Since it’s never too early to wonder about which underclassmen will declare for the NBA draft, Greg Doyel offers some thoughts.

Aaron Gray: You can’t teach size, and Gray is 7-0, 270 pounds. He’s also more productive than the guy he backed up last season, Chris Taft. Gray is averaging 13.1 ppg and 10.5 rpg, and while he’s still a project who needs more games on the college level, the dearth of big men makes him a possible first-round pick. Turning pro this spring would be a shortsighted move, and probably a long-term mistake, for Gray.

He’s right on all counts. Anyone recall how high Chris Mihm, Michael Olowokandi, DeSagana Diop went in drafts (hint, all were in the top-10)? I don’t think Gray is going pro early. He still has too much to learn, and might be too raw even for the NBA draft with the way he has been missing some easy baskets. ESPN’s “top 100” (Insider Subs.) still doesn’t have him listed. At the very least, someone should point out how long it took Mark Blount to finally have a good season and cash in.

Grant Wahl at SI.com offers his “Magic 8-Ball” predictions of teams that could go deep or even win the NCAA. Pitt didn’t make the cut.

All credit to Jamie Dixon and his Panthers, who’ve been the anti-Louisville, continuing to thrive in Big East play despite a creampuff non-conference schedule. The inside guys have been better than expected, but if we have to choose between Villanova and Pitt we’re taking the Wildcats.

And yet Florida makes the list.

I fully expect the Big East to go to an 18 game schedule next year with all teams playing each other. The complaining is already getting louder.

It was inevitable that a prominent Big East coach would begin complaining about the ludicrous unbalanced schedule that inflicts unusual punishment on the perceived better teams in the league, because TV networks want the best matchups.

Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse are 15-3 and 3-1 in league play, but have home-and-home sets with Villanova, UConn and Cincinnati among a torturous 16-game conference schedule that also includes a trip to Pitt and home dates with West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers.

Boeheim is the midst of a nightmarish five-game stretch that started nine days ago at Notre Dame, continued with an 8 p.m. game last Saturday at Cincinnati and, two nights later, a 9 p.m. game against Connecticut at the Carrier Dome. The Orange finish up with a 6 p.m. road game at Villanova Saturday night followed by another 7 p.m. Big Monday game at Pitt two nights later.
…
“The way we’re scheduling is just not going to work. Jim Calhoun and I talked before the game about this. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Boeheim has privately told friends he will be lucky if the Orange finishes 8-8 in the league, which could theoretically put Syracuse on the bubble on Selection Sunday because of its lack of quality non-conference wins and resistance toward playing road games in December.

Boeheim, whose team has three more 9 p.m. games this season, is right to be concerned about the expanding power of networks like ESPN.

The expansion of the Big East has paid some dividends. The Marquette Blog, Cracked Sidewalks, has opened a new blog to track Big East Stats. Specifically, the tempo-free stats. You’ve been reading them occasionally here, and especially if you’ve gone over to Ken Pomeroy’s site. An explanation of them can be found here. You can find the regular link in the Big East Blogs section.

A little hometown favoritism about the difficulty of playing at the RAC. I do love the Krauser retort:

This new edition got what might have been its toughest test yet last night – a game at Rutgers, arguably the conference’s toughest road venue. And how No. 9 Pitt handled the rigors in a 76-68 win before 8,065 at the Rutgers Athletic Center was something to see.

The Panthers took the crowd’s taunts. They withstood the Big East’s loudest crowd. And then they held off every run to remain one of three unbeaten Division I teams.

“This is a fearless group and I am the fearless leader,” said Krauser, one of five Panthers from the greater New York area. “We got guys from New York here. You don’t think they’ve played in rowdy gyms before?”

Krauser is one of two seniors on a team that looks like it could be good for a good, long time. The Panthers don’t rely on any individual and move the ball extremely well. Krauser scored six points, 11 below his average, and the Panthers never showed signs of buckling.

Rutgers just couldn’t handle the strong physical play of Pitt, the fans knew it and were making a plea for the future.

In block printing and not-so-neat printing, in the student section and in the bleachers, the signs were everywhere.

“Lance=Dance.” “Stay in Jersey, Lance.” “Knights need their Lance.”

Like right now.

With enormously coveted recruits Lance Thomas and Eugene Harvey sitting alongside an enormously loud 8,063 other bodies, Rutgers couldn’t manage to make liars out of its fans. Missing someone — anyone — to help Quincy Douby, the Scarlet Knights dropped a taxing 76-68 decision to No. 9 Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

The Scarlet Knights shut down undefeated Pitt’s leading scorer Carl Krauser, made 7-foot center Aaron Gray claw for potentially the ugliest 20 points of his career and, in the end, desperately could’ve used a jolt from either of the St. Benedict’s prep stars.

Wonder if either might want to look a little closer at Pitt after this?

Two tough road games and two Pitt wins. The thing that is most impressive is that so many different players have been stepping up. Krauser and Gray have been limited in the last 2 games. Instead Fields, Kendall, Benjamin, Ramon and Young, have all been making the impacts. It is a wonder to behold and the reason why Pitt has yet to have a Big East Player of the Week (though Young did get Rookie of the Week once). Pitt is playing as a team. They share the ball, as evidenced by an astounding 68.4% A/B% (Assisted Basket Percentage), and no one player is trying to do too much.

Coach Jamie Dixon deserves a lot of credit for the way he has been bringing this team along. He has gotten everyone to buy into the way things are. Making it all about the team and winning first. He has Carl Krauser playing under control, getting everyone into the game. I’m impressed. I had a lot of doubts after last season, but Coach Dixon has shown that he has control of this team.

Okay, in case you hadn’t hear, former Pitt WR Terrell Allen has transferred. He returned to his native South Carolina and will play this coming season for Division I-AA South Carolina State.

SCSU already has one definite newcomer on the way in University of Pittsburgh transfer Terrell Allen. The Spartanburg-Herald Journal’s Paul Strelow reported on Jan. 11 the former J.F. Byrnes standout received a release from Panthers’ head coach Dave Wannstedt to transfer to SCSU, where he will have two years of eligibility and start playing right away next season.

James Madison, Western Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, and Eastern Illinois all expressed interest, but Allen settled on SCSU after learning that all of his credit hours from this semester would be accepted.

In two seasons at Pitt, the 6-0, 195-pound wide receiver was slowed by injuries and did not catch a single pass. He did average 24.3 yards as a primary kickoff returner, including a 97-yard touchdown return this season.

With a return to the Palmetto State, Allen hopes to revive his success enjoyed in high school where he was one of only three four-year starters at J.F. Byrnes. A SuperPrep All-American after catching 52 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns as a senior, he led the Rebels to the first of its four straight Class 4-A Division II titles and was selected to play in the 2002 Shrine Bowl.

“Hopefully I can get out of all this negativity and prove myself,” Allen told the Journal. “I thought I was going to get a chance at the wide receiver position, and things didn’t work out. So I just need to go somewhere where I can be exposed.”

[Emphasis added.]

Reads kinky. Does he think he’s a Michigan Wolverine? (Sorry, couldn’t resist the cheap shot.)

Cornerback Aaron Berry from Bishop-McDevitt High seems to be down to Pitt or WVU (and possibly Minnesota).

Four-star corner Aaron Berry took his third trip this past weekend to one of his top three, West Virginia.

It appears the trip went so well that his final three remain, but Pitt appears to be jumping up.

“I had a good time on my visit,” Berry said. “I felt very comfortable around there and I liked the coaches and campus. I’m down to Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Minnesota. I’d say that Pittsburgh and West Virginia are ahead of Minnesota.”

“I like those two schools because they are rivals and if I choose one, then I can at least play against the other very year.”

In-home visits will take place between now and the end of his recruiting process. He is done with official visits. A decision is set for some time next week.

A story from a local Florida paper on Tamarcus Porter committing to Pitt.

Cornerback Ricky Gary, Porter’s Pahokee teammate, committed to Pitt in August. The two formed one of the area’s best secondaries this season, helping Pahokee finish 10-2 and runner-up in Class 2B.

Porter, who transferred from Royal Palm Beach for his senior year, had three interceptions as a safety and 672 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on offense.

“Most people think Ricky was recruiting me, but I was the one who got him interested in Pitt,” Porter said. “He just ended up committing before I did.”

Gary said he was excited to hear Porter had officially committed, and that the two have talked about living together at Pitt next fall. Gary and Porter are second cousins.

“I feel like it’s the best fit for both of us,” Gary said.

ESPN.com/Scouts Inc. looks at Big East recruiting, and Pitt is definitely the leader of the the pack (Insider Subs).

Pittsburgh, one of the conference’s powers, had big expectations for the 2005 season. Coming off a BCS appearance in 2004 and the hiring of Pittsburgh native and alum Dave Wannstedt, it looked like the Panthers were poised for big things. While the Panthers failed to meet expectations, posting a 5-6 record this season, the future does not look bleak for this once-proud program.

Located in one of the country’s most talent-rich states for football prospects, Pitt has worked hard to keep in-state talent close to home. So far, out of 23 verbal commitments, 15 are from the state of Pennsylvania.

One the biggest in-state talents Pitt landed is ESPN 150 TE Nate Byham of Franklin. Byham is an athletic player who will bring young blood to a position that needs it.

Another top prospect who will remain in Pennsylvania is ESPN 150 WR Dorin Dickerson (Imperial-West Allegheny). Also, Pittsburgh native Jason Pinkston has verbally committed to the Panthers. The big lineman, who could contribute on either side of the ball, will graduate from Baldwin High, the same high school Dave Wannstedt attended. Pitt also received a verbal from Baldwin linebacker Justin Hargrove.

As a former Miami Hurricanes assistant and Miami Dolphins head coach, Wannstedt is no stranger to the Sunshine State. He has landed four prospects from Florida, led by Pahokee teammates S Tamarcus Porter and CB Ricky Gary.

Five Pitt players in double figures, a +6 rebounding margin, only 7 turnovers, 75% free throw shooting and tough defense the entire way. That was what countered only shooting 39.3%, letting Douby get 27, Rutgers shooting 40% from 3-point range, foul trouble for Gray, and Krauser shut down.

I’m not entirely sure why Gray was still in the game for the final couple of minutes when Rutgers was going to do nothing but foul. Still he did go 7-12 from the line at that point, before Pitt stopped letting him get the ball. The guards finally handled and Ramon went 4-4 on FTs and Krauser added 1-2 in the final minute to completely ice it.

Rutgers hung tough, but Pitt was in control mid-way through the second half. Rutgers just didn’t have any other reliable scoring option besides Douby. Pitt had many options, and Rutgers couldn’t match.

This is the second straight home game Rutgers has lost to a ranked team because the Knights couldn’t account for a supporting player after doing a solid job on the marquee guys. Villanova was an 84-78 winner at the RAC on Jan. 11 in large part because Kyle Lowry scored a career-high 28 points — quadrupling his average.

Kendall’s production wasn’t nearly as dramatic a jump over his seasonal averages, but it was significant enough. He entered the game averaging 7 points and 5.8 rebounds.

“We have to emphasize everyone now,” said Rutgers junior Quincy Douby, who topped the 20-point mark for the 13th time in 14 games with 27 points.

“It’s something as a team we have to get better at,” fellow junior Marquis Webb said. “We take away a team’s leading player and their second-best player … we can’t let others get off.”

Pitt just kept after it, while Rutgers showed fatigue.

But No. 9 Pittsburgh won again Wednesday night, defeating Rutgers, 76-68, in the hostile environment that is the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The Panthers are one of those teams that always seems to find a way to win.

“That’s something that the coaches have been mentioning to us,” Pittsburgh forward Levon Kendall said. “We have to be tough. We have to be tougher than the other team. We grind it out and play for the full 40 minutes. After a while, the other team wears down.”

Which was exactly what happened Wednesday. Rutgers (12-5, 2-2 Big East) stayed with Pittsburgh (15-0, 4-0) for most of the game but withered in the final 10 minutes. Pittsburgh is one of three teams in the nation that have yet to lose. The others, Duke and Florida, won Wednesday night.

The loss leaves Rutgers still looking for the “big” win this season.

But while Carl Krauser finished with nearly as many turnovers (5) as points (6), the Scarlet Knights had no answer for role players such as Levon Kendall (a career-high 14 points), Keith Benjamin (12) and Sam Young (12).

Pitt’s bench outscored Rutgers’ 26-16 and the Panthers also muscled their way inside to a 28-20 advantage.

“Physicality was a factor,” Waters said. “They out-rebounded us by six; we haven’t been out-rebounded in the Big East so they laid it on us today.”

I think Pitt jumping out early, even though it disappeared quickly and went back and forth, really took the crowd out of it. They seemed very pensive the whole game, as if waiting for their team to lose.