This NY Post story on Mike Davis is interesting because, suddenly his coach is hedging a lot more on his academics.

While Davis is confident he will be qualified for college next year, Notre Dame coach Bill Barton is not so sure.

“Mike’s got a lot of work to do,” Barton said of Davis, who didn’t get off the bench yesterday and still needs to take the SAT. “He’s a work in progress.”

Earlier, he had been a bit more positive about the academics.

And a little more about the Beaver Falls-Aliquippa game with Pitino and Dixon in attendance.

While Cardinals coach Rick Pitino and assistant Marvin Menzies got the prime seating – directly behind the Quips’ bench – Panthers coach Jamie Dixon was surrounded by a large Pitt contingent in the front row below the basket.

Pitt director of basketball operations Orlando Antigua, basketball alums Curtis Aiken and Brandin Knight and football stars Tyler Palko and Darrelle Revis, as well as several boosters, gave Pitt a strong presence.

Although Pitino was there to see Pope, he spent the game asking questions about 6-foot-6 forward Jonathan Baldwin. The athletic sophomore scored 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting and threw down three breakaway dunks in the Quips’ 73-71 victory.

I can’t get this mental image of Palko, Revis, Knight behind Dixon and Antigua confrounting Pitino in the parking lot with threats of violence if he shows again. Baseball bats are involved.