Hat tip to Pittgirl for the Pitt Press Conference transcript being online.

On Greg Lee’s injury:

Greg’s a little banged up. But the good news is there’s no surgery or breaks or anything, and it’s just going to be day-to-day. I don’t know the extent of it. But he was feeling a lot better today. We’ll just take it a day at a time and as quickly as we can get him back, we will.

We checked it over last night. He’ll be out here today watching practice. As soon as he can start catching and jogging we’ll do that. We’ll ease him into practice as soon as we can.

Today’s the first day with shoulder pads. If there was a disheartening reaction (to Lee’s early injury), it was because we didn’t even have pads on yet.
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On possible benefit for young receivers with Lee’s absence:

I don’t think there’s a positive side. Now do we have other receivers who are capable of going in and performing, or do we need to look at other options when we throw the ball? The good thing is we do have some capable tight ends, and we’ve got some capable backs who can catch the ball. The first reaction would be it’s a great opportunity for other receivers to fill in and get a lot more work and prove they can do the job. If they can’t, then we’ve got to find other people who can get the job done.

Coach Wannstedt was quite bitter, it seemed, about not being able to have pads on the kids. The point of not having pads, of course is to keep the coaches from having the players trying to do too much right away. Not the worst idea, from an idealistic standpoint, but reality is a little different. The news of no serious injury was enough to make the AP wires.

Coach Wannstedt also talked about the defensive position battles, specifically at defensive end and getting some more depth for the secondary.

Yes, I know most of you don’t even want to think about basketball at this point, tough. Kendall going off like he did in that game — against US College basketball players no less — is huge.

I am somewhat annoyed that the AP write-up is perfectly willing to mention that Allen Ray plays for Villanova, but Kendall is merely from Canada. Vancouver. The Canadian version only mentions that Kendall is from Vancouver. The quotes are priceless:

“Personally, I had a great afternoon,” Kendall said. “As a team we played hard defence and took good shots. It is the first time I’ve scored 40 points in one game.”
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“Canada’s performance was outstanding,” U.S. Coach Phil Martelli said. “Kendall scored 40 points, but as a team they played very well. Their defence was exceptional. They took 16 offensive rebounds.

“Our mistake was that we scored fewer points than they did.”

That will usually cost you a game.

And Kendall scored in crunch moments.

With the United States up 82-78 and less than a minute to play, University of Pittsburgh’s (Pa.) 6-9 forward Levon Kendall scored in the lane to close to 82-80. The U.S. was unable to convert on the other end and Canada came up with the board, got it to Kendall, who tied it with 29.9 seconds left to play. Canada’s defense forced the U.S. to run out the 24-second shot clock without getting off an attempt, but Canada wasn’t able to get the ball up the court in the final seconds and overtime was forced.

Canada struck first in the extra period and Taj Gray (Oklahoma) evened it up with a pair from the stripe at 4:13. Kendall scored at 3:50 to give Canada an 86-84 lead, one it would keep for the rest of the game. The ball went back and forth before Rajon Rondo (Kentucky) was sent to the line at 2:49, but sunk just the second attempt. Canada got its final field goal of the game at 2:24 from UNC-Wilmington’s 6-10 center Vlad Kuljanin to make it 88-85.

After a pair of turnovers, the ball was back in the USA’s hands but Marcus Williams’ (Connecticut) 3-point attempt bounced around the rim, wouldn’t go in and Canada recovered the board. Heading inside again, Kendall was fouled by Curtis Withers (Charlotte), his fifth of the game, and nailed both attempts with 58 tics remaining. On the USA’s next trip up the court a 3-point attempt failed. Rondo grabbed the rebound and started to drive, but turned it over to the Canadians.

[Emphasis added.]

Now that’s the kind of performance to take into the coming season.

Someone get me the words to “Oh Canada” really fast.

The US lost to Canada today in the quarter-finals, 93-90. A big hat tip to Tony DeFazio at Pittsburgh Sports Report (just dropping names all this week) for e-mailing me about this when it was a shocker in the making. The big stunner, Levon Kendall got off. Big!

40 points! He shot 16-22 (2-2 on 3s), 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 turnovers, 1 steal in 42 minutes. The leading scorer and rebounder in the game. Unbelievable.

Had things to do again, but it appears there were no big announcements (for now). No word on Lee’s shoulder yet. Other things to pass along.

The YSU/retro uniform game is now scheduled for 2pm. Here’s the only frustrating thing, like the Furman game last year, I don’t think there will be any TV coverage. That would mean no chance to see even a glimpse of the old unis on College Gameday Final. Can’t the Pitt student TV station cover this or something? Anything?

Something else regarding the unis worn that day:

The uniforms will ultimately go on sale to the public at the Panthers Team Store in the Petersen Events Center and as a special selection for Pitt’s online auction at www.pittsburghpanthers.com.

Hopefully, they will be laundered first. Shame, though, that the kids don’t get to keep the jerseys. A heck of a keepsake from their time (or just a good way to make a buck on eBay).

Want to know how much Coaches Dave Wannstedt and Joe Paterno actually make? Looks like the public may actually find out.

The public has a right to know Penn State football coach Joe Paterno’s salary, a divided Commonwealth Court panel ruled Friday.

The State Employees’ Retirement System board correctly decided last year that a newspaper reporter could see salary information for Paterno and other high-ranking university officials, the court said in a 3-2 decision.

Jan Murphy of The Patriot-News of Harrisburg had asked for documents that reflect years of service, salary and salary history for Paterno, Penn State’s coach since 1966, and three other Penn State administrators.
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Penn State is one of four “state-related” universities in Pennsylvania. Total state aid to Penn State and the three other schools — Temple, Pittsburgh and Lincoln — has been about $650 million per year in recent years.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said Friday the university is likely to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
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The four state-related universities are exempt from the state’s Right-to-Know Law.

I do love how Penn State has been arguing against releasing this sort of information:

Penn State has said releasing individual salary amounts could help competitors recruit talented faculty and would be unfair to people who were hired not knowing their pay rate would be publicly disclosed.

Yes, because then they may actually have to pay a competitive salary. It’s not like keeping the salaries secret has kept tuition down at PSU or Pitt.

Kicker Josh Cummings has been put on the Lou Groza Watch List. Not exactly a shock, but good nonetheless. The Lou Groza Award, of course goes to the top Division I-A kicker. The official list of 30 candidates is here.

ESPN The Magazine reporter and blogger, Bruce Feldman took note of Pitt’s latest recruiting noise.

PANTHERS ON THE PROWL
Pittsburgh got a commitment from one of the top prep tight ends in the nation, Nate Byham, who has a 1470 SAT and supposedly can run a 4.6 40-yard dash. I’ve said this a few times before and I’m even more convinced now that the hiring of Dave Wannstedt will have a huge impact on college football. He is going to make Pittsburgh a legit top 15 program again. He’s actually the former NFL coach with the Super Bowl rings that will end up returning a once-proud program to the top.

[Emphasis added.]

Hmm. I wonder what coach and program he would appear to be taking a subtle swipe at?

More from ESPN.com, a chat with Mel Kiper, Jr.

Mike (Pittsburgh): Hey Mel, Tyler Palko seems to show signs that he could be great. Just how good is he, and how much upside do you see in him?

Mel Kiper: Tyler Palko showed such great improvement last year. He has 7 INTs but 5 were in the first 4 games. He struggled early but overcame it. They have not depth on the OL and they need a RB to emerge. Working in his favor is WR Greg Lee and a nice TE. He has some good weapons but that OL is a question mark. The way he played after those early struggles was impressive. He could be a great college QB.

Staying with the ESPN chats, Craig Haubert, Scouts, Inc.’s recruiting coordinator yesterday.

Greg (Pittsburgh): With the addition of top TE Nate Byham, where do you see Pitt’s recruiting class ranking this year? and do you think Pitt has a shot at Darrin Walls and LeSean McCoy?

Craig Haubert: Pitt has gotten a lot of good prospects but I wouldn’t necessarily call them difference makers. So far it is shaping up to be a very sound class, however they have not been able to keep a top QB prospect in-state so far. Otherwise, Pitt has done a nice job keeping the players they need to keep in-state in order to be successful.

I’m not too concerned about the QB position yet. Mainly because I think Pitt will get one from Florida.

Greg Lee got hurt in practice.

Greg Lee let out a yelp, and Pitt receivers coach Aubrey Hill felt his heart leap into his throat.

Lee, one of the top wideouts in the Big East, sustained a shoulder injury about one hour into Thursday afternoon’s practice. Lee was back on the field — wearing a sling on his right arm — at the end of the workouts, but did not speak with reporters.

“Hopefully, he’ll be out just a few days,” Hill said.

The nature of Lee’s injury was not immediately disclosed. Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt, who held his daily press briefing before practice, was not available for comment.

Lee sustained the injury while making a tumbling catch in the end zone of the far practice field. He and free safety Tez Morris went airborne after the ball, and they rolled after crashing to the ground.

Lee had a quad injury last year at training camp, that led to Coach Harris calling him out about nursing it too long — and some questions (including from me) about Harris’ decision to go public about calling him out. Even Fitzgerald in 2003, had to miss a practice or two because of training camp injuries. So, I’m not going to panic yet. Of course, both were leg issues, not a shoulder issue (some reports are calling a shoulder bruise and a day-to-day injury).

Some notes from practice, including the observation that Irvan Brown also played some linebacker in high school, which should help him learn the defense.

The Offensive Line, once more is brand new. Some are just shifting positions on the line, but it should be pretty good. My main concern is the depth. Injuries will happen, and there are big questions about what happens then.

Center Joe Villani earns a puff piece, explaining how a walk-on would appear to be Pitt’s starting Center.

The summer before his junior season at St. Anthony’s High School in Long Island, Villani, who was a heralded defensive end, was beginning to get plenty of interest from major-college programs. But in the second game of that year, his knee was injured and he missed the rest of the season.

Villani spent the next year rehabbing his knee, lifting weights and returned for his senior season 35 pounds heavier. That prompted coaches to move him to center and he quickly became a standout.

“I had a lot of programs interested, but once I got hurt, everyone stopped calling,” Villani said. “So I was content to go to school for academics and play football for fun. I had a good senior season then decided to head to Bucknell because it is a great school.”

Shortly after arriving at Bucknell, Villani realized he had sold himself short and might face a lifetime of regret if he didn’t make a change. So he called his parents and told them he’d finish the season but would look to transfer to a Division I-A program.

“The first day of practice at Bucknell I was working against a guy who was like a two-time All-American and I was throwing him all over the place and pushing him on the ground like nothing,” Villani said. “I realized right then I could indeed play at a higher level — the highest level — and it had always been a goal of mine so I wasn’t going to let my career pass me by without giving it a shot. I knew I was good enough to play here.”

Villani chose Pitt because his coach had worked with the Jets at the same time Walt Harris was an assistant coach with the team and recommended him. He sat out the 2003 season because of NCAA transfer rules but last year learned all three offensive line positions and showed he was capable of filling in at any of them.

Tim Murphy, one of my favorite players on the team, gets a nice piece on his versatility.

At the outset of camp, it’s a five-man derby — Murphy, freshman Rashad Jennings, sophomore Brandon Mason and seniors Raymond Kirkley and Marcus Furman.

“Murph is not as quick as some other guys, but he’s shifty,” running backs coach David Walker said. “He knows how to get to seams. He’s got good eyes. He can see the open gaps and attack them.

“That’s a lot of what it takes to be a running back. It does you no good if you have ability but you’re constantly running to darkness. Getting to the openings and running to daylight, that’s what makes a guy productive. He can do those things.”
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Murphy remains the best blocker on the team. But Walker said Kellen Campbell and Justin Acierno have made enough strides in that area to be able starters at fullback.

“I think we’ll have a solid guy, whether it’s Murph or someone else,” Walker said.

Spending his first two college seasons as a fullback boosted Murphy’s tailback talents because it make him a better blocker and pass-catcher. It also could raise his stock among NFL scouts.

“It’ll be a better opportunity for me in the long run,” he said.

I like Murphy at least sharing times as the tailback. He has the strength to get through the hole and pick up good yardage.

I just have to keep reminding myself that getting fired-up about a 17 year-old kid announcing his intention to go to Pitt does seem just a little silly. Not to mention, a tad unfair to the kid. Still, it is nothing but positive. Next year it should be interesting to see if Pitt works in more plays with two tight ends — Strong and Byham — to really take advantage of the talent and athleticism at the position.

Byham really liked the coaching staff.

“I kind of knew in the back of my head for the past few weeks that I was going to Pitt,” Byham said. “I just wasn’t sure when I wanted to bring it out and let everybody else know.”

Byham had visited Pitt a few times and was on campus Tuesday for the opening of preseason camp. Besides talking to Pitt’s coaches, he met with Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg. But he didn’t commit. After a talk with his grandfather yesterday about his future, Byham got on the phone and called Greg Gattuso, Pitt’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. He informed Gattuso of his decision. Then Gattuso got Byham in touch with coach Dave Wannstedt.

Byham said probably the biggest factor in his decision was Pitt’s coaching staff.

“I really like Coach Gattuso. That’s why I called him first. He’s quite a personality,” Byham said. “They have put together a great staff. Plus, they’re going to be a strong team in the future. They’re building a strong program. And it’s close to home.”

The Gattuso hiring has been an overwhelmingly smart hire. Not just because of getting Byham, but for his experience and connections all over Western Pennsylvania. He probably has more knowledge about how the area high school coaches and how they feel about Pitt than any of the coaches on Pitt’s staff. And all from a different perspective.

Then there is another recruit, Aaron Smith, who gets a nice piece. Here’s a rarity, a QB who is ready and eager to become a receiver. Seems to be in the bloodlines and the training.

For the Smiths, it has become a family tradition.

You throw passes in high school. You catch passes in college.

Harvey Smith did it. He played quarterback at Gateway High School in the early 1980s. Then he went to West Virginia University and became a starting receiver.
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Harvey’s younger brother, Terry, repeated the process. He led Gateway to the WPIAL Class AAAA championship as the starting quarterback in 1986. Then he became a stellar receiver at Penn State.

But even though Aaron Smith made a mark at quarterback, he never forgot about being a receiver. His father and uncle knew that would be his college position. In workouts, they trained him as a receiver.
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Maybe Harvey’s and Terry’s pasts helped convince colleges about Aaron’s future. Whatever the reason, many big-time colleges believe he will make a good receiver. Penn State, Florida, Tennessee, Michigan State and Minnesota are among the schools that have offered Smith scholarships. But his three favorites are Pitt, Maryland and Virginia (all have offered scholarships). Maryland was his top choice for a while, but now it’s Pitt.

“He went to an adidas camp at Pitt’s practice facilities in May,” Terry Smith said. “He did the receiver work there. From that day, he became a priority for them.”

Aaron Smith got 13 hand-written letters from Pitt coaches Tuesday. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt called Terry Smith Tuesday, the first day of Pitt’s preseason practices.

“He just called again to let me know they want him bad,” Terry Smith said.

Now, Pitt just needs to have success on the field.

UPDATE: According the latest e-mail update from Pittsburgh Sport’s Report Keystone Recruiting, Aaron Smith will announce his verbal on August 27. It will likely be between Pitt and Maryland.

“The battle is really heating up between Pitt and Maryland,” says coach Smith. “Maryland has put the full court press on him, sending five and six handwritten letters per day.”

I guess I get the flattery of “handwritten letters” but it still strikes me as a bit silly.