Pitt's roster for 22-23

[Sbucketball]

He is a lousy coach. Period. Has he won some games? Yes. Has he won some games against us? Yes. That doesn't change the fact that he has a lousy record. Can't imagine he will be there much longer. Does anyone know why Dior de committed this time? And would anyone here bet that he will play for Pitt this year?

Oregon's starting PG Will Richardson is now returning (prevoiusly entered draft), and Oregon brought on 2 veteran guards from the portal (Keeshawn Barthelemy and Jermaine Couisnard). He got buried in the depth chart. I guess Dior thought Oregon recruited him to be the guy next year, and Oregon had other ideas. I wonder if they thought he was at risk of quitting on them and tanking the season. Who knows.

 

[OrangeOnions]

ESPN 2022 rankings...

Mintz 33 -> Johnson 35

 

[jdubs30]

Dior is gonna want to put a show on in the Dome so badly - curious to see how that game goes

 

[Sherman20]

Oregon's starting PG Will Richardson is now returning (prevoiusly entered draft), and Oregon brought on 2 veteran guards from the portal (Keeshawn Barthelemy and Jermaine Couisnard). He got buried in the depth chart. I guess Dior thought Oregon recruited him to be the guy next year, and Oregon had other ideas. I wonder if they thought he was at risk of quitting on them and tanking the season. Who knows.

What a concept. Bringing in multiple high level players at each position. Why can’t we do that anymore? Hopefully this recruiting class and next year’s can stabilize the roster, and then we get an NIL pipeline running with our boosters and can hang onto kids from transferring because of the money they can make here.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

What a concept. Bringing in multiple high level players at each position. Why can’t we do that anymore? Hopefully this recruiting class and next year’s can stabilize the roster, and then we get an NIL pipeline running with our boosters and can hang onto kids from transferring because of the money they can make here.

Yeah, but…..

We‘d be whining that JB ran off a high ranked recruit if the same thing happened here with Dior. Maybe coaching is harder than I give Jimmy credit for…

 

[Cusefan0307]

What a concept. Bringing in multiple high level players at each position. Why can’t we do that anymore? Hopefully this recruiting class and next year’s can stabilize the roster, and then we get an NIL pipeline running with our boosters and can hang onto kids from transferring because of the money they can make here.

I think they recruited those guys because they knew Dior was never going to make it there. I’m not sure how many schools he needs to leave before fans realize this guy isn’t worth the headache.

 

[DilemaCuse]

Yeah, but…..

We‘d be whining that JB ran off a high ranked recruit if the same thing happened here with Dior. Maybe coaching is harder than I give Jimmy credit for…

Your right, it isnt easy. I suspect Altmann knew of maturity or academic issues with Dior and he pursued insurance options

 

[Orangezoo]

Dior is gonna want to put a show on in the Dome so badly - curious to see how that game goes

You drag him through the pnr over and over again.

 

[Niastri]

Dior is gonna want to put a show on in the Dome so badly - curious to see how that game goes

Dior Johnson's future Dome statline:

22 points 28 shots 6 assists 12 turnovers

1 blowout loss.

 

[Niastri]

I think they recruited those guys because they knew Dior was never going to make it there. I’m not sure how many schools he needs to leave before fans realize this guy isn’t worth the headache.

Johnson is a talented player who will eventually play somewhere after the music stops. That team will probably have some spectacular play from him, and possibly some chemistry issues if things don't go amazingly well.

Coaches aren't known for their realism. Every single college coach has dealt with head cases and inflated egos. Every coach thinks "I can handle him" until they actually are getting FaceTimed at 4 am from the passenger seat of a stolen car going 110mph in Los Angeles when he's supposed to be in Oakland (hypothetically).

Eventually (say, right now to Pitt) he's going to commit to a team when they don't have enough time to back off and the die will be cast. He'll probably play for Pitt in the fall, since summer school starts any day now.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Johnson is a talented player who will eventually play somewhere after the music stops. That team will probably have some spectacular play from him, and possibly some chemistry issues if things don't go amazingly well.

Coaches aren't known for their realism. Every single college coach has dealt with head cases and inflated egos. Every coach thinks "I can handle him" until they actually are getting FaceTimed at 4 am from the passenger seat of a stolen car going 110mph in Los Angeles when he's supposed to be in Oakland (hypothetically).

Eventually (say, right now to Pitt) he's going to commit to a team when they don't have enough time to back off and the die will be cast. He'll probably play for Pitt in the fall, since summer school starts any day now.

I think he should go pro. I don’t think he makes it through the season at Pitt. Look what happened at Oak Hill. The kid had the talent to eventually be a top 5 pick, but he’s slowly blowing that opportunity.

 

[pearl31]

he'll probably stay w Pitt long enough to have some ridiculous 30+ pt scoring game against us (after doing next to nothing in their other games) and then like the next day leave school - basically what Aminu Mohammed did last yr

 

[sufandu]

Lol, I’m actually glad he went to Pitt and hope that matchup with Judah has a ton of juice. Sports are more fun this way.

Still remember the Dome booing Hodge out of the building when he was at the line after a bad call, and him going nuts when he hit the FT. The emotion makes it more fun. We’ve been both bad and boring. Whatever will get things juiced up and fun and interesting, I’m all for….both on our end and our opponents ends.

I couldn't stand Hodge. I was at that game we lost in 2002. I really wanted to beat him. Wasn't he the one that kept touching Shumpert's forehead when he was defending him? It obviously took the sting away when we won it all in 2003 and he ended up doing nothing. Weaver was prophetic when he told him something like, "You can watch us in the final four."

 

[Day2]

Wait, Dior Johnson changed schools again? LOL.

 

[OrangeDW]

I couldn't stand Hodge. I was at that game we lost in 2002. I really wanted to beat him. Wasn't he the one that kept touching Shumpert's forehead when he was defending him? It obviously took the sting away when we won it all in 2003 and he ended up doing nothing. Weaver was prophetic when he told him something like, "You can watch us in the final four."

I “couldn’t stand him” in a basketball competition sense. But frankly, I like when the other team has guy’s that I “can’t stand”. I enjoy the passion of heated games and rivalries.

Wouldn’t say Hodge “did nothing”. He was ACC Player of the year as a junior, and led NC State to a huge tourney upset over UConn and into the sweet 16 as a senior. Very good player but certainly not as good of a player as Warrick, so we got the better player and the right guy for our team!

 

[5OutFred]

Re: Johnson, worth noting Pitt also brought in 3 experienced transfer guards, ALONG with 2 returning starting guards. What Capel sold him on, and what his reality is, could change VERY quickly if Pitt gets off to a poor start.

If Capel doesn't perform this year, he's gone. Doubt he'll have patience for the "Dior show" when coaching for his job with proven high-major guys on the roster. Will be a fascinating dynamic for sure.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

ESPN 2022 rankings...

Mintz 33 -> Johnson 35

Yeah but if Dior hadn't decommitted from Syracuse he'd get the Jalen Carey/Benny Williams treatment from our fanbase and be hyped into oblivion as an obvious 1 and done.

Pitt has been down for a few years but they can turn it around quickly with the right class. Its also the kind of program that any kid that does well will transfer out of.

 

[RF2044]

I think he should go pro. I don’t think he makes it through the season at Pitt. Look what happened at Oak Hill. The kid had the talent to eventually be a top 5 pick, but he’s slowly blowing that opportunity.

I think its far more likely that Dior Johnson never comes close to optimizing his potential. It's also possible [maybe even likely?] that he isn't as good as what people thought.

When young players ooze potential, people envision what they might become. In Dior's case, they see the streetball handle and the quicks, and think: when he gains experience and plays less out of control... when his shot improves... if he was only just a little more coachable... if only he would settle down at one school and stop changing schools every five months...

But when you get closer to go time, that "potential" seems less appealing when the issues don't work themselves out. I think it was not difficult to see Dior as a high major sophomore who looked like he COULD transform into a star that would live up to the lofty rankings as a guy with one-and-done potential. But after the last 18 months, I doubt any NBA team would touch him with a 10 foot pole.

Hope he works his issues out at Pitt -- just not when he plays us. Would be a fun story to pay attention to down the road if he proves me wrong. I just don't expect him to, because players who "coulda been" are a dime a dozen.

 

[Briancuse]

Have to wonder if that was a chicken and the egg scenario. Problems with Dior before that maybe?

You would have to think so. Teams don't usually bring in another pg after just getting a 5 star pg unless your PayPal cal.

 

[Briancuse]

Dior is gonna want to put a show on in the Dome so badly - curious to see how that game goes

If he even steps foot of the Pitt campus.