Those are todays news stories.
Regarding the players, right now the NBA scouts are watching Carl Krauser and Aaron Gray according to a former scout for the Phoenix Suns and Pitt player Cleve Edwards.
Most of the buzz surrounds 7-foot junior center Aaron Gray, who is expected to stay at Pitt through his senior year, and senior guard Carl Krauser, who nearly left early after last season to enter the NBA draft.
Gray leads the Big East in double-doubles (nine) and has rebounded in double figures 11 times this season.
NBA scouts are excited about the potential that Gray has shown this season — his first as a starter.
“There are a lot of people who like Gray. He has turned around so much,” said Edwards, a former Fifth Avenue (Brashear) High School and Pitt player who later served as an assistant at Pitt, Robert Morris and Nevada-Las Vegas.
“He’s doing things now that (Chris) Taft couldn’t do,” Edwards said. “Taft was a more explosive jumper, but this kid is a smarter basketball player.”
Or at least a lot less reliant on simple natural ability.
Coach Jamie Dixon gets a puff piece on his job performance to date. Replete with quotes from ESPN analyst Jay Bilas.
“Jamie is a really good basketball coach,” said ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who covered Pitt’s 80-67 victory Monday against Syracuse. “Bill Raftery and I talk about it all the time. We get to see him at work at practice all the time. You can tell when a guy is really good and when a guy is not good. Jamie is really good. The results speak to that. You can just tell when a guy has it. This guy has it.”
And with success come other opportunities. At least it will according to, well, you know who.
“It is interesting that ever since Ben left, he has struggled a little bit at UCLA, and Jamie has flourished,” said Doug Gottlieb, an ESPN studio analyst. “Nationally, the ultimate sign of respect is when jobs come open, and Jamie’s name is going to be thrown into the fray because everyone knows he can get the job done. There is a good chance that a job or two is going to come open in the Pac-10 this year. The first name you’re going to hear is Jamie Dixon’s. He’s going to have to make a decision. He has a great arena. It looks like he has good support from the administration. He’s been able to go into New York and get some very good players. He’s got a lot of things going for him at Pitt.”
The only Pac-10 schools that could open would be Oregon, Oregon St. or Arizona St. At best, Oregon would be a lateral move. Unlike UCLA or even USC, those aren’t high-powered step-up jobs. They might help Dixon get a raise, but not better or bigger opportunities.
Gottlieb then gets defensive.
“I stand by my criticism of the non-conference schedule, but I want people to understand that I was not anti-Pitt. I was more anti-the whole undefeated thing,” Gottlieb said. “We all knew no one was going undefeated this season. I was the first one to put Pitt in my power 16 poll on ESPN. com. I’ve been totally impressed with Jamie and what he’s done. They have maybe the best home-court advantage in the Big East with the Oakland Zoo. The names change, but they’re all going to play defense. They’re not going to be flashy, but they’re going to be effective.”
I’ve not accused Gottlieb of any anti-Pitt bias. Outside of maybe Notre Dame, I doubt he has any real biases against a team. Gottlieb is simply “anti-” for the sake of being “controversial.”
