PITT GAMEDAY
Virginia Tech
7 p.m.
Petersen Events Center
Line: Pitt by 1
TV/radio: ESPN2/KDKA-FM
Breakdown: Jamel Artis and Sheldon Jeter helped Pitt win its second game in row Saturday by each recording double-doubles against Syracuse. Artis scored 16 points, with a career-high 10 assists; Jeter had 14 points and 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards. … Virginia Tech was 4-6, including losses of 26, 15, 19 and 23 points, before defeating No. 14 Virginia in double overtime on Sunday, 80-78.
VIRGINIA TECH (17-7, 6-6)
F Khadim Sy 6-10 Fr. 4.6
G Justin Robinson 6-1 So. 10.3
G Justin Bibbs 6-5 Jr. 6.5
G Ahmed Hill 6-5 So. 12.3
G Seth Allen 6-1 Sr. 12.7
PITT (14-11, 3-9)
F Michael Young 6-9 Sr. 20.8
F Sheldon Jeter 6-8 Sr. 7.5
G Jamel Artis 6-7 Sr. 19.9
G Chris Jones 6-6 Sr. 7.4
G Cam Johnson 6-8 So. 12.0
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Updated 14 minutes ago
The specifics of Pitt's recent improvement matter to coach Kevin Stallings. After all, he implemented them two weeks ago after Pitt lost its sixth of eight consecutive games.
Understandably, however, Stallings prefers not to talk about them outside his locker room.
Teams have enough advantages over the Panthers, a team struggling to regain respectability without a natural point guard, center or outstanding quickness.
Why help the next opponent identify what has led to Pitt's improved play?
“I'm not so concerned with what it is as I am concerned with sustaining whatever it is,” Stallings said.
Pitt (14-11, 3-9) played well enough in the past four games to lose close decisions to No. 10 North Carolina and No. 12 Duke before defeating unranked Boston College and Syracuse.
Next up is Virginia Tech (17-7, 6-6) on Tuesday at Petersen Events Center. The Hokies are only 5-6 in 2017, but they could be energized by a double-overtime victory Sunday against No. 14 Virginia.
Asked how many overtimes he hoped Virginia Tech might play only two days before meeting Pitt, Stallings smiled and said, “Seven would have been sufficient.”
But he added, “It doesn't really matter. At this juncture, these guys are used to playing games. We're all going to ask them to play in the (ACC) tournament in a few weeks, (where) you play back to back to back, if you're lucky, to back.
“They're young men. They're trained for this.”
What's important is Stallings grabbed control after Pitt lost to Clemson on Jan. 28 and took away some of the offensive freedom he gave players earlier in the season. The team is running more set plays and taking more time to find good shots.
“Without the benefit of a true, experienced point guard, maybe taking a little bit more control has helped in that regard,” he said.
But he is passing the credit mainly onto his players, many of whom are spending extra time after practice, Stallings said.
“There seems to have been a different level of urgency with our group the last couple of weeks,” he said. “Because of that urgency, we've begun to play better.”
Senior Michael Young, who has scored 51 points in the two victories while planting himself closer to the basket, said an improved mental approach has helped.
“Just being aggressive,” he said. “That's been our mentality. No matter what happens on the play, offense or defense, we have to keep going as hard as we can, pay attention to details and concentrate.”
Young, who leads the ACC with 20.8 points per game, wants to prove he can score from anywhere, but he's more productive as an inside force. He converts 37 percent of his 3-point shots, but his accuracy improves to 47.1 when all attempts are included.
“Getting him more touches close to the goal is good for our team, good for our efficiency,” Stallings said. “Maybe trying to take a little bit more control of it has helped the efficiency of it.
“They seem to function better with more structure. I might tell them what to do, and they tend to do it better than if they're trying to figure out what to do on their own.”
Players still have dilemmas to face on their own, especially at the end of the shot clock. And Stallings points out the defense has improved without any strategic moves on his part.
Syracuse made only six 3s on Saturday after hitting 14 in the Carrier Dome last month. Point guard John Gillon dropped from 11 to four assists.
“Maybe we're just playing better,” he said. “Maybe we're starting to learn more about each other.”
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
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