NBE Basketball Report has its usual collection of good stuff.

Last week they had an interview with soon to be Panther, Ashton Gibbs.

NBE Basketball Report: What areas of your game did the Pittsburgh coaches or any other coaches say you should work on?

Ashton Gibbs: My strength and speed is the main thing. College is a totally different game than high school. Those are areas that a lot of players usually need to improve on coming out of high school.

NBE Basketball Report: What have you been doing to work on improving in those areas? Have you done anything extra since the end of the high school season?

Ashton Gibbs: I’ve been working everyday with a trainer dealing with strength and conditioning, but I’ve also been doing a lot of skill work.

NBE Bball Report: Are you going out to Pittsburgh for the summer?

Ashton Gibbs: Yes, I’m coming for summer school at the end of June.

I imagine one of the things will be getting used to shooting from the new 3-point line (it goes from 19’9″ to 20’9″ in the men’s side).

There’s also a look at the AAU team, NY Gauchos. The team features one of Pitt’s targets in Dan Jennings. Pitt has also shown some interest in Durand Scott, but he isn’t a need. I don’t think they are seriously perusing another SG/SF for the 2009 recruiting class. Not with Darnell Dodson still likely to be signing and the chance of Dominc Cheek.

Cheek, by the way, was one of several top players from the NY/NJ at the Rutgers campus for a camp.

Not sure what his position is in the Pitt Athletic Department, (He could be an intern, but not listed on the staff directory.), but it does seem that Dave Milliron has been engaged to produce some press releases that present more about the teams and the people in the various sports since May.

His latest is a Q&A with newly promoted Pitt Basketball Assistant Coach Brandin Knight.

How will this new position be different than when you were the director of operations?

“Being the Director of Operations consisted of more administrative work such as organizing meetings and community service. As an assistant coach, I will be able to work more closely with the program and interact much more with the players.”

What are your own goals in the coaching profession?

“Right now, I want to be the best assistant coach I can be. Eventually, my ultimate goal is to become a head coach, but in the coming months I will try to soak up as much knowledge as I can about being a great assistant.”

Are you able to participate in the recruiting aspect of the basketball program? If so, what is that like for you?

“Yes, now I can recruit with the other coaches. I really look forward to it. I try to form great relationships with all the current players and hopefully I am able to extend that to younger players who will then want to take a shot with us.”

Future Panther Ashton Gibbs attended the same prep school as you. How close are you and did your friendship help Ashton want to be a Panther?

“I have known Ashton since the fifth or sixth grade and we have maintained a great relationship since then. A big part of Ashton coming to Pitt was because his family felt comfortable with the University and felt it was a great place for him to be able to succeed.”

Andy Katz at ESPN.com mentioned it briefly on his blog (Insider subs).

Pitt’s Brandin Knight is ready to be a fulltime assistant coach. He has really matured in dealing with him over the past two years. He should do fine in replacing Orlando Antigua on the staff now that he’s off to Memphis.

Of course praising Knight is a good way to also maintain another source of information.

This does open up a position for Director of Basketball Operations on the Pitt coaching staff. There’s some speculation about Clyde Vaughn.

I’m not sure if he would take that spot. Vaughn, before his problem in Connecticut was a full assistant coach at one of the top programs in the country. There is some pride involved as Vaughn is in his late 40s and would be taking the job held by a 27-year old who was promoted.

I would love to see Vaughn getting involved with Pitt on the coaching side. At the same time, the Connecticut arrest was his third in three coaching stops for similar actions. That’s a concern.