Pitt has a press release on Chris Taft going pro.

“Through my discussions with Chris and his family and the information we have obtained through various NBA sources, Chris has decided to declare for the 2005 NBA Draft,” Pittsburgh Head Coach Jamie Dixon said. “We support Chris in his decision and in his future. Chris has been a valuable contributor to our success over the past two years and we feel fortunate to have had a person like Chris as a member of our program.”
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In 2003-04, Taft earned consensus Freshman All-America honors, the school’s fourth all-time Big East Rookie of the Year Award and was named an All-Big East Third Team selection. He also set a school record with six Big East Rookie of the Week awards. In helping Pittsburgh win its third consecutive Big East regular season title, Taft averaged 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and ranked among school freshman records in 11 statistical categories.

In 65 career games, Taft averaged 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He concludes his career ranked tied for sixth among school leaders in career blocked shots with 110, finished with 13 double-doubles, 44 double figure scoring games and 14 10-plus rebound games.

The press release also has a link to his bio and stats (PDF) that was used in game notes during the season.

Given the early recruiting by Coach Wannstedt and his staff, you knew that there would be at least one from the group of Juniors visiting this past weekend (hat tip to Joel for the early heads-up).

Franklin Regional High School junior tackle John Malecki made two choices this past weekend, and the Pitt football program may be the big winner in both cases.

Malecki decided to attend Pitt’s select junior day over Penn State’s junior day on Saturday. And then after Pitt offered him a scholarship, he accepted.
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He was an All-Greater Allegheny Conference first-team player on offense and defense.

Malecki is a 6’3, 270 lb kid. He has/had a lot of good teams interested in him, including Tennessee and Oklahoma.

So far, all the early commits are on the lines. While the early commits makes me a little nervous, as I have said before, maybe there is a method to this. Going after line players early is probably a little less risky then the skill positions. High school line players, in general, tend to be more diamond in the rough types.

Or I could just be trying to rationalize this.

Well, Alex Galindo is transferring. It seems to be with Kansas Coach Bill Self’s blessing, since the reasons are to get closer to home. Unfortunately for Pitt, closer to home is not New Jersey where he played high school ball and was recruited by Pitt.

Alex Galindo has decided to leave Kansas University after one season to play basketball closer to his native Puerto Rico.

“I feel I need a change of scenery to get closer to home,” Galindo, KU’s 6-foot-7 freshman guard/forward from Mayaguez, said Monday in announcing his plans to transfer to an unnamed school — possibly Florida International — at the end of the semester.

“I need a red-shirt year to get stronger and to develop my game. My mind is still open to where I will go, but hopefully it will be resolved in the next few weeks.”

Galindo, who averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 boards while playing in 23 games, indeed has made it clear he’s itching to play nearer to Puerto Rico.
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Galindo’s mom, Socorro, said her son’s only problem with KU was the location.

“It’s not anything to analyze. He doesn’t have problems with the coaches or players. He doesn’t have any bad feelings. He’s just not happy,” Socorro said. “I do know he misses (home).

“It was hard, real expensive (to visit),” she added. “If he goes to a Florida school, it will be a lot easier.

“It’s a great university and program, but he wasn’t happy. A lot of things could have influenced him wanting to leave. There’s not the Latin atmosphere there he was accustomed to.”

The University of Florida is also a possibility.

Just an aside, but as frustrated as Pitt feels. How miserable must Kansas fans be? A team with talent like Wayne Simien. Considered one of the best teams all year. Folds to Bucknell in the first round and then has to sit there and watch Roy Williams get his national championship with UNC after only 2 years. I feel a little better.

Pitt did add a new recruit to the 2005 class. Trevor Ferguson, out of Florida (click here for a picture). He was listed as #28 pre-season in Florida High Schoolers. He was considered one of the best players in the Tampa-St. Pete area.

The kid plays point and shooting guard. Pitt appears to be trying to find some guards with solid ball handling and passing skills.

Just what any Pitt fan wants to hear as the Pirates season gets under way (of course, that isn’t an issue for those of us who didn’t grow up rooting for the Pirates). It was going to be one anyways, with Troutman graduating and the no-brainer of Taft going pro. The fact that Krauser is taking a peek makes it just a little more unnerving.

During a telephone interview from the Final Four on Monday night in St. Louis, Dixon said Krauser “is still looking into things.”

“It’s not surprising to think he would work his way into it,” Dixon said. “He wants to go to (the NBA Chicago Pre-Draft Camp).”
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Taft, as does Krauser, had until May 10 to decide on his NBA status, but Dixon had been expecting the 6-10 center to announce his intentions earlier.

“We support Chris in his decision and in his future,” Dixon said. “Chris has been a valuable contributor to our success over the past two years, and we feel fortunate to have had a person like Chris as a member of our program.”

Taft has hired an agent. A Billy Ceisler out of NYC . Don’t know anything about him. Chevon Troutman starts playing in the Portsmouth, VA, Invitational, an NBA pre-draft camp for seniors, on Wednesday. The Chigago Pre-draft camp that Krauser attends is in a week or so.

Wouldn’t that be a mixed feeling? Suppose Troutman and Krauser both have great camps that get them into the second round of the draft. Pitt would have produced a 1st and two 2nd round picks. While there is some pride in what the program accomplished, there would have to be frustrations. Pitt couldn’t even finish in the top-25 and get out of the first day of the NCAA. Think Coach Dixon might be forced to admit that the season was disappointing then?

Ron Cook, in an earlier “Final Four Notebook” column:

Pitino, who coached in the NBA with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, had a word of advice for Pitt’s Chris Taft and most of the other underclassmen who are thinking of leaving school early for the pros: Don’t.

“I think 90 percent of the young guys who come out are costing themselves $30 million to $40 million in the long run,” Pitino said. “For every LeBron James, there’s going to be five or six situations where players don’t develop. I think it’s ultimately going to kill the NBA.”

Today he includes that quote along with comments from the other 3 Final Four coaches and says:

Are you sensing a trend here from the Final Four?

Not that college players should stay in school instead of leaving for the NBA.

That the most successful coaches are sickeningly self-serving.

Cook agrees that Taft should go to the NBA. He’s also right to point out the self-serving hypocrisy of these coaches. I just find it amusing to point out how easily he first offered up the Pitino comment about going pro earlier as a warning to Taft and without any comment then.

The most laughable thing about any of the Pittsburgh sports writers who are even using quotes from coaches and analysts, saying Taft might make more money if he stays for another year and gets a better draft position. It’s the concurrent ignorance of the NBA structure.

It’s not just the economics of earning $2 million starting in 2005 rather than getting maybe $2.5 million in 2006 (you always want the money as early as possible).

It is the fact that the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement is under negotiation. Come the 2006 Draft, there will be a new salary and draft structure. This means uncertainty about how much money will be slotted for each pick. It could very easily stay flat or go down. The expected minimum age floor is not really an issue for Taft. The fact that a top-10 pick might earn less next year is. Yet, I haven’t seen an article in the Pittsburgh papers mention that tidbit.

Chris Taft announced that he will declare for the NBA Draft. He did so on ESPN2’s “Cold Pizza” show this morning, so naturally everyone didn’t know.

Looks like Krauser is going to at least dip his toe in the water.

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz that he also expected junior point guard Carl Krauser to declare for the draft.

Taft averaged 13.3 points a game and 7.5 rebounds, good for third in scoring and second in rebounding on the team.

Krauser led the Panthers with 16 points and 5.9 assists. Dixon said he doesn’t expect Krauser to sign with an agent. Dixon said he would expect Krauser to keep his options open to return to school, but said Krauser told him he wanted to go to the Chicago pre-draft camp in June.

I’m not surprised by this. I figured Krauser would and should see what the interest is in him and whether he stood to be drafted. I still think he has a better than 60% chance of returning because I don’t see him being drafted in such a deep point guard class.

In what has not exactly been a state secret, it appears more likely than ever that Chris Taft will announce his intent to go to the NBA.

Unless there is a last-minute change of heart, Pitt sophomore center Chris Taft is expected to announce his intentions to declare for the National Basketball Association draft, a source close to Taft said yesterday. The official announcement is expected to come in the next few days.

Taft, 6 feet 10 and 260 pounds, is being projected as a top-15 selection. A few mock drafts have him going as high as the seventh pick, which would guarantee him an average of $2 million a year for his first three seasons in the league. Even if he fell to the middle of the first round, he would average more than $1 million a year for three years.

The story then tries to stress that everyone seems to think he should stay in school for another year, and that he isn’t ready for the NBA. Of course, he’s also projected as a top-10 draft pick so apparently they don’t think he’s that far away.

The article mentions something first mentioned on this blog, that Alex Galindo may be looking to transfer from Kansas. The New Jersey papers haven’t mentioned this story. According to reports, Kansas Head Coach, Bill Self, will meet with Galindo today to discuss the issue. The story says that Galindo is leaning heavily towards transferring.

I assume Coach Jamie Dixon and Associate Head Coach Barry Rohrssen are already angling to get in contact with Galindo if he transfers. I don’t know if the NCAA prohibits contact before a player decides to transfer. I would assume that the coaches of a rival school couldn’t initiate the contact, but not sure if it goes the other way.

Yesterday was the last practice for a few days. The team has its next practice on Thursday. NCAA rules limit the number of spring practice sessions. Stories will likely trickle to a stop. A day after saying there didn’t seem to be much separation in the running back battles, Brandon Mason had a very good day to do just that.

The Panthers held their first scrimmage of the spring yesterday and sophomore Brandon Mason had an outstanding day running the football. Wannstedt said Mason ran hard, got tough yards and most importantly, got a lot of yards on his own even when a play wasn’t blocked correctly.

“[Mason] jumped out at us,” Wannstedt said, “and really that’s why you scrimmage. I tell the players, you can do it in shells and drills but if there isn’t tackling, I don’t know who can tackle and who can break tackles. You have to go live to not only prove to your teammates and coaches, but to yourself that you can go out there in a full-speed situation and do the job.

“He made people miss and what I really liked is that he did some things you don’t have to coach. That’s what I look for in players — do something that I don’t have to coach. Get out there and make a guy miss and run for 10 extra yards.”

This should make P-G beat reporter Paul Zeise happy. He’s liked what Mason brings for some time.

On defense, Joe Clermond and Josh Lay got praise

“I think when you look at who made the plays and who jumped out on defense,” Wannstedt said, “I’ve been real encouraged with Joe Clermond. Joe has really been making plays. And Josh Lay has had as good a four or five days as he’s had. He is playing very consistent, he’s playing physical, he has the right attitude that you need to have going into his last year to have a big senior year.”

There’s an AP story noting Coach Wannstedt adjusting to college officiating.

In what should surprise no one at this point, the offensive line is still trying to figure things out.

“Our line is a work in progress,” first-year Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We have a lot of changes and it’s going to take some time for the whole thing to mesh.”

The players, of course, are sounding positive and saying all the right things about the changes.

Terrell Allen gets a puff piece focusing on his speed and potential deep threat ability.

Tight End Eric Gill had a minor calf injury to keep him out of practice, which just gave more time to Sophomore Darrell Strong. Strong was recruited as a QB and TE, converted to WR during last season but is now back at TE. He still needs to work on getting better as a blocker, but should push Gill hard for playing time. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Strong in there at times with Gill as the 2nd TE/4th WR.

As much as Pitt will want to focus on the running game, the passing game has so many weapons that it can’t be ignored. Assuming everyone stays healthy, Pitt should have the strongest and deepest receiving corp in the Big East.

Final puff piece goes to Outside Linebacker J.J. Horne, who actually intercepted Palko during practice. Horne is hoping to win the starting job there. He has the speed, but the problem with his time at Pitt has always been his inconsistency. He’s a redshirt senior so he doesn’t have much time left to put it all together.

This kind of amuses me. The NCAA Basketball mascot. Never heard of or saw him before. Apparently he was at a Pitt Women’s B-ball game in February, according to his itinerary.

I don’t think anyone is surprised, that despite Coach Wannstedt’s hope, Pitt has no clear idea of who will be the projected starting RB going into the August training camp.

So far, not one has stepped up and all of the current tailbacks are in danger of being passed over by one of the heralded freshmen headed to campus in the fall.

“They have all proven they are tough guys,” coach Dave Wannstedt said of the tailbacks after yesterday’s practice. “But right now, in my mind, it is still an open competition. I don’t think anybody has jumped to the front and taken the job. They have all gotten better and I am not disappointed in any of them, but I wouldn’t walk in here right now and say ‘he’s the starting tailback.’

“I think we’re going to wait until all the freshmen get in here and go through the whole thing.”

As much as we can hope for a balanced offense, my feeling is that Pitt will end up using at least 3 different guys as the starting RB this season. I have nothing to base that on other than a gut instinct. I figure some injuries and inconsistent play — especially from the freshmen RBs — will force some shifting.

During yesterday’s scrimmage, watched by over 30 juniors that did not just include WPIAL kids, there was a partial officiating crew used. Big East officials will return in 2 weeks to update the coaching staff on changes in the rules, and re-educate Coach Wannstedt about the college officiating.

A good piece on Thomas Smith transitioning from Defensive End to Defensive Tackle.

Smith’s move from end to tackle is certainly an upgrade for the Panthers’ defensive line because they haven’t had a player of his athletic ability — not to mention his nasty demeanor — at tackle in a long time. The two players who started on the interior line last year — Dan Stephens and Vince Crochunis — were tough, hard-nosed players and hard workers, but Smith is quicker and more athletic than both of them.

But those two graduated and left a huge hole in the middle with very few experienced and viable candidates to fill it. Smith was an easy choice because he’s experienced and because there is enough depth at end, and thus coaches felt comfortable moving him to tackle.

Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said that Smith, who is 6 feet 4, 285 pounds, is a perfect fit for defensive tackle and was potentially the best tackle on the team last year as well. But he played end because he was too good not to play, and because Stephens and Crochunis were better suited for the middle.

Smith wasn’t quite fast enough on the end to help seal off runs to the sidelines, but he should provide a strong burst inside to penetrate on runs, and come up the middle at the QB. All part of Coach Wannstedt trying to get the speed on the defense.

Rashad Jennings gets the puff piece on his working hard to get in better shape while he got himself academically qualified. It helped that he had 2 older brothers who made it to the NFL to help show him what he has to do. Jennings is one of many players in the mix to get on the depth chart for running back.

Last April, a top-100 recruit, Alex Galindo backed out of his plans to attend UTEP when the coach there left for Texas A&M. Galindo, who lives in New Jersey, narrowed his choices to Kansas, Rutgers and Pitt. Ultimately, he chose Kansas.

Now, it appears that Galindo is looking to transfer. He is apparently interested in playing closer to home. It isn’t clear whether that means New Jersey, or just somewhere closer.

Galindo is a 6’7″ guard/forward (you know, the position Pitt couldn’t seem to find a consistent starter at all season). He cracked a very deep Kansas rotation to average 10 minutes/game and 4.1 points/game. He was a fairly accurate 3-point shooter at 41.9% (17-44).

If he transfers he has to sit out a year. Still, it is something to keep an eye on. The article is worth clicking, just so you can click the link to review the “Women of KU” 2005 calendar.

Plenty of individual pieces, but first the news. Sam Bryant did not just injure his ankle on Thursday. He broke it.

Bryant, a redshirt junior, was favored to win the starting job at strong safety. His left ankle was broken in practice Thursday. Yesterday Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt confirmed that surgery will be needed.

“He will at some point need surgery,” Wannstedt said. “The extent of the injury, the timetable, I would just as soon not get into that, but I will say he’s expected to be back at full strength when we start training camp. So, that’s the good of a bad situation.

Ankle injuries. Never good. I think they may be overly optimistic to think he could be ready for training camp in August. Nevermind, full strength.

Marcus Furman has a sprained ankle. Having to miss spring practice cannot be helping his chances of winning the starting tailback job.

Practice today is also “Junior Day.” It is expected 30-35 high school juniors, primarily from the area, will be attending the practice and be schmoozed by the coaching staff.

Now for the individual players.

A short piece on Joe DelSardo having to re-prove himself to a new coaching staff and keep his starting job now that Terrell Allen is healthy. DelSardo is a precise pattern runner with sure hands. Allen has speed and size. Given Wannstedt’s preference for speed, DelSardo is likely going to end up as the third wide receiver.

Steve Dell, one of Pitt’s 2005 recruits graduated high school early, already is enrolled at Pitt and is participating in Spring Practice. He gets the puff piece. Personally, I think he was nuts to leave Fort Lauderdale to start taking classes at Pitt in January. (Did I mention that it is snowing right now in Cleveland?) There are certain things you should just enjoy longer.

H.B. Blades gets a couple of pieces. He is a popular player subject because he was Pitt’s best defensive player last year and the built in storyline/connection with Dave Wannstedt. Trust me, by the time that first game rolls around, we are all going to be sick of reading some mention that Blades’ father and uncle played for Wannstedt when he was the defensive coordinator at Miami.

The team was off until yesterday. So with the resumption of practice, comes stories once more. There is also the first injury to report.

Defensive back Sam Bryant injured his left ankle with about 30 minutes left in practice Thursday. Bryant was taken off the field on a cart, and no further information was immediately available on the nature of his injury.

The note piece also has Coach Wannstedt stressing the need for speed, and some slimming down. Last year, we saw the defense unable to stop teams from turning the corner on running plays. Pitt just seemed a step slow and out of position. Even on obvious sweeps, the defense couldn’t get there. So I’m behind seeing the guys get faster.

Another piece focused on the defense. The players seem quite enthusiastic about everything. H.B. Blades has his whole family excited since his father and uncle were coached by Wannstedt at Miami.

As noted last week, Palko is on some football writers’ early, early short list for potential Heisman winners. Palko downplayed it when asked, and Pitt is not saying how much or whether they will push a candidacy.

Recruiting Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach Greg Gattuso gets the puff piece for a look at how he is adjusting to being a position coach after years as the head man at Duquesne. In something of a shock, Gattuso started cursing about Wannstedt and the players. He indicated that the head coach is clueless and the team is pathetic.

Well, no, of course he didn’t. He spoke glowingly of everyone and is very happy, as you would expect. I just wanted to see if anyone was paying attention.