(03-16-2018 11:43 AM)CollegeCard Wrote:  It looks like Pittsburgh could be struggling to fill a roster for the second straight season. 8 current players have asked for "and are expected to receive -- their release on Friday to explore transfer options, multiple sources close to the basketball program told ESPN."

The departures would include all five freshman who played regular minutes, Soph Shamiel Stevenson, repeat Sr Ryan Luther (if he gains a medical redshirt), and Jr Malik Eillison, who just sat out a year after transferring from St. John's.

The remaining roster would be rising Sr. Jared Wilson-Frame (JUCO who led the team in scoring this year) and two rising Soph's who played limited minutes this year.

We all realize not all of those guys were ACC caliber under normal circumstances, but it's rough to see the mass exodus. It's going to be tough for the new coach to fill out the roster. He's left with 1 guy who can contribute, as I have to think that the other two returners are no help if they couldn't earn minutes on an 0-18 team.

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Hopefully it won't be to this extreme, but Louisville could be seeing a vastly different roster next year as well. I'm hoping the departures don't mirror the trouble Pitt has been going through.

Just because they asked for a release doesn't mean they're all going to leave. And if they do, we can just as easily go 0-19 next year without them. It is not like next year would have even been an NIT season. Some of them need to leave anyway.

Paco, if you had to list 3 names you'd like to see Pitt pursue, who would those be?

(03-16-2018 12:15 PM)H.U.S.T.L.E. Wrote:  Paco, if you had to list 3 names you'd like to see Pitt pursue, who would those be?

Hurley, Mussleman, Jacobson, maybe Oats and Grant....maybe Schmidt. Hurley is definitely a top target. Whether they can get him or not, I don't know. It is important to get this hire right, so I hope they cast a wide net.

I've never seen a basketball program going through Self-immolation like Pitt.

Hire LeMoyne's coach

(03-16-2018 12:04 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  Just because they asked for a release doesn't mean they're all going to leave.

Sure, I understand that. My thought process was that Pitt will probably hire a coach in the next 1-2 weeks, and if a player was considering staying if they liked the new hire, they would wait to ask for a release. Perhaps they were told they have to ask for a release by a certain date, I don't know.

(03-16-2018 12:04 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  And if they do, we can just as easily go 0-19 next year without them. It is not like next year would have even been an NIT season. Some of them need to leave anyway.

I don't disagree. However, I suspect the new coach would like to have, and will try to convince a few of these 8 to stay. Another season of Luther and keeping a few of the freshman that started would help to balance the next few classes and give a small amount of stability over the next 1-2 bridge years as they work towards rebuilding.

Talk about a badly messed up firing...

I think I can remember rare cases when things got bad enough at an ACC member institution that they have reached out to their normal conference adversaries asking for advice on a way forward. I think that if the Pitt AD reaches out to Roy Williams and Coach K that he can probably get some good advice on a way forward and, unlike a consultant, the advice will be free.

I'll give some very inexpert advice. Levell Moten at NC Central is going to end up at a major program eventually. I don't know if he's ready yet but he's got the potential to be a Kevin Keatts. Pitt is an ACC job so a lot of coaches will be interested but I don't think that Pitt will get interest from the sort of household name that would make their fans happy. I think they'll have to take someone with potential who isn't well known. Moten isn't well known yet but he's got a very good reputation for someone who isn't well known.

(03-16-2018 03:34 PM)Hallcity Wrote:  I think I can remember rare cases when things got bad enough at an ACC member institution that they have reached out to their normal conference adversaries asking for advice on a way forward. I think that if the Pitt AD reaches out to Roy Williams and Coach K that he can probably get some good advice on a way forward and, unlike a consultant, the advice will be free.

I'll give some very inexpert advice. Levell Moten at NC Central is going to end up at a major program eventually. I don't know if he's ready yet but he's got the potential to be a Kevin Keatts. Pitt is an ACC job so a lot of coaches will be interested but I don't think that Pitt will get interest from the sort of household name that would make their fans happy. I think they'll have to take someone with potential who isn't well known. Moten isn't well known yet but he's got a very good reputation for someone who isn't well known.

I like Levelle Moton a lot, but hiring him would be a huge risk for any power conference program. Yes, the job he's done in transitioning NC Central from D2 to D1 has been excellent, but he'll need to prove he can do it outside the MEAC in a mid-major conference first.

(03-16-2018 01:16 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  I've never seen a basketball program going through Self-immolation like Pitt.

Hire LeMoyne's coach

Basketball learned it from the football program.

(03-16-2018 02:51 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Talk about a badly messed up firing...

The firing was fine.

The problem was the shoving-out-the-door of an excellent coach and hiring an absolute dud two years ago.

No one on an 0-19 team is irreplaceable.

(03-16-2018 01:28 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  

(03-16-2018 12:04 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  Just because they asked for a release doesn't mean they're all going to leave.

Sure, I understand that. My thought process was that Pitt will probably hire a coach in the next 1-2 weeks, and if a player was considering staying if they liked the new hire, they would wait to ask for a release. Perhaps they were told they have to ask for a release by a certain date, I don't know.

(03-16-2018 12:04 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  And if they do, we can just as easily go 0-19 next year without them. It is not like next year would have even been an NIT season. Some of them need to leave anyway.

I don't disagree. However, I suspect the new coach would like to have, and will try to convince a few of these 8 to stay. Another season of Luther and keeping a few of the freshman that started would help to balance the next few classes and give a small amount of stability over the next 1-2 bridge years as they work towards rebuilding.

Yes, the new coach will try to keep some of them. It is more and more common for kids to ask for a release. Personally, I really could not care less if they all leave or all stay. The program is already a pile of rubble.

Well have there been any leaks of any kind into who is a candidate for the job???? I still think I would go after Danny Hurley of Rhode Island, but you figure something would have been mentioned by now. They need to make a good hire one that shouldn’t be that hard to do, but then again I’m not all that familiar with Pitt and who is calling the shots etc

(03-16-2018 11:05 PM)BigOwensboroCard Wrote:  Well have there been any leaks of any kind into who is a candidate for the job???? I still think I would go after Danny Hurley of Rhode Island, but you figure something would have been mentioned by now. They need to make a good hire one that shouldn’t be that hard to do, but then again I’m not all that familiar with Pitt and who is calling the shots etc

Yes, they are going after Hurley...but he is still working, as are many other good coaches. They apparently just interviewed Matta within the last two days. I don't know how serious that is.

Pitt should hire Nevada's coach. He is a real deal and can inspire players which is Pitt lack of for a long time and the main reason Pitt failed in March.

(03-16-2018 11:05 PM)BigOwensboroCard Wrote:  Well have there been any leaks of any kind into who is a candidate for the job???? I still think I would go after Danny Hurley of Rhode Island, but you figure something would have been mentioned by now. They need to make a good hire one that shouldn’t be that hard to do, but then again I’m not all that familiar with Pitt and who is calling the shots etc

I read an article where Hurley said he's not thinking about other jobs right now but also said he's the #1 choice for the UConn job. So, it appears UConn is the favorite right now.

(03-18-2018 11:29 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(03-16-2018 11:05 PM)BigOwensboroCard Wrote:  Well have there been any leaks of any kind into who is a candidate for the job???? I still think I would go after Danny Hurley of Rhode Island, but you figure something would have been mentioned by now. They need to make a good hire one that shouldn’t be that hard to do, but then again I’m not all that familiar with Pitt and who is calling the shots etc

I read an article where Hurley said he's not thinking about other jobs right now but also said he's the #1 choice for the UConn job. So, it appears UConn is the favorite right now.

Pitt is going hard after Hurley. Rumors now are they offered something over $3m a year, with one rumor being $25m over 7 years. I have no idea if that is true.

(03-20-2018 05:57 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(03-18-2018 11:29 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(03-16-2018 11:05 PM)BigOwensboroCard Wrote:  Well have there been any leaks of any kind into who is a candidate for the job???? I still think I would go after Danny Hurley of Rhode Island, but you figure something would have been mentioned by now. They need to make a good hire one that shouldn’t be that hard to do, but then again I’m not all that familiar with Pitt and who is calling the shots etc

I read an article where Hurley said he's not thinking about other jobs right now but also said he's the #1 choice for the UConn job. So, it appears UConn is the favorite right now.

Pitt is going hard after Hurley. Rumors now are they offered something over $3m a year, with one rumor being $25m over 7 years. I have no idea if that is true.

As bad as things are at Pitt, I'd take Pitt over U.Conn. any day. The AAC is a big step down from the ACC. U.Conn's best days are in the past. Give Pitt two-three years and they'll be competitive again; three-four years and they'll be back in the Big Dance.

Pitt could be back in 2-3 years...easier in BB than FB

Pitt should be going after Mark Schmidt. If he can win in Olean, NY, he can win anywhere. He'd bring back that Pitt toughness and all those big bruisers down low they used to have when successful.

(03-22-2018 08:49 AM)esayem Wrote:  Pitt should be going after Mark Schmidt. If he can win in Olean, NY, he can win anywhere. He'd bring back that Pitt toughness and all those big bruisers down low they used to have when successful.

I think Schmidt would be a good hire. I think Kevin Willard would be a good hire too, as would Nate Oats.

Don't know how Pitt fans feel about any of those guys though.