Just as I figured on crashing, there is this.
Carl Krauser had been going back and forth for weeks about his future in basketball. A month ago he was almost sure he would be playing next season overseas for a professional team.
But when it was time to make a decision yesterday, Krauser said it wasn’t the money but the relationships he had forged in Pittsburgh the past four years that ultimately swayed him in favor of returning to the Panthers for his senior season.
Krauser has a son who will have his first birthday in two weeks, and the opportunity to be around him for another year while playing in front of what he described as “great fans” was enough to leave the offers he had on the table.
“I’d rather not talk about the offers I had,” Krauser said yesterday afternoon. “But everything was going to work out fine if I pursued [professional basketball]. I had great options. But I wanted to come back for another season.
“I had a long talk with my family [Thursday] night and [Friday] morning. I asked the players on the team about it, and they were cool with me coming back. I get to watch my son grow up for another year. I get another year of playing in front of these great fans in Pittsburgh, where I have been treated great. The fans are the ones who really brought me back. Everyone was asking me if I was coming back. I was at coach Dixon’s camp the other week, and the kids were all asking me what I was going to do. Everyone kept telling me how much they needed me.”
Who needs coffee? Well, I do, but it can wait. I’ve said my good-byes to Krauser a few times already. Now I need to readjust my whole worldview on this. I’m not going to hate on him for this. I have my worries, but it is what it is and I just need to look at the positives. He appears to be academically fine.
There’s the implication that Levance Fields could be redshirted. I’m not so sure about that. Ramon seems more like a shooting guard and Fields could be a hell of a good back-up and come off the bench like Krauser did when Knight was still running things.
Quick Late Analysis, subject to change after some sleep: It does seem clear, though, that Pitt will be a very different team regardless. With Krauser back, the depth and potential strength will be in the back court for Pitt. Opportunities will be there for Biggs, DeGroat, Gray and Kendall to make the front court a factor and really get on the glass, but the back court should be where it is at.
