Here’s the Pitt press release on BE Media day. It includes the total votes for each team in the coaches poll. It was just bunched up something tight in the middle.

6. Georgetown – 152

7. PITT ——– 130

8. Notre Dame – 128

9. Cincinnati —- 127

10. St. John’s —- 79

Honestly, that seems just about right to me. Pitt could be anywhere from 4 to 12 this season. I think the conference and the team is that unknown.

Carl Krauser was named to the All-Big East Preseason Team.

Freshman Sam Young along with Marquette’s Dominic Jones got 3 votes each for Pre-Season BE Rookie of the year, behind Syracuse’s Eric Devendorf who got 6.

Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News notes this.

Freshman PG Levance Fields is quick, strong and an accurate shooter, and Pittsburgh likely will pair him frequently with senior PG Carl Krauser. There is no set plan for which player will control the ball, but having Fields in the game could free Krauser to focus on scoring.

That could also be a good way for Fields to get some experience running things like Krauser did with Knight.

Andy Katz on ESPN.com blogs about Pitt and Levon Kendall (Insider Subs.).

Levon Kendall isn’t going to put up 40 points in a game again any time soon, but Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon said his Canadian forward is brimming with confidence in practice.

And why not? Kendall lit up the U.S. for 40 in a quarterfinal win in Argentina at the FIBA U-21 World Championships.

Kendall will start for the Panthers and the expectation is that he’ll produce. Maybe he won’t go for 40, but he certainly will score more than the 3.5 he averaged a year ago. Kendall and freshman forward Sam Young will make up for the departure of Chevon Troutman (15 ppg).

The Panthers should be an NCAA Tournament team, although the Sporting News picked them surprisingly 10th in the Big East, behind Providence (?). Along with Kendall, Pittsburgh returns one of the toughest guards in the country in Carl Krauser. He’s been banged up and not practicing as much lately but he’ll be game ready, according to Dixon.

Sophomore guard Ronald Ramon is a solid compliment and then, along with Kendall, senior forward John DeGroat, who according to Dixon has made marked improvement, anchors the inside with 7-footer Aaron Gray and junior wing Antonio Graves.

Young, freshman point guard Levance Fields and freshman forward Tyrell Biggs all will be major contributors, according to Dixon. All three freshman apparently have exceeded early expectations in practice, giving the Panthers a chance to ultimately finish higher in the Big East.

The Panthers have their customary softish non-conference slate, with nine home games and two road games — and one of those is “at” city rival Duquesne (does that count?). Going to South Carolina and hosting Wisconsin are legit, but Penn State and Auburn come to town in rebuilding mode (did Dixon and Texas A&M’s Billy Gillispie talk about ensuring you get bottom-dwellers in the Big Ten and SEC to come in?). The Panthers could be 9-2 heading into the Big East.

Pitt actually upgraded their non-con compared to recent years.

Final note, the City Game with Duquesne on December 7, will be at 8 pm so FSN-Pittsburgh can show it.