Pitt vs. Hawaii-Hilo: Panthers cruise to 77-45 victory over Vulcans

After a modest 15-point win over Division II IUP, Pitt left no doubt as to the direction of their second exhibition game. The Panthers jumped out to a 27-4 lead in the first half and rolled to an easy 77-45 win.

It's hard to know what to take away from this game since it was against a Division II opponent, but one thing was clear - the effort on both ends was better than in the first game against IUP. Pitt's offense looked a bit crisper and the defensive effort was far better. The team played with a bit more urgency and looked like they didn't want another sluggish game.

As I mentioned in the halftime post, freshman James Robinson had a nice game after getting another start. He finished with nine points, five rebounds, and two assists. But even more importantly than his numbers, he's just a flat out point guard. The kid can play and he'll definitely be able to contribute this season. But what you should really be excited about is where he's at in a year or two. A few times, he made some really outstanding passes and the transition after Tray Woodall is gone should be fairly smooth. But Robinson could be a star in a couple of seasons.

Steven Adams had a scoreless first half, but finished with six points, ten rebounds, and three blocks. Playing against a shorter team, I would have liked to see him score a bit more. But as I said after the first game, he's got a little while to go offensively. He was only 2-6 from the field and missed some close-range shots again. Adams is a bit of a work in progress as an offensive player and it's going to take a little bit of patience before he's the type of force Pitt wants him to be.

Other bright spots were eight assists to no turnovers by Tray Woodall and 13 points/nine rebounds from J.J. Moore off the bench. Again, though, keep in mind the level of competition.

Pitt kicks off the season next Friday against Mount St. Mary's.

Pitt vs. Hawaii-Hilo: Panthers up big at halftime over Vulcans, 39-21

Last week Pitt looked a little sluggish in their first exhibition game. So far tonight, that's not the case. The Panthers raced out to a 27-4 lead and headed into halftime up, 39-21. The Vulcans actually went on a bit of a run at the end of the half to pull closer.

The story on both sides is defense - Pitt's ratcheted up their intensity and Hawaii-Hilo hasn't been able to stop the Panthers' offense. Add it all up and you get an ugly result.

We'll have more after the game, but one noteworthy point is that Steven Adams is scoreless. He's 0-1 from the field with three rebounds and a block. Still not getting a lot of opportunities (though, truth be told, he is facing some double-teams out there).

On the flipside, James Robinson got another start and looks great for a true freshman. He has six points, two assists, two rebounds, and a steal so far in 12 minutes of action. When he started the last game, I had my doubts about if he would when the regular season rolled around, but it's looking like it'd be a surprise if he didn't.

Talib Zanna leads Pitt in points (seven) and rebounds (four) so far.

We'll have more after the game.

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Pitt vs. Hawaii at Hilo: Panthers play second exhibition of season tonight