Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Junior center Aaron Gray will be back for his senior season at Pitt. Gray had until 5 p.m. today to decide whether to return to the university or remain in the NBA draft.

He faxed a letter to the NBA offices in New York today to make his decision official.

Gray had been projected as a first-round pick in the draft, but he did not receive any guarantees from NBA teams that he would be their first round pick.

Expect Pitt to be a pre-season pick to headline the Big East. More later.

UPDATE (6:15): Forget later for the moment. Here’s the press release from Pitt.

“I am extremely excited that Aaron will be returning to the court for us next year, but I am even more excited that he will be representing the University of Pittsburgh,” Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon said. “He embodies everything you want a student-athlete to stand for. While his progress has been substantial over the last three years, I believe his improvement in the coming season will be even more dramatic. From the information we gathered from NBA people, the consensus was that Aaron would have been a first round pick in this year’s draft or next year’s draft. Either way, he will have a long NBA career. Along with his parents, Mike and Sandy, Aaron has always made decisions for the right reasons and this is just another example.”

“In discussing my options the last couple of weeks with my family and Coach Dixon, I feel that it is in my best interest to return to Pitt for my senior season,” Gray said. “My options were to play my senior year and graduate from the University of Pittsburgh or play in the NBA. This decision will allow me to achieve both goals. I’m looking forward to continuing the success that we’ve established at Pitt and finishing my career with fellow seniors Levon Kendall, Antonio Graves and Doyle Hudson.”

Whoo-Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!

5 pm Sunday.

That is the NBA’s deadline from withdrawing from the draft. It seems that Gray and his family will go up to the final minutes before letting the NBA office know their decision. So, we may not know until 6 or 7 pm. As has been the case this whole time, no one knows.

Scouts are saying that Pittsburgh junior center Aaron Gray is squarely on the bubble for the first round and hasn’t gotten the promise he’s seeking, which could cause him to pull out of the draft.

He has not hired an agent and remains undecided about the draft with 2 days remaining before the June 18th withdrawal deadline.

Gray has been linked to Chicago at 16 and New Jersey at 22/23 by contacts, but no concrete promises have been made. Gray has an intriguing combination of size and strength, but remains a project that will take a few years to contribute to a team.

A number of scouts feel he would benefit from another year in college where he would have a chance to lead the nation in rebounding. But even returning to school and having a strong season is no guaruntee as next year’s draft could be stronger.

As his decision goes, so go the expectations for Pitt.

Pittsburgh: If 7-0 Aaron Gray were to remain in the draft, the Panthers would lack a true center for the first time since they reemerged as a power.

They’ve had Toree Morris, Chris Taft and Gray available to man the middle, but during Morris’ time, they relied even more on 6-6 Ontario Lett. So this stuff can work just as well with a talented, undersized player.

If Gray were gone, the Panthers could turn to 6-8, 260-pound Tyrell Biggs. They also could use athletic forward Sam Young to defend opposing post players and have 6-9 power forward Levon Kendall as a help defender. The Panthers would not be as good or as deep, but still would be an NCAA Tournament contender.

And CollegeHoops.net echoes the questions while listing teams with big unknowns at the moment.

4. Pittsburgh (25-8, 10-6 Big East): Replacing a talent the likes of Carl Krauser would be tough for any program, but the Panthers are blessed with a deep backcourt that can do just that. Pitt returns the likes of Ronald Ramon, Levance Fields, and Keith Benjamin in the backcourt, three players who saw many important minutes for Jaime Dixon last season. Sam Young, Levon Kendall, and Tyrell Biggs will be back in the paint to bruise opponents in the Big East. But the key is center Aaron Gray, who had entered the NBA Draft. Gray, who still hasn’t hired an agent, could be the difference for Pittsburgh if they hope to challenge Georgetown for the Big East title. Gray, who was the Big East’s Most Improved Player in 2005-06, gained confidence with each start, and each subsequent double-double. Whether or not Pittsburgh is a Final Four contender is tough to tell, but having Gray would give them their best chance at getting there.

Well since ABC/ESPN went with the curious (to say the least) choice of using Tom Petty tunes as the music for the NBA playoffs and finals, what can you say except that the waiting is the hardest part. Or something like that.

The stories are out on Dom DeCicco’s verbal. The P-G has a small notice-like story. Kevin Gorman at the Trib has a lot more from talking to the DeCicco’s and his HS coach.

“I never thought I was going to end up at Pitt. I was iffy about where they wanted me to play. I didn’t think they had a set position for me,” DeCicco said. “Coach Wannstedt took me to his office, and my questions were answered.”
…
“He’s such a versatile player,” said TJ coach Bill Cherpak, a former Pitt player. “He can play a number of positions. They’ll find somewhere to play him. He has the size and athletic ability to do a lot of different things.”

DeCicco runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range, ran a Scout.com-best 3.85-second time in the pro shuttle and had a vertical leap of 34 inches. DeCicco also bench-presses 300 pounds and did 17 repetitions of 185 pounds at the Nike Training Camp at Ohio State.

He is projected to start his college career as a receiver or safety, but many scouts expect him to grow into a tight end or outside linebacker.

“It really doesn’t matter,” DeCicco said. “That wasn’t a big factor. I would like to play safety or receiver, but if I get too big, I’ll be just as happy at linebacker or tight end. Right now, it’s up in the air. It depends on where I think I can get on the field quicker.”

The article seemed to imply near the end that Nick Sukay was leaning towards Penn State.

Pitt had a de-commit from Jared Williams (though technically keeping his options open). Today Pitt adds one.

The Panthers got their third commitment this season when Dom DeCicco of Thomas Jefferson HS verbally committed to the Panthers this evening. The 6’3″ 206 pound DeCicco, who has gained 16 pounds since basketball season ended according to his father, has played multiple positions for Thomas Jefferson, including wide receiver and defensive back. DeCicco’s father says” “Coach Wannstedt asked him what position he wanted to play and Dom said either slot receiver or safety. Wannstedt said he will get first shot there but may eventually grow into a linebacker.

He’s ranked as #20 as far as Rivals.com prospects in PA. Otherwise, he is unranked nationally by Rivals.com and Scout.com. He seems to be an “athlete” but not the way usually discussed like Dorin Dickerson who is a speed guy. DeCicco seems more the type that will eventually thrive in defense almost as the hybrid that Wannstedt craves. A guy with speed who flys to the ball and hits.

Rumors are also circulating that there will be another commit this weekend. Hopefully it will be OL Gino Gradkowski. He seems down to Pitt or WVU. Honestly, the idea of another Gradkowski coming back to burn Pitt is enough for me to want him playing for Pitt.

Aaron Gray had his Knicks workout.

The Knicks might love Pitt big man Aaron Gray, because “I’m a real old-fashioned center,” the 7-2 pivot says. “I’m not going to float outside and do all that guard stuff. I’m going to play with my back to the basket, post up strong, and deal out real punishment.”
…
First round numbers, for sure — yet Gray, who has not yet hired an agent, is presently “only 50-50” as to whether he’ll stay in the draft. “I’ll make up my mind by the 18th,” he says. “It’s not about where I’ll be drafted. It’s more about whether I want to go back to college for another year and become a REAL premiere player.”

“The way I look at it, I have two wonderful options.”

Gray’s decision has been made even tougher by Brown and (Knicks President, Basketball Operations) Isiah Thomas. “They both told me how much they like me,” smiles Gray. “There were no promises, but they expressed a great interest.”

Also working out were Keydren Clark (St. Peter’s), Solomon Jones (South Florida), Paul Miller (Center, Wichita State) and Mookie Works (Tarleton State).

Here were the Official Orlando Camp measurements on Gray (Insider subs.):

Height: 7-1 — Weight: 280 — Wingspan: 7-3 — Standing Reach: 9-1 — Body Fat: 15%

The Pitt roster listed Gray as 7-0 and 270.

Jamie Dixon, as I mentioned previously, was going to Hawaii to speak to the camps there. Mainly, it appears, he did this as a favor to Hawaii Head Coach Riley Wallace who was one of the first coaches to hire him (hat tip to Allen).

Rainbows coach Riley Wallace hired Dixon in 1992. In the 1993-94 season, he was instrumental in UH’s WAC tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Dixon coached the guards, including Trevor Ruffin and Jarinn Akana.

“He really worked hard with them and got them to be better shooters,” said Wallace of his protégé, who is now one of the nation’s top young head coaches (and among the wealthiest). “He’s done it right.”

But Wallace, never one to spare a playful jab, also pointed out it was Dixon who provided the scouting report for UH’s 100-47 season-opening loss to Portland in the Great Alaska Shootout.

“That was a great learning experience,” Dixon said. “We had six new players and we ended up going to the NCAA Tournament. I learned that you don’t panic and change everything if you start out badly.”

Dixon had another brief stint at UH in 1998-99 before joining Ben Howland’s staff at Pitt, where he eventually replaced him.

“Coach Wallace was the first one to give me a chance. Talk to anybody, offensively he’s considered the best coach in the WAC. The plays, the sets, the different looks. The spacing they use on the floor, the passing, the backdoor cuts. Coaches always talk about how good the stuff is that they run.

“And I learned a lot working with Coach (Bob) Nash and Coach (Jackson) Wheeler,” said Dixon, who hopes to bring Pitt to Hawaii for the 2007 Rainbow Classic. “If I hadn’t been at the University of Hawaii, we never would’ve achieved the success we have (at Pitt).”

An excellent extra reason to go to Hawaii if it can get Pitt in the Rainbow Classic. It’s one of the biggest tournaments of the non-conference slate.

Coach Dixon also mentioned that Pitt might be playing a game at Army (Men and Women) as a season opening doubleheader.

Dixon, apparently spoke quite a bit about his sister while talking to the campers (hat tip to Steve).

University of Pittsburgh basketball coach Jamie Dixon’s eyes moistened as he gazed at the interior of the Stan Sheriff Center court. The University of Hawai’i’s Lower Campus, after all, was a significant stopover in the remarkable but brief basketball life of his best friend.

“Maggie was a camper,” said Dixon, a featured speaker at the Rainbow Warrior Basketball Camp, of his younger sister. “She came out for this camp. She enjoyed it.”
…
For now, Dixon is enjoying a rare break from a hectic schedule. Last weekend, he and his wife, Jacqueline, attended her 20th Punahou School reunion. “It was good for her,” he said. “I’m just another guy who doesn’t know anybody over there. Well, I knew a few. It was fun.”

His wife spends a month each year in Hawai’i. Dixon visits for a week each year, making sure to stop by his old office.

Hey, I’d go to my wife’s reunions (or even my own) if they were in Hawaii.

CBS and the Big East have a new extension on the TV contract.

In a multi-year contract extension between the BIG EAST and CBS, the two entities agreed to increase the number of contests involving conference teams from a minimum of 11 to 14 each season, allowing fans to watch even more BIG EAST men’s basketball games featuring the nation’s best teams on CBS. The agreement will begin in 2007-08 and continue through 2012-13.

CBS, which holds the exclusive rights to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship through at least 2011, fueled the BIG EAST’s rapid ascent on the national college basketball scene when it began telecasting games involving conference teams in 1981-82, just the third year of existence for the league.

The 2006-07 season will be the 21st consecutive year the league has had a continuous agreement to have its games televised on CBS, and the new contract extension ensures that a strong relationship will continue to at least 27 years. The BIG EAST is proud to have the longest standing continuous relationship with CBS of any conference in the country.

“We’re very pleased to maintain our partnership with CBS,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Michael Tranghese. “BIG EAST teams have enjoyed outstanding exposure through the years on CBS. The length of this agreement guarantees that BIG EAST teams will have a high profile on national broadcast network television well into the future.”

“This agreement assures that BIG EAST basketball will remain a central component of CBS Sports’ basketball schedule, as it has been for over 25 years,” said Mike Aresco, Vice President of Programming for CBS Sports. “We are pleased to continue broadcasting BIG EAST Conference games.”

Nothing on the actual money being paid. Not sure how impressed the number of games goes from 11 to 14, especially with the overall increase in the size of the Big East. I guess that’s an okay amount considering CBS doesn’t really start airing many games until after January and only on the weekend afternoons.

The deadline to withdraw or stay in the NBA Draft is 5pm Sunday. As mentioned yesterday, Gray will do a couple workouts today and tomorrow. He and his folks are going to wait until the very end just to keep the suspense up and drive several of you crazy with the potential of more reports of nothing in the meantime.

“We’re going to take him back to Pittsburgh [tomorrow] and we’re going to sleep on it [tomorrow] and Saturday,” Michael Gray said. “We’re going to take it right up to the deadline.”

Just think, if you are getting sick of the waiting imagine how the Big East, ESPN and CBS are feeling about the wait.

Either he wants to be wanted along with all of the attention or someone whispered something in his ear. Regardless, Jared Williams has changed his mind about his early verbal to Pitt.

The 5-foot-9, 188-pound cornerback reopened his recruitment Wednesday when Irving Williams called the Panthers to tell them his son was reneging.

“My mom (Janet) and dad wanted me to go to camps, so my dad called down there,” Jared Williams said. “I de-committed, but I told them I’m still interested. I want to see what other opportunities are out there.”

No other school has offered a scholarship, but Williams said Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Virginia and West Virginia are among those showing interest.

Williams was Pitt’s second recruit from the Class of 2007, and is the first to renege on his commitment. Williams chose the Panthers on May 10 while attending Joe Butler’s Metro Index camp, but he came to believe that he made his decision too quickly.

“That’s what it was,” Williams said. “It was so early. I didn’t even get out of school yet. Now, I can go through the summer and see other schools.”

He had just attended camp down in West Virginia, and wants to go to camps in Michigan and Michigan State.

Not sure how I feel. You hate to have kids back out, even if it was a bit of an early commit, especially from the City League. On the other hand, CB is not a position where Pitt is weak just from this past recruiting class with Chappel, Berry, Gary, Robinson and not to mention possible position shifts for Fields and Porter. He and his family may have started looking at the numbers and reconsidered some of his playing time options.

Seniors Tyler Palko and H.B. Blades each were included on more awards watch lists.

Palko was named a preseason candidate for the Maxwell Award, annually presented to the collegiate player of the year. Blades is up for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the outstanding defensive player of the year.

Each award watch list is comprised of 60 candidates compiled by the Maxwell Football Club Advisory Committee. Twelve semifinalists for each award will be announced in October and the field will be trimmed to three finalists in November. The winners of the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show that will be broadcast on ESPN in December 2006.

The formal presentation of the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will take place at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Banquet in March 2007. Two previous Pitt players have been honored with the Maxwell Award – running back Tony Dorsett in 1976 and defensive end Hugh Green in 1980.

I guess they are good for the resume. Mel Kiper, Jr. also listed H.B. Blades as the #2 Inside Linebacker in his rankings by position for seniors (Insider subs).

Well, it looks like Gray will do a couple of private workouts after all. It also means he is going to go down to the wire with the decision (Insider subs).

Gray’s father, Mike, said that his son will work out for New York (picks No. 20 and 29 in the first round) on Thursday and Washington (No. 18) on Friday.

Gray said he hasn’t heard from Portland, which has the No. 30 pick, despite a few mock drafts on the Internet that had the Blazers selecting him.

Mike Gray said a decision will come Saturday at the earliest. The deadline to withdraw from the draft is Sunday.

“It’s still 50-50,” Mike Gray said.

Mike Gray said the team workouts won’t be the deciding factor.

“The whole issue is his senior year,” Mike Gray said of Aaron deliberating on going back for his final year of college, where he could be the preseason Big East player of the year.

Both NY and DC are not long drives from where his family lives in Emmaus, PA. NYC is 90 miles. It’s a 225 mile trip to DC from there. Or just drive in to Philly and catch the trains. Do the whole father-son bonding thing and talk a lot about the decision during the traveling.

Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News simplifies Aaron Gray’s interest in the draft to this question:

Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh. If he were serious about being in the draft, why’d he show up for his workout in Orlando in no better shape than during last season?

That was something I did not know. I heard nothing about his actual conditioning. If he went to Orlando in no better or different shape than by the end of the season, that seriously implies he just wants to get a feel for where he will go next year rather than if he should go this year.

Or at least we can hope.

So, if this post and the ensuing comments are any reflection, then there is more than a little free-floating concern about what the deal is with Pitt basketball at the moment. At the risk of coming off as a Dixon apologist, I’m going to go pretentious and quote Shakespeare.

Oh heavens, die two months ago, and not forgotten yet? — Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2

Maggie Dixon died tragically and suddenly a little more than 2 months ago (April 7). Yet of all the things detailed in the post and comments, that seems conspicuously absent. The final burial at West Point was on April 16. The next day, Assistant Joe Lombardi left to take over at IUP. A little over a week later (April 25) Associate Head Coach Barry Rohrssen was named HC at Manhattan. Three weeks later the signing period ends and Pitt didn’t get any top recruits with the loss of two top assistants and a coach maybe just a little in mourning and distracted.

While I get concern and confusion over delaying naming Antigua and deciding on Rice, it seems a little over the top to freak out over this offseason. I’d probably have been more concerned if Dixon made hires too soon after the loss of his sister. Who’s to say he would have been making a good call at that point.

Let’s face it. This has been one of the more effed up offseasons for any coach with all that has happened. From facing lucrative new job offers, sudden personal loss, major turnover to the coaching staff and trying to help a key player on the team decide to stay or go. That is a lot of shit with which to cope.

The loss of his sister isn’t a forever excuse, but I think 2-3 months after is not an outrageous time for some things to move slowly.

So, let’s see. For those still trying to understand Coach Dixon’s heavy involvement with Aaron Gray going through the draft process, this is a bit of a recap on the Randolph Morris-Kentucky mess from last year along with additional information.

In light of the Morris case, and ones before him like Lawrence Roberts of Mississippi State and Charlie Villanueva of Connecticut, the NCAA decided to be proactive. They put together an NBA worksheet for all prospective draft prospects that laid out the basics for those interested in testing the process.

In the past, the NCAA was much more reactive. For years, policies regarding expenses and the NBA predraft camp weren’t clear. As rules changed (a few years ago, the NCAA ruled it a violation if the NBA paid for a player’s expenses at the predraft camp), it was hard for underclassmen, agents, coaches and the NBA to keep up.

So, the NCAA dispatched Rachel Newman-Baker, the head of the agents and amateurism department, and her assistant director, Deana Garner, to visit with the NBA players’ association, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and certified agents — all within the past two months.

“The NCAA was great and upfront,” said Nevada coach Mark Fox, a statement that likely hasn’t been uttered too often by coaches in dealing with eligibility issues. Fox helped junior forward Nick Fazekas test the process before Fazekas announced on Friday that he would return to school. “It was clear what Nick could and couldn’t do, but it helps to have a family that has sense in the process and Nick did.”

…

The NCAA’s draft worksheet does say that underclassmen can have an advisor, as long as that advisor doesn’t market the player to NBA teams. The advisor would be considered an agent, though, if he contacted teams on the player’s “behalf to arrange private workouts or tryouts.”

That’s why the NCAA encouraged college coaches to act as the facilitator this spring in setting up workouts for their players if immediate family members needed any assistance.

Imagine that, for once the NCAA made something clear and understandable ahead of time.

Former Villanova and UMass head coach Steve Lappas has some thoughts on the Orlando camp.

Pittsburgh’s Carl Krauser showed how tough he was, but wasn’t as explosive and athletic as people would like.

He seems to be the only one I’ve read who doesn’t think Krauser helped himself with his performance.

No word on Aaron Gray’s decision, but he has slipped in the updated, post-Orlando mock drafts (mostly).

Chad Ford at ESPN.com (Insider subs.) dropped him to the final pick of the first round, #30 to the Portland Trailblazers. FoxSports/Dime Magazine also has him at #30. Both basically see Portland taking him because they see him as a serviceable replacement for free agent departee Joel Pryzbilla. Yeep, that’s not exactly encouraging to be thought of as a poor man’s Pryzbilla.

Hoopsworld.com, which has 4 different mock drafts from each of their writers, has two keeping him at #20 to the Knicks and two that don’t have him on the board for the first round.

Draft Express also has him off the board and apparently going back to school.

The only exception to this is NBA Draft.net who actually has Gray up to #16 with the Chicago Bulls. Just don’t see that.

The NCAA has released a list of 15 prep/finishing/private schools from which they will not except transcripts. While the list won’t affect kids who already are playing for schools, they do affect any kids coming in for their freshman year in 2006. This is just the first round of schools. There are apparently more than 25 schools being reviewed.

So far, here is the list of scarlet letter schools:

American Academy (Miami)

Celestial Prep (Philadelphia)

Einstein Charter School (Morrisville, Pa.)

Goliath Academy (Miami Lakes, Fla.)

Hawaii Electronic School (Honolulu)

Martinez Adult Education (Martinez, Calif.)

North Atlantic Regional High (Lewiston, Me.)

Paradise Christian Academy (Paradise, Calif.)

Philadelphia Christian Academy (Philadelphia)

Ranch Academy (Canton, Texas)

Rich Township H.S. Phoenix Camp (Park Forest, Ill.)

Sagemount School (Miami)

Tazewell City Career and Tech Center (Tazewell, Va.)

University High School (Miami)

Virginia Beach Central Academy (Virginia Beach, Va.)

Stunningly neither Stoneridge Prep and Lutheran Christian Academy is not on the initial list. Three Eastern PA schools, two in Philly are on that list. Amazingly the coach of Lutheran Christian was employed previously by the two Philly schools. What a coincidence. Daryl Schofield is professing no concern even with the visit recently from the NCAA.

Schofield, who describes himself only as Lutheran’s head coach and recruiter, characterized the articles and subsequent NCAA investigation as “a public lynching.”

“It seems like it’s been a lynching of us from start to finish,” he said. “They’re not affecting me. They’re affecting the [students]. This isn’t about me. It’s about them.”

As an NCAA-accredited prep school – it is registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, though the department does not certify private schools – Lutheran Christian would work for a high school player who needs more time to qualify on the NCAA’s sliding scale of SAT scores and grade point average. It can do so without the restrictions of a junior college, which requires a two-year commitment.

Some Lutheran Christian students who weren’t college eligible had left their public high schools before graduating so they could increase their grade-point average in core courses.

It would appear that most on the initial list were there for not responding to NCAA requests for info. It’s very likely most will be cleared. You can consider this the warning shot across the bow for most of the schools. Warn off some kids who think they can shortcut, and let the rest of the schools who are considering slow responses that there will be a public cost.

The next round of ineligible schools will be more interesting. Not to mention piss off some of the NCAA member schools who will be in a bind that late in the season.

There is a major loophole, though, for the schools. The NCAA will declare ineligible any player who is not already enrolled at the college or university. It will not apply to those already enrolled and who have or are taking classes. That would likely mean, that if the kids who are, shall we say, “at risk” of seeing their chances flushed down the toilet for another year can get their butts to the school and start taking summer classes they should be able to play come November.