And Pitt Is Out Again

[shadow force]

I really don't have much interest in the Tourney this season for obvious reasons but I have been keeping up with some of the scores and outcomes even though I haven't actually watched any full games.

However Pitt and Jamie Dixon are out early yet again. Well to be fair they lost to a higher seed but it is an almost annual thing for Pitt and some other teams. I'm interested to see if Villanova follows the pattern yet again this year.

I just wanted to hear some of your all's ideas on why it happens to these certain teams. They have a good and sometimes great regular/conference season but then, like clockwork, they flame out early in the tourney. Is it coaching? Personnel? Style of play? etc.

 

[mwatson61]

Dixon has to be on the hot seat. Go all underdogs!

 

[earsky]

They had the lead,but got careless with the ball.Idk.Seems when teams quit attacking,they open the door.Coach or guards?

 

[shadow force]

Dixon has to be on the hot seat. Go all underdogs!

You would think so after all the early flame outs, however I thought he was on the hot seat years ago and he's still there. I'm not sure how the fanbase thinks or feels about basketball up in Pittsburgh though. Maybe they are content with being semi-decent to good most regular seasons and don't care much about never going far in the Tourney.

 

[shadow force]

They had the lead,but got careless with the ball.Idk.Seems when teams quit attacking,they open the door.Coach or guards?

I remember back when we were all in the Big East together and Pitt would be eliminated early, many said that it was because Pitt couldn't adjust from the roughness of play in the BE to the more closely called games in the NCAAT. Not sure if that had a lot of merit or not. You'd think a decent coach could adjust after years and years if that were in fact the case. But then again it could just come down to style, preparation, etc.

 

[SchmidtyNole]

I remember back when we were all in the Big East together and Pitt would be eliminated early, many said that it was because Pitt couldn't adjust from the roughness of play in the BE to the more closely called games in the NCAAT. Not sure if that had a lot of merit or not. You'd think a decent coach could adjust after years and years if that were in fact the case. But then again it could just come down to style, preparation, etc.

I think Pitt plays a rugid style that relies on grinding games out. They have trouble scoring easy points either in half court or in transition. Their goal is to kind of muck up the game. The problem in the NCAAT is if the other team gets hot from 3 then Pitt has trouble scoring enough points to keep up. In this case, Wisconsin plays a similar style to Pitt. That is why it was 47-43, it's just that Wisconsin did it a little better.

 

[Knucklehank1]

I think Pitt plays a rugid style that relies on grinding games out. They have trouble scoring easy points either in half court or in transition. Their goal is to kind of muck up the game. The problem in the NCAAT is if the other team gets hot from 3 then Pitt has trouble scoring enough points to keep up. In this case, Wisconsin plays a similar style to Pitt. That is why it was 47-43, it's just that Wisconsin did it a little better.

One thing I've learned is that you have to be able to score in the tourney, you can't just rely on defense. In particular you need a guard that can get to the rim and score or get fouled. You will not cut down the nets by just grinding out games.

 

[HedleyLamarr]

If Duke holds on against Yale, the ACC will be 8-1 so far....

 

[nccardfan]

Didn't Ben Howland have the same issues at Pitt? Pretty successful regular season but early exits in NCAA.

 

[Cincycard80]

I really don't have much interest in the Tourney this season for obvious reasons but I have been keeping up with some of the scores and outcomes even though I haven't actually watched any full games.

However Pitt and Jamie Dixon are out early yet again. Well to be fair they lost to a higher seed but it is an almost annual thing for Pitt and some other teams. I'm interested to see if Villanova follows the pattern yet again this year.

I just wanted to hear some of your all's ideas on why it happens to these certain teams. They have a good and sometimes great regular/conference season but then, like clockwork, they flame out early in the tourney. Is it coaching? Personnel? Style of play? etc.

I consider it to be much like a holiday ritual to pick Pitt (or Purdue, it used to be Missou before they totally sucked) on my brackets, knowing that they were going to to choke each year. Kind of a charitable offering to other bracket competitors.

Go Cards, Go ACC
L1C4

 

[shadow force]

Well Nova broke through their barrier and is in the Sweet 16 after 7 years.

 

[NENCHeel]

Dixon has taken the TCU opening per ESPN.

 

[Louisvillian]

Dixon has taken the TCU opening per ESPN.

Jamie Dixon is going back to his alma-mater. Makes sense.

My guess is that TCU has a Jurich-esque AD who is making an effort to put TCU Basketball on the map like the rise of their football and baseball programs. Dixon probably knows that competing against UNC, Duke, Louisville, Virginia, Syracuse, Miami, Notre Dame and the rest of the ACC is a dead end, not to mention as others have noted his early NCAA flame-outs while at Pitt probably make his departure a mutual agreement.

 

[Senore2006]

Jamie Dixon is going back to his alma-mater. Makes sense.

My guess is that TCU has a Jurich-esque AD who is making an effort to put TCU Basketball on the map like the rise of their football and baseball programs. Dixon probably knows that competing against UNC, Duke, Louisville, Virginia, Syracuse, Miami, Notre Dame and the rest of the ACC is a dead end, not to mention as others have noted his early NCAA flame-outs while at Pitt probably make his departure a mutual agreement.

I think he is also going to another talent-rich region. He may start slow, but I wonder if he might not be back in the Top 10 in 3-4 years.

 

[Cue Card]

I think he is also going to another talent-rich region. He may start slow, but I wonder if he might not be back in the Top 10 in 3-4 years.

He'll do well at TCU. Football is first so he has that going for him, and now we know why his Pitt team bowed out so early this year. I suspect the rumors about him leaving were swirling around the program. That's my best guess anyway!