We have speculation, noise, courtships but not much else.

Say this for Coach Jamie Dixon, he and “his people” seem to know how to keep the leaks to a minimum. While there are reports of talks, offers and shortlists — the one thing not reported is what Coach Dixon is actually thinking.

Usually in a Coaching soap opera there are some leaks about how the coach is actually feeling or leaning. Some unnamed source that gives a tidbit about being tempted, conflicted, not really interested, pursuing, or just something. Here there has been nothing. We don’t even know anything about the contract extension offer from Pitt. Nothing about years or money in even a rough figure.

Coach Dixon has let all the leaks come from the programs and just kept about his own business. Frustrating when you want information, but it is actually respectable that he has not made noise.

Here’s my only tip I can offer on effective Dixon Watching. Keep the closest watch on anything coming from Andy Katz at ESPN.com. For the past year, of all the national college basketball writers, he’s been the only one that gets quotes and comments from Jamie Dixon on a regular basis. That means regular communication and some level of trust. If there is any leak from the Dixon camp, Katz will likely have it.

So here’s what’s out there. It looks like Arizona State is talking by phone to Dixon.

According to sources at ASU, preliminary talks are under way with Dixon, whom the Sun Devils have targeted for the job that Rob Evans vacated on March 10.

If by “vacated,” you mean had his office packed up and fired, then sure.

A couple of weeks ago, Dixon hired Dennis Coleman of Boston as his attorney. He told the Pittsburgh media that Coleman would not serve as his agent.

Coleman is also Evans’ attorney. Coleman, who represents between 35 and 40 college coaches, has not returned calls to the media.

According to sources in both Tempe and Pittsburgh, ASU and Pitt are eager to get an answer – yes or no – from Dixon by the end of the week.

But a potential delay could happen as a result of Missouri’s reported interest in Dixon.

Dixon is back in the ‘Burgh, after a trip to Altoona to see Schenley and Harrisburg play in a PIAA high school playoff game. The local papers have nothing, only reporting on a very brief item in a small Arizona newspaper:

Arizona State officials have begun talks with Jamie Dixon, the University of Pittsburgh coach whose team recently was eliminated from the NCAA basketball tournament, a source familiar with the process confirmed Tuesday.

That’s all, that’s the story. In fact, looking at the stories, they all seem to just refer back to each other. Clearly no one in the media has a good sense of this either.

As for the Missouri possibility, well he’s on the list, but that’s all that is known. It seems the list has Mike Anderson of UAB as well. It also would appear that John Brady of LSU is under consideration. Missouri has a list of about 5 candidates by all accounts: John Beilein (WVU), Mike Anderson, Dana Altman (Creighton), John Brady and Jamie Dixon.

John Brady is paid a bit over $700,000 per year and was offered an extension by LSU prior to the SEC Tournament.

All reports about Bob Huggins being up for the Missouri job appear to be over, since he is heading to Kansas State.