Boston College was a solid team for the better part of the 2000s. They made 7 NCAA tournament appearances from 2001-2010 (including a Sweet 16 in 2006). They had very good players like Troy Bell, Craig Smith and Jared Dudley. All three had NBA careers and Dudley still plays for the Clippers. Recently, though, they haven't had much success. They already have 21 losses with three more games to play. Unlike Pitt, they actually tried to play people even though they suck. Their strength of schedule is 18th.
Pitt played an unbelievably sloppy game. They had 17 turnovers. I'm not sure if that's a season high, but it probably is. They also allowed the Eagles, particularly Olivier Hanlan, to drive right to the basket. When I say drive right, I mean actually to the right side. I don't think they went to the left side of the court the entire game. On the bright side, they out-rebounded the Eagles 33-18, shot 50% from the field and from deep, and made 79% of their free throws. Pitt seemed very capable of winning this game by 20+. They held double digit leads throughout the first and even held a 14 point advantage early in the second half. Unfortunately, Pitt has a habit of shutting down when they have a lead. We've seen it twice against Syracuse this year and a number of other times. When Pitt gets a second half, their offense changes. They stop attacking. Jim Boeheim even said that Pitt probably would have beaten his team if they continued to attack in the final 5 minutes of both Syracuse games. He's right.
View From the Zoo's Guide to Pitt's offense when they have a lead in the final minutes
1. If you're open in the first 30 seconds of the shot clock, don't shoot. We're trying to burn clock so we can get out of here with a win.
2. Make sure you have the ball 25 feet from the basket when the shot clock gets to five. This is a suitable time to begin running a play.
3. Set a pick for Lamar Patterson who is holding the ball 25 feet from the basket.
4. Lamar has the option to take a contested three-pointer or pass to James Robinson or Cameron Wright for an equally difficult three-pointer. Bonus points awarded if this results in a turnover and no shot attempted.
5. If the shot miraculously goes in, call time-out to set up your defense.
Without further adieu, here are the grades.
Lamar Patterson - He made 4-7 from three, but he didn't do much inside the arc (1-5 on 2pt field goals). As a whole, Pitt only had 10 three-point attempts, which is right where that number should be. They aren't an outside shooting team. His only two-point basket came on a great drive. I wish he would do more of that. He also had 5 turnovers, which is just disgraceful. It was an average night for Lamar.
Grade: C
Talib Zanna - Even when Zanna has a great game, he finds a way to miss opportunities. He shot 7-10 from the field and even made 7-8 free throws (started 6-6). It was Zanna's first 20+ point effort since the Clemson game, which was an eternity ago. When Zanna gets the ball down low, he never goes immediately up for the shot. He pump fakes every time. Dude, you are 6 feet 9 inches tall. If you go up and try to dunk it, they have to foul you. Why must every Pitt big man play below the rim? Sometimes the fake works and Zanna gets fouled, but he usually misses the shot or the free throws. He completed two three-point plays in this one so maybe I should just shut up. Boston College stinks, but if Zanna plays like this the rest of the way, Pitt will win out.
Grade: A
James Robinson - Robinson was invisible. He didn't turn the ball over (good), but he only had one shot attempt (a layup in the final minute which he missed). He also missed the front end of a one-and-one at the end of the game as well. Zero points in 33 minutes isn't gonna cut it.
Grade: C-
Cameron Wright - Wright shot the ball well (6-9) but he also had 4 turnovers. He had a nice put-back off a Zanna miss for Pitt's first points, and Patterson found him on a nice cut for a basket in the second half. He also blew a lay-up in transition, but Pitt retained possession when they were fouled going after the rebound.
Grade: B
Michael Young - He shot 1-5, and his only highlight was a sweet pass to Wright for a lay-up early in the second half. Wright is the best cutter Pitt has. He knows how to get open.
Grade: C
Jamel Artis - He had 7 points and was Pitt's only contributor off the bench. He even made his only three, but he turned the ball over three times, which is about two too many for a forward off the bench.
Grade: B-
Derrick Randall - He made a shot, which was nice.
Grade: B-
Chris Jones - He only played three minutes, but managed to have one turnover for his only contribution to the box score.
Grade: C
Josh Newkirk - Nuke Newkirk had a great drive to the basket for his only basket. He also had 3 assists versus 0 turnovers in his 22 minutes which is always nice.
Grade: B+
Pitt needed this win. It wasn't the prettiest, but they snapped the three-game slide. On Saturday, they face a Notre Dame team that's beaten them five times in a row. Pitt hasn't won against the Irish since 2009. Notre Dame is in the bottom third of the ACC, and their best player left the school in December due to academic reasons. However, Brey owns Dixon, and Pitt hasn't won at the Joyce Center since I was 15 freaking years old. I'll have to watch a replay of the game since I'll be at Pre-Cana until 3:30. Pitt will win because their luck has to turn around eventually.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Game 27: Ugh: Pitt 66 Florida State 71
On December 22, 2003, I attended my first Pitt basketball game. My mom took me to the Pete to see Pitt beat Florida State 63-56 behind Mark McCarroll's 13 points off the bench. I had been a fan of Pitt basketball for several years, but somehow I never made it to the Fitzgerald Field House for a game. Then Pitt moved to the Pete, became awesome, and tickets were a lot harder to come by. Both teams were 10-0 coming into that game. The Seminoles had a decent freshman named Von Wafer (real name Vakeaton) who would eventually get drafted in the second round the next year. He had a 200 game NBA career before going to Europe. Reading his wikipedia page, I found this gem.
"During a workout with the Phoenix Suns, Wafer reportedly was frustrated by the physical play from Jan Jagla, and responded by laying an intentional elbow to Jagla's nose, then walked off the court and ended the workout at that point." Jan Jagla was a popular center at Penn State in the early 2000s.
Enough of the history lesson, it's time to talk about the present. Pitt is awful right now. They might lose every game the rest of the year. We should drop basketball, demolish the Pete, and turn it into a giant free parking lot. That way I'll have some place to park in Oakland. I'm kidding, maybe.
In reality, this is what Pitt was supposed to be at the beginning of the season. They teased us with the 16-1 (4-0 ACC) start, but they were still picked to finish 7th in the ACC with a .500 conference record. They're 6th now at 8-6, and with the way they're playing now, that 9-9 mark might be right on the money. They can't shoot the ball. Patterson's unsustainable shooting percentage was carrying Pitt. Once he fell back to earth, Pitt's offense fell back to earth. He's now shooting 45%, and he shot 46% last season. The loss of Durand Johnson also crippled Pitt's outside shooting. Wright, Robinson, and Newkirk are all capable of hitting the occasional 3, but nobody does it well. Robinson and Newkirk actually shot better than Durand, but neither of them is capable of exploding for a huge night offensively. The game before he was injured, Johnson had 17 on 6-8 shooting in a 20 point win over Maryland. His replacement, Chris Jones, just doesn't offer that at this point. Pitt still has some issues, but having Durand's offense late in some of these games might have given Pitt 2-3 more wins.
I haven't given grades for a while so let's do that.
Lamar Patterson - With three minutes left in the game, Patterson was shooting 3-16 (0-7 from 3) and Pitt was down 5. He would score the last 16 points for Pitt, while shooting a perfect 5-5 from the field (4-4 from 3, 2-2 FT), but it was too little too late. Patterson was incredible in those final minutes, but Pitt was just awful for too long of a stretch in the second half. After leading by 6 at the break, Florida State shot 1-11 to start the second half. Unfortunately, Pitt only made 2 field goals themselves during that time period and Florida State never lost the lead. Pitt did tie the game at 42 and 48, but Florida State quickly regained the lead both times. The box score says Patterson had a huge night with 22 points 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but that was all done in a 3 minute span.
Grade: C
Talib Zanna - Zanna was 1-4 from the field with 4 turnovers. Pitt is not going to win any games when their only post presence shoots 1-4 with 4 turnovers. In addition to the complete lack of offense, Zanna made two of the dumbest plays of the year. Patterson hit a 3 with about 1:20 remaining to make the score 60-57 for FSU. It's a one possession game, and there's plenty of time to get a stop. Even if they score at the end of the shot clock, it would be a 5 point game with about 45 seconds to go which isn't insurmountable. Instead, Zanna fouls a 77% free throw shooter 5 seconds into the shot clock. Dixon had just called timeout to set his defense because nobody calls timeouts after they score to set up their defense more than Jamie Dixon. What was the result of this timeout? Zanna committing a foul immediately. Florida State was shooting terribly in the second half, but you know what they were doing well? That answer would be shooting foul shots. They were 27-31 from the line for the game. I swear to God, I hope that Zanna just made a dumb play. If Dixon actually told him to foul in the timeout, it's the final straw. I want Dixon fired. I don't even care if he's the best option we could get. I'm sick of these boneheaded calls. I didn't even mention the 3 pointer Zanna took when Pitt was down 66-60. Florida State actually missed two free throws on the prior possession, but Zanna felt inclined to attempt his first three pointer of the season. He missed by 8 feet. I'm not even exaggerating that. The ball was 8 feet short. Florida State missed another free throw on the next possession. If Pitt gets a quick two there, they might have had a chance to tie in the final seconds. Of course Chris Jones missed a three at the buzzer anyway, but a better shooter might have taken that if Pitt still had a chance to tie.
Grade: F for Zanna, F for Dixon too
Michael Young - He misssed all four shots he took and only had two rebounds. Pitt's inside game is non-existent at this point. In the NCAA tournament, they say the 3 point shot is the great equalizer. It allows teams made up of small guards contend with teams from major conferences because they can get hot from downtown. Generally strong post players don't go to small schools. Since Pitt has no inside game, you could say they are like a mid-major program. Unfortunately, Pitt can't shoot either so they're pretty much screwed. Maybe we can convince the NCAA that DeJuan Blair still has some eligibility left.
Grade: F
James Robinson - He made both of his 3-point attempts, but missed his five 2-point attempts, which is just weird. I can't really get mad at Robinson. He's been so remarkably consistent this season. He has improved in every single statistic from his freshmen year.
Points - 6.1 per game to 8.2
FG% - 36% to 42%
3P% - 31% to 37%
FT% - 79% to 81%
Assists - 3.5 per game to 3.9
Rebounds - 2.1 per game to 2.9
Steals - 1.0 per game to 1.4
Blocks - 0.0 per game to 0.4
Turnovers - 1.2 per game to 1.0
He's missed a few crucial three pointers late in games recently, but I'm willing to ignore that, given his across-the-board improvement.
Grade: B
Cameron Wright - He didn't play a great game, but he was the only starter to shoot even close to 50% (5-11) so that has to be worth something.
Grade: B
Jamel Artis - He didn't do much. He made 1-2 from the field, but only made two of his five free throws. In the first half he had a nice 3 point play, but he followed that possession with a turnover. Then on the next possession he followed a guy who completed a 3 point play on his own. He also had a chance to give Pitt a 49-48 lead, but he missed his second free throw. I'm not sure that one point makes that much of a difference, but perhaps they play differently if they were able to get the lead back for a moment.
Grade: B-
Derrick Randall - He played 10 minutes and didn't take a shot. That's par for the course for him.
Grade: C
Josh Newkirk - He made his only shot and it was a 3. Earlier in the game, Newkirk committed a turnover and then a frustration foul. The announcers talked about how it was a young mistake and that he would soon be taken out of the game. After he stayed in at the next substitution, they said he could make two mistakes but probably not a third. He buried that 3 on the next possession and they raved about Dixon keeping him in. He made the third mistake a little bit later and was finally taken out of the game. I like Newkirk, though.
Grade: B
Chris Jones - He missed that desperation three, but still somehow had 7 points. That's a great night for him.
Grade: B+
Pitt plays at 7-20 (3-11) Boston College on Wednesday night. Boston College won at the Carrier Dome to give undefeated Syracuse its first loss (Syracuse has since lost to Duke as well). The Eagles celebrated that win by losing by 27 to Miami. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen in that one. Pitt could win by 30, lose by 30, win a close one, or lose a close one. I don't know anymore.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
"During a workout with the Phoenix Suns, Wafer reportedly was frustrated by the physical play from Jan Jagla, and responded by laying an intentional elbow to Jagla's nose, then walked off the court and ended the workout at that point." Jan Jagla was a popular center at Penn State in the early 2000s.
Enough of the history lesson, it's time to talk about the present. Pitt is awful right now. They might lose every game the rest of the year. We should drop basketball, demolish the Pete, and turn it into a giant free parking lot. That way I'll have some place to park in Oakland. I'm kidding, maybe.
In reality, this is what Pitt was supposed to be at the beginning of the season. They teased us with the 16-1 (4-0 ACC) start, but they were still picked to finish 7th in the ACC with a .500 conference record. They're 6th now at 8-6, and with the way they're playing now, that 9-9 mark might be right on the money. They can't shoot the ball. Patterson's unsustainable shooting percentage was carrying Pitt. Once he fell back to earth, Pitt's offense fell back to earth. He's now shooting 45%, and he shot 46% last season. The loss of Durand Johnson also crippled Pitt's outside shooting. Wright, Robinson, and Newkirk are all capable of hitting the occasional 3, but nobody does it well. Robinson and Newkirk actually shot better than Durand, but neither of them is capable of exploding for a huge night offensively. The game before he was injured, Johnson had 17 on 6-8 shooting in a 20 point win over Maryland. His replacement, Chris Jones, just doesn't offer that at this point. Pitt still has some issues, but having Durand's offense late in some of these games might have given Pitt 2-3 more wins.
I haven't given grades for a while so let's do that.
Lamar Patterson - With three minutes left in the game, Patterson was shooting 3-16 (0-7 from 3) and Pitt was down 5. He would score the last 16 points for Pitt, while shooting a perfect 5-5 from the field (4-4 from 3, 2-2 FT), but it was too little too late. Patterson was incredible in those final minutes, but Pitt was just awful for too long of a stretch in the second half. After leading by 6 at the break, Florida State shot 1-11 to start the second half. Unfortunately, Pitt only made 2 field goals themselves during that time period and Florida State never lost the lead. Pitt did tie the game at 42 and 48, but Florida State quickly regained the lead both times. The box score says Patterson had a huge night with 22 points 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but that was all done in a 3 minute span.
Grade: C
Talib Zanna - Zanna was 1-4 from the field with 4 turnovers. Pitt is not going to win any games when their only post presence shoots 1-4 with 4 turnovers. In addition to the complete lack of offense, Zanna made two of the dumbest plays of the year. Patterson hit a 3 with about 1:20 remaining to make the score 60-57 for FSU. It's a one possession game, and there's plenty of time to get a stop. Even if they score at the end of the shot clock, it would be a 5 point game with about 45 seconds to go which isn't insurmountable. Instead, Zanna fouls a 77% free throw shooter 5 seconds into the shot clock. Dixon had just called timeout to set his defense because nobody calls timeouts after they score to set up their defense more than Jamie Dixon. What was the result of this timeout? Zanna committing a foul immediately. Florida State was shooting terribly in the second half, but you know what they were doing well? That answer would be shooting foul shots. They were 27-31 from the line for the game. I swear to God, I hope that Zanna just made a dumb play. If Dixon actually told him to foul in the timeout, it's the final straw. I want Dixon fired. I don't even care if he's the best option we could get. I'm sick of these boneheaded calls. I didn't even mention the 3 pointer Zanna took when Pitt was down 66-60. Florida State actually missed two free throws on the prior possession, but Zanna felt inclined to attempt his first three pointer of the season. He missed by 8 feet. I'm not even exaggerating that. The ball was 8 feet short. Florida State missed another free throw on the next possession. If Pitt gets a quick two there, they might have had a chance to tie in the final seconds. Of course Chris Jones missed a three at the buzzer anyway, but a better shooter might have taken that if Pitt still had a chance to tie.
Grade: F for Zanna, F for Dixon too
Michael Young - He misssed all four shots he took and only had two rebounds. Pitt's inside game is non-existent at this point. In the NCAA tournament, they say the 3 point shot is the great equalizer. It allows teams made up of small guards contend with teams from major conferences because they can get hot from downtown. Generally strong post players don't go to small schools. Since Pitt has no inside game, you could say they are like a mid-major program. Unfortunately, Pitt can't shoot either so they're pretty much screwed. Maybe we can convince the NCAA that DeJuan Blair still has some eligibility left.
Grade: F
James Robinson - He made both of his 3-point attempts, but missed his five 2-point attempts, which is just weird. I can't really get mad at Robinson. He's been so remarkably consistent this season. He has improved in every single statistic from his freshmen year.
Points - 6.1 per game to 8.2
FG% - 36% to 42%
3P% - 31% to 37%
FT% - 79% to 81%
Assists - 3.5 per game to 3.9
Rebounds - 2.1 per game to 2.9
Steals - 1.0 per game to 1.4
Blocks - 0.0 per game to 0.4
Turnovers - 1.2 per game to 1.0
He's missed a few crucial three pointers late in games recently, but I'm willing to ignore that, given his across-the-board improvement.
Grade: B
Cameron Wright - He didn't play a great game, but he was the only starter to shoot even close to 50% (5-11) so that has to be worth something.
Grade: B
Jamel Artis - He didn't do much. He made 1-2 from the field, but only made two of his five free throws. In the first half he had a nice 3 point play, but he followed that possession with a turnover. Then on the next possession he followed a guy who completed a 3 point play on his own. He also had a chance to give Pitt a 49-48 lead, but he missed his second free throw. I'm not sure that one point makes that much of a difference, but perhaps they play differently if they were able to get the lead back for a moment.
Grade: B-
Derrick Randall - He played 10 minutes and didn't take a shot. That's par for the course for him.
Grade: C
Josh Newkirk - He made his only shot and it was a 3. Earlier in the game, Newkirk committed a turnover and then a frustration foul. The announcers talked about how it was a young mistake and that he would soon be taken out of the game. After he stayed in at the next substitution, they said he could make two mistakes but probably not a third. He buried that 3 on the next possession and they raved about Dixon keeping him in. He made the third mistake a little bit later and was finally taken out of the game. I like Newkirk, though.
Grade: B
Chris Jones - He missed that desperation three, but still somehow had 7 points. That's a great night for him.
Grade: B+
Pitt plays at 7-20 (3-11) Boston College on Wednesday night. Boston College won at the Carrier Dome to give undefeated Syracuse its first loss (Syracuse has since lost to Duke as well). The Eagles celebrated that win by losing by 27 to Miami. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen in that one. Pitt could win by 30, lose by 30, win a close one, or lose a close one. I don't know anymore.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Game 26: Pitt 71 North Carolina 75
The last time Pitt played a meaningful basketball game against North Carolina was about 9 months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The 1941 NCAA tournament featured 8 teams from all over the country.
Anyway, Pitt held Glamack to only 9 points (he had scored 45 earlier that season against Clemson), and Pitt won 26-20. It remains the lower scoring NCAA tournament game in history. Pitt would lose 36-30 to eventual champion Wisconsin in the next round. That game would be the 3rd lowest scoring game in tournament history. Both North Carolina and Pitt made their NCAA tournament debuts in 1941. Since then the Tar Heels have won 5 National Titles, made 18 Final Fours, and have 44 tournament appearances. Pitt hasn't been back to the Final Four since. In fact, North Carolina's entire NCAA tournament history can be traced back to that disappointment in 1941. If they hadn't suffered such a disappointing defeat to Pitt, maybe they never become the program they are today.
You're welcome, North Carolina.
Anyway, North Carolina would beat Pitt the next seven times they played them (the last in 1996) before yesterday.
Pitt had absolutely no answer for James Michael McAdoo. He had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Marcus Paige, a 31% 3 point shooter, made 5-6 because Pitt. North Carolina broke open a close game and led by 12 with 8 minutes left. Somehow, Pitt didn't quit, probably because they wanted to find a new way to disappoint me. Pitt got within 3, but missed an opportunity to get closer when Wright missed a jumper. A few possessions later, Patterson hits two free throws with 44 seconds left to cut the lead to 4. UNC inbounds and after a few passes, McAdoo is holding it. Pitt tries to steal. For as great a game as McAdoo played, he is still a terrible free throw shooter (52% for the year 2-7 in the game). Pitt doesn't foul him, though, they instead wait until Marcus Paige (90% free throw shooter) gets the ball back. Paige makes 2-2 obviously.
Things started to change for Pitt. Robinson missed a layup, but Artis was fouled. He made both (74-70 UNC). On the inbound, Robinson knocked the ball loose to Artis who was fouled again. He made the first but missed the second. In the scramble for the loose ball, a UNC player stepped on the end line. Pitt ball with a chance to tie. Could the Panthers finally be getting some good luck? Maybe this would be the game where the breaks went Pitt's way?
In a word, nope.
Robinson missed a layup (a frequent occurrence it seems), but Pitt got the offensive rebound. Patterson for threeeeeeeeeeeee...missed. Zanna comes up with the offensive rebound. Oh my gosh, there's still time to kick it back out for one last 3 before time expi- what is Zanna doing? He's trying to get the quick two, there's no time left. He misses a layup. UNC rebounds and is fouled. They missed the first, intentionally probably, because they wanted me to think that Pitt could rebound a second miss and tie the game with an 80 foot heave at the buzzer. He made the second, Dixon calls time-out to draw up a super secret 4 point play that doesn't exist, and there you have it.
Pitt doesn't play again until Sunday night against Florida State. That leaves plenty of time for them to invent new ways to lose.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Game 25: Are you serious?: Pitt 56 Syracuse 58
Pitt led this basketball game for 31 straight minutes. A Josh Newkirk 3 made it 11-8 with 12 minutes left in the first half. With 2 minutes left Pitt led 54-48 at home against the number one team in the country. On the last possession, Patterson threw up a desperation heave to beat the shot clock and Zanna Lorenzo Charles'd it with a putback dunk. It really seemed like this was going to be Pitt's breakthrough win. The Pete was rocking. Ennis and Fair had been contained. Pitt had a +10 rebounding edge.
It would be wise to never assume anything with this Pitt team.
C.J. Fair 3 pointer 54-51 Pitt (1:40 remaining)
Robinson 3 point miss (1:10 remaining)
C.J. Fair jumper 54-53 Pitt (0:52 remaining)
Patterson missed layup (0:15 remaining)
Patterson missed tip (0:15 remaining)
Ennis gets fouled and promptly sinks two free throws to give Syracuse it's first lead in over an hour.
At this point, I'm thinking, "Maybe it's Pitt's time for a huge buzzer beater."
It would be wise to never assume anything with this Pitt team.
Pitt brings the ball down, Zanna somehow gets fouled. He's a 60% free throw shooter going to the line for 2 shots with 4 seconds left. "He probably misses both," I thought.
It would be wise to never assume anything with this Pit tteam.
He makes both. 56-55 Pitt. Syracuse with no timeouts has to get the ball in. The Zoo is out of control, it's hectic. Syracuse doesn't have a play, they'll probably have to throw up a 50 footer, and Pitt's going to win.
DIXON CALLS TIMEOUT TO SET HIS DEFENSE.
What the f*ck?!?
Okay, so let's look back at something.
There's no timeout here. Dixon has nobody guarding the inbounder. Fields is out in no man's land staring at him near the free throw line. What is his job exactly? Is it to deny the catch by Reynolds? Jermaine Dixon is doing a great job of that by just holding him. Reynolds runs past Dixon, the inbounder has a clear shot to get it up to another player who runs a beautiful hook and ladder with Reynolds to allow him to get past another defender (Sam Young). Reynolds is now past the guards in the open floor against two bigs (Brown and Blair). Brown does all he can to not foul, but you know how that ends.
Flashforward to the Syracuse game. Dixon calls timeout this time. He's gonna put a man on the inbounder this time and make the first pass difficult.
Dixon again doesn't guard the inbounder. Josh Newkirk, who is guarding Ennis, backs off him. He wants to keep Ennis in front of him. Cam Wright, who had been guarding Fair near midcourt, allows him to go by. That's okay, Michael Young picks him up, but now Wright is in no man's land. He tries to help on Ennis, who is now dribbling up the court with speed, but he can't foul, so he just stands there and lets him continue to go by. Newkirk is doing a great job staying with Ennis, but a jump stop gives Ennis enough separation to get a shot off. Wright tries to come flying in with a hand, but it's too late. The 35 footer goes in and Syracuse wins.
I will give Pitt a little bit of credit. They did improve their defense slightly. Ennis had to take a shot from 35 foot. Reynolds was able to get into the lane. There was an extra second of time for Villanova, but that shouldn't make up that much of a difference. However, I still do not get the idea of not guarding the inbounder. That extra man gives you the opportunity to double, but the threat of fouling a guard coming with speed is too great. Double teaming becomes useless in this case. I would have put Michael Young on the inbounder, or possibly put Zanna in the game with his long arms. That would have left Young to cover Fair. If Young guards the inbounder, I would've put Patterson on Fair. Fair can still shoot over Patterson (he proved it 30 seconds earlier), but it's close enough. After the inbounds, Zanna's job is effectively done. The play will be behind him in about 1 second, but really that's all you need from him. Rakeem Christmas or Jerami Grant (two bigs) are not taking a last second shot. You only have to worry about Ennis, Fair or Cooney. It starts with trying to deny Ennis as much as possible. He's the only player with enough speed to go the length of the floor in 5.5 seconds. Once Ennis makes the catch and picks up speed, the rest of Pitt's defense is useless because anything close to contact is going to be a foul. He finds a spot and buries the shot.
Ironically, Dixon should know to defend this play because he ran the exact same play with Gibbs.
Gibbs makes the catch, comes with speed, jump stops and buries the shot from almost the exact same spot as Ennis (other side of court obviously). Notice how Providence also didn't guard the inbounder.
The only grade I'm giving is an F to Dixon for his late-game coaching. In the Virginia post, I talked about some previous Pitt games that went down to the final shot. Pitt won some and lost some. That post is a little misleading, however, because I was able to name all the last second shots Pitt has made in the last ten years. Gibbs, Ramon, Fields and Zavackas (if you count the 3 to tie). That's it. On the other hand, I neglected to mention at least ten other times an opposing player has hit a last second shot to beat Pitt. Pitt's defense is superb for 39 minutes. In the last minute, though, they always find a way to throw up on themselves. I'm sick of it. I should really stop caring, but I can't.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Game 24: Pitt 62 Virginia Tech 57 2OT
Virginia Tech might be worse than Miami, even though they did beat the Hurricanes by 1 in overtime in their ACC opener. They came to the Pete yesterday 0 for 2014 with their last win coming against Maryland Eastern Shore on December 31. Pitt was favored by 20.
Folks, that's why they play the game.
I'll spare you the details of this disaster, but know that Pitt shot 37%, was outrebounded by 15, and Patterson was 0-6 with 0 points in regulation. Half of his shots missed the rim completely. Patterson's nursing a thumb injury, and it's obvious it's affecting his shot. Unfortunately, Pitt has zero depth, and Dixon was forced to play Patterson down the stretch of this game despite him being about as useful offensively as some of my rec basketball teams in grade school.
WE GOT NO BENCH. WE GOT NO INSIDE PRESENCE! OUR BEST PLAYER'S THUMBS ARE FALLING OFF!!!
A 7-0 VT run put them up 48-44 with 40 seconds left. It was then that James Robinson made the play of the game. He hit a 3 pointer and was fouled for the rare 4 point play to tie the score. Newkirk stole the ball in the closing seconds to prevent VT from getting a final shot.
In overtime, you thought that Pitt would eventually take control. They didn't. Neither team made a shot, and 4 free throws a piece made up the only scoring. Virginia Tech again had a chance to win it in the closing seconds but Devin Wilson of Montour High School in McKees Rocks missed trying to be the hero in his hometown. He shot 1-9 with 7 turnovers.
Of course, the only person to successfully make a shot in either overtime was the guy who was 0 fer the game up to that point. Patterson made a tough shot driving to his left and shooting in the other direction off the glass. Pitt made some free throws and closed the game out.
The Good - Guards Wright (18 points) Robinson (16) and Newkirk (11) carried Pitt offensively. They also combined for 13 rebounds.
The Bad - Pitt's forwards Patterson, Zanna, Young, Artis, Randall, and Uchebo combined for only 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The ugly - Lamar Patterson's shooting. If his thumb doesn't heal by Wednesday, Pitt is going to get blown out by the 'Cuse.
It was ugly, but Pitt got two wins. Let's hope they fix things by Wednesday. The undefeated #1 team in the country is coming to town.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Folks, that's why they play the game.
I'll spare you the details of this disaster, but know that Pitt shot 37%, was outrebounded by 15, and Patterson was 0-6 with 0 points in regulation. Half of his shots missed the rim completely. Patterson's nursing a thumb injury, and it's obvious it's affecting his shot. Unfortunately, Pitt has zero depth, and Dixon was forced to play Patterson down the stretch of this game despite him being about as useful offensively as some of my rec basketball teams in grade school.
WE GOT NO BENCH. WE GOT NO INSIDE PRESENCE! OUR BEST PLAYER'S THUMBS ARE FALLING OFF!!!
A 7-0 VT run put them up 48-44 with 40 seconds left. It was then that James Robinson made the play of the game. He hit a 3 pointer and was fouled for the rare 4 point play to tie the score. Newkirk stole the ball in the closing seconds to prevent VT from getting a final shot.
In overtime, you thought that Pitt would eventually take control. They didn't. Neither team made a shot, and 4 free throws a piece made up the only scoring. Virginia Tech again had a chance to win it in the closing seconds but Devin Wilson of Montour High School in McKees Rocks missed trying to be the hero in his hometown. He shot 1-9 with 7 turnovers.
Of course, the only person to successfully make a shot in either overtime was the guy who was 0 fer the game up to that point. Patterson made a tough shot driving to his left and shooting in the other direction off the glass. Pitt made some free throws and closed the game out.
The Good - Guards Wright (18 points) Robinson (16) and Newkirk (11) carried Pitt offensively. They also combined for 13 rebounds.
The Bad - Pitt's forwards Patterson, Zanna, Young, Artis, Randall, and Uchebo combined for only 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The ugly - Lamar Patterson's shooting. If his thumb doesn't heal by Wednesday, Pitt is going to get blown out by the 'Cuse.
It was ugly, but Pitt got two wins. Let's hope they fix things by Wednesday. The undefeated #1 team in the country is coming to town.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Game 23: Pitt 59 Miami 55 OT
The 2012 Miami Hurricanes were a good basketball team. After a couple early season stumbles, they won their first 13 ACC games and rose to #2 in the polls. They would win both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, receive a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and make the Sweet 16. Point guard Shane Larkin was co ACC player of the year, and shooting guard Durand Scott was the defensive player of the year.
The 2013 Miami Hurricanes are not a good basketball team. They lost their top 6 players from last year due to graduation or NBA (Larkin was taken #18 overall by the Hawks and now plays for my Mavs). They are #343 in college basketball in scoring. Only Southern Utah, Navy, Binghamton, Northwestern, Savannah State, New Hampshire, Delaware State, and Massachusetts Lowell are worse offensively. They are decent defensively, however, holding Syracuse to only 49 points at the Carrier Dome in January. Unfortunately for them they only scored 44. They are coached by Jim Larranga, who led George Mason to the 2006 Final Four.
Miami led for most of the first half until a pair of Patterson 3's (including the second with 2 seconds left in the half) gave Pitt a one point lead going into the break.
Neither team scored in the first 5 minutes of the second half as ugly offensive basketball reigned supreme. An 8-2 Pitt run followed by a 12-4 Miam answer brought us to the 3 minute mark with Miami up 42-41. This was about the time I started watching the game. I had been out playing bar trivia, until I realized that Pitt was in a battle so I had to make sure I saw the final minutes live.
Robinson scored in the paint, Miami missed two free throws, and Patterson made 1-2. Of course Miami had to hit a go-ahead 3 pointer with 27 seconds left. At that point, Pitt had shot 5-24 in the second half with Miami shooting 7-22. A brilliant drive and finish by Patterson gave Pitt the lead. Miami tied with a free throw, but Pitt vomited on itself on the final possession to win it. Before the last make, Miami had missed 6 free throws in a row.
In overtime, Patterson took over, scoring Pitt's first 7 points in overtime. With Pitt up 1, he had a chance to make it a 3 point game at the line with 11 seconds left. He made 1-2 and Pitt fans everywhere feared the worst. The strongest factor of Pitt's NCAA Tournament résumé is that they have no bad losses. They haven't beaten anybody good, but at least they haven't lost to anybody bad. In the words of Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were."
The 2013 Miami Hurricanes are not a good basketball team. They lost their top 6 players from last year due to graduation or NBA (Larkin was taken #18 overall by the Hawks and now plays for my Mavs). They are #343 in college basketball in scoring. Only Southern Utah, Navy, Binghamton, Northwestern, Savannah State, New Hampshire, Delaware State, and Massachusetts Lowell are worse offensively. They are decent defensively, however, holding Syracuse to only 49 points at the Carrier Dome in January. Unfortunately for them they only scored 44. They are coached by Jim Larranga, who led George Mason to the 2006 Final Four.
Miami led for most of the first half until a pair of Patterson 3's (including the second with 2 seconds left in the half) gave Pitt a one point lead going into the break.
Neither team scored in the first 5 minutes of the second half as ugly offensive basketball reigned supreme. An 8-2 Pitt run followed by a 12-4 Miam answer brought us to the 3 minute mark with Miami up 42-41. This was about the time I started watching the game. I had been out playing bar trivia, until I realized that Pitt was in a battle so I had to make sure I saw the final minutes live.
Robinson scored in the paint, Miami missed two free throws, and Patterson made 1-2. Of course Miami had to hit a go-ahead 3 pointer with 27 seconds left. At that point, Pitt had shot 5-24 in the second half with Miami shooting 7-22. A brilliant drive and finish by Patterson gave Pitt the lead. Miami tied with a free throw, but Pitt vomited on itself on the final possession to win it. Before the last make, Miami had missed 6 free throws in a row.
In overtime, Patterson took over, scoring Pitt's first 7 points in overtime. With Pitt up 1, he had a chance to make it a 3 point game at the line with 11 seconds left. He made 1-2 and Pitt fans everywhere feared the worst. The strongest factor of Pitt's NCAA Tournament résumé is that they have no bad losses. They haven't beaten anybody good, but at least they haven't lost to anybody bad. In the words of Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were."
Luckily, Miami let Pitt off the hook when they bounced the ball of their leg in the closing seconds. Patterson made two more free throws. Ball game.
Pitt shot 33% and lost the reboud battle by 6, but they won because frankly, Miami sucked more.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Game 22: Welp: Pitt 45 Virginia 48
I have been a Pitt fan for 18 years. Over that time I have transitioned from not understanding that there was a tournament and Pitt was eliminated and is now somehow in another tournament (Pitt losing in 1997 BET to Boston College and then being eliminated in second round of NIT by Arkansas) to writing a blog about them for 4 years. I have seen countless games go down to the final possession. Pitt won some and lost some.
The wins:
February 26, 2002 - Pitt 73 Seton Hall 66 OT
This was the year of Pitt's return to the tournament. They came into the game ranked #10 at 21-3 while Seton Hall was a pathetic 11-15. The Pete wouldn't open for another 2 months. Pitt scored a 5 point victory at the Field House 3 weeks earlier but this one proved much more difficult. Seton Hall always seemed to be a thorn in the side of those Knight Pitt teams. Anyway, Pitt was down 1, when Chad Johnson (yes we had a Pitt basketball player named Chad Johnson) missed a 3. Two Seton Hall free throws set the stage for Donatas Zavackas. He hit a 3 to tie it with a few seconds left and Pitt took control in overtime. Pitt being so highly ranked was a new thing for a generation of Pitt fans so we did not know how to handle possible upset losses. Luckily, we didn't have to on this night.
February 7, 2008 - Pitt 55 West Virginia 54
The Ronald Ramon game.
Ironically, this was the only home game I missed during my freshmen year. My mom won me tickets to the Penguins game so I caught that instead. They won 4-3 on a third period goal by Letang by the way. My Dad called me at the arena and gave me a play by play of the ending.
"Pitt with the ball, 10 seconds left...Ramon shoots. Score. Pitt wins. Talk to you later."
-He should do that for a living.
What's interesting is that the game was a snoozefest up until that play. Fortunately for Pitt, an 85% free throw shooter for WVU missed one that would have put them up by 3.
March 4, 2010 - Pitt 73 Providence 71
"They just don't lose at home."
Marshon Brooks stunned face at 0:33 of that video. Amazing.
December 20, 2007 - Pitt 65 Duke 64
When I think of Pitt playing Duke, I prefer to think of this game and not the ugliness that was last week's game. Blair had 15 and 20 and Fields came through with the heroics.
Unfortunately, this was the high point of Pitt's season. The win made them 11-0 at the time, but in overtime Mike Cook blew out his knee, ending his Pitt career. The next game Fields hurt his ankle and missed a good portion of the season. Pitt struggled mightily at the end of many games without their leader. Fields did return to lead them to their second ever Big East Championship, but they were abused by Michigan State in the second round a week later.
The losses:
February 1, 2003 - Pitt 65 Syracuse 67
This game did not end on a made shot by the Orangemen (before they became fruit), but rather on a missed opportunity by Pitt. Brandin Knight hit a 40 footer as time expired to give Pitt the win. Unfortunately, he let the shot go a split second AFTER time expired so the shot didn't count. Syracuse fans stormed the court. They were told to go back so they could review the play, then they stormed it again after it was official. Pitt was #2 at the time and Syracuse was #24. Pitt had already beaten them at the Pete. Syracuse would get the last laugh, though. They won the National Championship.
March 28, 2009 - Pitt 76 Villanova 78
F*ck Scottie Reynolds
December 17, 2013 - Pitt 43 Cincinnati 44
Ugh.
There are more, but I should probably start talking about this game. Pitt fans will have mixed reactions to this game. It depends on whether they take an optimist or pessimist viewpoint.
The Pessimist - Pitt still can't beat anybody good. They're gonna have 25 wins and be a 9th seed because all they've played is trash. Lamar Patterson is fading against elite defenses. He only scored 30 that one game because it was against Cal Poly. He's quicker than he was last year, but he's still not NBA quick, and that burns him against defenders with NBA talent (see Hood, Rodney). Zanna is beginning his descent into conference play mediocrity, and Robinson can't make a jump shot to save his life. Pitt will inevitably get rolled in the first round by this year's version of Wichita State because it would be Pitt's luck to draw the Final Four team in the first round again.
The Optimist - They lost the game, and yes it was ugly, but it could have been a lot worse if not for the play of freshmen forwards Mike Young and Jamel Artis. Young had 8 points and Artis had 11 points and 7 rebounds (including 7 straight points midway through the second half). Those two are going to be good players for Pitt.
So where do I fall? Obviously, I'm a mixture of the two. The fact that Pitt doesn't seem to have an offense unless Patterson plays out of his mind is a legitimate concern. However, the play of Artis and Young make me think that Pitt won't fall completely off the map next season when Patterson and Zanna leave. They have to find a big man though, and Wright and Robinson have to improve their outside shot.
This game was ugly. It was 8-8 after the first 8 minutes. Artis converted a 3 point play to give Pitt 41 points with 8 minutes to go. Pitt would only score 4 more points the rest of the way, and 3 of those points came on a wild, turnaround 25 foot three point bank shot from the top of the key by Wright at the end of the shot clock. It is very concerning that Pitt's offense has shriveled up in the last minutes of the losses against Cincy, Syracuse, and now Virginia. With absolutely anything resembling a useful offense, Pitt would have won all three of those games. Despite this, Pitt and Virginia were still tied in the final seconds. Pitt had the ball first. Patterson found Robinson for an open three but he missed. Virginia came down after a timeout and calmly buried a three with .4 seconds left. The entire arena was silent. I laughed because I figured that would happen because it's Pitt.
I'm not giving grades today. Patterson shot 3-14 and Zanna was a non-factor (only 1-3 shooting). He did roll his ankle in the second half so that is a concern. Robinson shot 0-5. Artis was Pitt's only offensive threat in the second half, and he could have been the hero. After Robinson's miss, Artis grabbed the offensive rebound and promptly forced up a layup attempt that missed rather than kick the ball out to hold for the final shot. It was a freshman mistake in a game where he looked like anything but.
Anyway, Pitt somehow is still ranked despite 2 losses last week. They're at #25 in the AP Pol and #22 in the coaches poll and they play Miami tonight. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch as I will be out. Here are some final thoughts on the game. Despite the outcome, it was great to witness a close game at the Pete again. The 2011-2012 season sucked, and I only was able to go to the non-conference part of last season since I finished grad school last December. I had only gone to the first three games of this season (all blowouts). I still love Pitt basketball, and I'm glad I still get to enjoy these games after all the disappointments. Someday, Pitt will reward me for sticking with them.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
The wins:
February 26, 2002 - Pitt 73 Seton Hall 66 OT
This was the year of Pitt's return to the tournament. They came into the game ranked #10 at 21-3 while Seton Hall was a pathetic 11-15. The Pete wouldn't open for another 2 months. Pitt scored a 5 point victory at the Field House 3 weeks earlier but this one proved much more difficult. Seton Hall always seemed to be a thorn in the side of those Knight Pitt teams. Anyway, Pitt was down 1, when Chad Johnson (yes we had a Pitt basketball player named Chad Johnson) missed a 3. Two Seton Hall free throws set the stage for Donatas Zavackas. He hit a 3 to tie it with a few seconds left and Pitt took control in overtime. Pitt being so highly ranked was a new thing for a generation of Pitt fans so we did not know how to handle possible upset losses. Luckily, we didn't have to on this night.
February 7, 2008 - Pitt 55 West Virginia 54
The Ronald Ramon game.
"Pitt with the ball, 10 seconds left...Ramon shoots. Score. Pitt wins. Talk to you later."
-He should do that for a living.
What's interesting is that the game was a snoozefest up until that play. Fortunately for Pitt, an 85% free throw shooter for WVU missed one that would have put them up by 3.
March 4, 2010 - Pitt 73 Providence 71
"They just don't lose at home."
Marshon Brooks stunned face at 0:33 of that video. Amazing.
December 20, 2007 - Pitt 65 Duke 64
When I think of Pitt playing Duke, I prefer to think of this game and not the ugliness that was last week's game. Blair had 15 and 20 and Fields came through with the heroics.
The losses:
February 1, 2003 - Pitt 65 Syracuse 67
This game did not end on a made shot by the Orangemen (before they became fruit), but rather on a missed opportunity by Pitt. Brandin Knight hit a 40 footer as time expired to give Pitt the win. Unfortunately, he let the shot go a split second AFTER time expired so the shot didn't count. Syracuse fans stormed the court. They were told to go back so they could review the play, then they stormed it again after it was official. Pitt was #2 at the time and Syracuse was #24. Pitt had already beaten them at the Pete. Syracuse would get the last laugh, though. They won the National Championship.
March 28, 2009 - Pitt 76 Villanova 78
F*ck Scottie Reynolds
December 17, 2013 - Pitt 43 Cincinnati 44
Ugh.
There are more, but I should probably start talking about this game. Pitt fans will have mixed reactions to this game. It depends on whether they take an optimist or pessimist viewpoint.
The Pessimist - Pitt still can't beat anybody good. They're gonna have 25 wins and be a 9th seed because all they've played is trash. Lamar Patterson is fading against elite defenses. He only scored 30 that one game because it was against Cal Poly. He's quicker than he was last year, but he's still not NBA quick, and that burns him against defenders with NBA talent (see Hood, Rodney). Zanna is beginning his descent into conference play mediocrity, and Robinson can't make a jump shot to save his life. Pitt will inevitably get rolled in the first round by this year's version of Wichita State because it would be Pitt's luck to draw the Final Four team in the first round again.
The Optimist - They lost the game, and yes it was ugly, but it could have been a lot worse if not for the play of freshmen forwards Mike Young and Jamel Artis. Young had 8 points and Artis had 11 points and 7 rebounds (including 7 straight points midway through the second half). Those two are going to be good players for Pitt.
So where do I fall? Obviously, I'm a mixture of the two. The fact that Pitt doesn't seem to have an offense unless Patterson plays out of his mind is a legitimate concern. However, the play of Artis and Young make me think that Pitt won't fall completely off the map next season when Patterson and Zanna leave. They have to find a big man though, and Wright and Robinson have to improve their outside shot.
This game was ugly. It was 8-8 after the first 8 minutes. Artis converted a 3 point play to give Pitt 41 points with 8 minutes to go. Pitt would only score 4 more points the rest of the way, and 3 of those points came on a wild, turnaround 25 foot three point bank shot from the top of the key by Wright at the end of the shot clock. It is very concerning that Pitt's offense has shriveled up in the last minutes of the losses against Cincy, Syracuse, and now Virginia. With absolutely anything resembling a useful offense, Pitt would have won all three of those games. Despite this, Pitt and Virginia were still tied in the final seconds. Pitt had the ball first. Patterson found Robinson for an open three but he missed. Virginia came down after a timeout and calmly buried a three with .4 seconds left. The entire arena was silent. I laughed because I figured that would happen because it's Pitt.
 |
| seats courtesy of Lady J.O. |
Anyway, Pitt somehow is still ranked despite 2 losses last week. They're at #25 in the AP Pol and #22 in the coaches poll and they play Miami tonight. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch as I will be out. Here are some final thoughts on the game. Despite the outcome, it was great to witness a close game at the Pete again. The 2011-2012 season sucked, and I only was able to go to the non-conference part of last season since I finished grad school last December. I had only gone to the first three games of this season (all blowouts). I still love Pitt basketball, and I'm glad I still get to enjoy these games after all the disappointments. Someday, Pitt will reward me for sticking with them.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Gameday: Pitt vs Virginia Cavaliers
#18 Pitt 18-3 (6-2 ACC) vs Virginia 16-5 (7-1 ACC)
12:30 pm
Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Thanks to a Christmas present from my now fiancée, I will be attending this game. I also have to leave in like 8 minutes to go pick her up to go to said game, so I'll allow friend and Cavaliers fan @BDF4 to preview this game. Take it away.
Virginia has held at least a 20 point lead in each of their 7 ACC wins, including a 31 point win at NC State and 2 wins versus Florida State. Last Tuesday the Wahoos travelled to Notre Dame and built a 20 point first half lead against the Irish before cooling off just a bit, eventually winning by 15. This is Virginia’s best ACC start since 1982-1983. The Wahoos reached the Final Four that season.
Who to watch:
Joe Harris – All ACC Senior shooting guard. 11.5 PPG, struggled early on and is averaging 12 PPG in ACC games.
Malcolm Brogdon – Sophmore – redshirted last season. Team’s leading scorer, 15 PPG in ACC games.
London Perrantes – Freshman point guard.
A Virginia fan’s take:
Virginia leads the ACC in scoring defense. This season their offense has shown quite an improvement. Sure, Joe Harris isn’t scoring as much but he really hasn’t needed to score 20+ for UVA to win. Virginia has been pigeon holed by the media as a slow pace team, but they’re actually 4th in the ACC in scoring.
Virginia and Pittsburgh match up well physically. I can’t see UVA building a 20 point lead in this game, but I do think they’re slightly better and I’m predicting a 66-60 UVA win.
Excellent writing, but his last sentence is wrong.
Prediction: Pitt 68 Virginia 62
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Game 21: Pitt 65 Duke 80
Pitt jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but after that the score remained very close for 30 minutes. No team led by more than 3 points for a 20 minute stretch. Jabari Parker flat out dominated Pitt in the first half. In the second half, it was 3 pointer after 3 pointer after 3 pointer after 3 pointer from Duke. The Blue Devils made 13-25 from long range. Andre Dawkins basically couldn't miss. I say basically because he did in fact miss one three point attempt. Unfortunately, he made 6 others.
Duke making three pointers shouldn't really be a surprise. They shoot over 40% as a team, but Pitt lost the game when Lamar Patterson couldn't get anything going against Rodney Hood. Patterson only shot 4-14 and had only 1 assist vs 5 turnovers. This loss was a good indication of where exactly this Pitt team is. The Syracuse close loss had people thinking that maybe this team was a better team than their schedule indicated. The Cincinnati loss continues to look better since the Bearcats now seemingly can't lose and have won 13 in a row now (a streak that started with Pitt). However, Pitt was familiar with both of those teams. Duke was the first unfamiliar elite team that Pitt played and they were run out of the building in the second half. All this adds up to about a 7th seed for Pitt and a tough bet to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
I'll still probably pick them to win it all.
It's time for grades.
Lamar Patterson - Easily Patterson's worst game of the season. He was completely shut down. This game officially ended any hope of Patterson being an All-American. He'll have to settle for first-team All ACC, maybe. Normally when Patterson has an off shooting night, he makes up for it with his passing. It didn't happen on Monday night. He only had one basket in the first half and 6 of his second half points came when Duke had already built a double digit lead.
Grade: D
Talib Zanna - He had a double double and made 7-10 from the line, which is good for him. He also only shot 2-7 from the field. The only play I remember was a nice offensive rebound and putback he had to tie the score at 34 on Pitt's first second half possession.
Grade: B-
Cameron Wright - Wright hit a three and a couple mid-range jumpers.
Grade: B-
Michael Young - He had 9 points and 7 rebounds, but was abused by Parker all game.
Grade: C
James Robinson - No matter how Pitt performs, Robinson is always solid. He had 10 points and 5 assists versus 0 turnovers. He did have a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds of the first half with two free throws, but he missed the front end of the one and one. Pitt eventually did tie the game on Zanna's putback to start the half, but had Robinson made those free throws, Pitt would've taken a lead on that. They did tie it a few times early in the second half, but they could never break through.
Grade: A-
Jamel Artis - He had two huge first half threes. That's about it.
Grade: B-
Josh Newkirk - He made a jumpshot.
Grade: B-
Chris Jones - He too, made a jumpshot.
Grade: B-
Derrick Randall - He missed a shot.
Grade: C
Pitt plays Virginia in approximately 2 hours. I'll be in attendance. It's a must win.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
Duke making three pointers shouldn't really be a surprise. They shoot over 40% as a team, but Pitt lost the game when Lamar Patterson couldn't get anything going against Rodney Hood. Patterson only shot 4-14 and had only 1 assist vs 5 turnovers. This loss was a good indication of where exactly this Pitt team is. The Syracuse close loss had people thinking that maybe this team was a better team than their schedule indicated. The Cincinnati loss continues to look better since the Bearcats now seemingly can't lose and have won 13 in a row now (a streak that started with Pitt). However, Pitt was familiar with both of those teams. Duke was the first unfamiliar elite team that Pitt played and they were run out of the building in the second half. All this adds up to about a 7th seed for Pitt and a tough bet to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
I'll still probably pick them to win it all.
It's time for grades.
Lamar Patterson - Easily Patterson's worst game of the season. He was completely shut down. This game officially ended any hope of Patterson being an All-American. He'll have to settle for first-team All ACC, maybe. Normally when Patterson has an off shooting night, he makes up for it with his passing. It didn't happen on Monday night. He only had one basket in the first half and 6 of his second half points came when Duke had already built a double digit lead.
Grade: D
Talib Zanna - He had a double double and made 7-10 from the line, which is good for him. He also only shot 2-7 from the field. The only play I remember was a nice offensive rebound and putback he had to tie the score at 34 on Pitt's first second half possession.
Grade: B-
Cameron Wright - Wright hit a three and a couple mid-range jumpers.
Grade: B-
Michael Young - He had 9 points and 7 rebounds, but was abused by Parker all game.
Grade: C
James Robinson - No matter how Pitt performs, Robinson is always solid. He had 10 points and 5 assists versus 0 turnovers. He did have a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds of the first half with two free throws, but he missed the front end of the one and one. Pitt eventually did tie the game on Zanna's putback to start the half, but had Robinson made those free throws, Pitt would've taken a lead on that. They did tie it a few times early in the second half, but they could never break through.
Grade: A-
Jamel Artis - He had two huge first half threes. That's about it.
Grade: B-
Josh Newkirk - He made a jumpshot.
Grade: B-
Chris Jones - He too, made a jumpshot.
Grade: B-
Derrick Randall - He missed a shot.
Grade: C
Pitt plays Virginia in approximately 2 hours. I'll be in attendance. It's a must win.
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
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