigan (181), Iowa (184), and Minnesota (100) are bad to very bad.
WCC-2
Gonzaga
St. Mary’s-an OOC RPI of 17 and an overall RPI of 38 is hard to ignore. Wins over Drake (12) and Gonzaga (30) are very strong.
Why we may be wrong…about St. Mary’s. Losing in the first round of the West Coast Conference Tourney doesn’t look good, even if it was against eventual winner San Diego. They lost to San Diego (90) twice and they have a SOS of 137, ouch.
A10-1
UMass
MVC-1
Illinois State
Mountain West-1
UNLV
CUSA-1
UAB
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Pitt-DePaul Game Recap
-Both teams started off slow. Hard to believe that neither team scored in the first couple of minutes when the score ended up 98-79 in Pitt's favor.
-Pitt finally clicked on all cylinders on offense today. They shot 56% from the field and more importantly they shot 55% from beyond the arc. Six different Pitt players scored in double figures today, led by DeJaun Blair's 22.
-Pitt looked better on the defensive end of the court, but they still gave up 79 points to a Big East cellar dweller today. An argument can be made that DePaul hit some tough shots with hands in their faces, and it's a valid argument, but the bigger defensive issue was the easy trips down the lane. Too many times the Blue Demons were able to just waltz to the hoop for an easy two.
Pitt needs to make other teams pay for coming in the lane. Even if that means putting in McGhee and Biggs and telling them to play aggressive, not to hurt, but to challenge every shot.
-Pitt finally got back to dominating the boards today, 46-27. They also grabbed 14 offensive boards. That's in stark contrast to the West Virginia game where the Panthers were out rebounded 35-30, as well as in the Cincy game, the Louisville game, the Notre Dame game, the Marquette game, and so on.
-Player of the game is a difficult one today, as many Panthers played well. Gil Brown had 13 pts and 5 pts in only 17 minutes. Keith Benjamin had 12 points, 5 assts, and 3 boards, many of his points came during a crucial second half crunch. DeJuan Blair had 22 points and 14 boards, along with a fine defensive performance. However my player of the game is...
-...Levance Fields. He had 11 pts, 9 rebounds, 9 assts and only 3 turnovers. Some may wonder how a player that shoots 4-12 from the field and 1-3 from three-point land can be player of the game; because he crashed the boards.
Fields grabbed 8 defensive rebounds and 1 offensive rebound. Normally offensive rebounds would be more valuable, but lets face it, Pitt has been dominated on the boards lately. Fields created scoring chances by grabbing long rebounds and starting the break today.
Fields also showed that he is willing to test his foot when he was diving on the court to save a ball from going out of bounds and he hitting a nice falling-down lay up.
-Blair was unreal today. He had three fouls, but he seemed to be in control all day. He shot 80% from the field and 85% from the charity stripe. He grabbed 14 rebounds, 3 of which were offensive, and he seemed to be in the perfect position all day.
-Sam Young played well and chipped in with 5 rebounds. Young scored 19 pts on 7-13 shooting. Watching him shoot the three ball, it's hard to imagine this is the same player from last year. He was 3-4 from beyond the arc. Young continued to play aggressive despite picking up 4 fouls in the game.
-The team really seemed to benefit from having the 5-day break. There was more spring in their step and they clearly shot better. Coach Dixon was quoted saying they were able to more in practice than they had since December.
-On to the Big East Tournament...
-Pitt finally clicked on all cylinders on offense today. They shot 56% from the field and more importantly they shot 55% from beyond the arc. Six different Pitt players scored in double figures today, led by DeJaun Blair's 22.
-Pitt looked better on the defensive end of the court, but they still gave up 79 points to a Big East cellar dweller today. An argument can be made that DePaul hit some tough shots with hands in their faces, and it's a valid argument, but the bigger defensive issue was the easy trips down the lane. Too many times the Blue Demons were able to just waltz to the hoop for an easy two.
Pitt needs to make other teams pay for coming in the lane. Even if that means putting in McGhee and Biggs and telling them to play aggressive, not to hurt, but to challenge every shot.
-Pitt finally got back to dominating the boards today, 46-27. They also grabbed 14 offensive boards. That's in stark contrast to the West Virginia game where the Panthers were out rebounded 35-30, as well as in the Cincy game, the Louisville game, the Notre Dame game, the Marquette game, and so on.
-Player of the game is a difficult one today, as many Panthers played well. Gil Brown had 13 pts and 5 pts in only 17 minutes. Keith Benjamin had 12 points, 5 assts, and 3 boards, many of his points came during a crucial second half crunch. DeJuan Blair had 22 points and 14 boards, along with a fine defensive performance. However my player of the game is...
-...Levance Fields. He had 11 pts, 9 rebounds, 9 assts and only 3 turnovers. Some may wonder how a player that shoots 4-12 from the field and 1-3 from three-point land can be player of the game; because he crashed the boards.
Fields grabbed 8 defensive rebounds and 1 offensive rebound. Normally offensive rebounds would be more valuable, but lets face it, Pitt has been dominated on the boards lately. Fields created scoring chances by grabbing long rebounds and starting the break today.
Fields also showed that he is willing to test his foot when he was diving on the court to save a ball from going out of bounds and he hitting a nice falling-down lay up.
-Blair was unreal today. He had three fouls, but he seemed to be in control all day. He shot 80% from the field and 85% from the charity stripe. He grabbed 14 rebounds, 3 of which were offensive, and he seemed to be in the perfect position all day.
-Sam Young played well and chipped in with 5 rebounds. Young scored 19 pts on 7-13 shooting. Watching him shoot the three ball, it's hard to imagine this is the same player from last year. He was 3-4 from beyond the arc. Young continued to play aggressive despite picking up 4 fouls in the game.
-The team really seemed to benefit from having the 5-day break. There was more spring in their step and they clearly shot better. Coach Dixon was quoted saying they were able to more in practice than they had since December.
-On to the Big East Tournament...
Fitzgerald-Echenique Update
Pitt was scheduled to have two big men visit them this week. Unfortunately Andrew Fitzgerald didn't make the trip for an undisclosed reason. However the soft-spoken Greg Echenique was able to make the trip.
From all accounts he enjoyed his visit. Though this isn't his first trip to the Petersen Events Center, he attended the Pittsburgh Jamfest last year. The Jamfest is an AAU tournament, and it made a nice impression on the young man from Newark, New Jersey.
Echenique looked the full 6'8" he is listed and had some good bulk to him. He would fit in nicely with the Panthers as he is very intelligent and comes across that way.
The St. Benedict Prep post player was very impressed with the progress Dejuan Blair has made since they played against each other in a basketball camp.
From all accounts he enjoyed his visit. Though this isn't his first trip to the Petersen Events Center, he attended the Pittsburgh Jamfest last year. The Jamfest is an AAU tournament, and it made a nice impression on the young man from Newark, New Jersey.
Echenique looked the full 6'8" he is listed and had some good bulk to him. He would fit in nicely with the Panthers as he is very intelligent and comes across that way.
The St. Benedict Prep post player was very impressed with the progress Dejuan Blair has made since they played against each other in a basketball camp.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Pitt Notes: The Recruiting Visit
So what exactly makes up a recruiting visit to the University of Pittsburgh? We talked to someone in the know who was able to spell it out for us...
The Official Visit
The recruit is picked up at the airport by Pitt officials and dropped off at their hotel. The hotel room is usually littered with Pitt media guides, candy and drinks like Gatorade or soda pop.
They will meet with the staff and current players, then take in a game. They get a tour of the facilities and they are hosted by a player or players. Usually it's a player of the same position, not always, but usually.
The hosting players or staff are given host money and they go out with the team. The recruits or hosting players usually choose where they go. However, players don't typically host during the season. They are already swamped with academics, practice, and game study.
The Unofficial Visit
The recruit makes his own way to the city. They are usually given tickets to the game right behind the Pitt bench. They will get a tour of the Petersen Events Center and the academic center.
They will get to visit with the coaching staff and current players. However, the coaching staff decides whether the recruit will be allowed in the locker room.
The Official Visit
The recruit is picked up at the airport by Pitt officials and dropped off at their hotel. The hotel room is usually littered with Pitt media guides, candy and drinks like Gatorade or soda pop.
They will meet with the staff and current players, then take in a game. They get a tour of the facilities and they are hosted by a player or players. Usually it's a player of the same position, not always, but usually.
The hosting players or staff are given host money and they go out with the team. The recruits or hosting players usually choose where they go. However, players don't typically host during the season. They are already swamped with academics, practice, and game study.
The Unofficial Visit
The recruit makes his own way to the city. They are usually given tickets to the game right behind the Pitt bench. They will get a tour of the Petersen Events Center and the academic center.
They will get to visit with the coaching staff and current players. However, the coaching staff decides whether the recruit will be allowed in the locker room.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Pitt Panther Target: Andrew Fitzgerald
Andrew Fitzgerald, a 6'8" 245 pound Center out of Owings Mills, Maryland, is scheduled to visit the University of Pittsburgh this Sunday. The Owings Mills High School player would be part of the 2009 class.
According to someone close to the situation, Fitzgerald is viewed as being more polished than some of the other front court players the Panthers' staff is pursuing. Pitt's coaching staff believes Fitzgerald is a versatile enough player to play Center or Power Forward for the blue and gold. It is believed he will be offered a scholarship during the visit.
His lead recruiter is Coach Antiqua, however Coach Herrion is also associated with his recruitment.
According to someone close to the situation, Fitzgerald is viewed as being more polished than some of the other front court players the Panthers' staff is pursuing. Pitt's coaching staff believes Fitzgerald is a versatile enough player to play Center or Power Forward for the blue and gold. It is believed he will be offered a scholarship during the visit.
His lead recruiter is Coach Antiqua, however Coach Herrion is also associated with his recruitment.
Pitt-WVU Game Recap
- Firstly, I will give credit to WVU for their effort . . . they won the game . . . they hit the shots . . . they got the better of the play in my view.
- Still, I felt this was Dayton Part II . . . the officiating was unacceptable for both teams . . . especially for Pitt. Young and Blair had some phantom calls to say the least . . . so did Brown. Pitt without Blair and Young for long stretches is just not that great of a team . . . Biggs isn't over consistent and McGhee just isn't ready for that role.
- I think Pitt needs to beat DePaul and then one in the BET to be sure of a bid . . . I don't want to leave anything to chance . . . Pitt has been underwhelming lately . . .
- Pitt doesn't need better shooters, they need to play better D . . . if your opponents are consistently hot against you, then you probably have some defensive problems. Pitt has defensive problems right now . . . it isn't up for debate. A lot of reasons, but I am too frustrated now to go into them.
- When Dixon has to go to zone, Pitt is in trouble . . . they are an awful zone team for a multitude of reasons . . . most notably, they are not long enough and they are not quick enough as a whole . . . especially when Fields and Ramon are in the back court together . . . I think they went to the zone to protect Ramon . . . I just am not for using a zone to protect a guard . . . especially one that scored three points on the night.
- Player of the Game - Sam Young: Young is playing great offensively . . . I thought he was a victim tonight of some really awful calls . . .
- So was Blair . . . who played a good game, but seemingly wasn't allowed to breathe on anyone . . . I like the fact that he got a little physical at the end, because Pitt needs more attitude.
- I thought Fields did some good things outside of the first few minutes of the game. He is getting back in shape . . . and the handle is coming back. The shot needs to come back, but the rest of the game is encouraging.
- Joe Alexander must be incredibly athletic (yes, he is), because he does a lot without having a left hand.
- Ramon has to score more than 3 points . . . this team needs more from him. And, I didn't think he was up to par defensively tonight . . . the things I usually say Benjamin does, Ramon did tonight.
- I barely noticed Keith out there tonight . . . I don't know what more to say about his play . . . he was pretty invisible in my view . . . he still scored more than Ramon though.
- I thought Brown did some good things in terms of being aggressive . . . but, he also didn't get enough run tonight due to the refs.
- McGhee showed a little something . . . I really think he needs to get stronger in the legs . . .
- Biggs did some nice things, but he did some bad things too.
- The same with Wanamaker, but at least he played a little aggressive and finally hit some free throws.
- Still, I felt this was Dayton Part II . . . the officiating was unacceptable for both teams . . . especially for Pitt. Young and Blair had some phantom calls to say the least . . . so did Brown. Pitt without Blair and Young for long stretches is just not that great of a team . . . Biggs isn't over consistent and McGhee just isn't ready for that role.
- I think Pitt needs to beat DePaul and then one in the BET to be sure of a bid . . . I don't want to leave anything to chance . . . Pitt has been underwhelming lately . . .
- Pitt doesn't need better shooters, they need to play better D . . . if your opponents are consistently hot against you, then you probably have some defensive problems. Pitt has defensive problems right now . . . it isn't up for debate. A lot of reasons, but I am too frustrated now to go into them.
- When Dixon has to go to zone, Pitt is in trouble . . . they are an awful zone team for a multitude of reasons . . . most notably, they are not long enough and they are not quick enough as a whole . . . especially when Fields and Ramon are in the back court together . . . I think they went to the zone to protect Ramon . . . I just am not for using a zone to protect a guard . . . especially one that scored three points on the night.
- Player of the Game - Sam Young: Young is playing great offensively . . . I thought he was a victim tonight of some really awful calls . . .
- So was Blair . . . who played a good game, but seemingly wasn't allowed to breathe on anyone . . . I like the fact that he got a little physical at the end, because Pitt needs more attitude.
- I thought Fields did some good things outside of the first few minutes of the game. He is getting back in shape . . . and the handle is coming back. The shot needs to come back, but the rest of the game is encouraging.
- Joe Alexander must be incredibly athletic (yes, he is), because he does a lot without having a left hand.
- Ramon has to score more than 3 points . . . this team needs more from him. And, I didn't think he was up to par defensively tonight . . . the things I usually say Benjamin does, Ramon did tonight.
- I barely noticed Keith out there tonight . . . I don't know what more to say about his play . . . he was pretty invisible in my view . . . he still scored more than Ramon though.
- I thought Brown did some good things in terms of being aggressive . . . but, he also didn't get enough run tonight due to the refs.
- McGhee showed a little something . . . I really think he needs to get stronger in the legs . . .
- Biggs did some nice things, but he did some bad things too.
- The same with Wanamaker, but at least he played a little aggressive and finally hit some free throws.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Pitt-Cuse Game Recap
- Great win today . . . the win probably will mask a lot of deficiencies from today . . . it was a real rollercoaster ride . . .
- Today's win was huge in terms of NCAA positioning . . . I would still like to see Pitt win out for security . . . but, I think one more should get them in (85% chance) . . . two more wins and they are in for sure.
- The positives: The team never quit today . . . it was the young players that pulled the win out and showed a lot character . . . Brown was huge . . , there was a huddle on the sideline with about 2 and a half minutes left, Brown and Blair were the guys in the huddle trying to hype guys up . . . Benjamin played excellent today too.
- The negatives: The defense was awful by nearly everyone except Brown and Benjamin . . . Young and Fields played decently at times . . . Blair, Biggs and Ramon have all seen better days. The offense was good for the most part, but the team had some really bad turnovers at awful times.
- I thought Dixon’s use of the rotation today was good, except for that he should have played Brown a little more. But, Brown did get hurt too . . . I don’t know how much time that lost him.
- The foul shooting was excellent today.
- Player of the Game = I thought Keith Benjamin played the best today on both ends of the floor . . . he did some great things offensively . . . defensively, I thought he was good when he wasn’t on Harris, who was just too big and too athletic. Keith talked this year about not going out quietly . . . it looks as though Ramon is going to go out pretty quietly, Cook was very unlucky, but Benjamin is giving his all. Benjamin has ups and downs, but he never gives up, is pretty talented and has improved greatly this year.
- If Pitt would have played him more minutes, it would have been Gil Brown for player of the game. He was a force when he was in there. He made big plays, hit big shots and played hurt. Played great D on Harris and even frustrated him a little when they crossed paths. I always talk about how I feel he should be starting . . . but Dixon just always favors the upperclassmen unless his hand is really forced. It is what it is, I guess.
- Blair’s numbers weren’t great today, but his presence is always apparent. When you see him play, remember that he is mostly doing it all alone without help underneath the glass. He handled the double team really well today, for the most part. He had some defensive lapses at the end, but I think Pitt can live with them as long as he provides the presence that he usually does.
- Young played great offensively yet again . . . he is a real treat to watch on that end. Defensively, I thought he was okay, he just had a really tough matchup.
- Fields really makes a difference in there for this team, because he gets everyone easy shots . . . Pitt is scoring much more effectively over the past 3 games . . . Fields is the reason. The shot will come around . . . I am happy he shoots without hesitation, because that is what his team needs.
-Biggs did some good and some bad. So did McGhee.
- Ramon, well . . . he has to start hitting shots more consistently; but, we have been saying that for 3 years. Defensively, I have said this before but will say it again, he is a great technical defender. He is always where he is supposed to be. But, against the better talents, that is not enough. He is just not disruptive enough . . . he never dislodges players from their rhythm. His lack of athleticism shows against the better players . . . Paul Harris is an NBA player in waiting . . . you saw how Ramon could not get him off of his rhythm, even though Ramon was there almost every time. The same goes with Flynn.
- Today's win was huge in terms of NCAA positioning . . . I would still like to see Pitt win out for security . . . but, I think one more should get them in (85% chance) . . . two more wins and they are in for sure.
- The positives: The team never quit today . . . it was the young players that pulled the win out and showed a lot character . . . Brown was huge . . , there was a huddle on the sideline with about 2 and a half minutes left, Brown and Blair were the guys in the huddle trying to hype guys up . . . Benjamin played excellent today too.
- The negatives: The defense was awful by nearly everyone except Brown and Benjamin . . . Young and Fields played decently at times . . . Blair, Biggs and Ramon have all seen better days. The offense was good for the most part, but the team had some really bad turnovers at awful times.
- I thought Dixon’s use of the rotation today was good, except for that he should have played Brown a little more. But, Brown did get hurt too . . . I don’t know how much time that lost him.
- The foul shooting was excellent today.
- Player of the Game = I thought Keith Benjamin played the best today on both ends of the floor . . . he did some great things offensively . . . defensively, I thought he was good when he wasn’t on Harris, who was just too big and too athletic. Keith talked this year about not going out quietly . . . it looks as though Ramon is going to go out pretty quietly, Cook was very unlucky, but Benjamin is giving his all. Benjamin has ups and downs, but he never gives up, is pretty talented and has improved greatly this year.
- If Pitt would have played him more minutes, it would have been Gil Brown for player of the game. He was a force when he was in there. He made big plays, hit big shots and played hurt. Played great D on Harris and even frustrated him a little when they crossed paths. I always talk about how I feel he should be starting . . . but Dixon just always favors the upperclassmen unless his hand is really forced. It is what it is, I guess.
- Blair’s numbers weren’t great today, but his presence is always apparent. When you see him play, remember that he is mostly doing it all alone without help underneath the glass. He handled the double team really well today, for the most part. He had some defensive lapses at the end, but I think Pitt can live with them as long as he provides the presence that he usually does.
- Young played great offensively yet again . . . he is a real treat to watch on that end. Defensively, I thought he was okay, he just had a really tough matchup.
- Fields really makes a difference in there for this team, because he gets everyone easy shots . . . Pitt is scoring much more effectively over the past 3 games . . . Fields is the reason. The shot will come around . . . I am happy he shoots without hesitation, because that is what his team needs.
-Biggs did some good and some bad. So did McGhee.
- Ramon, well . . . he has to start hitting shots more consistently; but, we have been saying that for 3 years. Defensively, I have said this before but will say it again, he is a great technical defender. He is always where he is supposed to be. But, against the better talents, that is not enough. He is just not disruptive enough . . . he never dislodges players from their rhythm. His lack of athleticism shows against the better players . . . Paul Harris is an NBA player in waiting . . . you saw how Ramon could not get him off of his rhythm, even though Ramon was there almost every time. The same goes with Flynn.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Pitt Panther Recruit: Dwight Miller
Dwight Miller, a 6'8" forward, will be joining the Panthers next year. He's currently playing basketball in Houston, Texas for St. Pius X. So where does he fit in with the University of Pittsburgh?
According to our source the staff would like to see him redshirt a year so he can add some weight, he currently weighs around 22o pounds. However, he is a player that could contribute right away, if Sam Young leaves early. He has that much potential.
It is believed that Miller is more of a face-up type of player, compared to a physical inside player. However, if he adds some bulk, that could change. He is, as Pitt fans have become accustomed, an intelligent player that the coaches consider a student of the game.
The good news is Miller continues to progress every day and loves the game. Although when you're labled as having NBA potential by Hall of Fame finalist Hakeem Olajuwon, how could you not love the game?
According to our source the staff would like to see him redshirt a year so he can add some weight, he currently weighs around 22o pounds. However, he is a player that could contribute right away, if Sam Young leaves early. He has that much potential.
It is believed that Miller is more of a face-up type of player, compared to a physical inside player. However, if he adds some bulk, that could change. He is, as Pitt fans have become accustomed, an intelligent player that the coaches consider a student of the game.
The good news is Miller continues to progress every day and loves the game. Although when you're labled as having NBA potential by Hall of Fame finalist Hakeem Olajuwon, how could you not love the game?
Pitt-Cincy Game Recap
- The stretch is here, the play is tighter, the margin of error is lower and teams are rounding into their best form of the year. Understandably, Pitt is a little behind the curve, but last night's result was encouraging. Ignore the record, Cincy has developed into a good team; out of the two teams that played last night, Cincy was the one that came into the game with a winning conference record. Pitt didn't give their best effort, but the effort they gave was enough to win a tight and highly competitive ballgame.
- Pitt did some sloppy things last night, but give credit to Cincy, because their style of play caused a lot of those things. Cincy is a very bad match up for the Panthers. Out of the teams in the conference, I believe Cincy is on the list of bad match ups for Pitt, which also includes: Louisville, Marquette, Villanova and Seton Hall. All tough teams that put a lot of pressure on the ball.
- I thought Dixon's rotation was much better last night . . . he really got down to the bare essentials. Each game now has high importance and he needs his best players out there at the right times. I though the could have played Gil Brown and Tyrell Biggs more, but other than that, I think he played things almost perfectly.
- I am still of the opinion that to erase all doubt, Pitt needs to win out . . . the next three are highly important. Pitt could still potentially get in with a 9-9 conference record, but I wouldn't want to leave anything to chance. 11-7 definitely gets them in no matter what they do in the Big East Tourney, and 10-8 probably does the same, even though I would feel more comfortable with a tournament win with that record.
- Player of the Game = DeJuan Blair. Big on both sides of the ball and he just looked stronger out there than the past few games. More explosion and more jams. He is this team's energy . . . when he is up, the team is up, when he is down, the team is down. I thought he handled the double team better too, which is an improvement over earlier this season.
- Young is really playing great offensively . . . and he just keeps building on things. I am not going to get on him for the rebounding stat, because at least he had the steals to offset it. And the guy he was guarding is a very tough player to go up against . . .Young needs to play the hedges better though . He possibly plays them the worst, because his recognition of where to go afterwards is bad . . . very bad.
- Fields makes so much of a difference with ball movement and just getting guys open shots . . .everyone equally benefits from his presence. People may have forgot, but when he went down, he looked a lot like a consistent 18 PPG player . . . for Pitt to reach a higher level, he has to get back toward those numbers in terms of point production. What he is giving now is good enough to win against the teams that they play coming up, but he needs to keep improving. On a side note, I thought he moved much better laterally and was much better on D as a result.
- Benjamin had a huge run of points last night . . . I love the fact that he gets them near 10 every game . ... in terms of points, he has replaced the hole they had when Cook went out . . . Pitt still misses how Cook created, but Benjamin has shown himself able to get the points, which is huge.
- It was nice to see a non-hesitant Ramon out there firing 3s, even if he wasn't hitting at a great rate.
- I thought Brown and Biggs gave them great minutes off of the bench . . . I thought Wanamaker was good during his little run . . . I think McGhee is getting pushed around a little too much in there. I think Gary needs strength work in the legs, because guys move him a little too easy in my view.
- Pitt did some sloppy things last night, but give credit to Cincy, because their style of play caused a lot of those things. Cincy is a very bad match up for the Panthers. Out of the teams in the conference, I believe Cincy is on the list of bad match ups for Pitt, which also includes: Louisville, Marquette, Villanova and Seton Hall. All tough teams that put a lot of pressure on the ball.
- I thought Dixon's rotation was much better last night . . . he really got down to the bare essentials. Each game now has high importance and he needs his best players out there at the right times. I though the could have played Gil Brown and Tyrell Biggs more, but other than that, I think he played things almost perfectly.
- I am still of the opinion that to erase all doubt, Pitt needs to win out . . . the next three are highly important. Pitt could still potentially get in with a 9-9 conference record, but I wouldn't want to leave anything to chance. 11-7 definitely gets them in no matter what they do in the Big East Tourney, and 10-8 probably does the same, even though I would feel more comfortable with a tournament win with that record.
- Player of the Game = DeJuan Blair. Big on both sides of the ball and he just looked stronger out there than the past few games. More explosion and more jams. He is this team's energy . . . when he is up, the team is up, when he is down, the team is down. I thought he handled the double team better too, which is an improvement over earlier this season.
- Young is really playing great offensively . . . and he just keeps building on things. I am not going to get on him for the rebounding stat, because at least he had the steals to offset it. And the guy he was guarding is a very tough player to go up against . . .Young needs to play the hedges better though . He possibly plays them the worst, because his recognition of where to go afterwards is bad . . . very bad.
- Fields makes so much of a difference with ball movement and just getting guys open shots . . .everyone equally benefits from his presence. People may have forgot, but when he went down, he looked a lot like a consistent 18 PPG player . . . for Pitt to reach a higher level, he has to get back toward those numbers in terms of point production. What he is giving now is good enough to win against the teams that they play coming up, but he needs to keep improving. On a side note, I thought he moved much better laterally and was much better on D as a result.
- Benjamin had a huge run of points last night . . . I love the fact that he gets them near 10 every game . ... in terms of points, he has replaced the hole they had when Cook went out . . . Pitt still misses how Cook created, but Benjamin has shown himself able to get the points, which is huge.
- It was nice to see a non-hesitant Ramon out there firing 3s, even if he wasn't hitting at a great rate.
- I thought Brown and Biggs gave them great minutes off of the bench . . . I thought Wanamaker was good during his little run . . . I think McGhee is getting pushed around a little too much in there. I think Gary needs strength work in the legs, because guys move him a little too easy in my view.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
2011 Pitt Panther Target: Sterling Gibbs
Some of the Pitt staff believe that he has a chance to be the best PG in the nation for his class. They feel he is definitely the best prospect in New Jersey at his age. The kid's game is so mature you'd think he was a junior. He can see the floor, handles the ball well, is quick and loves the game.
Ashton is pushing him very hard, and he comes from a great family who accepts nothing but the best. Sterling is very smart and acts like he's 18. It is really amazing. He loves Pitt. I jokingly asked him one time when he was going to commit to Pitt, and he said "as soon as I get the letter". I met him at Pitt when we played in the tournament when Ashton, Travon, Sterling, and Kevin Jones were here. Sterling was the ring leader, and kept everyone laughing the entire weekend. You forget how young he is when you talk to him.
He is only about 5'8" now I would guess, but I'm sure he'll grow to be around 6'0". He had several games this year where he was in double figures, around 14 and 15. And he averaged a nice amount of assists per game. Ashton was highly rated when he was younger, but Sterling seems to be more highly thought of at the same point of their careers. So we could luck out here, and have a family connection. It could be huge, because Sterling is going to be a stud. Now can Pitt fans wait the 3 years he has of high school to complete.
Ashton is pushing him very hard, and he comes from a great family who accepts nothing but the best. Sterling is very smart and acts like he's 18. It is really amazing. He loves Pitt. I jokingly asked him one time when he was going to commit to Pitt, and he said "as soon as I get the letter". I met him at Pitt when we played in the tournament when Ashton, Travon, Sterling, and Kevin Jones were here. Sterling was the ring leader, and kept everyone laughing the entire weekend. You forget how young he is when you talk to him.
He is only about 5'8" now I would guess, but I'm sure he'll grow to be around 6'0". He had several games this year where he was in double figures, around 14 and 15. And he averaged a nice amount of assists per game. Ashton was highly rated when he was younger, but Sterling seems to be more highly thought of at the same point of their careers. So we could luck out here, and have a family connection. It could be huge, because Sterling is going to be a stud. Now can Pitt fans wait the 3 years he has of high school to complete.
Pitt Notes
Mike Cook
Some Pitt fans are wondering if Mike Cook will return for another year, unfortunately he won't be. The coaches might have applied for it originally, but Mike has said he thinks it is best to just keep working hard on the rehab, and just let both sides move on. His rehab is going great, but his injury was so severe and rare, that there is no chance he comes back next year. Initially people thought he'd be done forever from playing basketball, but the rehab is going great and he can probably start getting back to working out in a couple months so he can try to play overseas.
Recruiting Areas
Basketball recruiting is not necessarily like football. The coaches just recruit whatever areas they have connections to. Coach Antigua basically goes to New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Ohio. And Coach Herrion goes everywhere else (Virginia, Maryland,> DC, Midwest, etc.).
A New 2011 Target
There is another Gibbs to drool over. His name is Sterling, and he's Ashton's brother. He's already his High School team's starting point guard as a freshman! He's believed to be a potential top 10 talent.
We'll have a more in-depth write up on Sterling Gibbs coming soon.
Some Pitt fans are wondering if Mike Cook will return for another year, unfortunately he won't be. The coaches might have applied for it originally, but Mike has said he thinks it is best to just keep working hard on the rehab, and just let both sides move on. His rehab is going great, but his injury was so severe and rare, that there is no chance he comes back next year. Initially people thought he'd be done forever from playing basketball, but the rehab is going great and he can probably start getting back to working out in a couple months so he can try to play overseas.
Recruiting Areas
Basketball recruiting is not necessarily like football. The coaches just recruit whatever areas they have connections to. Coach Antigua basically goes to New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Ohio. And Coach Herrion goes everywhere else (Virginia, Maryland,> DC, Midwest, etc.).
A New 2011 Target
There is another Gibbs to drool over. His name is Sterling, and he's Ashton's brother. He's already his High School team's starting point guard as a freshman! He's believed to be a potential top 10 talent.
We'll have a more in-depth write up on Sterling Gibbs coming soon.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Pitt Panther Recruit: Nasir Robinson Part 2
We left off before getting to the third question, which is where will he guard at a higher level? In college, he is going to be able to guard the 3 right off of the bat. He will be competitive against most; I think he will struggle at first against the pure guard types (think 2s) . . . but he should adjust because he is a smart player.
Still, if he only adjusts, it is not going to be enough at a higher level against better players . . .if he made it to the NBA, he would have to guard 2s or 1s . . . he is not tall enough to play the 3 in the NBA . . . Robinson is 6’4 at most . . . that is NBA PG or SG size . . . NBA 3s would just go right over him and maybe around him depending upon how much he improves physically in terms of quickness. He would have to be able to guard those positions (PG or SG and optimally both) and until he improves physically, you are not going to be able to project where he can really guard . . . I don’t think it is fair to talk much about it now, because he has a long way to go.
On what he does well: His handling, finishing ability and vision are top rate, especially the vision. You will find better ball handlers out there (not too many), there are better finishers (once again, not many and Robinson actually has mastered body control),but the vision is great.
He is explosive . . . I don’t think he is as explosive as Brad Wanamaker or Keith Benjamin, but Nasir can explode past people. Brad and Keith have the most explosion on the squad presently . . . if Nasir was on the team, he would probably be third (maybe Young has more). Nasir can get by guys and if he can’t get by, he uses his body as a shield.
I want to distinguish quickness and explosion in my own terms . . . I see quickness as lateral movement or quick reaction . . . I see explosion as pure power moving forward or upward.
He can elevate well . . . he throws down two handed alley-oops and put back dunks . . . at probably 6’3and ½ . . . he needs time to elevate, he isn’t overly springy, but he can get up.
Nas has really good length in his arms that allows him to play bigger than he is . . . just like DeJuan Blair or Sam Young. And he has more power than most all basketball players outside of the freaks, like Terrelle Pryor.
He has a nastiness and plays with passion . . . I like his attitude for the most part, but he is going to have to tone it down at points . . . he can go over the edge at points.
He is a great team player, he just wants to win and he is willing to let other guys take the limelight . . .he has a great attitude in that way.
My prediction on Robinson: I am really not ready to make one. Once again, I think he could end being anywhere from a great bench player for Pitt to a star.. . . if he is a bench player, it will be because of the competition. Wanamaker, Gibbs, Brown, Dixon, Patterson and Dodson are rough competition . . . there are guys with NBA potential in that group too.
But, he is ready to play now and he will contribute next year. Pitt needs him badly, whether they add another guy or not. I think we should revisit this question at this same juncture next year . . . we will obviously know a lot more by then.
Still, if he only adjusts, it is not going to be enough at a higher level against better players . . .if he made it to the NBA, he would have to guard 2s or 1s . . . he is not tall enough to play the 3 in the NBA . . . Robinson is 6’4 at most . . . that is NBA PG or SG size . . . NBA 3s would just go right over him and maybe around him depending upon how much he improves physically in terms of quickness. He would have to be able to guard those positions (PG or SG and optimally both) and until he improves physically, you are not going to be able to project where he can really guard . . . I don’t think it is fair to talk much about it now, because he has a long way to go.
On what he does well: His handling, finishing ability and vision are top rate, especially the vision. You will find better ball handlers out there (not too many), there are better finishers (once again, not many and Robinson actually has mastered body control),but the vision is great.
He is explosive . . . I don’t think he is as explosive as Brad Wanamaker or Keith Benjamin, but Nasir can explode past people. Brad and Keith have the most explosion on the squad presently . . . if Nasir was on the team, he would probably be third (maybe Young has more). Nasir can get by guys and if he can’t get by, he uses his body as a shield.
I want to distinguish quickness and explosion in my own terms . . . I see quickness as lateral movement or quick reaction . . . I see explosion as pure power moving forward or upward.
He can elevate well . . . he throws down two handed alley-oops and put back dunks . . . at probably 6’3and ½ . . . he needs time to elevate, he isn’t overly springy, but he can get up.
Nas has really good length in his arms that allows him to play bigger than he is . . . just like DeJuan Blair or Sam Young. And he has more power than most all basketball players outside of the freaks, like Terrelle Pryor.
He has a nastiness and plays with passion . . . I like his attitude for the most part, but he is going to have to tone it down at points . . . he can go over the edge at points.
He is a great team player, he just wants to win and he is willing to let other guys take the limelight . . .he has a great attitude in that way.
My prediction on Robinson: I am really not ready to make one. Once again, I think he could end being anywhere from a great bench player for Pitt to a star.. . . if he is a bench player, it will be because of the competition. Wanamaker, Gibbs, Brown, Dixon, Patterson and Dodson are rough competition . . . there are guys with NBA potential in that group too.
But, he is ready to play now and he will contribute next year. Pitt needs him badly, whether they add another guy or not. I think we should revisit this question at this same juncture next year . . . we will obviously know a lot more by then.
Pitt Panther Recruit: Nasir Robinson Part 1
In talking about Nasir Robinson and his long-termpotential, I think it is right to start with the questions that have to be answered. I have four questions: (1) How good of a shooter can he become? (2) Is he willing to commit to being in better shape? (3) Does he have enough quickness? (4) Where is he going to be able to guard, long term?
These questions can be separated into 2 groups:Question 1 and Questions 2,3,4. The final three are all related in some fashion.
On the first group, consisting of Question 1: He has great touch, but awful form. He has a bad hitch in his shot which causes for him to lose rotation . . . I think it also causes him to shoot inconsistently as well (explaining the FT problems).
Usually, your awful shooters either: don’t have touchor they have really odd rotation or awful form or they don’t use their entire body in their shot. Most bads hooters actually have a combination of these things. Robinson has good touch and he gets his body into the shot most of the time. But, his form is bad in terms of his release, which in turn causes him to have rotation problems at times.
I don’t think he is a guy that has limited potential as a shooter other wing types like Sam Young or Jaron Brown . . . Robinson has the touch those guys lack and he gets his body into the shot better than either(even though Young is not bad at that). Robinson is highly coordinated, so if he just gets the form correct, he should always shoot on target.
I think he can eventually become a good shooter, but it will take a lot of work. But, if he does, it will really open up the rest of his game and turn him intoa very, very good college player at the least. If Robinson had a jump shot, he would be much more highly regarded and he is already highly regarded.
On the second group, consistent of the last 3questions: He is in good enough shape to play and play well. I think I come off sounding in a way I don’t want when I say he needs to get in better shape. Robinson has elevation and power 90% of college ballplayers don’t have already, even without being in optimal shape. I just feel that he could be in bettershape physically.
He is not soft at all, but I just think he can get alot better . . . think Carl Krauser in his Jr. year and then Krauser in his Sr. year . . . Krauser could play ball all day during his Jr. year, but his Sr. year he made the proper commitment and lifted his body to whole other level . . . Robinson is similar . . .and could do the same in terms of improvement in my view . . . but remember, Robinson is a much better athlete than Krauser.
This actually leads directly into quickness . . .Krauser got in better shape, became much quicker and it helped him in basketball and specifically, in college. But, even after getting in better shape,when he played against the best players, the future NBA guys, he was quick enough to get by (to compete)athletically when added to his skills, but he wasn’t quick enough to excel on a consistent basis. Competing and excelling are two different things . . .you want a guy to excel, meaning play very well consistently, but as he can compete, then everything is okay at the least.
Robinson has the skill set that if he doesn’t get in better shape, he can still compete with top players. He can really handle and he knows how to use his bodyto his advantage. He is going to be able toconsistently get to the hoop against most college kids, just like Krauser could before and after getting in better shape. But, if he doesn’t make the effortto improve more physically, I feel that he won’t beable to excel against the best guys, the true NBA guys. And even if he gets in better shape, I don’tknow what will occur in terms of quickness for him,because it is a hard thing to project. It is a wait and see.
These questions can be separated into 2 groups:Question 1 and Questions 2,3,4. The final three are all related in some fashion.
On the first group, consisting of Question 1: He has great touch, but awful form. He has a bad hitch in his shot which causes for him to lose rotation . . . I think it also causes him to shoot inconsistently as well (explaining the FT problems).
Usually, your awful shooters either: don’t have touchor they have really odd rotation or awful form or they don’t use their entire body in their shot. Most bads hooters actually have a combination of these things. Robinson has good touch and he gets his body into the shot most of the time. But, his form is bad in terms of his release, which in turn causes him to have rotation problems at times.
I don’t think he is a guy that has limited potential as a shooter other wing types like Sam Young or Jaron Brown . . . Robinson has the touch those guys lack and he gets his body into the shot better than either(even though Young is not bad at that). Robinson is highly coordinated, so if he just gets the form correct, he should always shoot on target.
I think he can eventually become a good shooter, but it will take a lot of work. But, if he does, it will really open up the rest of his game and turn him intoa very, very good college player at the least. If Robinson had a jump shot, he would be much more highly regarded and he is already highly regarded.
On the second group, consistent of the last 3questions: He is in good enough shape to play and play well. I think I come off sounding in a way I don’t want when I say he needs to get in better shape. Robinson has elevation and power 90% of college ballplayers don’t have already, even without being in optimal shape. I just feel that he could be in bettershape physically.
He is not soft at all, but I just think he can get alot better . . . think Carl Krauser in his Jr. year and then Krauser in his Sr. year . . . Krauser could play ball all day during his Jr. year, but his Sr. year he made the proper commitment and lifted his body to whole other level . . . Robinson is similar . . .and could do the same in terms of improvement in my view . . . but remember, Robinson is a much better athlete than Krauser.
This actually leads directly into quickness . . .Krauser got in better shape, became much quicker and it helped him in basketball and specifically, in college. But, even after getting in better shape,when he played against the best players, the future NBA guys, he was quick enough to get by (to compete)athletically when added to his skills, but he wasn’t quick enough to excel on a consistent basis. Competing and excelling are two different things . . .you want a guy to excel, meaning play very well consistently, but as he can compete, then everything is okay at the least.
Robinson has the skill set that if he doesn’t get in better shape, he can still compete with top players. He can really handle and he knows how to use his bodyto his advantage. He is going to be able toconsistently get to the hoop against most college kids, just like Krauser could before and after getting in better shape. But, if he doesn’t make the effortto improve more physically, I feel that he won’t beable to excel against the best guys, the true NBA guys. And even if he gets in better shape, I don’tknow what will occur in terms of quickness for him,because it is a hard thing to project. It is a wait and see.
The Scholarship Crunch
Looking at Pitt's roster, one has to wonder where all the scholarships are going to come from. We spoke to somebody close to the situation and here's what we were told...
A scholarship will open up for Jermaine Dixon by way of a current Panther's departure, that player almost left around Christmas, but Pitt is still waiting to see if another opens for Kane. It could come from a transfer or a player leaving early.
Right now Pitt has enough room for Dixon, but they need another scholarship for Kane.
A scholarship will open up for Jermaine Dixon by way of a current Panther's departure, that player almost left around Christmas, but Pitt is still waiting to see if another opens for Kane. It could come from a transfer or a player leaving early.
Right now Pitt has enough room for Dixon, but they need another scholarship for Kane.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Pitt Panther Target: DeAndre Kane
D Kane has popped up on message boards as the flavor of the day, but there are still several questions about him. Our source gives us answers to some questions about D Kane.
Q. Does DeAndre Kane have a written offer?
A. There is no written offer. The staff is waiting to see if the kid qualifies first.
Q. Is Pitt still pursuing DeAndre and is he a high target?
A. He is ALL over Pitt's radar. He is also Pitt's final target for the 2008 class.
Q. There have been concerns over DeAndre Kane's grades. Is he qualified, and if not does it look he will be qualified?
A. His grades are a question mark, but so were Dejuan's at this point. I am pretty confident he will qualify.
Q. How close is DeAndre and DeJuan Blair?
A. He is very close to Dejuan. He considers him a brother. Dejuan's uncle calls him his nephew.
Q. Who is his lead recruiter?
A. His lead recruiter is Orlando Antigua, but Brandin Knight is also very influential. The kid has been mentoring him for a couple years. He is like a role model for him.
Q. And finally, does Kane want to be a Panther?
A. He wants to be a Panther in the worst way. He would do anything to get here. He wants to play with Dejuan so bad, and stay around family. He is a very good kid.
Q. Does DeAndre Kane have a written offer?
A. There is no written offer. The staff is waiting to see if the kid qualifies first.
Q. Is Pitt still pursuing DeAndre and is he a high target?
A. He is ALL over Pitt's radar. He is also Pitt's final target for the 2008 class.
Q. There have been concerns over DeAndre Kane's grades. Is he qualified, and if not does it look he will be qualified?
A. His grades are a question mark, but so were Dejuan's at this point. I am pretty confident he will qualify.
Q. How close is DeAndre and DeJuan Blair?
A. He is very close to Dejuan. He considers him a brother. Dejuan's uncle calls him his nephew.
Q. Who is his lead recruiter?
A. His lead recruiter is Orlando Antigua, but Brandin Knight is also very influential. The kid has been mentoring him for a couple years. He is like a role model for him.
Q. And finally, does Kane want to be a Panther?
A. He wants to be a Panther in the worst way. He would do anything to get here. He wants to play with Dejuan so bad, and stay around family. He is a very good kid.
Pitt-Louisville Game Summary
- A really disappointing loss today . . . lots of silver linings to talk about . . . but one unavoidable reality . . . Pitt is officially bubble, and they really need to win the next 4 or 3 of 4 plus a Big East tournament game to assure an NCAA bid.
- Dixon may have lost this game for them with some odd substitution in the first half . . . why he would put Wanamaker and Benjamin into the game at the same time at the 1 and 2 is puzzling, especially considering he now has two PGs . . . a 5 possession swing occurred and it killed Pitt's momentum and may have lost them the game in the long run.
- Pitino also scouted Pitt out very well . . . the constant pressure and the targeting of Ramon were very smart.
- I don't like sitting Brown at the beginning of the game . . . but, it is what it is, I guess.
- By the way, Wanamaker played an awful 2-4 minutes . . . if he wants to play from here on out, he can't play D like that . . . honestly, one more performance like that and I think it is time for Pitt to completely shorten and cut him out . . . it may be time anyway, because these upcoming games are very, very important and Pitt can't afford inexperienced play and mistakes.
- Player of the Game - I want to go with Fields, but his defense lacked at points, he isn't moving great laterally yet. So, I am going with Sam Young, who seemingly hit every big shot to keep Pitt in this game. Young is playing like a true NBA 3 right now offensively . . . he looks like a bigger Jason Richardson. He has it all working right now and he is making much better decisions with the ball. And he even played some inspired defense late, along with some strong board work. He had some of his normal lapses, but for the most part I thought the effort was there.
- Fields was outstanding offensively . . . he helped Pitt get those 3-5 easy buckets that they missed without him . . . his ball movement is outstanding . . . the handle is excellent . . . honestly, I think he has kept himself in great shape while he was out . . . he has to work more into basketball shape (which in turn will help his lateral movement, which is a little lacking right now), but his explosion going forward right now is very impressive. He shed Sosa and Knowles multiple times and they are very quick guards . . . it was highly impressive. I think his explosion is affecting his jumper a little, but it will be better with more play.
- Except for the missed bunny at the end, Blair was excellent offensively. He also was great on the boards and played pretty decent defense . . . players scored on him, but he was where he should have been and stayed away from bad fouls.
- Brown still can't buy a 3, but the rest of his game was encouraging . . . I loved the aggressiveness and the D . . . he can get anything he wants in the midrange . . . and his length just really challenges other teams offensively.
- Benjamin played good today . . . Pitt needed a little more O from him, but the D was better than it has been . . . he took some gambles he should not have taken down the stretch though . . .
- Ramon was a lot better in shorter minutes today . . . Pitt needs his contribution badly, but I just believe he is a better player when he is under 30 minutes . . . honestly, I think he is even better around 25.
- Biggs was pretty invisible today, nothing really good and nothing really bad.
- Dixon may have lost this game for them with some odd substitution in the first half . . . why he would put Wanamaker and Benjamin into the game at the same time at the 1 and 2 is puzzling, especially considering he now has two PGs . . . a 5 possession swing occurred and it killed Pitt's momentum and may have lost them the game in the long run.
- Pitino also scouted Pitt out very well . . . the constant pressure and the targeting of Ramon were very smart.
- I don't like sitting Brown at the beginning of the game . . . but, it is what it is, I guess.
- By the way, Wanamaker played an awful 2-4 minutes . . . if he wants to play from here on out, he can't play D like that . . . honestly, one more performance like that and I think it is time for Pitt to completely shorten and cut him out . . . it may be time anyway, because these upcoming games are very, very important and Pitt can't afford inexperienced play and mistakes.
- Player of the Game - I want to go with Fields, but his defense lacked at points, he isn't moving great laterally yet. So, I am going with Sam Young, who seemingly hit every big shot to keep Pitt in this game. Young is playing like a true NBA 3 right now offensively . . . he looks like a bigger Jason Richardson. He has it all working right now and he is making much better decisions with the ball. And he even played some inspired defense late, along with some strong board work. He had some of his normal lapses, but for the most part I thought the effort was there.
- Fields was outstanding offensively . . . he helped Pitt get those 3-5 easy buckets that they missed without him . . . his ball movement is outstanding . . . the handle is excellent . . . honestly, I think he has kept himself in great shape while he was out . . . he has to work more into basketball shape (which in turn will help his lateral movement, which is a little lacking right now), but his explosion going forward right now is very impressive. He shed Sosa and Knowles multiple times and they are very quick guards . . . it was highly impressive. I think his explosion is affecting his jumper a little, but it will be better with more play.
- Except for the missed bunny at the end, Blair was excellent offensively. He also was great on the boards and played pretty decent defense . . . players scored on him, but he was where he should have been and stayed away from bad fouls.
- Brown still can't buy a 3, but the rest of his game was encouraging . . . I loved the aggressiveness and the D . . . he can get anything he wants in the midrange . . . and his length just really challenges other teams offensively.
- Benjamin played good today . . . Pitt needed a little more O from him, but the D was better than it has been . . . he took some gambles he should not have taken down the stretch though . . .
- Ramon was a lot better in shorter minutes today . . . Pitt needs his contribution badly, but I just believe he is a better player when he is under 30 minutes . . . honestly, I think he is even better around 25.
- Biggs was pretty invisible today, nothing really good and nothing really bad.
Pitt Panther Target: Zeke Marshall
very tall and lanky...listed as tall as 7'0", but he's closer to 6'10"...he's a bean pole that will HAVE to put some weight on to be a force for a D-1 team...his McKeesport team was upset by WPIAL AAAA champ Central Catholic in the semis...they have already qualified for the PIAA playoffs...
Marshall is a superb defender and has good control of his body when playing defense...he moves his feet really well and knows how to play angles...he is a stud rebounder, which shouldn't be a surprise since his father is John Marshall, who played at PSU and still holds some PSU rebounding records...I don't know how well his high school coach used him, against Hempfield Area in the first round of the AAAA playoffs Marshall had at least a 5 inch advantage, yet McKeesport didn't go inside...
It could be that the coach feels the same way as I do, Marshall needs a lot of work on the offensive end...he has one move, straight up...that's fine if you're playing against 6'6" players, but not against AAU or D-1 competition...he desperately needs some bulk and he needs to get used to getting bumped under the hoop...
I'm excited to see his AAU play this summer as it will be against much tougher competition.
Marshall is a superb defender and has good control of his body when playing defense...he moves his feet really well and knows how to play angles...he is a stud rebounder, which shouldn't be a surprise since his father is John Marshall, who played at PSU and still holds some PSU rebounding records...I don't know how well his high school coach used him, against Hempfield Area in the first round of the AAAA playoffs Marshall had at least a 5 inch advantage, yet McKeesport didn't go inside...
It could be that the coach feels the same way as I do, Marshall needs a lot of work on the offensive end...he has one move, straight up...that's fine if you're playing against 6'6" players, but not against AAU or D-1 competition...he desperately needs some bulk and he needs to get used to getting bumped under the hoop...
I'm excited to see his AAU play this summer as it will be against much tougher competition.
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