Today there was a long article about Coach Jamie Dixon and the success of his sister, Maggie, head coach for the Army’s women’s basketball team. At only 28 she moved from an assistant on the DePaul team to a head coach job.

Dixon’s big brother always has had the answers to her questions about basketball, careers, relationships, about life in general. That’s just the type of relationship the two have had as long as either can remember.

And, when it comes to navigating choppy waters as a young coach, her big brother has some expertise. Maggie Dixon, in her first season as the head women’s coach at the U.S. Military Academy (Army), is the younger sister of Pitt men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon, who has had a large hand in building the Panthers into one of the best programs in the Big East, if not the country.

“We fell to 5-7 with back-to-back losses earlier this year and I was starting to wonder what I had gotten into,” said Maggie Dixon. “I really was searching, and I called Jamie to get some advice. He just told me to remain confident, to stick to my principles and the things I believe in and to keep my head up.

“He also told me something that has stuck with me ever since. He said, ‘Focus on the positive, build your players up, don’t look to tear down.’ That’s how he has always approached things, and I found that to be very helpful.”

Coach Jamie Dixon after seemingly answering all questions raised from last year is facing them anew with Pitt’s recent losses. Coach Dixon doesn’t blame individual players. He talks about the team making mistakes or not doing things right.

I think the one issue that is fair criticism is that he fails to take the actual responsibility. He doesn’t personally and explicitly take the blame when trying to deflect it from the players.

I wasn’t much of the opinion that Dixon was at fault for the Seton Hall loss. Seton Hall players just played better than Pitt, and that Pitt played flat too much of the game is frustrating. Considering, though, that the team (even in the other losses this season) hasn’t played that flat before it hardly seems like a trend or something to blame Dixon.

After the game, however, Dixon needed to at least say something to the effect that he bears the responsibility for the way the team played or didn’t get them prepared enough. Even if it gives his critics something else to harp upon. You can’t absolve everyone. He used the same tactic after last season and it was incredibly annoying.

Blame, whether deserved or not, will get placed somewhere.

In coaching notes, this story on the chaos and confusion of the Missouri basketball program notes where the coaching search appears to be focused:

Missouri has not yet — but probably soon will — employ an outside consultant to allow the school to make contact with possible coaching candidates.

A search/screening committee has been formed to examine those candidates. That committee will be comprised of Alden and associate athletic director Mario Moccia from the MU athletic department, Mike Middleton (deputy UMC chancellor and law professor), Link and Jon Sundvold, former MU basketball star and Columbia businessman.

Recent developments — such as Texas A&M and its boosters preparing to sweeten the deal to keep Billy Gillispie as head coach — have changed the early speculation surrounding MU’s vacancy. Sources told The Star that representatives of MU’s interest will attend the Big East and Conference USA tournaments. John Calipari of Memphis and Mike Anderson of Alabama-Birmingham are the draws for the C-USA event. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and West Virginia coach John Beilein are the attractions at the Big East.

It would appear that there is still plenty of interest in Dixon, despite recent games. As much as there is some desire to take a wait-and-see attitude towards how much and long to extend Dixon’s contract, Pitt may need to make a decision sooner than it would like.

This is especially true considering Associate Head Coach Barry Rohrssen — the guy everyone assumes would get the gig if Dixon leaves — has expressed an interest in the very soon to be open Duquesne job.

“(Rohrssen) would be great,” said Jay Bilas, a college basketball analyst for ESPN. “If they can get him.”

Assistant coaches or interim head coaches from Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East and Big Ten schools are being linked to the job, which became available when Nee offered his resignation Friday.
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Here are some of the other coaches with logical ties to the opening:

Ohio State’s John Groce, a second-year assistant under Thad Matta, is believed to be the early front-runner. Groce, 33, worked as an assistant for four years at Xavier under Matta when Amodio was there. Groce also coached under Penn Hills native Herb Sendek at N.C. State in the late 1990s.

North Carolina State associate head coach Larry Harris, a former Pitt star and Duquesne assistant coach, is a 10th-year coach under Sendek. Harris was an assistant at Duquesne in 1986-93 and is regarded as one of the elite recruiters in the ACC.

Cincinnati’s Andy Kennedy replaced Bob Huggins this summer, and still has the interim tag next to his name. Kennedy is a well-regarded recruiter and has a large Bearcat fan support, but the former UAB assistant is not expected to be retained.

Jeff Battle, 44, is an assistant at Wake Forest under former Xavier coach Skip Prosser. Battle, in his seventh year at Wake Forest, was an assistant at Xavier when Amodio was there.

Other programs looking for a coach include Indiana, Missouri and Rutgers and there are surely more to come.

You can cross Andy Kennedy off the list. Early rumors have him at Mississippi (also looking for a new coach) or even UAB if the coach there gets lured away. Kennedy is too big for the Duquesne job.

Plenty of question marks about Rohrssen, but he is well liked by the administration and supporters at Pitt. His recruiting acumen is also highly coveted. Plus, given his lack of coaching experience, he could come relatively cheap initially.

Okay, I think I’m reset. I was actually feeling much better yesterday afternoon. I watched UConn play a very uninspired game against Louisville. On Senior day, on a team loaded with seniors. I had watched an inspired Cinci team take down WVU. Wake pulled an upset on NC St. There were some other scores that helped.

I was regaining perspective. Seton Hall isn’t a bad team, and they were playing for their tourney hopes and perhaps their coach’s job.

There were plenty of bad losses by better teams to teams on the bubble earlier in the week. Texas A&M over Texas, FSU over Duke, even Louisville getting over Marquette.

As the coach of Memphis, John Calipari, put it after his team struggled to a win over Houston following a loss to UAB and previously struggling against Tulsa.

Calipari added that other top teams like Duke, which has lost two straight, Texas, Pitt, are having the same struggles down the stretch.

“I told them, ‘There are other players around the country feeling like you do about their game,'” Calipari said. “Just keep working at it. You’ll be fine. We may not be playing great right now. Don’t worry about that. We’re winning the way we’re playing, but they’re going to have to start playing a little bit better.”

It’s just seeing the ticker go by with that USF win over Georgetown. It just set me off again over what could have been. Now Pitt plays on Wednesday. They will play Notre Dame if St. John’s wins or Louisville if St. John’s loses to Rutgers.

Neither option is a gimmee as both teams are playing much better than in January. Louisville battled Pitt hard, leading a good deal before fading down the stretch. A lot like Seton Hall in pressuring defense and trying to slow the game down. ND was down big to Pitt before coming alive with Quinn just getting white hot on offense — hitting 3s from everywhere and penetrating. ND has dropped Francis’ minutes because of his soft play, and the team seems to have improved from it.

If Pitt gets the win, they would face WVU.

I had mellowed. I had become relfelctive. There was perspective. Context. You name it. I was ready.

Then I just saw that South Florida actually beat Georgetown. It means nothing now. Pitt is a 6th seed regardless — where a win last night would have given Pitt the #4 seed and the bye. Marquette now gets the 4th seed. Pitt will face either Louisville or Notre Dame.

So eff it. Here’s the media rundown without much else, cause I’m going to have to look at puppy pictures some more. Tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll actually write something real about the game.

Ron Cook writes about Pitt ‘wobbling.’

Pitt missed opportunities, especially at the charity stripe.

Coach Dixon won’t use the team youth as an excuse at this point. The team just didn’t execute.

The Pirate Blog celebrates cementing the NCAA bid. Dude, learn to spell Pittsburgh.

New Jersey newspaper view on the game.

Post game quotes. Look, Mr. Orr, I know you are a spiritual guy. I know your faith has gotten you through this rough year — I’ve read the articles. I will say that God had no interest in this game. He did not gift you this win. Credit the players.

I’m off to the liquor cabinet (again).

Getting closer to being ready to write about the game, the bourbon is helping (it’s a lubricant not a crutch, I swear). In the meantime, those watching the game on TV last night probably caught Tony Dorsett at the game.

Jeff e-mailed me a couple photos:

I’m assuming that is Jeff with his boys. Otherwise he just likes taking pictures of other people’s family moments. And that’s just creepy.

I don’t know if Dorsett was in for some function, event, speaking engagement. I just can’t help but wonder if he happened to stop by the Scout.com combine at Pitt this afternoon. You know, just for fun.

Paul Zeise has his Q&A for football. Since we aren’t even in spring drills, everything is still full of hope and optimism. Zeise does seem to think expectations should be tempered. Just being over .500 might be enough this year. Especially given how many freshmen could not only find themselves on the two-deep depth chart, but actually starting on the lines. That has to be a concern.

This is going to be one of the most important springs in recent Pitt history because the Panthers have a lot of questions that need answers. Pitt is also coming off a losing season and needs to get back on the winning track.

From my vantage point, there are some very critical positions that need filled and a few players who must step up in order to give the Panthers a fighting chance.

Center, left tackle and left guard are all questions, major questions. It will be a great sign for the Panthers if they can leave spring with CJ Davis at center because that means someone, likely Dom Williams, has stepped up at guard and thus both positions are in great shape.

The left tackle spot won’t be solved until the fall when junior college-transfer Jeff Otah arrives, but the margin for error here is slim. If he is a bust or he isn’t ready to play, there could be big, big problems for the Panthers.

On defense, the interior line is far too much of an unknown to even make an educated guess as to which four players are going to eventually earn the bulk of the playing time and that’s not a good thing. The defensive end spots are a little more settled, but the Panthers must improve dramatically at both end spots in order to take a step forward on defense.

Linebacker is supposed to be the strength of the defense, but there are plenty of questions at both outside positions. Clint Session has one final season to try and live up to his enormous potential, and Brian Bennett must return strong from yet another major injury.

Pitt has a lot of talent coming in. And at the skill positions, there’s no doubt they can have a significant impact. The lines. Oh, the lines.

In the blog honored manner of avoiding discussion of the actual, painful loss: cute animal pictures…

What bothered me most about this game, was that Pitt looked soft. Too many times, players seemed to be complaining to the refs about no-calls. Imagine, Pitt players being bothered by physical play. The refs were strange but consistent. They let the players bang bodies and even let a couple shove or two get past. They would call the hand checks and grabbing. Essentially, you could body-up, but no clutching and grabbing.

The team just seemed flat, almost stunned after Seton hall didn’t wilt before Pitt’s initial hot start. Pitt got out to a 16-6 lead in the first 5+ minutes. Over the next 7 minutes, Seton Hall went on a 14-4 response. The Hall slowed the game down. On defense, they completely clogged things up, but had guards fast enough to prevent the guards from finding an open look.

I saw a Seton Hall team that wanted it more than Pitt. Pitt is a better team, deeper with better players. Seton Hall just had more heart in this game. I really don’t like typing that. It pisses me off to even think it. But it is true.

They didn’t panic. They didn’t make mistakes. They stayed in control. They needed the game, and did everything they needed to do to win it in the face of a better team on the road. They never let Pitt run. Their fundamentals were so sound. Staying in the passing lanes. Not turning the ball over. Just very smart play.

Their seniors, Copeland and Whitney, willed their team through.

I think everyone knows what to do at this point.

FINAL: Pitt loses 61-65.

Seton Hall played a much better game than Pitt. They played faster and more agressive. Pitt just seemed tenative the entire game. Got nothing from the bench and the guards.

Krauser’s lack of scoring was essentially negated by what Kendall did offensively. Krauser did provide 11 assists as compensation.

Seton Hall just seemed to play defense faster than Pitt’s offense. They didn’t let the guards get free on the perimeter and were still fast enough to clog and make things difficult inside. I have to admit, they impressed me.

I don’t even want to talk about Pitt’s free throw shooting.

A few things. I was going to post on this story for the sheer absurdity, stupidity and egotism of Bob Huggins.

Former University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins is expected to be at Fifth Third Arena Saturday for pregame ceremonies honoring the Bearcats’ five seniors.

And if it’s up to senior forward Eric Hicks, Huggins, whose contract was terminated in August, will do more than sit in one of the luxury suites during the game against No. 16 West Virginia.

Hicks said Thursday he planned to walk onto the floor with Huggins, interim head coach Andy Kennedy and his family.

“I called him,” Hicks said of Huggins. “I’m going to walk out with him. I want to go out like everybody else went out. I came here to play for him and AK, and that’s who I intend to play for. If AK hadn’t been the coach here (after Huggins left), I would have been gone.”

Kennedy confirmed that Huggins plans to be at the game. He said Huggins called and asked if he had any objections if Huggins showed up. Kennedy said he didn’t.

But he said he hadn’t heard of any plans for Huggins to accompany Hicks on the floor before the game.

Hicks, though, was adamant in wanting Huggins to be part of the ceremony. He said he had called Huggins and asked if he would do it, and that Huggins agreed.

Hicks means well. And I understand him wanting Huggins there. Huggins, though is supposedly a grown-up. If he does this, it will be to screw his friend and former assistant Andy Kennedy. Well, I’ll just quote Greg Doyel (Mar 3 entry) because it pretty much mirrors what I was going to say.

Imagine the scene. Huggins, the coach who recruited and molded Hicks and (the injured) Kirkland, walking them onto the court before their final home game against West Virginia. Fifth Third Arena would go absolutely nuts. It would be fun, don’t get me wrong. But it would be wrong. Don’t get that wrong, either.
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And then there’s Andy Kennedy. He’s the former Huggins aide — a loyal aide, we all know — who has done a remarkable job as interim coach. Against all odds, considering the Huggins-UC schism, Kennedy’s grace and obvious coaching ability have earned him a shot at the permanent position. The only drawback to Kennedy, in the eyes of the UC administration, is his connection to Huggins.

The last thing Kennedy’s candidacy needs is one final reminder — one final thumbing of the nose at UC president Nancy Zimpher — that Huggins remains the most popular person in town.

That Kennedy who has done such a job with an injury-riddled team, as a perceived lame duck, who wants the job yet has remained openly loyal to Huggins is actually a possibility for the job has been impressive. Just as impressive is the way Kennedy has won over the fans and students who get just what kind of job he’s done in what was thought to be a lost season.

If Huggins walks out with his former players, he screws Kennedy. No doubt in my mind. He has to know this. Just as he has to know Kennedy wouldn’t, couldn’t be the one to tell him not to do it. It becomes a question of just how much of a friend he is to Kennedy versus how much he wants to stick it to the UC President.

Sticking with Doyel, he makes his picks for the weekend games:

Seton Hall at No. 8 Pittsburgh: Most people think Seton Hall has no chance at an NCAA bid. Most people are so cynical. After beating Cincinnati, Seton Hall is back in business. Most small businesses fail, of course, but the Pirates have a great opportunity to get into the black here. Yes, Seton Hall loses four of five games before beating Cincinnati. But the Pirates have wins this season at North Carolina State and at Syracuse, and have beaten West Virginia. Add a road win against Pittsburgh, and Seton Hall is in. Unless Seton Hall loses to Pittsburgh. Pick: Unless.

Then Stewart Mandel nails the NCAA for its APR, noting how this works:

Big-time college athletics has always had a clear demarcation between the “haves” and “have-nots” (branded in recent years by the terms “BCS” and “non-BCS”) on its fields and hardwoods. Based on Wednesday’s NCAA report — which docked scholarships from 99 sports teams at 65 schools nationwide for failing to reach an acceptable rate of academic retention the past two years — the discrepancy apparently applies to the classroom as well.

None of the eight Division I-A football teams cited by the NCAA hail from one of the six BCS power conferences, while only one such program, new Big East member DePaul, was among the 15 flagged in men’s basketball. (Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas and Texas A&M are still appealing their results and could well show up on the final list.)

This peculiarity would seem to contradict the widely-held belief that the nation’s big-money football and basketball factories are the ones making a mockery of academics. If you believe this report, the real problem lies in places like the MAC (Toledo, Western Michigan, Buffalo and Northern Illinois underperformed in football), the WAC (Hawaii and New Mexico State) and, most notably, at historically black colleges like the MEAC’s Florida A&M, Hampton, South Carolina State and Maryland-Eastern Shore.
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MAC commissioner Rick Chryst believes the playing field will be leveled once penalties become tied to the NCAA’s new Graduation Success Rate — an improved version of the old federal graduation rate, which didn’t take into account players who transfer and graduate at another school — in 2008. His league was one of the most heavily penalized Wednesday, and yet in the first GSR report released late last year, the MAC and the ACC were the only football leagues whose public-school teams all graduated at least 50 percent of their players.

“We’re supportive of the APR as a tool, but it’s still just a snapshot in time,” said Chryst. “Publicly, the dominant measure should be graduation.”

After all, isn’t poor graduation numbers what spurred this whole academic reform movement in the first place? It’s hard to remember much uproar about Temple football players flunking out last year. Cincinnati basketball’s poor graduation rate under Bob Huggins, on the other hand, became a national symbol for big-time athletics gone awry.

The cynic in me (the majority of “me”) sees most of the APR and the GSR stuff as just the latest variation for schools and the NCAA to provide cover from claims that when it comes to big time college sports: winning comes first and cash is a close second.

The Scout.com 2006 All-American Combine will be in Pittsburgh tomorrow. Can’t help but wonder/hope that at least some of the players might come in today, and catch the basketball game tonight.

Approximately 225 players will attend the Scout.com All-American Combine at the University of Pittsburgh‘s Southside Practice Facility. The event will feature a number of highly touted prospects from the classes of 2007 and 2008. The combine will be attended by players from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, among others.

Athletes will be tested in the 40-yard dash, 3-cone, shuttle, vertical, and the standing broad jump. They will then break into groups where they will be under the tutelage of an elite group of local coaches including West Allegheny head coach Bob Palko, Thomas Jefferson head coach and former Pitt Panther Bill Cherpak, Gateway head coach and former Penn State Nittany Lion Terry Smith and Johnstown offensive coordinator Brian Wright. The grand finale will be an hour of one-on-one testing where the proverbial men are separated from the boys. Here’s a look at some of the prospects who are expected to be on hand Saturday.

Many of them attended last weekend’s Pitt Junior Day, so this will be their second weekend in a row at Pitt.

The Seton Hall blogger thinks that the way to beat Pitt is to follow the St. John’s game blueprint (that is apparently the only Pitt game he saw them lose). Boy I hope they do. Base your gameplan on one of the worst games the team played against a team that peaked at the same time.

Seton Hall players, coming off of their own senior night know they will have something extra to face.

Seton Hall (17-10; 8-7), currently in seventh place in the Big East, would finish the regular season above .500 in the conference with a victory. The Panthers (21-5, 10-5), undefeated in 16 home games this season, certainly won’t make it easy on their Senior Night at the Petersen Events Center.

“We have to understand and put ourselves in their shoes to know how emotional, how intense and how fired up they’re going to be,” said Pirates forward Kelly Whitney, coming off an 18-point, 11-rebound performance against Cincinnati. “We have to understand how big of a game it is because everyone on their team wants to win for their seniors.”
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“You know what you’re getting from them,” coach Louis Orr said. “Their team revolves around defense, rebounding and team play. They’re going to be physical. There are no gimmicks with them. They’re not going to have any tricks.”

Pittsburgh, which won its first 15 games, is outscoring opponents by nearly 11 points per game and ranks third in the Big East in rebounding.

“Pittsburgh’s a physical team,” Copeland said. “They haven’t lost at home. We really have to bring our hard hats. By no means is it going to be easy.”

Seton Hall is 12th in the Big East (only stats) in rebounding.

Interesting that the last time Pitt lost the regular season finale, was in 1998 — to Seton Hall.

Seth Davis at SI.com thinks Louis Orr is really classy, and therefore should tell Seton Hall to shove it. Later in the article he compliments Sam Young.

Let’s face it, it may be senior night and others are to be included in the honoring ceremonies, but this night is all about Carl Krauser’s time at Pitt coming to an end.

Krauser has been a polarizing figure for a lot of Pitt fans, and as this Joe Starkey column puts it,

Krauser-bashing has practically become an art form on talk radio.

It has been since he took over as the point guard at Pitt in the 2003-04 season. Mark Madden has long been happy to lead the charge. I have to admit, not caring about Madden regarding basketball. He only talks basketball when he absolutely has to. He’s not a fan of the sport and that’s fine, but it also means he isn’t particularly knowledgeable or interesting. Back to the Starkey column.

It’s amazing that this city has such a hard time with Krauser. You’d think it would revere an athlete who doesn’t so much play basketball as bleed it.

And he wins all the time. His home record is 64-5.

Krauser’s the only player in Pitt history to surpass 1,500 points and 500 assists in a career and needs just nine rebounds to hit the 500-mark in that category.

But, alas, he plays too much “street ball.” He’s “too fancy.” He’s only worried about the NBA.

Krauser doesn’t apologize for incorporating “street ball” into his game. How could he not incorporate some? He grew up fighting his way through the Bronxdale housing projects on Rosedale Ave. in the Bronx, N.Y., and you can find his latest tattoo – “City of Guards” – plastered to his shooting wrist.

“For the fans who think I’m a street-ball player, it’s OK with me, because I’m out here getting wins,” Krauser says. “I’m showin’ it, and I’m successful with my street ball.”

Some will be incensed merely having read those quotes.

Actually, though, there is no chance the Oakland Zoo will show Krauser anything but love tonight. Those fans have always enjoyed a special synergy with him.

I expect Krauser to have a great game. After the only other game this season where he was absolutely horrible (St. John’s) he responded by leading Pitt to a surprisingly easy win over Syracuse.

Krauser has always been proud of where he came from, but still shows some mixed responses when he realizes he has made it this far.

“I thought I was one of them strong kids that could make it out of the Bronx and go to a university,” Krauser said.

Today, he’ll be honored for his play, his commitment and his dedication to the Pitt men’s basketball team. But, more importantly, he’ll be honored for his enduring strength. Not only is he a star basketball player, he’s nearing a degree in legal studies.

He has indeed survived.

The No. 8 Panthers (21-5, 10-5) will meet Seton Hall (17-10, 8-7) for senior night at the Petersen Events Center (7:30 p.m., FSN Pittsburgh), which will be Krauser’s 55th and final game at home.

“I never thought I’d make it to this point,” Krauser said, “not with all that bad activity going on. When you come from a place I come from, you take advantage of every opportunity you have.”

Krauser while reflective of what has happened and appreciative is still aware of the game itself, and why Seton Hall will be playing with a fair sense of desperation.

“We have the pin for the bubble,” Krauser said. “We’re not going to let these guys come in here and ruin a Senior Night. You work too hard to lose on Senior Night.”

With that, Krauser launched into more monologue, covering a wide-range of subjects, including practices, teammates and playing basketball “the right way.”

“I don’t know if everybody else understands how much I appreciate being here,” he said. “When you come from a place where I come from and you don’t have too much opportunity out there, you take advantage of every opportunity you have at a place like this. It’s like paradise.”

I hope Seton Hall gets into the NCAA, but let them earn it with a couple wins at the Big East Tournament.

By the time Pitt and Krauser finish this season, he will have a singular record in Pitt history:

Krauser will finish his career among the top 10 in school history in assists, steals and more than likely points. Pitt has at least three games remaining, and Krauser needs 31 points to surpass Vonteego Cummings for 10th place on the all-time scoring list. With nine more rebounds, he will become the first player in school history to score 1,500 points, hand out 500 assists and grab 500 rebounds, a testament to his versatility.

What Krauser wants people to remember about him, though, is the attitude and way he played.

“I really want people to say Carl Krauser was a guy who really gave it all he had on the court,” Krauser said.

“I want people to say he was a guy who stuck up for his teammates and played the game to win and appreciated the game. I wanted to play for my teammates, the fans and anyone who enjoyed Pitt basketball. I just hope everyone out there appreciated how I play the game and how much I love the game.”
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“I can’t believe it’s my last game,” Krauser said. “Once they call my name and I walk out with my family members, it’s going to be real emotional. I’m not going to cry, but I’m going to be happy to have made it this far.”

Wish I could be there.

Pitt is favored by 11.5, which seems a bit high. I guess no one really likes betting on the Pirates. For most of the country, this is an ESPN Full Court game. The game will be shown on Fox Sports Pittsburgh, of course, and in the NY/NJ area on the YES Network.

Game Notes for Pitt and Seton Hall (PDF).

If you are attending the game, Pitt is asking that you get there by 7:10 for the pre-game honorings. Senior Night is actually sponsored by the US Army. I’m amused and oddly happy by this, since it indicates Pitt is now getting to the point where individual nights can draw sponsorhips.

Friday’s contest marks the final home game for four Panthers: seniors Carl Krauser and John DeGroat and redshirt juniors Marcus Bowman and Charles Small, who will both graduate in April. The foursome, along with team managers Byron Allis and Lee Baierl, will be honored in a pregame ceremony.

There’s no assurances Bowman and Small will make it into this game, so it could be the last chance to give them the love.

John DeGroat will assuredly get some polite applause, and the start. That will be it, though. In his Q&A, Ray Fittipaldo echoes my assessment that Dixon just cannot put DeGroat in the starting line-up in the tournaments.

Q: This has to be the last straw for John DeGroat, right? Two possessions, two turnovers, all in 1:21 to start the West Virginia game. Hey, at least it wasn’t traveling. Coach Jamie Dixon should have adjusted this sooner because he’s going to have to make a change in the postseason. He got caught being a good guy by starting his senior rather than putting the right five guys on the court. This has not been one of Dixon’s swifter moves.

Fittipaldo: Dixon would be the devil reincarnated if he didn’t start DeGroat on senior night after he started the kid for the first 26 games of the season, Jeff. But I would not be surprised at all if Dixon made a change starting at the Big East tournament. It’s a deteriorating situation. I was sitting next to the Pitt bench at Marquette and the other players were laughing when DeGroat got called for traveling at the beginning of that game. It was as if they all placed bets on when his first turnover would occur. Here’s how far Dixon is going to protect DeGroat: Pitt was supposed to make its seniors — Carl Krauser and DeGroat — available to the media Wednesday in the days before the Seton Hall game, so reporters could ask them questions. Krauser showed up, but DeGroat was nowhere to be found. In a way, I don’t blame Dixon for not allowing DeGroat to be made available, or for DeGroat declining to participate. It would have put DeGroat in a bad situation. I maintain that DeGroat could be a valuable player for four or six minutes a game. He hustles and can get some rebounds, but he has failed to grasp that he should not, under any circumstance, attempt to make a move to the basket.

An interesting answer in support of Pitt doing well in Tournament games because of the neutral court, despite Pitt’s losses all on the road. I guess, arguably it’s the glass half-full/half-empty argument. Maybe.

Seton Hall is led by two Seniors. Guard Dave Copeland and Forward Kelly Whitney. The last time Pitt lost a home game to Seton Hall was in January 2000. Over the last 4 games against the Pirates, Pitt is only 2-2. Swapping wins and losses, winning at home last year.

Man, DePaul just sodomized Syracuse. 108-69. I couldn’t turn away in the second half. It was stunning to see. Unbelievable. DePaul just was not missing and Syracuse couldn’t have been less prepared to actually play a game.

Add in the high comedy of the commentary from Rick Majerus. Where he saying things about Gerry McNamara draining a 3 with under 5 minutes and the team down by 30+ like, “That kid just doesn’t know how to quit.” He also doesn’t know how to shoot well. Or as Mr. Glaude simplified it, “Stop shooting.”

Another gem from Rick was on the topic of BE Coach of the Year, and in all seriousness he actually suggested Mike Brey at ND deserved consideration. Apparently for keeping the team playing hard no matter how many losses they suffered. Hell, if that’s the criteria then Robert McCullum of USF should be a candidate.

I think the game, though, is a fine reminder for Pitt to not even consider taking Seton Hall lightly.

Not to mention, it actually opens the door for more possibilities for the battle for the last 2-3 spots in the Big East Tournament.

You think it’s fun trying to figure out the permutations for the top half of the Big East Tournament bracket? Try calculating all the permutations for the bottom 4 that stay at home and the order of the #8-12.

The season could end with a 5-way tie for spots nos. 10-14 with 6-10 records. DePaul isn’t even officially eliminated yet. They could still conceivably win tonight over Syracuse and then knock out ND on Saturday (unlikely given the way their season has collapsed, but…). Won’t that be fun to use the tie-breaker rules (PDF) at that kind of level.

I will just about guarantee a 2-way tie (ND and Louisville) for 11 and 12 with Louisville at #11 and ND #12 (Louisville beat ND head-to-head). That would mean Rutgers beats St. John’s, knocking out St. John’s and putting RU as a #10 seed. Providence loses to Marquette to be eliminated.

I’m thinking around a 4-way is a more likely scenario. Providence doesn’t make it because it will lose to Marquette. St. John’s (1) knocks off a demoralized and down Rutgers (2) team. Notre Dame (3) takes care of DePaul. Louisville (4) falls to UConn.

That leaves 4 teams and 3 seats at the BET. The mini-conference tie-breaker looks like this:

#10 St. John’s: 3-0 (a win over Louisville and 2 against Rutgers)
#11 Notre Dame: 1-1 (win over Rutgers, loss to Louisville)
#12 Louisville: 1-2 (win over ND, losses to Rutgers and St. John’s)
——–
#13 Rutgers: 1-3 (win over Louisville, 2 losses to St. John’s and 1 to ND)

If Pitt wins against Seton Hall and Georgetown beats USF, Pitt would face Louisville at 2 pm this Wednesday. If Pitt loses, they become the #6 seed and face ND at 9pm. If Georgetown (somehow, please) loses to USF, G-town drops to the #6 seed and Marquette becomes the #5 seed.

I don’t know if anyone saw the Texas A&M upset over #7 Texas last night (P.J. Tucker is wearing goat horns, not longhorns after he dribbled out the shot clock because he mistook the game clock for it). One of the things that struck me is how much more than any other sport or level the home court advantage seems to be worth in college basketball. Especially, it seems, this year. I was thinking of taking a closer look at it as one of those summer project posts. Lots of stuff to sort through, but interesting. Either that, or just e-mail Ken Pomeroy and see if I could get him curious enough to do it instead.

I bring this up, because this column lauds Pitt’s home court advantage.

The Pirates haven’t had a winning home record in their five seasons at PNC Park. The Penguins haven’t had a winning home season at Mellon Arena since 2000-01. The Pitt football program hasn’t capitalized on its move to Heinz Field, going 23-9 in home games with notable crushing defeats against Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, West Virginia and South Florida. Not even the Steelers have played lights-out at home. They won the Super Bowl, but they went just 5-3 last season at Heinz Field. They’re 32-12-1, including playoffs, with just one perfect season — 8-0 in 2004 — at the new stadium.

That makes Pitt’s home success more astounding. If you count Pitt’s final year at Fitzgerald Field House, it is 80-6 in home games since the start of the 2001-02 season. Is that good value for your entertainment dollars or what?
…
“When you’re playing at home, you expect to win,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “But maybe we have taken it to another level …

“It’s been great for the university. That’s the thing that makes me most proud. People see our games on national television and hear the talk about the Petersen Events Center. They see the excitement. It gives our university an image of school pride and professionalism. That’s great exposure for us.”

The home games have become a valuable recruiting tool for Pitt. Everybody loves a winner. Pitt has sold all season tickets it has made available since it moved to the Petersen Center, almost 11,000 this season, prompting Dixon to say, “It’s almost like our games have become an event.” The building, packed and throbbing, makes for an impressive picture in person or on television. And it doesn’t hurt when Dick Vitale gets on the air and starts screaming about the energy in the Oakland Zoo, as Pitt’s student section is affectionately known. In that Sports Illustrated poll, the Big East players mentioned the “creativity” of the Zoo’s more animated creatures as an intimidating factor in Pitt’s success.

“Recruits definitely talk about it,” Dixon said. “You bring them to a game, and they see the environment. It’s good. It helps us a lot.”

I just don’t think you can compare the home advantage of college basketball to any other sport. It is so drastically different.

The article notes that in a survey of Big East players (SI dead wood subs. only) they ranked the Pete as the toughest place to play:

“The fans get there early to start heckling you. It’s like a zoo.” … “They have a nice, new arena. The student section is next to the court, and the fans there say some creative stuff.”

The Pete got 36% of the vote on that (no listing of other venue’s rankings). At 45%, Carl Krauser was voted the biggest trash talker:

“He tests you to see what’s going on inside your head. If he sees he has control, he’ll keep talking.”

Gerry McNamara, Syracuse was voted “Biggest Crybaby” and tied with Rudy Gay for “Most Overrated” (Gay was also the overwhelming choice for “Best Future Pro”).

UConn Coach Jim Calhoun winner of “Coach You Would Least Like To Play For” and his team was considered the “Team That Most Fears Respects Its Coach.”

Then in this notebook piece, there is this:
Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was named Coach of the Year in the Big East Conference by collegeinsider.com.

Dixon, in his third season as head coach and seventh season overall at Pitt, has led the Panthers to a 21-5 record thus far, the program’s fifth consecutive 20-win season. Pitt plays host to Seton Hall on Friday in its regular-season finale.

The Internet site also named West Virginia’s Mike Gansey as the Big East’s MVP and Villanova’s Randy Foye as the league’s Player of the Year.

You can see the list for each conference here. This site always amuses me because it is so heavy on college basketball coaches and the other site established and having coaches laud their site. Yet the home page is filled with ads for gambling and ticket brokers. No mixed messages there from the pious coaches.