Jamie Dixon's style

[heresjohnny88]

I like Jame Dixon a lot as a coach, and I think he gets a ton out of sub-par talent, but does anyone else think it's time for him to re-evaluate the way he teaches the game? I'll give two reasons:

1) If I'm a recruit sitting at home last night watching that Cuse-Pitt game, doesn't Cuse look 100x more attractive to me? Let's see...I can either go to Lob City east or Clutch and Grab U. JB deserves a ton of credit for letting his kids play over the years, and that hasn't changed with this team. Our style of play looks VERY enticing to a high schooler who wants to be able to play his own game. Dixon, on the other hand, doesn't seem to allow his players this kind of freedom. And therefore Pitt never seems to land top recruits, except for this past year with Khem Birch, and we all know how that's worked out. Pitt should honestly be bringing in Top 20 classes every year, but yet they rarely do. There's a reason for everything.

2) Pitt's style of play kills them in the tournament. Dixon seems to have an amazing grasp of what officials will/won't call in Big East play, and he undoubtedly tells his players each practice what they can/can't get away with (push off's going for rebounds, hand-checking, etc). And this has worked in Big East play, mostly because they let you get away with more. But in the tournament, when games are called tighter, this style fails miserably. Butler might be the ONLY team I've seen over the last 10 years that have attempted to play this "Pitt style" defense in the tournament with success. But that is the exception, and not the rule. It seems that Villanova a couple years back started to play this style of basketball as well, and how's that worked out for them?

Like I've said, I think Jamie Dixon is a very smart coach and you cannot overlook the amount of in-conference success he has had...but maybe it's time he re-evaluated his coaching a bit.

 

[IthacaMatt]

They get away with a ton of pushing underneath when they go for rebounds. I think they do that more than they grab guards who try to drive the lane.

 

[Chicago44s]

I watched Khem Birch in the McDonald's All American game and all I kept thinking was this guys is gonna kill us on the boards. I know it's a glorified scrimmage but he was one of the 2-3 best players during that game. I know there are two sides and the truth to every story but if you look at the Pittsburgh players they're like a collection of Hockey goons. For some reason they get away with that style of play every year. Maybe the kid is a head case or maybe there's more truth to his story than Dixon would care to admit.

 

[Orangezoo]

its not even dixon imo its the pittsburgh moniker. its accepted as the approach to sports.. play overly physical and dirty at times making sure the other team understands who the bully is. if they get under your skin they win.. and the officials let it go. for college hoops it could work if they have finesse to go with the brut but pitts inability to get those top recruits with a better skillset limits them. they are the eagles of the big east..