OT: D1

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Stallings was doomed even before his introductory press conference. He was never given a chance. I actually feel bad for him.

This is true. I heard Paul Zeise mention the Stullings intro press conference as one of the most bizzare things that he ever saw. So i went back and watched it on youtube. Yes, it was rather hostile and unwelcoming as the local press were not pleased with the situation and highly skeptical. Stullings to his credit did handle it very well and as a professional. I give him credit for that.

I know the deep pocketed Pitt donors/boosters were NOT at all pleased with the hire. Most fans were not. It was a truly uninspired hire at a point when everyone was so happy that Dixon finally left town and Pitt had the chance at a dynamic coach to turn things around. I know I was floored by it. Why hire a tired old man and coaching retread when you could have swung at a young up and comer? I still say it was a terrible hire for Pitt and the cronyism that it reeked off was downright offensive.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Lost in all the Efton Reid and Justin Champagnie drama is the fact that Pitt did sign a nice JUCO transfer yesterday. 6-7 F Chris Payton played for Indian Hills Jr. College and does boast a nice game as evidenced by his film. He can move around the bucket and his game is reminiscent a bit of Slam Penny although the latter man was a true artist down on the baseline. Payton averaged 12.5 ppg and ten boards last season while shooting 56% from the floor and 33% from three.

[IUP24]

This is true. I heard Paul Zeise mention the Stullings intro press conference as one of the most bizzare things that he ever saw. So i went back and watched it on youtube. Yes, it was rather hostile and unwelcoming as the local press were not pleased with the situation and highly skeptical. Stullings to his credit did handle it very well and as a professional. I give him credit for that.

I know the deep pocketed Pitt donors/boosters were NOT at all pleased with the hire. Most fans were not. It was a truly uninspired hire at a point when everyone was so happy that Dixon finally left town and Pitt had the chance at a dynamic coach to turn things around. I know I was floored by it. Why hire a tired old man and coaching retread when you could have swung at a young up and comer? I still say it was a terrible hire for Pitt and the cronyism that it reeked off was downright offensive.

[IUP24]

Lost in all the Efton Reid and Justin Champagnie drama is the fact that Pitt did sign a nice JUCO transfer yesterday. 6-7 F Chris Payton played for Indian Hills Jr. College and does boast a nice game as evidenced by his film. He can move around the bucket and his game is reminiscent a bit of Slam Penny although the latter man was a true artist down on the baseline. Payton averaged 12.5 ppg and ten boards last season while shooting 56% from the floor and 33% from three.

Lol

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

For the record I don't believe that I actually downplayed Stullings that much during most of his Pitt tenure. I was mostly disinterested in the program with him at the helm as most Pitt fans were. I know that I did offer up my opinion that change needed to occur by the end of the 2018 season. I was hardly a minority opinion after he took the Pitt program 0-19 in the ACC. That is 0-19!

Capel actually did make improvements in the win column and he doubled the attendence at the Pete, pre-Covid of course. He also brought in a lot of players that have to be considered as good or at least in that direction----Xavier, Toney, McGowens, Slam Penny, Coulibaly (better than he showed as he was forced to slug it out with ACC centers since Pitt had no one else). As I mentioned Capel did bring in a good 2020 recruiting class that was I believe top 20. Okay, a lot of the players I mentioned are no longer here and that is tough. I don't have a problem if you want to take a shot at that. It would be fair enough.

You act as if I am personally to blame for what occurred with Stullings. I actually had nothing to do with any of it. As a person I have no problem with him. As a coach of the Pitt program he was a complete train wreck. His overall record was 24-41. His ACC record was 4-32. Capel's overall record is 40-48. His ACC record is 15-38. I get it----it is not great or even good at all but it is still much better than what Stullings did.

There were other improvements made to the program as well such as facilities that Capel played a part in. But I understand where you are coming from. Everything is not roses. Not by a long shot. This could be a very tough season. If you are willing to watch the film you will at least see that Pitt did bring in at least two good ball players in transfer Jamarius Burton and the JUCO Chris Payton. How the latter man translates to ACC play will remain to be seen.

But my goodness, for a self-professed Pitt fan you just seem to thrive on coming down out of the hills to shoot the wounded. LOL.

Pitt's biggest problem right now (aside from losing all their players) is the failure to find a true center and a competent post tandem. Femi Odukale may be a star this year. Nike Sibande may be real good as well. Some of the 20220 players may make leaps and bounds. Depth will likely be a problem. Am i overly optimistic about the season----probably not at this point.

But the really sad thing is had Capel been able to keep his talent there this could have been a team that was "old" this year with a bevy of upperclassmen who could have had a legitimate shot at the tourney. But of course that is not the case this year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

For the record I don't believe that I actually downplayed Stullings that much during most of his Pitt tenure. I was mostly disinterested in the program with him at the helm as most Pitt fans were. I know that I did offer up my opinion that change needed to occur by the end of the 2018 season. I was hardly a minority opinion after he took the Pitt program 0-19 in the ACC. That is 0-19!

Capel actually did make improvements in the win column and he doubled the attendence at the Pete, pre-Covid of course. He also brought in a lot of players that have to be considered as good or at least in that direction----Xavier, Toney, McGowens, Slam Penny, Coulibaly (better than he showed as he was forced to slug it out with ACC centers since Pitt had no one else). As I mentioned Capel did bring in a good 2020 recruiting class that was I believe top 20. Okay, a lot of the players I mentioned are no longer here and that is tough. I don't have a problem if you want to take a shot at that. It would be fair enough.

You act as if I am personally to blame for what occurred with Stullings. I actually had nothing to do with any of it. As a person I have no problem with him. As a coach of the Pitt program he was a complete train wreck. His overall record was 24-41. His ACC record was 4-32. Capel's overall record is 40-48. His ACC record is 15-38. I get it----it is not great or even good at all but it is still much better than what Stullings did.

There were other improvements made to the program as well such as facilities that Capel played a part in. But I understand where you are coming from. Everything is not roses. Not by a long shot. This could be a very tough season. If you are willing to watch the film you will at least see that Pitt did bring in at least two good ball players in transfer Jamarius Burton and the JUCO Chris Payton. How the latter man translates to ACC play will remain to be seen.

But my goodness, for a self-professed Pitt fan you just seem to thrive on coming down out of the hills to shoot the wounded. LOL.

Pitt's biggest problem right now (aside from losing all their players) is the failure to find a true center and a competent post tandem. Femi Odukale may be a star this year. Nike Sibande may be real good as well. Some of the 20220 players may make leaps and bounds. Depth will likely be a problem. Am i overly optimistic about the season----probably not at this point.

But the really sad thing is had Capel been able to keep his talent there this could have been a team that was "old" this year with a bevy of upperclassmen who could have had a legitimate shot at the tourney. But of course that is not the case this year.

It's hard to believe that not all too long ago Pitt Basketball was the toughest ticket in town (including the sacred team down river).

When I had tickets for those several years ... some of the best atmospheres I've ever seen. The Pete was absolutely insane.

The seat is hot in Oakland for Mr. Capel. Losing half your team, a home loss to Saint Francis, fading program interest ...

Where there's smoke, as they say.

I'd put heavy money on this being his swan song.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

It's hard to believe that not all too long ago Pitt Basketball was the toughest ticket in town (including the sacred team down river).

When I had tickets for those several years ... some of the best atmospheres I've ever seen. The Pete was absolutely insane.

The seat is hot in Oakland for Mr. Capel. Losing half your team, a home loss to Saint Francis, fading program interest ...

Where there's smoke, as they say.

I'd put heavy money on this being his swan song.

Just might be Miller Time at the Pete. Sean Miller that is. Or maybe Pitt would not want to deal with some of the shadows of his time spent in the desert.

One big problem is that Pitt is already paying out a lot of money to IUP24's deposed hero and Heather Lyke was so afraid of losing Capel that they kept signing him to extensions with big buyouts. He is signed through 2027. That could pose a major problem should they decide to go another route. Like him or not----you may be stuck with him the next several years.

Yeah, it was just ten years ago that Pitt was one of the top ranked programs in the nation. That is hard to believe now.

[IUP24]

For the record I don't believe that I actually downplayed Stullings that much during most of his Pitt tenure. I was mostly disinterested in the program with him at the helm as most Pitt fans were. I know that I did offer up my opinion that change needed to occur by the end of the 2018 season. I was hardly a minority opinion after he took the Pitt program 0-19 in the ACC. That is 0-19!

Capel actually did make improvements in the win column and he doubled the attendence at the Pete, pre-Covid of course. He also brought in a lot of players that have to be considered as good or at least in that direction----Xavier, Toney, McGowens, Slam Penny, Coulibaly (better than he showed as he was forced to slug it out with ACC centers since Pitt had no one else). As I mentioned Capel did bring in a good 2020 recruiting class that was I believe top 20. Okay, a lot of the players I mentioned are no longer here and that is tough. I don't have a problem if you want to take a shot at that. It would be fair enough.

You act as if I am personally to blame for what occurred with Stullings. I actually had nothing to do with any of it. As a person I have no problem with him. As a coach of the Pitt program he was a complete train wreck. His overall record was 24-41. His ACC record was 4-32. Capel's overall record is 40-48. His ACC record is 15-38. I get it----it is not great or even good at all but it is still much better than what Stullings did.

There were other improvements made to the program as well such as facilities that Capel played a part in. But I understand where you are coming from. Everything is not roses. Not by a long shot. This could be a very tough season. If you are willing to watch the film you will at least see that Pitt did bring in at least two good ball players in transfer Jamarius Burton and the JUCO Chris Payton. How the latter man translates to ACC play will remain to be seen.

But my goodness, for a self-professed Pitt fan you just seem to thrive on coming down out of the hills to shoot the wounded. LOL.

Pitt's biggest problem right now (aside from losing all their players) is the failure to find a true center and a competent post tandem. Femi Odukale may be a star this year. Nike Sibande may be real good as well. Some of the 20220 players may make leaps and bounds. Depth will likely be a problem. Am i overly optimistic about the season----probably not at this point.

But the really sad thing is had Capel been able to keep his talent there this could have been a team that was "old" this year with a bevy of upperclassmen who could have had a legitimate shot at the tourney. But of course that is not the case this year.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

I think that is a pretty fair assesment of things to be honest. Yeah, Pitt has still to this day never actually overhauled and retooled their program enough to become a viable ACC team. And you are also correct about the brutality of the ACC. There are NO easy games. There is no free lunch there. Just following Pitt the last few years closely I must say that I am still in a state of shock what the ACC is----a total bloodletting of basketball. It is pretty rough!

But a good post!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Felony charges were dropped against Hughley.

Watch him enter the portal now.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Former Pitt guard (and most recently former D2 Winston-Salem guard) Justice Kithkart had entered the portal as a grad transfer.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Former Pitt guard (and most recently former D2 Winston-Salem guard) Justice Kithkart had entered the portal as a grad transfer.

I don't remember him to be honest. When did he play?

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Felony charges were dropped against Hughley.

Watch him enter the portal now.

That is VERY BIG NEWS out of Oakland right there. Pitt is desperate for bigs and he certainly fits the bill. He has been reinstated to the basketball team. Way to beat the rap, Big John!

If only Pitt could entice 6-9 Pittsburgh native Tre Mitchell to transfer here. He's in the portal from UMASS and averaged like 18 ppg. He would be real nice to have.

[Columbuseer]

That is VERY BIG NEWS out of Oakland right there. Pitt is desperate for bigs and he certainly fits the bill. He has been reinstated to the basketball team. Way to beat the rap, Big John!

If only Pitt could entice 6-9 Pittsburgh native Tre Mitchell to transfer here. He's in the portal from UMASS and averaged like 18 ppg. He would be real nice to have.

Appears to be a plea bargain that demonstrates a significant amount of grace toward John. He has been given an opportunity to enter ARD which could lead to expungement of the 2nd degree misdemeanor. Only 11% of ARDs are for theft. Vast majority are DUI cases. I hope this becomes a wonderful success story in the future for him regardless of his basketball future.

https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2021...sketball-team/

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Appears to be a plea bargain that demonstrates a significant amount of grace toward John. He has been given an opportunity to enter ARD which could lead to expungement of the 2nd degree misdemeanor. Only 11% of ARDs are for theft. Vast majority are DUI cases. I hope this becomes a wonderful success story in the future for him regardless of his basketball future.

https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2021...sketball-team/

You are quite correct here. Big John dodged the worst of it by having the felony charges dropped and now he has one year of probation on the aforementioned ARD program. He was most fortunate to get this and hopefully he will take good advantage of this opportunity.

Looks like Tre Mitchell has released a list of his final six schools up for consideration and Pitt does not appear on it. There seems to be some source of friction with Pitt that was evident during his high school recruitment a few years.

7-0 C Michael Durr a transfer out of South Florida who recently decommitted from V-Tech is on the Pitt radar.