Scouting the Pitt Panthers

[Taj79]

Yes, they are 5 and 0.  Yes they have played all their games at home.  Yes they have played some of who we have played and they did better in one case (Troy) and worse in another (North Alabama).  Yes, this is the program Kevin Stallings destroyed just like another [dead] coach from the Midwest, dropping an 8 - 24 mark last year that included a perfect record (0 - 18) in the ACC.  The new coach is an old coach -- Jeff Capel of Duke lineage who coached elsewhere (I think Old Dominion and Oklahoma).  So here it goes.

Pitt is young and small-ish.  Seton Hall were giants compared to these guys.  They have been starting a 6'9' kid bookended with a pair of 6'6" kids and a pair of 6'3" kids.  This is essentially a four-guard lineup and three of the four are freshmen, Xavier Johnson, Trey McGowans and Au'Diese Toney.  Toney is a native Frenchman but grew up in Huntsville, Alabama.  Johnson was a four-star recruit, McGowens a three and Toney a two.  McGowens played at Hargrave a fifth year.  Kene Chukwuka, a 6'9" junior from Canada has been starting but 6'10" sophomore Terrell Brown is also on the bench.  As are two taller Afrikaans, Peace Ilegomah and Samson George.  All four saw action last year but to no real depth of contributions.  Very short on experience.

The one saving grace is senior Jared Wilson-Frame, another 6'6" jumping jack type ala Javon Bess.  Wilson-Frame missed the first game against Youngstown State and has come off the bench in the other four.  In his four games, he is currently averaging 18.3 ppg, playing over almost 3/4 of the game once in while shooting 54.25% from the floor and 83% from the line, however he's only taken 6 shots at the line, making 5.  He is shooting 48.5% from three, making 16 of 33. 

Right now, five Panthers average double digits ppg.  The three guards, Wilson-Frame and fifth starter Malik Ellison, a 6'6" junior guard.  Behind Wilson-Frame comes the four-star point Xavier Johnson.  Johnson is at 16 ppg and leads the team with 6.2 apg for now.   He is shooting 47% from the floor with an 85% FT%.  He takes about 3 treys per game and makes just over 1.  Overall, they launch about 20 threes per game to this point and make seven.  One third of Wilson-Frames's attempts are threes.  Johnson and Frame combined launch a third of Pitt's shots but the others are very close in attempts to each other so all tend to shoot it as well.  But Wilson-Frame is the guy.  Chukwuka and Toney share the rpg numbers at 6 per game.  And Pitt's assist-to-turnover ration is 77-to-60 so far this young season.  Logn shots lead to deep rebounds. 

Capel inherited a real shite storm from Stallings.  It might even be worse than what Travis got from [dead] because of the conference to compete in.  Eleven of the ACC's 15 teams have been to the second round of the Dance over some short period of time.  Or so I read.  Given the lack of any talent, depth or an active roster, it would appear the powers that be at Pitt went with a really weak OOC start to build confidence.  And sometimes that can really help. 

If we get another sterling defensive effort, this time on Wilson-Frame from Bess and Thatch, I think we win easily.  Much like Myles Powell, let someone other than Jared Wilson-Frame beat us.  This is going to take a real herculean effort -- not so much because of the opponent, but I suspect a noon start, in a cold and cavernous  facility, in front of empty stands at the Barclays is going to be tough.  After beating a decent Hall team at their place, it would be a crying shame to lose to this outfit.  My stuff says it on the ACC Network but I don't get that.  But I can stream at work so keep the info flowing. 

 

[Cowboy]

-Capel was an assistant at ODU under his father for one season, then an assistant and head coach at VCU prior to Anthony Grant, now at SVU, who was succeeded by Shaka

-as we saw on Saturday height doesn't mean a darn thing when it comes to getting rebounds

-Let's Go Bills!

[Glorydays2013]

I think it would be really hard to scout the Bills players. Everyone can play. One of these days they will target Gordon and French will go off and maybe just go into a cycle. We have too much talent with the ability to go into double digit scoring. Goodwin has a higher ceiling than last year I think.  

Our only consistent player is Bess but he is just efficient on offense but rarely has the most shots. His defense is where he shines. Bess will also be healthy Wednesday. 

If SLU starts out strong I say SLU by 15. Also if they wear black jerseys 

[Old guy]

Don't lose heart yet Taj, we will see what happens soon enough.

[HoosierPal]

Pitt was picked to finish last in the ACC Preseason Media poll.

[Pistol]

Even though they've all been home games against lower-conference competition, I've actually been impressed with what they've done so far. As Taj said, Capel inherited an absolute mess and they've had a lot of roster turnover. They're clearly buying into whatever he's preaching so far, though. 3/5 blowouts, and you'd expect some tighter games and a few bad losses for a team that Stallings drove so deeply into the ground. Granted, that's not going to last long - hopefully it ends Wednesday - and the ACC is going to be a gauntlet for them. But credit to Capel for the respectable start with this squad.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Taj, your use of "Afrikaans" to refer to West African players is way, way off.  Are you just joking around?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaners

[almaman]

9 minutes ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

  Are you just joking around?

 

On a serious site like this?

[Quality Is Job 1]

4 minutes ago, almaman said:

On a serious site like this?

Oh; what was I thinking?!

[Taj79]

I was using it in respect (and of respect) for ballplayers originating from the content of Africa.  I would use a different term for others ..... Brits, Euros, East Euros, Canucks, Persians,  Ruskies, Thor and so on.  I did give thought to my term possibly being from the apartheid days of South Africa so maybe I should stop.  I thought at one point I was stealing the term from someone, maybe jimbo.  I'll just go with "Africans' then.  I think noting such is important ---- it shows how far the world has come in global basketball and it also implies a certain learenign curve for these kids as many are tall and gangly and need further development both skill-wise and body-wise.  Romaro Gill can grow up someday to be Manute Bol ---- Bol was the skinniest human I ever saw.

[brianstl]

48 minutes ago, Pistol said:

Even though they've all been home games against lower-conference competition, I've actually been impressed with what they've done so far. As Taj said, Capel inherited an absolute mess and they've had a lot of roster turnover. They're clearly buying into whatever he's preaching so far, though. 3/5 blowouts, and you'd expect some tighter games and a few bad losses for a team that Stallings drove so deeply into the ground. Granted, that's not going to last long - hopefully it ends Wednesday - and the ACC is going to be a gauntlet for them. But credit to Capel for the respectable start with this squad.

Capel could have a top 100 team this year and still finish no higher that 12th in the ACC.  The ACC is brutal.

[Quality Is Job 1]

2 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

I was using it in respect (and of respect) for ballplayers originating from the content of Africa.  I would use a different term for others ..... Brits, Euros, East Euros, Canucks, Persians,  Ruskies, Thor and so on.  I did give thought to my term possibly being from the apartheid days of South Africa so maybe I should stop.  I thought at one point I was stealing the term from someone, maybe jimbo.  I'll just go with "Africans' then.  I think noting such is important ---- it shows how far the world has come in global basketball and it also implies a certain learenign curve for these kids as many are tall and gangly and need further development both skill-wise and body-wise.  Romaro Gill can grow up someday to be Manute Bol ---- Bol was the skinniest human I ever saw.

I don't have a beef, Taj.  I was just wondering if you were aware that "Afrikaans" refers to a language, and that Afrikaners weren't originally from Africa.

[almaman]

1 hour ago, Taj79 said:

 Romaro Gill can grow up someday to be Manute Bol ---- Bol was the skinniest human I ever saw.

You seen the kid? Remember UAB having a very skinny dude back in the Metro days.

[Taj79]

I saw Gill from the baseline Saturday night, if that's what you are asking then yes.

[almaman]

no meant Bol Bol who is following dad's skinny profile.

[slu72]

I posted on another thread, Pitt beat VMI by 40, UK beat them last night by 10. I don't know what to take away from that, but it just seems strange. 

I think this is going to be another nail biter. Capel was looking at losing 9 guys to transfers but he managed to keep 5 of them. Seems to have them all in on whatever he's selling.