OT: D1

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Former Fairmont State head coach Jarrod Calhoun and his Youngstown State team open up the season tonight at Pitt.

The marquee match-up of the night is Duke vs. Kentucky.

[Chuck Norris]

[CALUPA69]

Re: OT: D1

Former Fairmont State head coach Jarrod Calhoun and his Youngstown State team open up the season tonight at Pitt.

The marquee match-up of the night is Duke vs. Kentucky.

Hopefully last week's exhibition vs the C'HAWKS was just Coach Cal being nice or else UK fans are in for a BLUE DEVIL of a night !!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

He wasn't being nice.

One team had its walk-ons playing the final 2-3 minutes. It wasn't UK.

Calipari was full-court pressing Joe's walk-ons with 30 seconds left in the game.

For 35 minutes, that was a fantastic game ... very entertaining to watch.

[PSACwatcher]

Re: OT: D1

I'd be willing to bet that Joe Lombardi is not making the mistake of allowing his team of mostly experienced juniors, seniors and grad students to fall into the trap of believing that a respectable exhibition showing (still a 24 point loss) against Kentucky's ultra-talented but still youthful and inexperienced team is going to mean much of anything for the upcoming season.

IUP is favored to win the PSAC West and probably the entire conference, but its not because IUP made a good showing and lost to Kentucky by 24 in an exhibition game. IUP will win the PSAC West and perhaps the conference title because it has solid and very experienced D2 talent inside coupled with excellent coaching. The key for IUP will be to keep Diaz and Brandwijk healthy all year. Those two senior Bigs are experienced D1 level men who will play much of the season against less experienced boys. The other guys on IUP's roster who get alot of minutes are nice D2 players but their success is made alot easier with Diaz and Brandwijk on the floor.

I would also add that if the plan at IUP is for Dante Lombardi to lead the team in minutes and shots taken (as he did vs. Kentucky) while shooting 2-9 from three and 5-14 overall, PSAC teams will welcome that.

[IUPalum]

Re: OT: D1

Former Fairmont State head coach Jarrod Calhoun and his Youngstown State team open up the season tonight at Pitt.

The marquee match-up of the night is Duke vs. Kentucky.

Michigan St/Kansas will be the better game!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

I'd be willing to bet that Joe Lombardi is not making the mistake of allowing his team of mostly experienced juniors, seniors and grad students to fall into the trap of believing that a respectable exhibition showing (still a 24 point loss) against Kentucky's ultra-talented but still youthful and inexperienced team is going to mean much of anything for the upcoming season.

IUP is favored to win the PSAC West and probably the entire conference, but its not because IUP made a good showing and lost to Kentucky by 24 in an exhibition game. IUP will win the PSAC West and perhaps the conference title because it has solid and very experienced D2 talent inside coupled with excellent coaching. The key for IUP will be to keep Diaz and Brandwijk healthy all year. Those two senior Bigs are experienced D1 level men who will play much of the season against less experienced boys. The other guys on IUP's roster who get alot of minutes are nice D2 players but their success is made alot easier with Diaz and Brandwijk on the floor.

I would also add that if the plan at IUP is for Dante Lombardi to lead the team in minutes and shots taken (as he did vs. Kentucky) while shooting 2-9 from three and 5-14 overall, PSAC teams will welcome that.

Actually I think that game will go a long way in building this team's confidence. The score was irrelevant to me. I actually could have cared less that if it was even on the screen. Nobody thought they could win down there. That game was about drive and showing the confidence they could compete.

What stood out to me was seeing a team with a real presence and toughness -- something that has kind of lacked lately. Willem Brandwijk played with more enthusiasm in that game than he did in the first 24 games last year combined. He came on as the year went along and got out of his shell. He looked like a legit D1 big man against UK. Cobo is a bonafide D1 post player. That's well known.

This was a D2 team that got under mighty Kentucky's skin. If somebody doesn't believe that they didn't watch the full game. I thought last year's IUP team was pretty soft and whiny. I didn't see that at all last week. Total opposite.

IUP came back from 30-13 in Rupp Arena. Exhibition or not ... that's impressive.

I actually think this team has lacked confidence in such moments the past three years -- the past two, in particular. Couple their play against UK with the win over Morehead State ... this is a team that should believe its goals are much higher than winning another PSAC West.

As for Dante playing the most minutes ... yeah, that's not changing. If it didn't in the past, it's sure as heck not going to this year. Like it, love it or hate it ... not changing. Personally, I feel the 'best' Dante would be 28-30 mpg. But, he'll be in there for 37-38 minutes nightly.

As you said, that was one game. Meaningless, perhaps, -- depending how you look at it. I can say one thing factually: This team is miles ahead of where it was on Nov. 6 last season. It's well known this was the team they've been building up for the past several years. Expectations couldn't be higher.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

Ugliest 5 minutes in Pitt hoops history ... lol. Wow.

I see now why Joe said nobody in Pittsburgh would play them. IUP or WL may blow Pitt out right now.


Score is 2-2 five minutes played.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

Pitt up 3 at half.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: OT: D1

Pitt a 69-53 winner. We all need to give this young Panthers team some time to jell. Many of these frosh and transfers have never played an actual game together. Keep your eye on frosh guards Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens, and transfer Malik Ellison this year. Word is Capel has been traveling like a mad man on recruiting trips and has a line on some impressive players, including one who is 6-11, 235 (who's name I can't recall--it's an odd name). I'm excited for the future of Pitt hoops. It's going to take a few years to get things going full sail but I think that Capel is going to create a winner here.

-

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

UK may lose this game by 40

Zion .... wow

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

Pitt a 69-53 winner. We all need to give this young Panthers team some time to jell. Many of these frosh and transfers have never played an actual game together. Keep your eye on frosh guards Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens, and transfer Malik Ellison this year. Word is Capel has been traveling like a mad man on recruiting trips and has a line on some impressive players, including one who is 6-11, 235 (who's name I can't recall--it's an odd name). I'm excited for the future of Pitt hoops. It's going to take a few years to get things going full sail but I think that Capel is going to create a winner here.

-

Calhoun is going to punch himself tomorrow for not going to the press earlier.

Pitt did look better in the second half. They also had Wilson-Frame suspended tonight.

YSU is a real bad team (picked 9th in Horizon). Calhoun's National Runner-Up team at Fairmont would DESTROY his current team.

Hopefully Pitt rolls up some wins in the non-confefence. The ACC season will likely be pretty ugly.

Capel is a lot different than the Zodiac was last year. He's pretty intense on the bench.

McGowens had a nice game.

[CALUPA69]

Re: OT: D1

UK may lose this game by 40

Zion .... wow

Nah...only 34. Guess Calipari wasn't just being nice, the CATS don't look anything like their ranking.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: OT: D1

Duke may beat some NBA teams. That was a sick performance. Those two freshman would start in the League tonight.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: OT: D1

Calhoun is going to punch himself tomorrow for not going to the press earlier.

Pitt did look better in the second half. They also had Wilson-Frame suspended tonight.

YSU is a real bad team (picked 9th in Horizon). Calhoun's National Runner-Up team at Fairmont would DESTROY his current team.

Hopefully Pitt rolls up some wins in the non-confefence. The ACC season will likely be pretty ugly.

Capel is a lot different than the Zodiac was last year. He's pretty intense on the bench.

McGowens had a nice game.

The upgrade in athleticism is already apparent. This is definitely going to be another long and difficult year once ACC play begins but there is definitely something to build on.