SBNation.com User Blog: Buccos2028

Remaining Big East Teams From A Pitt Perspective

Buccos2028 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:35:02 -0000

Even though we're all fixated on the huge best-of-three series against the Washington State Cougars, let's spend a short time looking at the four remaining Big East teams in the BIG Dance - Syracuse, Marquette, Louisville and Cincinnati. I'm not going to lay out a preview for you, because there are much smarter and more important people to handle that. But I'd like to offer up where my rooting interest lies over these next few weeks.

Rankings are in order of most tolerable to least tolerable:

Marquette - I mean, how can you not love Buzz? Happy go-lucky, decent dancer, scratchy voice and the antithesis to Boeheim. Buzz's teams have always given Pitt fits, with their up-tempo style and great guard play. Speaking of guards, we all remember the D-Wade NCAA tournament game, which was really coached by Wade, just with Tom Crean standing on the sidelines, his second grader hair flopping all around. Bottom line: You can't really hate Marquette, other than they are in Milwaukee, home of the Brewers, and home to the team that waxes the Pirates every year.
Cincinnati - Yeah, yeah they got in a fight, hurt some people and did some bad things. The brawl even benefited us; we didn't have to face Yancy Gates in our New Years' Day matchup. But, yeah, we still lost. You have to respect what Mick Cronin has done to bring the team back from the brink. We couldn't recover from a freshman transfer and a groin strain around the same time. Good for the Bearcats and I hope they beat their in-state rival, Ohio State.
Louisville - Rick Pitino, still spouting off on our departure to the ACC, has always struck me as arrogant and self-serving. Any man in such a power position will be like this, but he's just too weasel-ish for me. The white suits, the paid abortion scandal, the delusional move back to the state of Kentucky and having Ralph Willard on your bench, leave me with nothing else to say but, "Go Spartans!"
Syracuse - The Grimacer. The Whiner. In contrast to Buzz Williams, how can you not dislike Jim Boeheim? Seriously, unless you are a fan of Syracuse, nobody can truly enjoy listening to a press conference with this guy. Just as it is with Hines Ward, everyone outside of Pittsburgh really despises this guy. He gives the Black and Gold a bad name. And, Boeheim, through the whole Bernie Fine scandal, dug himself a hole with every ignorant and condescending remark. While they probably have that most talent and best chance at winning it all and repping the Big East, I'd be delighted to see Bucky the Badger advance tonight.

In closing, it would be pretty cool to see, not only four Big East teams in the Elite Eight but two Big East match-ups in the Elite Eight. The possibility is there for Marquette vs. Louisville and Syracuse vs. Cincinnati.

Enjoy.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

If You Would Have Told Me...

Buccos2028 — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:45:10 -0000

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would start 0-7 in the Big East, I may have suggested Todd Graham is a decent guy.

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that Ashton Gibbs would be on the Big East Honorable Mention team, I would have told you to grab another Iron.

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would be swept by South Florida, I would have mistaken Steve Pederson for having competence.

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would score 39 points against Rutgers at HOME, I would have said, "Bring back Willard."

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would be playing on Tuesday afternoon of the Big East Tournament, I would have called you Kelli Taylor.

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that Santa would be stealing Khem Birch for good, I would have considered hiring Bob Nutting as the new AD.

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that the CBI was our best postseason option, I would make the claim Dante Taylor has exceeded expectations.

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we had the opportunity to top the Kemba Five Day Spectacular at MSG, I would have asked, "Where Do I Sign Up?"

Win or go home for Ashton and Nas.

Beat Georgetown!

Bickerings From The Brawl

Buccos2028 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:36:33 -0000

Here are observations from the atrocity that was last night's game:

Turnovers are one thing, but I have never seen a point guard make the kind of lazy passes that Tray Woodall does. Cross-court passes that simply shouldn't be made. His calculated, almost methodical style of running the point, helps him make those nifty backdoor passes and quick dump-offs on the break. But, my goodness, some of these attempted passes looks like he doesn't care. I take that back. The kid wants to win, but you have to be smarter and more self-aware that EVERY team in the Big East has players that defend the passing lanes well. Here's a quote from Tray after the game:

They were denying every pass. We didn't do a good enough job getting open. They were taking advantage of some of our short cuts, getting out on the passing lanes, and had a bunch of steals.

I simply don't buy it that West Virginia was playing exceptional defense last night. Was anyone else just absolutely disgusted with these careless passes?

In the second half, John Johnson made, quite possibly, the worst bounce pass I have ever seen as he got near the paint. We all know he has a good shot, but he scares me in an Ashton Gibbs-type of way - meaning he'll never develop true comfort around the basket. Just a gross pass.
J.J. Moore shot better last night. We all know he can elevate around the rim, but if he can step out 15 to 20 feet, he'll keep defenders honest and open up the driving lanes.

More thoughts after the jump.

There are certain post-moves of Kilicli's that are impossible to defend. Even when Zanna and Taylor had pretty good position, they couldn't stop the towering hook shots at their 6-9 size.
However, there was defensive possession in the second half where you had to seriously question Dante Taylor's basketball IQ. Everyone in the arena knows, probably even the cheerleaders, that Kilicli likes to go left. So, when you see Kilicli post up on the left block you absolutely have to force the guy middle. But no, Taylor defended him on his left side, allowing him to get the ball exactly where he wanted and convert on the 'and one' dunk. Kilicli's facial expression post-dunk frightened me. Now, It's one thing to get beat physically, but when you lack that type of court awareness, it raises serious questions about Dante's mental game and the coaching he's getting from Dixon's staff.
Bob Knight made a comment late in the second half that seemed really stupid at the time, but rings so true today, "I would tell my players, don't pass to the wrong color." Are you listening Tray?
Cameron Wright's horrendous travel with Kilicli defending him might be the ultimate antithesis to Kemba vs. McGhee last season. Dixon just doesn't find guys that can beat their man off the dribble. It was Kilicli, too. Come on, man.
Have you ever seen us come up short on so many shots? Tray, Ashton and Nas could not get the ball to the rim.
Tray Woodall's ESPN bio picture makes him look really high and sleepy, even more so than Dante Taylor.
When the ESPN telecast came on last night, Bob Knight looked absolutely miserable. I mean, at his age, who would want to be calling a game with such mediocre teams? How long does ESPN hang on to the Knights, Vitales and Munsburgers of the world. Raftery is the ultimate exception. He gets younger as we grow older.
The student section chant "Here We Go Panthers, Here We Go," does not work. This should only be reserved for the Steelers. Something about it doesn't sound right. There's not enough yinzer in it. Maybe because the Heinz Field one sounds like, "Heeeeerrrrre Weeees Gowwwwww Stilllllerrsss, Heeeeerrrre Weeee Gowwwwwwwww."
Forget this year. Next year could be worse.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

How the Other Half Lives: Q&A With Seton Hall Blog, South Orange Juice

Buccos2028 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:05:06 -0000

With the big Sunday matchup against Herb Pope and Co. right around the corner, we caught up with the crew over at SB Nation's Seton Hall blog, South Orange Juice, to get a better read on the Pirates. Check out our Q&A session below and be sure to visit South Orange Juice for our answers to their questions.

Cardiac Hill: Welcome to the Hill, Jason. To begin, congrats on snapping the six-game skid, especially against your biggest rival, Rutgers, on the road. But, first, tell us what happened on that losing streak? Who's to blame and how does the team put it behind them?

South Orange juice: Well, the interesting thing is that most of what happened during the losing streak was quite simply a lack of shot-making. The shots that Seton Hall was getting in most of the streak were good shots, sometimes open shots. Nothing would drop, either from beyond the arc or in close to the rim. No one's really to blame for that part of it. On the couple occasions where it wasn't lack of shot-making, it was the senior leadership of Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope that was a little lacking. Theodore at times reverted back to his old ways, trying to do too much on the offensive end whereas when the Pirates have been successful, it has been because Theodore has been a maestro in terms of running the offense.

Cardiac Hill: How sweet is it beating Rutgers? We knocked off WVU at their place a few weeks ago and felt like it made up for many of those early Big East losses. Is it similar for you in that it feels like 3.12 wins in one night?

As you guys know when you beat West Virginia, beating Rutgers for Seton Hall fans is always big. The only reason that Seton Hall-Rutgers isn't ranked up there with the top rivalries in college basketball, in my opinion, is because both teams haven't been really good at the same time. It doesn't get a lot of publicity compared to other hoops rivalries, but it certainly should. Of the last 16 meetings, 14 have been decided by 6 or less points, or in OT. It's always intense, vintage New Jersey basketball when Seton Hall and Rutgers meet: the players all know each other off the court and are very friendly, but on the court, it's all-out war.

Cardiac Hill: Now, the Pirates are sitting here at 16-8 overall and 5-7 in the conference. It's certainly been a wild ride to get here, but how does this compare to your pre-season expectations?

To be honest, I think this season has exceeded anyone's preseason expectations. There were many questions surrounding the young Pirates this year, and in non-conference play, the team played so well that it raised the collective expectations for the season, and rightfully so (you don't start out 15-2 with smoke and mirrors). The losing streak has mitigated those expectations a bit, but in many fans' minds', this is a team that should be in the NCAAs, provided they take care of business.

Cardiac Hill: Speaking of that 15-2 start, Seton Hall cracked the top 25 for the first time in 11 years, after big wins over WVU and Uconn to ring in 2012. How much fun was that early season success for the fans?

It was a blast for the fans. I broadcast the games on WSOU, Seton Hall's student radio station, and we have a post-game call-in show that we do. The fans were really, really excited, especially following the UConn win (SHU's first in almost 11 years over the Huskies) about the ranking, about the national attention, and of course about the team.

Cardiac Hill: Now that football season is officially over, this will be THE national game to watch on Sunday. How do you see the game shaping up? Other than Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope, who is the one player that could give the Panthers fits? And, most important, what will be the rating on the Big East Network and SNY?

I'll refrain from trying to predict a rating on SNY, but other than Theodore and Pope, in terms of giving opponents fits, no one has done that better than Fuquan Edwin. He leads the nation in steals for a reason, and it's because he's an off-the-ball terror with quick hands, long arms and great athleticism. The Panthers will need to watch where they dribble, because if Edwin's in the vicinity, one bad bounce and that ball will be in his hands.

Cardiac Hill: Do you realize this game has huge "We-Do-Not-Want-to-Play-on-Tuesday-of-the-Big-East-Tournament" ramifications? Unless, of course, you are confident the Pirates can pull a Kemba-esque five day bonanza at the Garden. But, overall, where do you see this team going the last month of play? Would you be happy with an NIT bid or is it NCAA or bust?

Not only does it have huge standings implications, it's a virtual NCAA Elimination game. I think the winner keeps their hopes alive, while the loser would have no shot at the Big Dance. In reality, I think that the Pirates have a favorable schedule down the stretch with which to rally back to make the Dance, with many of the big boys out of the way. The general consensus seems to be that the team should have the NCAA-or-bust mentality. I don't think Theodore or Pope would want to settle for anything less.

Cardiac Hill: Does anyone like the Speedo guys in the Pirates' student section? Personally, I think it's incredibly creepy and I'm hoping the telecast does not show any shots of thee kids. Don't we already see enough of it on ESPN with Duke?

The Speedo Guys are the Men's Swimming/Diving team, and they started their trend in the Auburn game. The team immediately noticed it, and loved it considering the opposing team shoots free throws that way in the second half. So yes, they are part of the atmosphere now.

Cardiac Hill: Poppa Willard dragged us through some dark times in the mid-90's. While it's early in the game, it looks like you got the better end of the Willard stick. Give us your take on Coach Willard's job thus far and the overall direction of the program.

Coach Willard has done a phenomenal job so far. His first year, he got a roster full of players who had never had any defensive discipline their entire college career to not only play defense, but become one of the best defensive teams in the Big East. The overall record was largely due to Jeremy Hazell's injury- had he stayed healthy, the Pirates would have been top-8 in the league. This year, the defense has been stellar again, and Theodore/Pope have really "gotten it" when it comes to leadership. Willard was also brought in to restore Seton Hall's image, one that had been thrown in a dumpster by Bobby Gonzalez, and I think he's done that as well. Recruits are starting to take the Pirates seriously, and that's a huge step up and a good sign for the future of the program.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

Behind The Numbers: Key Factor In Today's Georgetown Game

Buccos2028 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:18:08 -0000

Great Q&A session by Anson with the Casual Hoya to get you primed for Georgetown, but I wanted to expand on that with one key to today's game.

Getting to the free throw line.

Georgetown did an above-average job getting to the line in the non-conference, but in conference play they have taken it to another level. In eight Big East games, they attempt nearly 22 free throws/game on only 51 FG attempts/game. This free throw rate of 43% dwarfs Pitt's conference free throw rate of 27.2%. Sadly, it takes us 58.4 FG attempts/game just to reach 15.9 FT attempts/game. Fortunately, the Hoyas struggle converting on those chances, shooting a measly 65.1% during conference play. And, not that we're much better at 66.1%.

The two main contributors to these numbers are Henry Sims and Jason Clark. Both rank in the top ten in free throws attempted in conference play, helping to shoot a combined 100 free throws. Nasir, leading Pitt in free throw attempts, isn't even close with 27 trips to the line; good for only 32nd in the conference.

What does this mean?

Somebody will be in serious foul trouble, with the most likely culprits being Nasir or, even, Tray. In fact, Woodall leads the team, unfortunately, in fouls per game at 2.8. I always knew he made dumb fouls, but I had no idea until I stumbled on the fact that he was the team leader. And, with his injury not fully behind him, you'd have to think he'll commit silly fouls when he's out of position and trying to recover.

Advice to Jamie: Limit Clark's penetration lanes and ability to draw contact in the paint. As for Sims, keep him on the high block where less fouls are called and stay away from stupid over-the-backs as we try to pad the gaudy offensive rebounding numbers (yes, you Talib).

Find more of these useful numbers over at Statsheet to compare the two teams: http://bit.ly/A4OMMe

H2P!

Jamie Dixon In The Context of Big East Coaches

Buccos2028 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0000

Nice win on Wednesday, gentlemen. ESPN3 blacked it out in NYC because Providence, RI and Pittsburgh, PA are very close to the Big Apple. Huh?

Regardless of the outcome again Providence, I've been wanting to do a piece on Jamie Dixon's recent struggles in the context of the proverbial hot seat. I mean, all of us are on the hot seat at some point point in our lives, either in the form of poor semesters, missed project deadlines, strained relationships, mismanaged fantasy teams, etc.

Coach Dixon, for all the good he's done at Pitt, is not immune to this topic of conversation. Bloggers do this type of meaningful work. Well, in a series of posts, I'll be looking at his connection to current and former hot seaters across the Big East and college basketball landscape.

Current Big East Coaches

Coaches come and go, but there are four Big East coaches that bear semblance to Jamie Dixon's coaching arc and, most recent, hot seat talk.

Mike Brey

Brey, in his 12th year at Notre Dame, experienced the warmest of seats after 2005-2006, winning a career-low six games in Big East play and 16 overall. The NIT was becoming the norm after three straight trips to the step-sister invitational. One could debate expectations are lower there than at Pitt, but Brey turned it around over those next two seasons, winning 49 total games, and earning himself a contract extension through the 2015 season.

Warmest State: 2005-2006 Off-Season

Expectations: 6/10

John Thompson III

John Thompson III took over for Craig Esherick in 2004, when the program was at a low point after not making the NCAAs three consecutive seasons. Unlike Dixon, who took over for Howland as the team was on the rise, JT III built the program back up in a hurry with a trip to the Final Four in 2007.

However, since then, the Hoyas have failed to reach the second weekend of the tournament (even missing out in 2009) and invited many passionate Georgetown fans in this past off-season to begin further discourse on the hot seat. He's off the coals now, with the unexpected good start to the season, but expect the seat to get toastier as the middle of March and second weekend pressure rolls around.

Warmest State: 2010-2011 Off-Season

Expectations: 8/10

Jay Wright

Jay Wright, the stud that he is, can handle good convection heat from time to time. A slow starter in his first three years at Villanova, Jay went on quite the post-season run from 2005 to 2009. Two Sweet 16's, an Elite Eight and, oh yeah, that f*&%^$ Final Four for good measure.

Early exits the last two seasons had Wildcat fans grumbling in the off-season, but those talks have only intensified this season as the losses and Pitt-like play have plagued a rather experienced Villanova team. Even with a great recruiting class coming in, Jay will face his toughest critics yet this off-season, but in a good way. He's the one that created this beautiful mess.

Warmest Time: Now

Expectations: 7/10

Rick Pitino

Slick quick Rick, as my Kentucky friend Linda refers to him, was the savior in Louisville when he first arrived on campus in 2001. Just like Wright, it took Pitino a few years to mold the program to his liking, but when he did he struck chicken in a bucket. Averaging 27 wins from 2004-2005 to 2008-2009, Louisville made it to one Final Four and two Elite Eights in that stretch.

While most fans would be thrilled with an Elite Eight appearance, it was the 2009 loss, as the #1 overall seed, that sparked a recurring March theme for Cardinal fans: underachievement. Two first round exits later and a rough start to this season has Pitino answering a question he's only accustomed to at the pro level. Is your job on the line?

Warmest Time: Now

Expectations: 8/10

Key Take-Aways:

1. For three of the four coaches mentioned, a Final Four appearance is a serious feather in the cap. Metaphorically, what does that mean for the temperature of their seat? Non-scientifically speaking, I'd have to think it buys them at least three years of runway, unless a major NCAA violation or personal misdeed is committed.

I really wish someone could do a correlation analysis of what a Final Four berth or BCS victory means for a coach's job stability. If anyone could pull this off, it would be the godfather - Ken Pomeroy.

2. Do schools have clear, post-season metrics on how they evaluate coaches? For example, if said coach misses the tournament two straight seasons, then their contract is terminated, regardless of injuries or player defections.

In contrast, is it more on a case-by-case basis? More like, "We feel the program is headed in the wrong direction and we need a change," or, "The program has went through its struggles; however, we believe Coach Hot Seater is the best man suited to right the ship."

You have to believe Pitt plays both cards, but leans more towards the latter, assessing the program on an intuitive basis and hoping they make the right, long-term decision. That said, based on last year's success, I think Dixon provided himself at least two more years of runway.

3. Compared to the four coaches and respective schools above, I think Pitt's internal evaluation system falls somewhere in between Mike Brey and the other three coaches. No matter how much Notre Dame might talk of national championship aspirations, they are quite content with consistent play in the Big East and moderate NCAA tournament success. Pitino, Wright and JTIII, on the other hand, have the added pressure of national championship banners hanging in their rafters. Generally speaking, now that every coach has their players and system in place, annual trips to the NIT will not cut it.

As for Dixon and looking ahead, if he pulls the same move that Brey did from 2003-2006 (three straight NIT appearances and never reaching the 20-win mark), I highly doubt Pitt will afford him that fourth season to turn it around. Notre Dame gave Brey that opportunity, but I don't know if Pitt will display that patience - especially as an ACC newcomer.

4. As Anson covered very well in an earlier post, the NCAA tournament is an unpredictable, schizophrenic animal. None of the five coaches (including Dixon) have reached the second weekend of the tournament since 2009 and Louisville/Georgetown are the only teams this year with a reasonable chance at bucking the trend. The sudden death format is brutal, as we saw with the Packers in the NFL this season.

As a fan, I know we can't have our cake and eat it, too, except with the Steelers to some degree. If I had the pick between the current Pitt way as a consistent regular season winner or a Ryan Howard-ish way with one Final Four appearance for every three or four NITs, I'd go the boring, adult route.

It's a long season, folks, and over the course of 35 games, I'd much rather watch Coach Dixon beat on the likes of Georgetown, Syracuse and West Virginia throughout January and February, than, winning one or two games against Butler, Xavier or, yes, Villanova. And, remember how ugly that Wagner loss was at holiday time. Yeah, gross.

Although, that one, wild and crazy night with the bombshell (Final Four) would make for a great story. On second thought…

In closing, next week, I'll compare Jamie Dixon to coaches outside of the Big East in similar situations. I'll also look to define "runway" with a bit more clarity. For now, I like the ambiguity of it. It will be dropped numerous times during the Pro Bowl this weekend, when nothing else warrants my attention.

Tell me what you think. How warm is the seat right now? How warm will it get before we've had enough? And, how does it compare to other Big East teams' coaching situations?

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

Buccos2028 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:40:04 -0000

Cardiac Hill's tag line reads "Because Vonteego Cummings was better than you think." Oh, Vonteego. How your game espcapes me and Anson and Mike and all of Panther Nation in these most trying of times?

While Von Von was the boss man, especially junior year when he logged 40+ minutes/game (which is absurd and pokes holes in Ashton's too-many-minutes-a-game argument), isn't every Pitt player, coach and team better than we think - at least in our minds?

We're all guilty of the delusion and "this is the year" claims, because we care… A LOT.

This over-caring is what makes Cardiac Hill awesome. Don't get me wrong; Ray Fittipaldo does great work at the Post-Gazette, but where is the raw, unadulterated passion? So, when Anson asked me to join the website as a contributor this week, I was ecstatic and honored to become a crazed contributor for the Cardiac Hill team. That said, let me introduce myself to yinz.

My name is Chas Wagner and, like many others, am a proud member of the Pitt community, having graduated from the Katz School of Business in 2011. As part of the two year full-time program, my focus was on entrepreneurship, innovation and, basically, anything to avoid getting a corporate job. The most important point, though, is my allegiance did not begin last year at the Pete, when it was wildly convenient to become a Pitt fan.

Oh no, they surfaced at Fitzgerald Field House, a magical place with Paul Hipp doing his best impressions of Usain Bolt and Ralph Willard rocking a Ricky Perry-esque butt cut. Yes, the Pete is beautiful and necessary for recruiting, but the Field House was just so cozy, almost that Eat N' Park feel.

Speaking of delusion, my Dad was the really crazy one. Growing up, he told me to model my game off of Jerry McCullough, not John Stockton. Don't forget, he'd send me to Born 2 Run Basketball Camp at Laroche College to receive advice, primarily basketball, from the likes of Chris Seabrooks. We still debate whether Kelli Taylor or Seabrooks was the bigger head case.

Like my Dad, I developed an infatuation with Pitt hoops. Wearing one sleeve in IM hoops at college was not meant to show off my abnormally-sized left bicep, but to pay my respects to the ultimate Ruben Boumtje Boumtje embarasser - Julius Page.

Or, sneaking in the back door of Rosie O'Grady's in Midtown Manhattan, clearly underage and still looking it today, just to have the opportunity to drink Michelob Ultras alongside Ontario Lett and Donatas Zavackas, after we beat the crap out of Uconn for our first Big East Tournament Championship.

I love Pitt basketball. Simply put, the winter time means Pitt basketball for my family and I. Sorry, but Pens hockey doesn't do it for me and, quite frankly, I don't understand the schizophrenic game enough. Steelers, love them to death, but it's not that difficult to be an outdoor football fan in Western PA. Pittsburgh Power? Now we're talking.

Unfortunately, I didn't grow up a Pitt football fan, so, you won't be hearing my ramblings on that side of the ball. For better or worse, Notre Dame was my squad.

Talk about a team that is never better than you think.

In closing, I'm excited to be a part of this journey with Anson and Co.

I can't thank him enough for including me in his plans for the next phase of Cardiac Hill.

Most importantly, I can't wait to connect with everyone in the H2P community.

Beat Louisville. Hail to Pitt. Cheers to Vonteego.

Dante Taylor, Albany and Linnelli/Aiken Thoughts from Friday Night

Buccos2028 — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 06:15:59 -0000

It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, it really is. Football and basketball weekends are glorious. Some silly thoughts from Friday night.

You know that Dante Taylor smile, where he runs down the court with a certain giddiness, that should only be reserved for kids on their first day at Kennywood. Well, in Friday night's game, the smirk and child-like mannerisms were in full force. He looked super excited to play this year and for good reason.

To start the game, he had a strong, one-handed put back that showed his improved athleticism and, hopefully, non-lingering knee problems. Later in the first half, off a nifty pass in the post from Ashton, he converted on a nice, turn-around baby hook shot; something we've all been looking for the last two years and has been praised by Coach Dixon coming into this season.

He's always been vocal, skipping around and Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky to START games, but the key for me is how he performs in the second half, especially down the stretch. He has never been called upon to be a major contributor late in games, with McGhee filling that void these last few years, but he will have to step up his game when Ashton and, based off Friday night's game, T-Wood aren't hitting their shots.

Quick Thoughts on Albany

Albany's coach, Will Brown, had an exceptional hair part; the kind reserved for your local bowling alley guy that only fixes the gutters. Brown, in his eleventh year at Albany, just looks rugged, Rust Belt-ish and like the Operations guy that has worked at your company for the last twenty two years.

In more hair-related news, Gerardo Suero had a nasty 'Fro, which may have propelled him to the charity stripe a stupid 16 times. There is no reason any America East player should be getting to the line that many times. Could this be harbginger-ish to last year, where really good guards found a way to exploit our soft backcourt defense - Hansborough, Hardy, Hopson, Mack and Kemba?

This is is my biggest concern for the year. Who will guard the really athletic Big East guards? Seriously, who is going to man up J-Lamb or DJO? Dixon has always been a M2M guy, but he might have to swallow his pride and employ some zone defenses to offset this team's defensive weaknesses.

Broadcast Team on ESPN3/SNY

I watched the game on SNY with the stellar crew of Greg Linelli and Curtis Aiken, almost as good as Nantz and Kellogg. Here are the best lines from the evening:

Greg Linnelli:

"Cam takes the ball at the top." This is the first game of his career and you're already informalizing his name. That's like calling your blind date, Caitlin, "Cait" by the end of the night. Give it some time Greggo.

"BANK. GLASS. GOOD," after T-Wood hits a runner in the lane. He was so emphatic with the call that you knew it was in his announcer toolbox before the game started. I mean, if I was an announcer it would definitely be in my go-to-lines toolbox.

"You're on the Comcast Network," as I'm watching it on SNY and it's also being streamed on ESPN3. The folks carrying distribution rights couldn't have been too pleased with the constant promotion of another network.

Curtis Aiken:

"This kid is hungry," (when describing Gibb's work ethic) but then says a few seconds later, "You know what, he eats right." Curtis, when talking about hunger, it's best to stick with either a literal or metaphorical sense, else you'll be confusing us with Final Four hunger - it is in the great Cajun infused land of New Orleans.

"We've got our Batman and Robin," in describing Gibbs and Woodall. Okay, Tray had a good game, but he is a long way away from emerging as the legitimate number two threat.

"One of Dante Taylor's better games of the year." This is the first game bro. Sorry, the closed scrimmage you saw back in September against CCAC doesn't count for us normal fans.

See yinz Sunday night to cap off a solid Pitt sports weekend.

It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, it really is. Football and basketball weekends are glorious. Some silly thoughts from Friday night.

Quick Thoughts on Albany

Broadcast Team on ESPN3/SNY

I watched the game on SNY with the stellar crew of Greg Linelli and Curtis Aiken, almost as good as Nantz and Kellogg. Here are the best lines from the evening:

Greg Linnelli:

Curtis Aiken:

"We've got our Batman and Robin," in describing Gibbs and Woodall. Okay, Tray had a good game, but he is a long way away from emerging as the legitimate number two threat.

"One of Dante Taylor's better games of the year." This is the first game bro. Sorry, the closed scrimmage you saw back in September against CCAC doesn't count for us normal fans.

See yinz Sunday night to cap off a solid Pitt sports weekend.

Lamar Patterson and Cameron Wright Thoughts from Monday Night

Buccos2028 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:22:16 -0000

Great analysis on Pitt's last preseason game from reader Buccos2028:

Take this for what it is worth. The first twenty minutes of an exhibition game against Kentucky Wesleyan, a team with just absolutely hideous uniforms. I was in town for a few days and paid an absurd $35 to get a look at the 2011-2012 Panthers. That's $1.75/minute, even worse than Downtown parking. Dynamic pricing MUST be implemented across all college and professional sports, the place was half full and could have filled up if cheap $4 or $5 seats were available.

Lamar Patterson is sneaky good. He's not going to wow you with Gilbert Brown or Sam Young athleticism, but there are two things he does really freaking well.

First, he has great body control, which allows him to easily adjust to the defender, opposing team's defensive scheme and, even, the referee's style of game calling. There were a few times he was driving the lane, where he looked completely out of control, then made a great adjustment in the air to effortlessly lay it in the hoop. He knows his body's limitations and will not try to be a player that he is not (except for that botched dunk attempt where he was rejected by the rim). This body control bodes well for him on the defensive end, he's not going to fall for many pump fakes or lose position on the low block and commit silly over-the-back fouls.

Secondly, and related to body control, LP has exceptionally soft hands. There was one instance where T-Wood drove the lane into traffic (without much conviction), lost control of the ball, and, as the ball was heading out of bounds, Lamar snagged it and easily laid it in. Hands Man, as I'm now calling him, will benefit greatly from this skill most notably in the post. Anytime Ashton, T-Wood or Nasir draw attention in the lane, they can feel confident in dumping it off to Lamar for a quick lay-up or mid-range jumper.

What other season prognostications can I make in watching twenty minutes of exhibition basketball? Oh, I think Cameron Wright will see decent playing time solely for his defense. Going out on a limb, but I think he is Coach Dixon's most complete perimeter defender. He has the length, quickness and size to match up with the most athletic guards in the Big East. Seriously, who is going to guard Lamb, Triche and DJO this year?

Brad and Gilbert are gone. Ashton is too small and not strong enough to man up against these 6-4, 200+ guards. Lamar? Probably not quick enough. Maybe, JJ Moore since he's in the starting rotation, but I am not sold on his defensive ability, yet.

Great analysis on Pitt's last preseason game from reader Buccos2028:

Lamar Patterson is sneaky good. He's not going to wow you with Gilbert Brown or Sam Young athleticism, but there are two things he does really freaking well.

Cameron looked wide at the top of the key and did a pretty good job at defending the pick and roll. He stayed on his man at times, but also switched defenders rather effectively. Because this is such an integral part of Jamie Dixon's defense, he is looking for guys to defend this play successfully.

My two worst nightmares from last year (I'm not counting the Butler game as that is considered far worse than nightmarish) had to be the Notre Dame home loss, where Ben Hansborough tore us apart with the high screen and roll, then the ankle breaking in the Garden, where we mistakenly switched on Kemba and had McGhee guarding him at the top of the key. Needless to say, if someone, like Cameron Wright, can learn to defend this play, which I think he can because of his versatility, look for him to see some quality minutes, maybe even late in games. On the offensive end, his jump shot is appalling and can't comprehend how a redshirt year couldn't produce even a decent jump shot for a 6-4, 210 pound guard.

I wanted to talk about Tray Woodall's point guard play, but I think I will save that for the next post. The bigger question is: When did he change his official roster name from Travon to Tray? I will talk to the Onomastics Professor at Pitt and get his scholarly opinion on name-changing.

See yinz on Friday night.