Before we get to what seems to be a locally frustrating scene for Pitt, here’s something to like reading.
The word in recruiting circles is that Pittsburgh might be the school to beat for forward Tyler Smith. Pittsburgh might be unbeatable.
But the player’s father, Billy Smith, dismissed such talk. His son is still considering such schools as UK, Iowa, Pitt and Cincinnati. The player wants to talk to the coaches after the Final Four before deciding.
Recruiting analysts consider Smith an impact prospect.
That would be a way to cement the recruiting class.
The Trib. lists its “Terrific Ten” in basketball. No shock that Herb Pope and Terrelle Pryor make the list. Same with two juniors from Schenley — D.J. Kennedy and DeJuan Blair. Both also received offers from Xavier.
Their first scholarship offers came on the same day, from the same school. So, Schenley juniors DeJuan Blair and D.J. Kennedy were feeling good last Saturday, when Xavier coach Sean Miller told them he wanted them to play for the Musketeers.
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The 6-8, 255-pound Blair, projected to play power forward, said it helps that Xavier wants both him and Kennedy. They stop short of calling themselves a package deal, but they have expressed a desire to remain teammates in college.“Me and D.J. are trying to go to the same school, so it was exciting,” Blair said. “I turned to D.J. and said, ‘I feel a little popular now because we got an offer.’ “
The column also has a defense of J.O. Stright from Herb Pope.
Here’s a telling quote from Pope on Stright, who reportedly tried to steer Pope to Jacksonville (Fla.) Country Day and is persuading him to take a long look at Kansas State now that Stright’s close friend Bob Huggins has been hired there:
“Who’s been there since Day One, when I was terrible at basketball? J.O. Stright,” Pope said in January. “He took me under his wing when I was in sixth grade. He’s never told me I should go to this college or this high school. He’s never turned his back on me. And I don’t feel like he has a hidden agenda.”
Two thoughts. No, no one has ever thought that Stright has exactly hidden his agenda. The other is the way the column does its level best to avoid any mention that criticism and attention to Stright happened to rise this week with the Pittsburgh Sports Report story, and *ahem* my own humble notes. Both made it into heavy discussion on message boards for Pitt and K-State. I imagine, the Recruiting columnist for the Trib., is a little bit plugged in to these things. But you just can’t mention the competition.
Both Herb Pope and Terrelle Pryor get some small puff pieces for their high school seasons. I think this bit is instructive.
Pryor is rated as one of the top sophomores in the country. He’s already made an oral commitment to attend Pitt but is rethinking that decision.
“Terrelle has a lot of people grabbing at him,” Jeannette coach Rick Klimchock said. “It’s not easy being himself. It’s pretty hard to be the star player, game in and game out.”
That is universal in the recruiting game around the whole country. If the kid has top-flight, blue-chip, McDonald’s All-American talent and potential; there is a line a mile long to try and get in with the kid.
