Chris Dokish had it yesterday that Pitt will play Washington in a home-and-home this year. Apparently Washington had a lot of people questioning their non-con slate as well.

Last season, the non-conference schedule for the Washington men’s basketball team was panned as way too easy.

This time, at least when the Feb. 17 game is considered, people might be asking, “What were they thinking?”

The Huskies will play at Pittsburgh, a Big East power once again worthy of national top-10 consideration, with the teams presumably meeting in a televised game. No network coverage has been firmed up.

The teams will play a home-and-away series, with the Panthers facing the UW in Seattle during the 2007-08 season.

It looks like Pitt has a couple more added to the slate.

Pitt and Washington have a preliminary agreement for a two-game series, but the contract has not yet been signed. This season’s game will be played in February at the Petersen Events Center with Pitt playing at Washington next season.

Pitt also is expected to play an opponent, possibly Western Michigan, in an early season game at Army, part of a men’s and women’s doubleheader that will honor Maggie Dixon, Jamie Dixon’s late sister and the former coach at Army.

Other non-conference teams Pitt is expected to play include: Massachusetts, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Auburn, Florida State and Dayton. Massachusetts and Florida State are expected to be part of tournament at Pitt. Massachusetts officially has announced Pitt as an opponent. Florida State has not.

The article also lists Army as an opponent but I guess they would be coming to Pitt. This article goes with Pitt playing Western Michigan (sort of).

Anderson confirmed that the Army women’s team will play Ohio State at noon. Pitt, which finished 25-8 last year and reached the second round of the NCAA men’s tournament, will follow at 2:30 p.m. Pitt officials expect to play Western Michigan, but Anderson said the Panthers’ opponent is subject to change.

Contracts for the doubleheader have yet to be signed, but that seems like a mere formality. Both games are expected to be televised on one of the ESPN networks.

Throw in the Duquesne game and probably Robert Morris and the non-con is already up to 11 games. Pitt will probably add a couple more games against some patsy teams, but that’s fine at this point.

That’s a quality schedule. It isn’t some impossibly difficult schedule, but it is a challenging non-con that will have 5 games with BCS conference opponents plus 3 A-10 teams.

This year, when Coach Dixon says this will be Pitt’s most challenging and exciting non-con since he’s been at Pitt, it won’t just be spin.

Aaron Gray is still back home. He will be taking part in an NCAA-certified basketball tournament in his area.

All-Big East Conference center Aaron Gray, former Colonial Athletic Association all-rookie guard Ray Barbosa and 2005-06 Morning Call boys basketball Player of the Year Terrence Roderick from Allen will play in the sixth annual Adult Mid-Summer Basketball Classic, which runs Friday through Sunday at Roosevelt Park.

The three players give the tournament headline attractions.
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The tournament is NCAA-certified for the first time and is now coordinated through the Wall 2 Wall Urban Youth Organizers, a nonprofit organization comprising former Lehigh Valley standout athletes and current youth directors.

Wall 2 Wall’s main focus is on building athletic talent as well as the character of inner city youths by establishing leagues, tournaments, mentor programs and other activities. The organization currently runs a youth basketball league on Saturdays and Sundays at Roosevelt.
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The games don’t change. They figured to be intense and competitive again. Teams from Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Prince George’s County, Md., have already paid their $250 entry fee, and many of the local Lehigh Valley teams are loading up with talent.

Just don’t get injured.