SB Nation Chicago: All Posts by Anson Whaley

Pitt loses out on Big East baseball title after being swept by Louisville

2013-05-20T14:00:04Z

Pitt's baseball team had high hopes heading into this past weekend. Holding a one-game lead in the Big East conference, the Panthers controlled their own destiny with three games remaining in the season against Louisville - widely considered the better team.

The Cardinals proved that with a sweep against Pitt, winning all three games.

Pitt showed their ability and had some bright spots in keeping a couple of games close. They lost the first game 5-2, but had plenty of opportunities, stranding 16 runners. The second game, a 12-4 loss, wasn't close, but Pitt again had opportunities on Sunday to win. Down 7-4, they had the bases loaded in the ninth inning but couldn't push any runners across.

For maybe the first time all season, the Panthers' starting pitching failed to deliver. The ace of the staff, Ethan Mildren, was roughed up for five runs in seven innings in the opener. Matt Wotherspoon was far worse in the second game, giving up ten earned in only 4 2/3 innings in the second game. And on Saturday in the finale, Rhys Aldenhoven lost his first game of the year with four earned runs in five innings.

The bottom line is that the Cardinals pretty much showed they're significantly better than Pitt. That's not to say they'd be unbeatable in another series, but it's hard to argue that they're not the better team at this point.

It's also not a time to bury the starters. Those three guys have been flat out dominant all season and while they struggled this weekend Louisville is a top ten team. The Panthers weren't completely dominated, but they were soundly defeated. As a result, Pitt will take on St. John's as the third seed in the Big East Tournament on Wednesday.

So what's it mean for Pitt's NCAA Tournament hopes? The sweep doesn't help, obviously, and with a loss against Kent State last week, that's four straight games Pitt has lost. That game against Kent State really was a missed opportunity for another quality win. And if any stock is placed on how a team finishes, an early exit in the Big East Tournament could make things very interesting for the team's NCAA Tourney hopes.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author, the manager/editor of Cardiac Hill, @AnsonWhaley

All the Links: Weekly Pitt link dump

2013-05-20T12:00:04Z

Didn't have time to dig up a video this week, but here's your weekly collection of Pitt-related links that we didn't cover last week:

Football coach Paul Chryst is holding players to high standards so far

Defensive lineman Aaron Donald was named to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Award for work on and off the field

Pitt athletes went back to Haiti for another special trip

EDSBS pictures Paul Chryst with Dana Holgorsen hair (h/t to Pitt Blather)

ACCFootballRx looks at Pitt playing Penn State and West Virginia in football

Former Pitt player Doug Whaley was named the Buffalo Bills' GM

The Trib had a feature on baseball coach Joe Jordano

The softball team had a disappointing year

Not much came from the ACC league meetings last week

Here are some notes from ESPN on the ACC meetings

More talk about the ACC Conference basketball tournament possibly being played at Madison Square Garden

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author @AnsonWhaley.

Weekly Pitt Open Thread (5/20/13)

2013-05-20T04:00:06Z

Here's your weekly open thread.

Just like a gamethread, this post will remain open and at the top of the page for you to readily drop your comments, thoughts, links, questions, rumors, etc. throughout the week. Think of it as a giant message board, but with a little more functionality since every topic covered is in the same place and you can reply just as easily to specific comments - just like you can for all of our other posts.

Use this thread for:

Comments about any Pitt stuff that's unrelated to the current posts
Breaking Pitt news as it happens
Pitt links you found on the internet that we haven't posted
Links about potential Pitt recruits
Funny GIFs. Who doesn't love funny GIFs?

This thread will be left up until the end of the day on Sunday and then we'll begin a new one starting on Monday at midnight.

No major rules here, but keep it civil, folks.

Other than that, post away.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author @AnsonWhaley.

Jamie Dixon downplays potential Pitt-Penn State basketball series

2013-05-19T13:00:08Z

With news of Pitt and Penn State possibly starting up another annual football series, you knew it was a matter of time before things switched to the basketball side.

The Post-Gazette's Sam Werner did a great interview with Jamie Dixon at the ACC meetings. So be sure to read the thing in its entirety. Among other things, Dixon addressed playing Penn State in basketball:

"There are obviously limitations on what you can do. You can’t please everybody. If you look at scheduling, there’s really no way you can do it. You’ve got to satisfy so many different components, whether it be revenue, whether it be ACC, your conference schedule, your non-conference schedule, rivalry games, exempt tournaments. It really takes care of itself if you sit down and look at it."

My hope is that the game this year in the B1G-ACC Challenge will renew some interest in the game. As I said last year, I'd rather see Pitt play a marquee team from the conference and save Penn State for an annual game. But as I noted this week, it's a more attractive matchup than playing a middle-of-the-road B1G team.

Committing to a non-conference opponent in football on an annual basis is far more difficult. But in basketball, teams have any number of chances to schedule a team regularly. It'd be one thing if the Panthers were rolling out games against top opponents, but Kennesaw State? North Florida? Bethune-Cookman? I'd much rather see Pitt square off against Penn State than any of those teams.

Dixon is right that many components are involved - trying to play near hometowns of players, 'finding new rivalries, facing opponents with coaches that may have ties to Dixon or to Pitt, etc. And I get that the Nittany Lions many years may not boost the RPI. But neither do some of the teams that Pitt faces. There's little reason that Pitt couldn't play Penn State every year in basketball with so many non-conference slots.

I typically agree with Dixon, but this isn't one of those times.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Also follow the author @AnsonWhaley.

2013 NBA Combine: A breakdown of the strong performance of Pitt center Steven Adams

2013-05-18T16:11:08Z

So earlier this week, I wondered aloud about Steven Adams and the NBA Combine. Specifically, I wasn't sure if Adams would even be helped that much by it, in part because the things he does well may not be tangibly measured all that much. The one glaring hole, for sure, would be that he has no jump shot.

Hold that thought - per NBC Sports with original link from ESPN.com:

• Great note from Chad Ford at ESPN on Pitt’s Steven Adams (Insider, and a great overall read).

Pittsburgh’s Steven Adams was the big winner on Day 1. Not only did Adams look the part of a NBA center (he measured 7 feet, 250 pounds with a 7-foot-4.5 span), but he showed off some terrific athleticism and toughness on the defensive end. However, that’s not what wowed scouts. Adams showed off a surprising — no, shocking — offensive game, hitting jump shot after jump shot with a feathery touch.

"I can say I was honestly stunned," one NBA GM said. "Where did that come from? That’s not something you develop with a few weeks with a trainer. He was way more skilled than we thought. That makes a huge difference in our evaluation of him."

Fear the Sword, SB Nation's Cleveland Cavs blog, also chimes in about Adams' newfound shot:

Steven Adams looked pretty good from what we saw. His coach at Pittsburgh said that people would be surprised by how well he shot the ball. The ESPN guys mocked him for that and said that every coach or agent says we'll be surprised by how well their guy shoots. Well guess what, we were all surprised by how well Adams shot the ball.

/CricketsChirping

To say that this comes as a surprise is about as big an understatement as you can make. Adams didn't display ~~much of~~ any kind of a jump shot during his time at Pitt and based on the high amount of blown shots around the rim, no one could have reasonably expected that buried in his game was a mini Dell Curry.

So ... the next question is too obvious - where was this at Pitt? Beats me. But this much is clear - if Adams can now shoot a jump shot with regularity, it's not something that was developed in a few weeks as the NBA GM says in the above link. Players shoot tens of thousands of jump shots over summers hoping to improve a few percentage point during the season. There's no way that Adams suddenly developed one since the season ended. Barring an unbelievably lucky streak, this has always been there.

And if we're being honest here, if that's true, can't a little of that fall on Jamie Dixon? I'm not in the 'Fire Dixon' crowd so please, don't label me among the Dixon haters. Or even those that dislike him. He's a great coach - end of discussion. But seriously, for Pitt to not have taken advantage of this skill during the season doesn't make sense to me. If he had this skill set, it was up to the coaches to make sure he tried to use it - even if only sparingly since the whole style of play was so new to him.

Keep in mind, though, it also depends greatly on Adams' level of comfort in game situations. And we're also talking about drills here. In-game competition is far, far different. Adams looked uncomfortable plenty of times this season, and chances are he wasn't sure just how much he could step out and do some of that instead of just trying to fit within the system. Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling at least a little robbed out of all of this.

And Adams, for his part, downplayed that the system was the problem in an interview at the Combine as well. He even went on to say that Dixon's been so successful that you don't just come in expecting the system to change for an individual player. Wise beyond his years, folks, and he just came across as so likeable in that interview. Definitely another intangible that will help his stock.

I don't know what to make of all of this ... so I'm moving on.

On Thursday, ESPN's Chad Ford called Adams one of the best two players that day:

Best two players I've seen at the Combine today have been Steven Adams and Rudy Gobert. Both helping themselves a lot here
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) May 16, 2013

Beyond the on-court action, there were also the measurements - and Adams fared well there, too.

Adams checked in at a legitimate 7'0" and 254 pounds. According to NBADraft.net, his 7'4.5" wing span was good for second among all players and his hand width was the largest at 11". The site also called him one of the winners when it came to measurements.

Scoff all you want at the measurements portion. But even if you don't personally buy into its importance, just know that it matters to scouts and teams. And the fact is that a lot of those guys check in shorter than their advertised height. Adams' measurements will certainly help him.

When you add it all up, this has done nothing but help his stock. Adams was already being projected as a solid first-rounder. His strong performance could now have him as high as the edge of the lottery.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author, the manager/editor of Cardiac Hill, @AnsonWhaley

J.J. Moore transfer reportedly still on

2013-05-18T13:00:03Z

All had been relatively quiet on the J.J. Moore front until earlier this week when news broke that he was still planning on transferring. Per the Trib-Review:

"We are trying to help him find a school," Dixon said. "We are trying to help him find the right place."

Well, that sucks. It's great, obviously, that Pitt is helping him find a place where he can be comfortable, but as I've said before, losing Moore hurts the program for next season.

The funny thing in all of this? Dixon can't even (or more likely, won't) confirm if Moore has filed the necessary paperwork to still transfer, according to the article.

Forget, for a moment, that Moore wasn't a perfect player. He was often streaky off the bench and I wholeheartedly agree that Patterson should have started over him. But without him, the complexion of the team changes greatly next year. The biggest problem is depth.

If Moore had been on the team, he could have played given Pitt a quality backup behind Patterson. But more importantly, he could have even played some minutes at power forward and lessened the strain that incoming freshman Mike Young will face. Barring Joseph Uchebo being able to start immediately, Young will almost assuredly be the starter at power forward and fellow incoming freshman Jamel Artis now will be relied upon even more as a backup to either he or Patterson.

It's not as if Pitt is without options. In addition to the incoming freshman, Durand Johnson is there as is G/F redshirt freshman Chris Jones. But of the three, only Johnson has played at all so far. I'd feel better if a more experienced option were there to help them along.

The plus side to all of this, though, is that the young guys will get plenty of time this season.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author @AnsonWhaley.

Is Vanderbilt transfer Sheldon Jeter on the way to Pitt?

2013-05-18T03:29:11Z

It's not yet a done done deal, but all signs are pointing to Sheldon Jeter transferring to Pitt. Jeter, a 6'7" forward, is a local player from Beaver Falls who was at Vanderbilt. He averaged a little more than five points and three rebounds per game this year. Out of high school, he was a three-star recruit and ranked as Rivals' No. 150 player in the nation.

SB Nation's Vanderbilt blog Anchor of Gold calls the loss a big blow. According to his coach, he wanted to be closer to home. Jeter himself cited personal issues.

The closer to home statement seems to indicate that the Panthers would be in the mix. All the talk is about Jeter coming to Pitt, but he says his mind's not made up yet:

Just to clear this up, I do not know what school I will go to. That is another conversation to take place at another time with my family.
— Sheldon Jeter (@LongLive_Jete21) May 18, 2013

I wouldn't take that as a sign that he's not coming to Pitt. I'm not saying his mind is set on Pitt, only that if it is, he may not want to come out and say it.

Jeter initially chose Vandy over Penn State, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, but Pitt didn't offer him. There's no question that he could help Pitt's depth issue. He won't be able to play this year after sitting out, but with the losses of Lamar Patterson, J.J. Moore, and Talib Zanna, Pitt will have plenty of opportunities at forward next season. Jeter would have three years of eligibility left.

ACC Network: Sooner rather than later

2013-05-14T18:00:05Z

The ACC meetings are underway and commissioner John Swofford has had his hands full over the year. But according to him at the meetings, he's going to be pretty busy trying to set up an ACC Network. And judging my his comments, that time seems like it will be sooner rather than later:

"We don't want to let any grass grow, and I don't think ESPN does either," said Swofford, who updated conference athletic directors Monday on the viability of the proposed ACC Network.

Swofford also says the conference has some kind of reach:

Swofford said the 15 schools will give the ACC footprint a population of about 107 million, the largest of any collegiate conference in the U.S.

"By 2030," he said, "over 50 percent of the population of the U.S. will be in the ACC footprint."

The ACC also had a study done and that seemed to support such a network.

I've long said that more networks would happen ever since the Big Ten Network hit the airwaves. Heck, if the conference was still together, I even thought there would be a Big East Network at some point. The fact that this is happening should surprise no one. At this point, it would be a huge surprise if it didn't go down.

It seems like it's been on the table for quite some time, but the Grant of Rights deal was the first order of business. Swofford has been (rightfully) a bit preoccupied with strengthening the conference. That took priority and it's understandable the network thing has been placed on the back burner.

A big problem is always that cable companies don't want to pass on the additional cost that it will cost them to their customers. But it would still be a shock if it didn't get done. That hurdle's been successfully cleared by the B1G and there's no reason that other conferences can't navigate those waters as well. There's the a la carte hurdle, but we could still be a while from that happening.

For now, all signs point to an ACC Network.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics.