Brief interruption to football posting with a few little notes about basketball.

ESPN.com got to the Big East in their offseason “shootaround.” The focus is on the Big East Tournament going to 16 teams and an extra day. I’m torn. On the one hand, how can I be against one more day of the best conference tournament in the country? Who turns down free ice cream (I mean, aside from diabetics and the lactose intolerant)?

On the other, I like the fact that it adds to the Big East regular season. No team wants to mail it in at the end. They want at least a chance to make the trip to MSG. It makes the final week or two exciting even for the bottom feeders. Plus, from a conference money-making/prestige standpoint, there is always the risk of a bad loss by a bubble team to a really bad team. Knocking them out of the NCAA Tournament — less BE teams in the NCAA means less money for the conference/schools for games played. Plus, less bragging rights about how brutal the Big East is with the conventional argument of, “See how many teams we put in the Tournament.”

Here’s the team capsule for Pitt:

It’s hard not to envision the Panthers as a top five team nationally. Overwhelmed by injuries all season, Pittsburgh rolled to an improbable Big East tournament title on the emerging stardom of Sam Young. Unassuming off the court, he was a beast on it and his decision to return to campus should have been greeted with hosannas and hallelujahs. Mix in a healthy Levance Fields, powerful DeJuan Blair and the Panthers’ trademark nasty defense, and you have to give them the slightest of edges to win the league.

Jay Bilas puts Pitt as #3 in the conference behind UConn and Louisville.

St. Benedict’s coach Dan Hurley built one of the top basketball programs in the country. College coaches are always banging on his door looking to get an in with his bluechip talent. So, is it any surprise that when Hurley has a coaches clinic, the big names come willingly to speak?

St. Benedict’s head coach Dan Hurley announced that the Garden State Coaches Clinic will take place between 9-4:30 on Sept. 26 at St. Benedict’s. The event is open to all college, high school and travel coaches and will feature Bill Self, head coach of defending national champion Kansas; Pitt coach Jamie Dixon; West Virginia coach Bob Huggins; Texas coach Rick Barnes; former NBA coach Hubie Brown; and UMass assistant Vance Wahlberg, the creator of the dribble-drive motion offense now used by Memphis head coach John Calipari.

I guarantee you that all of the coaches make their appearance gratis. Heck, some coaches would probably pay just to be able to help. Not only do they “help” Hurley’s clinic, they get out there before some 600 other assorted coaches.

Everyone is still waiting for Mike Cook’s status to be determined by the NCAA. Cook is acting cool about it.

Cook doesn’t sound nervous about the impending decision.

“Actually, I’m not even worried about playing next year,” he said. “I’m focused on getting my knee better. I want to get completely healthy first. I’m not even thinking about the redshirt.”

Cook has yet to be given clearance to play basketball again. Doctors are schedule to make that determination Aug. 25. He has been rehabbing the knee mostly through weightlifting and running.

Cook’s outlook may have to do with the apparent delays in his case. Pitt was expecting a final resolution more than a month ago, then again two weeks ago.

“I never got my hopes up,” Cook said. “I figure the longer the (NCAA) takes, the better. That means they really are thinking about it.”

It could be worse. Cook could be QB Ben Mauk at Cinci. Watching training camp, eating a lot and in complete limbo. Thanks NCAA.

Lists? You want subjective lists to spark debate? Cards Hoops Blog spent the last 3 weeks producing a list of the preseason top-75 Big East players. Sam Young was #2 and DeJuan Blair #9 in the top-10. Levance Fields came in at #19. Gilbert Brown was #59. He included Brad Wanamaker as one who just missed the cut. Noting that his performance didn’t live up to his talent level.

Here are the rest of the rankings: 15-11; 30-21; 35-31; 40-36; 45-41; 50-46; 55-51; 65-61; 70-66; 75-71.

Last year at this time, Bill Stull was just the back-up who had dutifully waited behind Tyler Palko. He was just the guy trying to ward off a couple of freshmen in strong-armed, athletic Kevan Smith and heralded QB recruit Pat Bostick.

Frankly, he wasn’t particularly interesting as far as a story went. It was assumed he would win the job because he at least was immersed in the system. Even if he wasn’t making a statement in practice, Smith and Bostick weren’t seizing the job. They, however, were more interesting as much more unknown quantities. Stull was a boring story. He was getting the job because he was first in line. Now, that makes a good hook for a puff piece.

This training camp, things are different. Bill Stull is coming off of a brutal injury that ended his season. Ligaments on his thumb were torn and ripped.

He needed surgery to repair a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and a partial tear of the radial collateral ligament.

He can still describe in detail the two plays that doomed his season.

“The first play was a quarterback draw and I got stood up at the line of scrimmage and then they were trying to rip the ball out. That’s when I initially injured my thumb,” Stull said. “The next play we did a fake dive with a pitch to LaRod Stephens. I think that’s where it actually snapped or completely tore off the bone.”

Even though it was only Eastern Michigan, Stull showed that he had control and understanding of the offense. Especially in comparison to Bostick and Smith. Both of whom struggled no matter what the competition they faced.

That makes Stull much more interesting and a better story for the media. He is now a player coming back from injury that could prove to be a big key/difference for Pitt. Coach Wannstedt and OC Cavanaugh have stopped just short of saying he’s definitely the starter with statements like, “It will be Billy’s job to lose.” And.

“I think the redshirt last year will help him out,” Wannstedt said. “He’s bigger. I know his arm’s stronger. He’s more mature. Hopefully he’s smarter, but I was very pleased with how he performed and progressed at spring ball. Coming out of that, he was our most complete quarterback.”

Stull doesn’t disagree about the redshirt giving him a chance to get stronger.

“If you asked me about this right after the surgery, I’d still be pretty down in the dumps,” he said, “but you’ve got to look at the positive side of it. I feel the Man upstairs has a plan. I was able to redshirt and I think that year help me get bigger, strong and faster. That can only benefit me.”

And now Stull is the perfect fit for the offense, not just a stop-gap transition.

Here’s what Cavanaugh likes about Stull:

“He’s got a quarterback feel about him. The players rally around him. He’s really fearless throwing the ball and that’s a good thing.”

All it took was finding out that the guy standing first in line was also the best choice.

When Pitt shakes out the spot at right tackle, the other will likely see time at other spots along the line — likely at left tackle. Jason Pinkston and Joe Thomas are both trying to claim the spot, and both seem to have to get over mental blocks more than physical.

It isn’t Pinkston’s rust that worries the Pitt coaches, but his excess baggage. The 6-4 Pinkston played at 289 pounds last season but is now 310 after missing time following the death of his mother, Martha, of breast cancer on May 15. She was 48.

“It’s so hard to deal with. Every day, you’re going through something,” Pinkston said. “I didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t want to come around, see anyone, talk to anyone. Everyone would call and say, ‘You’ll be all right.’ I’d say, ‘You don’t understand.’ She was there for everything. She hated watching me play but she went (to games to show support) for me. I always catch myself thinking about her. She’s on my mind all the time.”

After being named to The Sporting News’ Big East All-Freshman team in 2006, Thomas lost his starting job first to McGlynn and then John Bachman before regaining it for the season finale. After returning to tackle – where he starred at Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward High – Thomas knew a change was necessary after struggling this past spring against Pitt’s speedy defensive ends.

“It was big-time just a realization that this team is really young and I’m one of the older guys now. I’ve got to grow up and show a little leadership and get out of the childish age,” said Thomas, who claims to be quicker since slimming down from 315. “Now, I’m using that as big-time motivation in moving out to right tackle. Freshman year, I proved myself. I gained doubters last year. I let people down. I wasn’t playing up to where I should have been and let myself get sloppy.”

See, Pitt does have an offensive lineman that comes in at over 300 pounds.

Thomas’ struggles against the faster DEs is part of why he isn’t playing left tackle anymore. Instead, the job appears to belong to redshirt freshman Jordan Gibbs. Thomas has slimmed down and is saying the right things, but he does have to back it up.

Which lends credence to what Coach Wannstedt said about new OL Coach Tony Wise not feeling bound to older players and no depth chart. Gibbs was solid in the spring practices and regularly went up against DE Greg Romeus.

“I would say that the most important thing was that Jordan had himself 20 days of continuous practice (in spring drills) and didn’t miss one snap, one single drill. He was there the whole time, and he did very, very well against guys that were good players,” Pitt offensive line coach Tony Wise said. “I said, ‘There’s no reason to disrupt this.’ With Jason coming back, even though he’s played, he’s coming back from injury and having no spring practice, I think it’s important that we let Jordan stay there and let Joe and Jason fight it out. If Jason does a great job, boom, we put him over.”

Gibbs in claiming the left tackle starting spot already jumped senior Chase Clower.

I think Pinkston can still grab the left tackle starting spot. It will take, however, showing the coaches that he has his motivation back and either shedding the weight or showing he it isn’t as much of an issue.

The quotes from Pinkston, though, don’t suggest that he is there. Understandably, it sounds like the loss of his mother is not something he can compartmentalize at this point.