What's missing from your team?
- Thread starter lurkeraspect84
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High end talent but that box is about to get checked as Pitt is about to land a top 40 player in the 22 class. Big week for Pitt basketball
Dior Johnson is an interesting case. Playing for 10 different high school seems like a major red flag. Capel is without a doubt on the hot seat. So, can't blame him. Johnson is uber talented. Capel is essentially handing him the keys to the corvette. Gotta take the talent, especially if you're fighting for your job. Just hope the kid can stay in there mentally.
After reading about his college commitments I’m less worried. With cuse apparently didn’t feel close enough to the staff.
Oregon was a little different as they are kinda loaded at guard.
Come to Pitt get your shots brother and head to the NBA after a year. Either way you are right Capel is def on a very hot seat. His job is directly tied to DJ. This is kinda like being at the Casino with only $100 left. Might as well throw it all on red and hope you can stay in the game one more round.
PA set the record straight for me with Dixon. Was he run outta town or was that a mutual parting? If you have time you can go beyond cliff notes I'd really like to know what the hell happened because you guys went from a hell of a program to this and it's sad, as an outsider looking in. I've visited y'alls boards in the past and you have a large pretty friendly community.
I would say that it was 90-10with Dixon being run outta town. The 10 was that Jamie was never really crazy about the move to the ACC. He had to change his entire recruiting territory.
Now buckle up baby and let me tell you the downfall of Pitt Basketball grab a beer or three.
After the run of the 2009 team to the elite eight. I like many thought this was just the beginning we’re going to start pulling 5 star recruits and with JD coaching these guys we are so close. We followed that up with another 1 seed two years later that you might remember we got bounced by Butler in the second round.
Well then comes the first crack in the armor. Pitt had a commit from Philly named Jaylen Bond. Solid three star prospect. Well Jamie for the first time got weaseled into dropping a bag for a guy named Khem Birch a five star center top ten player. This in turned pissed off the tight nit Philly circle Bond decommits and ends up at Texas.
Birch comes to Pittsburgh Dixon coaches him hard. Makes him earn his playing time and essentially he quits and heads off the UNLV. So essentially the 2011 recruiting class is already dead which we will get to later. They still end up winning 22 games and everyone is up in arms over this.
However Jamie does Jamie things and in turn recovers the following season. This time 5-star big Steven Adam’s fills that void with freshman PG James Robinson. Very young team that ends up with an 8 seed and gets bounced in the first round. Finished in the rankings as a top 20 team. Steven Adams rightfully declares for the NBA draft and is a lottery pick. So in two full recruiting cycles no bigs that are worth a damn.
Fast forward a year because JD continues to develop players Talib Zanna comes out of nowhere his senior year to fill that void plus this is the first year in the ACC. Solid year wins a tournament game but a very very big problem was against Florida in the second round they score 45 points. The question the media and fans start asking; “can you actually win playing this style of basketball.” It starts to get louder and louder amongst fans and big donors.
At this point, it’s 2015, recruiting is getting worse and worse they signed two local players who people crapped on and weren’t really happy about but they were classic Jamie Dixon system players, Cam Johnson yeah that Cam Johnson that starts for the Suns and Ryan Luther who ended his career starting for Arizona. They miss the tournament for only the second time in JD career.
2016 They have a very solid core of JRs who are ready to take that next big Pitt leap. Late in the year we blow the doors off a very good Duke team everyone is feeling great the squad is coming together then we follow that up with back to back losses to VT and GT. So instead of being probably a 6 seed we end up as a ten against Whisky.
Now of course, the two seed gets upset right before this game. If Pitt wins they are going to the sweet 16. 47-43 loss, they scored 43 freaking points. It was a travesty, everyone was pissed and the echos start getting louder and louder from fans and donors. The media starts hammering JD left and right about this. Of course at this time Pitt is going through an administrative change at Chancellor and AD.
The new AD Scott Barnes has a sit down meeting with some big donors that he promises them he can bring home Sean Miller. JD of course is well respected by people in Pittsburgh for Christ sakes he pulled a family out of a burning car it gets back to him. Scott essentially tells him we will lower your buyout if you want to go elsewhere. Of course this essentially pushes him out and he ends up at TCU.
Rumors are running rampant that Miller is the guy. Scott Barnes then calls a press conference and dumps gas on this fire by saying essentially they are going to be hiring a sitting head coach with multiple NCAA appearances and the fan base is going to love this.
Miller turns the job down, signs an extension with Arizona. Shit right, to make matters worse this clown hires a search firm now. No other than Todd Turner. Scott worked with him in the past and guess who hired Kevin Stallings at Vandy.. no other than Todd Turner.
Now at this time Kevin Stallings was about to get fired from Vandy. It was a matter of days as from what I read they were held up in buyout negotiations. Scott Barnes SWOOPS in and hires him and pays the FULLLLL buyout. Now the Pittsburgh media because it covers pro sports mainly was quick to ID this, I’ll give them credit for that.
The Stalling era,thank god it was only two years, never had a chance to work. His opening press conference was more about the trio of the three parties hiring process then actually Stallings itself. A lot of fans though said ya know let’s see what happens we return four starters from an NCAA tournament and will usually have the best player on the court at all times. The only thing missing was a PG.
It was an absolute disaster in year one 4-14 in the ACC after going 10-8 the year before with essentially the same exact players. Hell we lost the freaking city game to Duquesne. On Jan. 24 in year one he lost the entire fan base. They lost 116-51 to Louisville. Think about that. During this season AD Scott Barnes couldn’t dart fast enough to his new job at Oregon State.
In comes new AD Heather Lyke. She knows for damn sure she’s inheriting a mess with both Basketball programs. 0-18 and they didn’t even come close to winning an ACC game and finished the year 8-24. She essentially puts both our BB and FB programs in probation so we can fire this guy with cause and save money which I thought was a baller move. Which brings us to are second head coaching search in three years.
Four names: Hurley, Mark Schmidt, Jeff Capel and Jon Scheyer
It’s on good word that Hurley was always going to UConn and used us to get some extra money. He was always the first choice. The next week Schmidt gets leaked that he’s the guy announcement on Monday. There was more backlash that squished that. Next thing you know HL is on a plane to go interview JS. My thought process like a lot of other Pitt fans were like alright he’s a little young but ya know it might be crazy enough to work. Two days later they Hire JC.
No matter what happens the rest of the JC ERA I always thought he was the right hire. He had success, he had failure and he had time to learn under coach K. Jeff the person seems like an awesome guy and great leader but for whatever reasons he’s had a rough go in Pittsburgh.
Now the JC era and why it’s been a dumpster fire. Jeff stepped in and immediately put together a solid recruiting class. Three four star recruits in Xavier Johnson (Indiana) Trey McGowens (Nebraska) and Au’Diese Toney (Arkansas). All have been very good players in college. The following year we strike gold with Justin Champaigne.
Its 2019-2020 season ACC network is up and running and because of it we are opening with FSU at home and for the first time in years there is energy. This is still a very young team nobody knows what to expect. We beat FSU and then follow that up with a garbage loss to freaking Nichols. It was the epitome of the season up and down.
2020-2021Covid year it’s all coming together a little sooner than we imagined. Beat Duke 8-2 and 4-1 in the ACC. We’re back, it’s time to start the bubble watch. Behind the scenes the core of Xavier, Toney and Chanpaigne all hate each other with a passion. I won’t get into why but the only one not guilty in this mess is Champaigne. Things boil over and next thing you know it’s a full on dumpster fire from 8-2 to 10-12 real quick. JC tells Xavier to pound salt find somewhere else to play. Toney in turn leaves for Arkansas and Champaigne leaves for the freaking NBA.
That's a ride. And not a good one. Might be time for next man up. I remember Birch situation, tons of upside.
-Young, new pieces ..
With that, questions about both offense and defense
-No proven big man..
With that, questions about both offense and defense
-No proven big man..
Replacing Manek and the team playing like they did in the tournament and not like they often did in the regular season. Was the tournament a fluke or did it just take time for Hubert to get them doing what he wanted? IDK. If it's the second one then they really aren't missing a whole lot.
TBH, I think its the second---took some time----and possibly a combo of both. I don't think UNC's run was a fluke----ya'll were playing well going into the thinng.
I look for UNC to be really good----especially if Hubert can teach Love what a good/bad shot is...KInda of how Woody seemingly broke through to XJ late in the year.
I don't care if Self ran 5 cheerleaders and and two goats out there----Dude seemingly always gets the best out of what he has----Figures it out, and adjusts to his personnel..
I'm in the minority of Duck fans but I don't think his decommitment from Oregon should raise any red flags. DJ wasn't expecting Will Richardson to return to Oregon for a 5th year. When you combine that with the fact Altman brought in two starting guards from P5 schools, minutes were going to be limited for Dior. I totally understand why he left and chose to go somewhere where he would get more minutes.
That said, I don't think Dior Johnson is the kind of guy who can single handily turn around a program. I don't expect him to be a first round pick next year.
Maybe Kenny can bring that back to UL.
The Louisville Afros.
Great marketing.
I would root for them when not playing UK.
Ditto except just guard.
kp did an interview where he said a recruit asked him how much nil$ he would get, and payne told him he wasnt allowed to get into the details as HC, and kid committed elsewhere the next day lol.
Naaah....We don't need three or four, etc, etc...But being we already have ONE who shot 39%, I guess another shooter or two, would be three....Just need to shot MORE, and hit around 35+%...Do that, and IU becomes a problem. Got some guys capable, i.e. Bates, Kopp and Gunn. Eventually, the shooting curse has to be lifted-----right?
Hawkitt's daily prognosis that Badgers will be bad this year.
When he did that in the past, we finished in the top 4 in the B1G.
When he did that in the past, we finished in the top 4 in the B1G.
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