The personnel decision that pulled Pittman from the starting five was made with the future in mind, imo. By going with a lineup of 4 perimeter players and Gary Johnson, Barnes is putting a premium on floor spacing and penetration in exchange for ball movement and size. I think it's a good move now and for the future of the program considering the incoming talent and its skillset. I feel bad for Dex, but something had to give because our skillset on the perimeter isn't conducive to pounding the pivot.
With the playmakers and shooters we have coming in next year, we could run a traditional low block offense, but I don't think it's the most efficient way to run things considering what kind of talent we'll have in the fold. We can pound it down low in spots, but our core philosophy going forward should be that of the DDM. Here's a scouting report about 2007 Memphis where I talk about the DDM. Scroll down to the "Defending Memphis" section. With guys like Balbay, Lucas, Bradley, and Hamilton on campus, this offense would be ideal.
In the near term, look for teams that are outmatched athletically to zone the hell out of us, especially when Balbay and Mason are on the floor. It'll put tremendous pressure on Atchley to step up offensively. I like the move, because the jekyll and hyde thing wasn't working.
On the Tech game, the spread the floor philosophy has been a boon for Johnson and finding his offense. It's also helped Balbay find lanes to penetrate and the move to get Mason off the ball has helped him get back to the stat sheet stuffer ball he's used to playing. Look for Tech to zone us some in the last 20.