I hope Carl Krauser finishes his school work and gets his degree. I really do. Not so he comes back to Pitt to play at this point, just so he earns his degree and doesn’t stay a few credits shy of graduating forever. Krauser is apparently still agonizing over his choices.
“I’ve been wondering if I should come back and be a part of the team once more,” Krauser said.
Coming out of the Chicago pre-draft camp last month, Krauser was determined to make a run at the NBA. But he had a change-of-heart just before the deadline and removed his name from NBA draft consideration.
Since then, he’s considered returning to Pitt, and he conceded last night that it’s not an easy decision to make.
His other options include trying to latch on to an NBA team as a free agent, or playing professionally in a league such as the Continental Basketball Association or the National Basketball Developmental League or one outside of the United States.
You can cross the first option off of the list. No NBA team is going to sign him right now. They already have their summer leagues underway with the rosters set with rookies, some second year players and free agents. No one is going to try and work Krauser in to their rotation now. Not with all the undrafted point guards that were still available.
I hope that the primary reason Coach Jamie Dixon has not imposed a deadline on Krauser to decide is to encourage him to finish his schoolwork. I’m quite cynical about college athletics at the D-1 level, but having a degree still counts for something.
The money is in the foreign leagues for him. If he is determined to get to the NBA, he should probably stay in the US — either in the CBA, NBDL or go back to Pitt. As I have said, though, it is so clear that he wants to start playing professionally. That all he wants to do is focus on and play basketball, that he should not come back to Pitt this season.
As something of an alumni update, Chevon Troutman went down to the Dominican Republic to play on the CDP Domingo Paulino Santiago team in the Santiago Regional Tournament. CDP lost in the final game, but Troutman led CDP with 26 points.
As for the upcoming season, the new kids are looking contribute early and often this year. The piece focuses on Tyrell Biggs and Levance Fields and their chances to step into the starting roles for Chevon Troutman and Carl Krauser.
Fields, 6-8 Tyrell Biggs, from Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep High School, and 6-5 Trevor Ferguson, from Odessa (Fla.) Oldsmar Christian Academy — all incoming freshmen at Pitt — figure to be key contributors to next year’s team. The trio has been playing in pickup games at Petersen Events Center.
Pitt also has signed Doyle Hudson, a 6-8 transfer from Roane State (Tenn.) Junior College, and 6-6 Sam Young, from Hargrave Military Academy.
“We’re all anxious. We have a lot of energy and we’re going to take the attitude that we have nothing to lose,” said the 260-pound Biggs, who was named MVP of the Windy City Classic all-star game in Chicago and also scored 20 points at the Capital Classic in Washington, both times in April.
“I came in here thinking that I was going to play a lot of minutes, so when I was at home, I trained a lot more,” Biggs said. “I knew I’d have to train like that here. I came in focused for the month, and before the season starts, I want to be in better shape.”
I think he’s going to get that opportunity.
