Some shifting to Pitt’s coaching staff (hat tip Jeff/BurghGuy68).

Pitt assistant head coach Bob Junko, who has coached the defensive tackles the last nine years, will now serve as recruiting coordinator. In addition to his assistant head coach duties, he will also continue to serve as an overall defensive coach.

Greg Gattuso, who joined Pitt last year as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, will now coach the defensive line.

Pitt defensive ends coach Charlie Partridge, who added special teams to his responsibilities last year, has been named special teams coordinator.

Additionally, Wannstedt announced the appointments of two new graduate
assistant coaches. Brian Angelichio, previously the offensive coordinator at
Ithaca College, has been named the offensive graduate assistant and will also
coach the tight ends. Jeff Hafley, formerly an assistant at the University of
Albany, will serve as the defensive graduate assistant and have coaching
responsibility with the secondary.

“As I said a year ago, I believe we have as good a coaching staff as anyone in college football,” Wannstedt said. “We are always looking for ways to make ourselves more efficient and effective, and these adjustments help us accomplish that. As a result, we have a greater emphasis on special teams, we more effectively utilize Bob’s recruiting strengths and we put Greg’s defensive line knowledge to use by focusing him on that position. We additionally have added two quality young graduate assistants in Brian Angelichio and Jeff Hafley.”

Not sure what the moves actually mean, other than that Bob Junko will probably work on more recruiting stuff and possibly give him time to recuperate from his surgery ahead of spring practice. Interesting that the graduate assistants were both from NY. Seems to be an area of the country that Coach Wannstedt wants to further mine for recruiting.

Also, there was the Scout.com combine, and this story on it. There are also full reports on what the kids numbers were.

While talking camps and combines and football, there’s this story about how coaching is a year-round thing with recruiting and everything else. That would include the Nike Camp in Allentown this past weekend. The one that Coach Wannstedt even attended.

In college football, the offseason has constricted to a few slivery weeks a year, and it’s only going to get worse. From bowl games to recruiting, junior days to summer camps, coaches find themselves with less time — both on field and off. Still, many are eager to commit to weekends like this.

Tiller was among the more than 20 college coaches attending the the Nike Coach of the Year clinic at the Holiday Inn Fogelsville. Former Northern Lehigh coach Jim Tkach operates the the three-day clinic, one of 20 across the country presided over by former Pittsburgh coach Johnny Majors.

Joining Tiller from the stable of Nike-contracted coaches were Miami’s Larry Coker and Connecticut’s Randy Edsall (Georgia Tech’s Chan Gailey was scheduled to appear but could not make it). In addition, Majors and Tkach (whose son Tyler is headed to Pitt) wrangled Panthers head coach Dave Wannstedt and offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, even though they’re sponsored by adidas.

I didn’t know Majors was involved at all. I just figured this was a favor to Tkach, and another way to make inroads into the Eastern part of Pennsylvania.

Pitt took a tumble in the rankings this week, but not nearly as bad as I feared. It probably helped to have so many other highly ranked teams suffer losses that all things stayed bunched. Pitt ultimately dropped 7 spots in both rankings. From #8 in the AP to #15, and #9 in the Coaches to #16.

Pitt’s non-con Strength of Schedule is now in the crapper. Even UConn has a higher non-con SOS. Now, heading into the Conference Tournaments, these are the teams that Pitt should hope to see have good tourney runs: Wisconsin, South Carolina, Auburn, Penn St. (I can’t do it), St. Peter’s, Duquesne (yeah, sure that’s gonna’ happen), Vermont and Coppin St. The others are already finished in their tourneys.

It would also help the overall RPI and appearances if Rutgers and ND could win a game. Perhaps even Syracuse to keep their RPI in the top 50.

Sort of. The biggest problem with the gi-normous Big East is picking all-conference squads. The BE goes weird with 11 member 1st and 2nd teams. That doesn’t even get to honorable mention.

2005-06 All-BIG EAST First Team
Eric Hicks, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-6, 245, Greensboro, N.C.
*Rudy Gay, Connecticut, So., 6-9, 220, Baltimore, Md.
*Steve Novak, Marquette, Sr., 6-10, 220, Brown Deer, Wis.
Chris Quinn, Notre Dame, Sr., 6-2, 185, Dublin, Ohio
Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh, Jr., 7-0, 270, Emmaus, Pa.
Quincy Douby, Rutgers, Jr., 6-3, 175, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Gerry McNamara, Syracuse, Sr., 6-2, 182, Scranton, Pa.
*Randy Foye, Villanova, Sr., 6-4, 205, Newark, N.J.
*Allan Ray, Villanova, Sr., 6-2, 205, Bronx, N.Y.
Mike Gansey, West Virginia, Sr., 6-4, 205, Olmstead Falls, Ohio
Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia, Sr., 6-11, 255, Martinsburg, W.Va.

2005-06 All-BIG EAST Second Team
Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut, Sr., 6-11, 235, Peekskill, N.Y.
Marcus Williams, Connecticut, Jr., 6-3, 205, Los Angeles, Calif.
Jeff Green, Georgetown, So., 6-8, 225, Hyattsville, Md.
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown, So., 7-2, 272, Bethesda, Md.
Taquan Dean, Louisville, Sr., 6-3, 185, Red Bank, N.J.
Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh, Sr., 6-2, 200, Bronx, N.Y.
Donnie McGrath, Providence, Sr., 6-4, 190, Katonah, N.Y.
Donald Copeland, Seton Hall, Sr., 5-10, 173, Jersey City, N.J.
Kelly Whitney, Seton Hall, Sr., 6-8, 245, Chicago, Ill.
Kyle Lowry, Villanova, So., 6-1, 190, Philadelphia, Pa.

2005-06 BIG EAST Honorable Mention
James White, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-7, 200, Kensington, Md.
Rashad Anderson, Connecticut, Sr., 6-5, 215, Lakeland, Fla.
Josh Boone, Connecticut, Jr., 6-10, 237, Mt. Airy, Md.
Dominic James, Marquette, Fr., 5-10, 165, Richmond, Ind.
Lamont Hamilton, St. John’s, Jr., 6-10, 253, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Solomon Jones, USF, Sr., 6-10, 230, Mount Dora, Fla.

BIG EAST All-Rookie Team
*Devan Downey, Cincinnati, 5-10, 175, Chester, S.C.
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, 6-6, 225, Brookline, Mass.
*Wilson Chandler, DePaul, 6-7, 190, Benton Harbor, Mich.
Sam Young, Pittsburgh, 6-6, 210, Clinton, Md.
*Dominic James, Marquette, 5-10, 165, Richmond, Ind.
Jerel McNeal, Marquette, 6-3, 185, Country Club Hills, Ill.
Sharaud Curry, Providence, 5-10, 165, Gainesville, Ga.
Geoff McDermott, Providence, 6-7, 230, New Rochelle, N.Y.
JR Inman, Rutgers, 6-9, 220, Pomona, N.Y.
Anthony Farmer, Rutgers, 6-1, 190, Millville, N.J.
Eric Devendorf, Syracuse, 6-4, 175, Bay City, Mich.

*denotes unanimous selection

Now, sometime tomorrow, the Big East Blog will be releasing the blog-version, though there will be actual squads of 5 based on our votes. There will ultimately be 4 all-conf. squads and 3 all-rookie teams. Each blog voter just went 3 squad and 2 squad respectively.

Here’s what my votes looked like:

Rookie Team

1st team
Dominic James
Devan Downey
Wilson Chandler
Jeff Adrien
Sam Young

2nd Team
Levance Fields
Jerel McNeal
Eric Devendorf
Anthony Mason, Jr.
Terrance Williams

All Big East

1st team
Douby
Foye
Pittsnogle
Ray
Gay

2nd team
Quinn
Gansey
Gray
Novak
Armstrong

3d team
Hicks
Green
Whitney
Dean
McNamara

I probably shouldn’t have had McNamara, and put Marcus Williams there, but I used a heretofor unknown and unspoken morals clause to exclude him (okay, I just forgot. That’s the other problem with 16 teams to examine, it is too easy to miss someone obvious).

I wish I could have had Gray on the first team. If for no other reason than to list: Gay, Ray, Gray.

I’ll list my individual awards later.

Press releases from both Pitt and Louisville on the game. And the Game Notes for Pitt and Louisville (PDF).

Pitt also has a “Tournament Central” sub site set up for information. Hopefully it will get plenty of use and updates.

When the team has struggled at times with the turnovers. Holding the lead. Getting a lead. Defensive breakdowns at key times. Not hitting the key shots. Not making free throws. I really don’t feel like going on.

Suffice to say there wouldn’t be any first round foe Pitt would face that would fill me with the idea that they are an easy target. Especially with the bottom 4 not even at the BET. Facing Louisville will be a big challenge.

The nature of the team is different from the last time. Taquan Dean is healthy. Juan Palacios is healthy and has been hot. Center David Padgett is out with a season ending knee injury, but the team has actually played better and tougher since. Freshman Forward Terrance Williams lit up Pitt for 25 points — his career and season high — in the last meeting.

For many, this will be the first time seeing the team since the last meeting coincided with the AFC playoff game between the Steelers and the Colts.

“They seem to be playing well,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said last night as he was watching Louisville game tapes. “But it didn’t matter who we were going to be playing, we were going to be playing someone good. Everyone in the league is playing well right now.”

In the first game, Pitt won despite foul trouble that forced Carl Krauser and Gray to sit out for key stretches of the contest. Gray played just 24 minutes and had 10 points and 12 rebounds; Krauser contributed just eight points in 31 minutes.

Pitt got big games from freshmen Levance Fields and Sam Young. Fields led the Panthers with 13 points and made three 3-pointers. Young had nine points and six rebounds.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino chided his team after the game for allowing Pitt to dominate the physical aspect of the game. The Panthers outrebounded the Cardinals, 39-34, and got 11 offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second-chance points.

“We’re going to play our same style,” Dixon said. “We’re going to play to our strengths. We’re not going to change. We’re going to defend. We’re going to take good shots. We’re going to move the ball around. We’re going to do the things we’ve been doing all season.”

Watching Louisville play UConn on Saturday, I saw a very different team. A team that could and would penetrate — even against UConn — and kick out for open 3s. Coach Pitino has this team playing a better game, and their defense looks very good. Honestly, I will be happy if Pitt keeps the turnovers around 12.

Plus, we are talking about one of the best college coaches in the last 30 years getting 3 days to get his team ready for a tournament game. If you want more to worry about, Pitt has lost 4 of its last 5 games at MSG — both playing in the BET and against St. John’s.

Pitt says it will be playing tough, but it hasn’t shown completely in the last few games. I’m not talking about hammering people or even how the defense is playing. I’m talking about inside banging and driving. I’m talking about putting the body against another player to not give space or separation for the shot. I’m talking about a certain level of fearlessness.

I can’t help but wonder about Gray’s recent play. He seems less willing than ever to go straight up for a shot when in traffic. Choosing hooks and fades. I don’t think it has to do with the fear of contact, but more drawing the foul and going for free throws. He just hasn’t been hitting them, and I think it is affecting his confidence in what kind of shot he wants to take. It is part of what seems to be allowing him to get pushed away from the basket.

Ron Cook writes about how the success or failure of the season is now determined by what Pitt does in the BET and the NCAA.

“We’ve reached that point as a program,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said.

In many ways, it’s a blessing. Pitt could be Duquesne. There are no expectations on Duquesne’s woeful program, which has become irrelevant in town. There is nothing worse than irrelevant.

But the heavy expectations also can be a curse. There’s extraordinary pressure when a 21-win season — including 10 in the toughest conference in college basketball — with a young team will be considered something less than satisfying if Pitt goes out quickly in the Big East and NCAA tournaments.

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun knows. His team will go into the postseason as the No. 1 team in the polls. Anything less than a national championship will be regarded as a failure.

“The monster has to be fed,” Calhoun said.

Dixon was reminded of that soon after Pitt was eliminated by Pacific in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. He was in New York recruiting and, even though he should have known better, was listening to talk radio. The host and callers were beating up Calhoun because Connecticut lost in the second round to North Carolina State. They were beating up Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim because his team was knocked out in the first round by Vermont after winning the Big East tournament. Calhoun and Boeheim had just won their 700th career games and soon would be elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet, there they were, being called idiots by Joe in the Bronx.

It’s probably just as well Dixon heard that nonsense instead of what they were saying about him back here.

Oh, I think he heard.

Blogger seems to be acting up today. Finally got to this point. Trying to post, but not able to post.