Okay folks, I know many of you are planning to go to the Rutgers-Pitt game tomorrow. As am I. That means no Live Blog unless there are some volunteers to run the show.

Here are the job requirements:

• Ability to type without excessive profanities.
• Willing to moderate/approve comments.
• Able to do this while paying attention to the game.
• A good enough computer (or computers) to have ESPN360.com running and the CIL interface.

I’m looking for at least one person, though, having a few volunteers makes it easier on everyone.

Just shoot me an e-mail at pittblather -at- gmail -dot-com to let me know if you can meet these standards.

Otherwise I’ll just set-up a comment thread for tomorrow.

Yes, Lute Olson has retired. I already have been spending more time than i would care to on this for FanHouse, and expect to be doing a lot more. And yes, the rumors are already flying that Arizona will go after Jamie Dixon  or Gonzaga Coach Mark Few.

There’s really nothing that can be done about the rumors at this point. Dixon has been mentioned as being a possibility for Arizona when Olson retired for some time. It’s nothing new. All anyone — including Arizona — can do is wait until April. There is no way any coach Arizona would like to hire — that is presently employed — would leave his team right now. Definitely not Dixon or Few. Especially considering the potential of the teams they have.

Cynically, the way Olson has left is the best way possible for keeping Dixon. Here’s one thing I noted.

As far as the Wildcat team, this looks like a lost season and definitely a lost year for recruiting. Lute Olson certainly didn’t intend it, but he leaves Arizona mess. Two years of interim coaches. Recruiting has suffered — Abdul Gaddy and Solomon Hill have all but said they are re-opening their recruitment. Talent has fled to Europe — and after this year it is good-bye to Chase Budinger. Don’t be surprised if Nic Wise and Jordan Hill also get out after their junior year.

Add in the fact that any coach hired would have to clean that up and follow a legend. Something that is rarely a formula for long-term job security. Long-term, Arizona is a great job. Short-term, a coach is looking at money, a mess and then rebuilding his reputation somewhere else.

I’m rooting for Mike Stoops’ Arizona football team to implode in the second half. Forcing another coaching change — and stretching money with buyouts — to make it more difficult for the Arizona Athletic Department to throw too much money at Dixon for him to say no.

Gary Parrish at CBS Sports puts Pitt #10 (4th in the Big East) in his rankings.

The uncertainty about the health of Levance Fields is enough to keep Pitt fans worried. But if Fields is good, the Panthers can be really good.

Everyone at Media Day, was apparently asking Fields about the left foot.

Fields must have repeated the line, “no timetable” at least 25 times on Wednesday each time he was asked his status following another surgery on his left foot – the same one he broke last season.

“I can’t really give you where I’m at,” Fields said.

Fields is doing a little shooting, lifting and also strengthening his leg. He’s not allowed to do any cutting yet.

“They don’t want me doing too much,” Fields said. “I’ve got to be patient.”

Sam Young maintains no regrets about not even considering the NBA last season. Mainly because he feels there is unfinished business.

“It definitely could have changed my outlook,” he said. “But when you have so much hope to go so far and you come up that short, I just feel like it’s unfinished business. It’s something that I needed to figure out, if I would come back for another season, because things didn’t go right at all, as far as the NCAA Tournament.”

Young was also ranked 5th by Parrish among the top “wing” players. Where Young will be playing more of this season.

While Gilbert Brown wasn’t at Media Day, this was left over from Pitt’s media day last week. Brown would really like to stay healthy.

Brown has been injured, ill or both simultaneously for most of his three-year Pitt basketball career. Asking him about his injuries is like asking him to talk about how his childhood dog died.

With a face that looked like he heard nails go down a chalkboard, Brown said he’d do “anything” to stay healthy this year.

He should start knocking on everything wooden, and considering he lives in a gymnasium, he’d be doing a lot of that.

“I’m crossing my fingers,” Brown said. “I’m hoping.”

We all are.

Coach Dixon spoke well of New Jersey — or at least the kids recruited from there.

As always, Big East Basketball Report has plenty of material. They have a link round-up from media day. And more links here. Plus Correspondant Zach Smart has the first of two capsule report on each team from media day.

They couldn’t schedule some collective bye week for Big East football or something. It would have made things a little easier. Not to mention allowed the spotlight to go to a little bit of hyping for basketball season. As it is, I’m way behind on catching up.

Okay. The basics. UConn was picked to win the Big East by the coaches. Pitt finished 3d in the voting.

1. Connecticut (9) — 214
2. Louisville (3) —– 205
3. Pittsburgh (3) —- 200
4. Notre Dame (1) —195
5. Villanova ——— 153
6. Marquette ——- 146
7. Georgetown —– 141
8. Syracuse ——– 139
9. West Virginia —- 121
10. Providence —– 99
11. Cincinnati —— 91
12. Rutgers ——– 53
13. Seton Hall —– 50
14. St. John’s —— 44
15. DePaul ——— 43
16. USF ———— 26

Not sure if that was taken before or after Nate Miles ended up joining the cast of CSI: JUCO.

I’m not bothered by being picked third. The voting for the top 4 teams is so close, and rightfully so. All four are fully capable of winning the Big East — or finishing 9th. I mean WVU down at 9th. Damn. That’s a fringe top-25 team in preseason. That just feeds the meme of how loaded, deep and tough the Big East will be this year.

While Luke Harangody was picked as the preseason Big East Player of the Year, he and Sam Young were the only unanimous selections to the all-Big East Team. No other Pitt players were put on the 11-player, plus 3 All-Big East team. Coach Dixon and Sam Young were bothered.

But when Dixon sees Fields, the team’s heart and soul, and Blair, his gregarious, always-smiling man-child, omitted from All-Big East honors, even the normally reserved sixth-year coach was left bewildered.

“How is Levance not an all-conference player?” he said. “He would be all-conference in any other conference in the country, and DeJuan probably, too. It’s hard to believe.”

…

“I don’t know,” Young said, “I don’t get that. I don’t even know what to tell you. I mean, there’s no way you can evaluate the situation. I mean, geez. Here’s a guy (Blair) that had 10-plus double-double games, and he doesn’t get it.”

Pitt is expected to be ranked in the top 10 in virtually every preseason poll. But the accolades clearly won’t be going to their heads — not with the memory of the snubs at Big East preseason media day.

“I’m sure Levance is already motivated by it,” said Young, with Fields sitting one seat away. “Once we get to Pittsburgh and DeJuan finds out about it, I’m sure he’s going to be furious.”

The simple answer is it’s a 16-team conference and even with 14 slots, I’m hard-pressed to see who gets bumped.

2008-09 PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAM

*Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (Player of the Year), F, Jr., 6-8, Schererville, Ind.

Deonta Vaughan, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-1, 195, Indianapolis, Ind.

A.J. Price, Connecticut, G, Sr., 6-2, 181, Amityville, N.Y.

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut, C, Jr., 7-3, 263, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

DaJuan Summers, Georgetown, F, Jr., 6-8, 241, Baltimore, Md.

Terrence Williams, Louisville, F, Sr., 6-6, 210, Seattle, Wash.

Jerel McNeal, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-3, 200, Country Club Hills, Ill.

Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame, G, Sr., 6-0, 196, Staten Island, N.Y.

*Sam Young, Pittsburgh, F, Sr., 6-6, 215, Clinton, Md.

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse, G, So., 6-0, 185, Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-2, 195, Herndon, Va.

2008-09 PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION

Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, F, Sr., 6-7, 243, Brookline, Mass.

Earl Clark, Louisville, G/F, Jr., 6-8, 220, Rahway, N.J.

Dominic James, Marquette, G, Sr., 5-11, 185, Richmond,Ind.

There’s a lot of deserving talent. You may not like some of them, but those are great players. Besides if it helps motivate Fields and Blair a little more, I’m all for it.

Jon from Bleed Scarlet and I did the Blogger Q&A this week.  You can read my responses to his interrogatories.

Here’s what he had to say in response to my queries.

Obviously Rutgers has to lead with its defense (I’ll get to the offense in a minute). In the last 3 games, the defense has held WVU, Cinci and UConn to all of 17 points in the second half (versus a collective 30 in the first half). This after the defense just appeared to wear out in the first two games. How has the defense been able to stay so strong — even look stronger — in the second half of games, given the amount of time it spends out on the field. Is it simply halftime adjustments or something else?

A lot of the defense’s effectiveness owes to the poor gameplanning or execution by opposing offenses. The way to wear them down isn’t much of a secret – the defensive line averages 260 lbs. The rush does a very good job of getting after pocket passers, but if an opposing team commits to running between the tackles, they’re certain to wear down in the second half, even with Greg Schiano’s constant use of subs on the defensive line. It’s pretty much exactly what RU’s gameplan was on offense during the past three seasons.

As you pointed out, the offense (and some horrific special teams play) have really put the defense in some nearly impossible situations this year. I’m surprised they have been effective as they have been to this point. The defensive line, led by another undersized DT with a big motor in Pete Tverdov, have usually been effective in generating pressure on opposing QBs. The linebackers look far improved this year, and a major reason has been the return of Ryan D’Imperio at MLB from injury. He’s excellent against the run, which has freed up the ouside linebackers to make more plays on the edges.

As good as the front seven has looked at times, the secondary has been a major disappointment. Jason McCourty in particular has made many mistakes in coverage, seemingly biting on every pump fake or double move. Subsequently, the defensive backs have been giving opposing receivers a little more cushion, which let teams like Cincinnati dink and dunk down the field. Safety Courtney Greene has been a little miscast in coverage. That was really the forte of graduated senior Ron Girault. Both Greene and the team’s other top safeties; Lefeged and Kitchen, are all more-suited towards playing inside the box. When the secondary is playing zone coverage, Greene has frequently missed assignments. More importantly, he hasn’t had the freedom to come up with as many big plays as he has in the past. That’s really been a problem for the whole secondary, as they have consistently failed to generate turnovers this year.

On defense, Rutgers lives or dies with the pass rush. If the opposing offense can hold their own in pass protection, it’s a question of when, not if, the coverage downfield will break down.

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