College Hoops 11/24-11/30 "Feast Week"

[Crimson's Ghost]

I guess so, they lost to the 15th ranked team in the country on a neutral court without two would be starters. Sometimes things are out of your own control.

They have a difficult game with Kansas State tonight. Hoping they show a little bit more.

[abpk2903]

Moldo, I don't think anyone but Konjo is arguing that this young Pitt team won't improve. Why do you always have to just try to grind the gears of PSU fans on here?

[konjo78]

Moldo - I'm not that Penn state fan making that excuse. As you saw in the Penn state Illinois thread I showed my feelings that hack should be benched and not be the automatic starter next season. Poor play is poor play. Do I think Pitt will improve? Sure but so is every other team in the nation.

Crimson - losing to #15 is one thing. Getting smoked by 20+ Is a whole different story. Look at the way Kansas state played Arizona! Pitts only win on their Hawaii trip is going to be to the d2 school....

[Crimson's Ghost]

I watch a lot of basketball, sometimes you're going to take your early season lumps. SD State is a dang good team, they were just plain better all over the court. Sometimes you just lose games, it's a long season it happens.

They do have some big holes right now that need addressed. If they aren't addressed - it could be a long season.

They were picked to finish 6th in the ACC by the coaches and media, but that was under the assumption Durand Johnson would be the team's leading scorer and Cam Wright being the starting shooting guard. This just isn't the same team we expected to see. Forces other guys into playing roles they shouldn't be playing. I think most of us expected Wright to jump his scoring average from around 10 up to 12-13 this year. And we thought Durand Johnson would be able to average closer to 12-13 as well. You take away a lot of scoring from those two being out, and you take away your best defender with Wright.

I'm not going to write them off after losing by 17 to a really good team, but they do have to get better in a lot of areas. They have to adjust without Johnson and work Wright back into the mix soon.

[SFB14]

Let's pump the brakes on the demise of Pitt basketball here a little bit. They didn't play well last night at all but Jaime Dixon has proven time and again that his teams will get better as they go. I'm a PSU fan and alum and if Pitt were idiotic enough to even consider dumping Dixon I'd personally drive him to State College to take over that program (although I'm slightly encouraged by the uptick in recruiting by Pat Chambers recently).

I get the whole PSU/Pitt dynamic and all but facts are facts, Dixon can coach. Period. Crimson has a better feel for that program than any of us and he's right, there is no way Dixon is on the hot seat. The Pitt adminstration isn't that foolish. Look at all the problems they've had hiring football coaches. If you are going to fire a guy you had better have a pretty good idea of who is replacement will be and I don't see anyone out there outside of the really big names (Calipari, Pitino, Coach K, Izzo, etc...) who could do any better and you aren't getting any of those guys.

Pitt is down a couple of guys who were going to be counted on and they play in maybe the best league in the history of college hoops so there are going to be some nights when it'll be tough. However, there will also be nights when Pitt will beat big name teams based on how hard Dixon gets them to prepare and play. Given Dixon
s track record the least of my concerns if I were Steve Pederson would be the direction of the mens basketball program.

[PLDragons24]

The new Big East is absolutely dominating right now. Never thought that would happen.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Roy Williams is one of the worst coaches out there, how do you lose to Butler with your roster?

[konjo78]

Roy Williams is one of the worst coaches out there, how do you lose to Butler with your roster?

No one tell crimson butlers program has been more successful than Pittsburgh during Jamie Dixon tenure... It might force him out from under the rock

[Crimson's Ghost]

Competitive video games, Penns Manor football, and the Philadelphia Flyers suck. Can you go away now?

[konjo78]

Wait did you not like when you try to be cute and it throws up in your face? When you try and be smart at least be like a team lost to a terrible program not one that's been to elite 8s, final 4 and a championship game in the past 5 years.