Man, the Pitt women spanked some poor girls team.

Is there anyway to watch this game online other than ESPN360. My internet doesn’t support that or something.

My ISP doesn’t support it either, which sucks.

Comcast sucks.

It’s on FSN. Channel 29 in Pgh.

I don’t live in Pittsburgh 🙁 . It might be time to switch to a dish?, I don’t know though.

Pitt just has 7-0 run and up by 22 with over 16 minutes left – UMBC TO.

R Ftiipaldo reported that when D Cheek picked ‘Nova, Pitt offere DeAndra Kane (former Bliar teammate at Schenley) If he acepts then someone on scholarship will be shown the door — my guess is McGhee.

McGhee will not be shown the door, and that’s a ridiculous proposition. Right now he is the only inside depth on the team. They can’t let him go b/c if Blair would leave ever or get hurt. He may never be a big time player here but he is a big body they will keep around.

Maybe someone is transferring. Wanamaker maybe? I would give the kid more time to develop but I read somewhere that Dixon is frustrated with him. If Pitt wants to make the next step, unfortunately there are going to be some cringe moments. If someone leaves, it will make me sad but depth needs to start scoring points.

Dixon commented the other day that he was pleased with Wannamake and urged him to shoot more. In fact, he is always 2nd off the bench behind G Brown. Further, he has best 3 pt percentage on the team – even better than Gibbs and Young

My comment about McGhee being the one to go was based on the fact that two 6’9 recruits (Patterson and Zanna) are signed plus a 6’8 current freshmen (D Miller) is being redshirted

11 panthers scored. Brown and Gibbs are playing well right now and McGhee had a big day. I am also very happy that we gave the bench some bigger minutes, they need it. Too bad I couldn’t watch this game, I saw the highlights on ESPN2 and the guys looked like they were having fun.

they were & even T Frye had a 3. Gibbs, who appears to be even a better pure shooter than Ramon, had 3 3s and 13 pts. I believe McGhee played much more tonight than ever before

Believe it or not, games like this are exactly what Pitt needs to regain shooting confidence.

There schedule, when the BE starts is one of the toughest in the country. Let’s enjoy these final easy days up to Fla state…

Sam young is an effing man. That kid is just so much better than even last year it is scary. I think he can take us to Detroit.

He could have scored 40 tonight if he felt like it.

Pitts noncon schedule is just what Dixon ordered due to the young age of the team. He needs to get the young guns playing alot of minutes in order to prepare them for the big east. He would like to get there confidence up. I hope Gibbs can keep making his shots in the Big East. Sam Young will be wearing a target on his back, he will face every teams best defensive player all year. I hope he is up for it and has a good attitude all year.I think we will be in some trouble when it comes to substituting for Blair, we are thin down low. We need to have 8 solid players for the big east.Can you name the eight? Young Blair Feilds Brown Dixon Gibbs Wannamaker and you name the other. We seem to have limited backup for Blair with any game at all. Robinson is raw. What do you think.

buzz, you left out Biggs unless you mistakenly inlcuded Gibbs and meant Biggs. I see Woodall spelling Fields midway thru the 1st half to just give Fields a rest for 2 -3 minute spell, but not see any 2nd half action in a close game. I think the 8th would depend on sub du jour depending on (1) who is practicing well, (game situation, and who is in foul trouble. I can see Gibbs, Woodall or even McGhee for a breif spurt if Blair is in early foul trouble.

From the Pittsburgh Sports Insider

Dec 13, 2008 10:45 PM

MCKILLOP NAMED AN ALL-AMERICAN
Posted by mvuk

University of Pittsburgh senior linebacker Scott McKillop has been named to the 25-player All-America Team selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), it was announced today on ABC Television.
McKillop, a native of Export, Pa., and graduate of Kiski Area, is the second Pitt linebacker in the past three seasons to be selected to the prestigious FWAA All-America Team. H.B. Blades, now with the Washington Redskins, was honored following his senior season in 2006.

link to pod08.prospero.com

Congrats to Scott McKillop, truly well deserved

I’m starting to get a little impatient, waiting for Pitt to start their regular conference play. They’ve clearly done everything they should’ve so far, not even allowing the supposed “tougher” squads to make the games competitive. I’m ready to see just how good Pitt can be, and if they have any weakness, I want to see how other teams handle it.

We still have Siena and Florida State left to play. We could lose one of these if we get cocky. I know that the guys are starting to click and agree that they need a challenge but I am still not ready to send them into the jungle.

You can’t just take kids scholarships away without cause. Nobody is going to lose their scholarship or “be shown the door”.

If you perform poorly, then it’s up for debate. I am unsure what happened recently with Cassin Diggs but that could be an example. I think he got hurt and never recovered. Some say he was quietly shown the door but it’s hard to believe that, who knows?

I hope we don’t lose anyone because I love this team but Kane looks like a steal right now. I do not like scholarships being taken away but then again I have never been a coach. Is there another way we can get Kane without looking like a firing squad?

I doubt anyone is shown the door. Diggs was a different situation, they brought him in and it seemed he was hurt and on top of that would never ever have a chance to contribute. They probably told him he wouldn’t ever play and if he left he would. But, the older players are all current contributers so none of them will be shown out. The freshman are too young and nobody would do that. What is the situation with Austin Wallace however? I don’t think he is ever to play again, does this have anything to do with it?

The fact is that if you read the Sat a.m. Post-Gazette, Ray Fiitpaldo reported that Pitt offered Kane, and if he accepts, one of the current scholarship players must leave. There are 3 seniors under scholarship and Wallace’s scholarship is also available, but there are also 4 incoming recruits already sigbed for 09, Thus, someone has to go if indeed Kane was offeed and accepts.

My guess is that it would be McGhee but possibly Dwight Miller who is currently redshirting … but it nothing but a guess (no inside knowedge.)

Below is copied from Fittipaldo’s column in the Sat PG where he previews the UPMC game:

NOTES — Pitt target Dominic Cheek, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from St. Anthony High School in New Jersey, announced yesterday that he will attend Villanova. Pitt reacted quickly to that and had local standout Deandre Kane in for an official visit. Kane, a shooting guard who played at Schenley High School with Panthers center DeJuan Blair, is spending this season at The Patterson School, a prep school in Lenoir, N.C. Pitt has offered Kane a scholarship. If he accepts, one of the current players or an incoming freshman who signed a letter of intent would have to leave because the Panthers would be over the scholarship limit.

Should we really be sending anyone packing to make room for someone else? I mean what are we going to tell them? “Sorry, we know you’re a Pitt Panther but we’re afraid you can’t be one anymore because we got this other guy coming in who is a real hot shot.”

Just seems like the players we bring in should be able to rest assured that as long as they keep their grades up, stay out of trouble, and play hard, they will continue to play on this team.

If we can pick up Kane, then it’s worth it to us to lose one of our 2009 recruits. After watching watching videos of all of these 2009 guys (Taylor, Patterson, Zanna, Richardson), I would say Kane’s offensive prowess is worth dropping J.J. Richardson. We’re already pretty deep with big men (Blair, Mcghee, Taylor, Miller, Zanna) there is no need to bring another project like Richardson. While I think Gibbs will be pretty good in the future, I’d like to add another sick scorer like Kane to our 2009 class.

Agree PittPanther, and that is how I think it will happen. I don’t think someone who signed will be shown the door that would be ridiculous and would kill future recruiting if a story like that got around. And again, all of the current older playeres do contribute in some way. It is a possibility that someone has said they want to go get more PT somewhere else. Or it could be possible, although not advisable, that Blair told the coaches he is moving on after this year. I just don’t see them booting a player off the team for no reason, I think you start to have a hard time bringing players in if you do stuff like that to your current players. Another possibility is that one of the freshman won’t qualify.

Unfair–That comment in the newspaper you refer to stating that if Kane gets a ship either some player currently on the roster or one of the incoming 2009 recruits will have to be dropped is factually correct since he would put them one over the limit.

On the other hand, I truly doubt it would be one of the incoming players unless one of them failed to qualify academically. To pull a ship of an incoming player who hasn’t even been on campus taking classes and who has a signed LOI just isn’t going to happen, IMO. If Pitt tried that they would lose too much good will for future recruiting as players would not be able to count on the Coach’s word when offered. Further, once there is a signed LOI, it is a guaranteed contract for the first year providing the player qualifies academically and doesn’t misbehave. So, you cannot take it away unless the player and his family would voluntarily agree to go elsewhere. IMO, only an academic ineligiblity, like what happened with Darnell Dodson, would see one of the four 2009 commits not enroll. Finally, don’t forget, there is no guarantee that Kane will ultimately qualify academically. There is a reason he is in prep school. The most likely scenario, if and when Kane qualifies, and “push comes to shove” is that one of the guys already on the playing roster elects, or is encouraged and assisted, to transfer for more PT elsewhere. That bridge doesn’t even need to be crossed until next fall, and might not be until then.

Lastly, from what has been discussed in various places, Richardson does not appear to be some high risk project; but, possibly closer to Chevy Troutman revisted. If so, he is not someone you would want to “run-off” in any case.

I can’t remember where, but I remember seeing some story last year what a kid on scholarship who could afford to pay would go off scholarship just for the year (or possibly semester). Not sure if any of the current scholarship guys have the means, but its definitely a possibility. I’m sure there are also needs-based financial aid packages that would possibly ease the burden. Seems like those options are sort of a long shot but who knows.

Does anyone happen to know what other schools might be interested in Kane (or schools he might be interested in)?

Pitt 1972, you are right, ESPN.com grades Richardson higher than they do Zanna. They say that he does a supreme job of hedging on screens, something that is very important playing man to man defense. Also, he is supposed to be a rebounding machine.

We are not talking about professional players…Unless a kid does something off of the court, or does not do what it takes to honor their scholorship (stay in shape, go to class, respect the coaches, etc.) we should never pull a scholarship. To do so crosses a line that amounts to treating these young people like they are property.

HbgFrank,
Agreed. And I think Dixon and the program have too much class to pull a stunt like that. We’ll see how it all shakes out.

The comments I’m reading on this scholarship thread seem like they’re coming out of a time warp. Today’s college hoops (and football) are big business and these athletes are pseudo-professionals. I find it very sad what these sports have become………but you’re fooling yourselves and living in the past if you think Pitt wouldn’t find a way to get a non-producing player’s scholarship back and give it to a promising recruit.

These kids live in a world of deal-making from their early adolescence on up. School transfers, scummy AAU culture, shoe camps and gear, jobs offered to coaches and relatives…….and on and on and on. Then they hit college, where everything’s just as shady but it’s dressed up to be about higher education, scholarships and graduation rates.

These kids ARE property. They’re cogs in a big business wheel that’s all about revenue, boosters, prestige and luxury boxes.

Realistic,
Maybe at some places, certainly AAU, but I don’t share your sentiment that all programs are run by slime-balls who take opportunities (scholarships) away from good kids and treat them as pieces of meat. Everything I have seen from Dixon would lead me to believe that he’ll handle the situation as it should be handled.

TJ,
It’s not about Dixon or any other coach being a slime ball; it’s just the system they work in.

Anybody who thinks these kids are student-athletes is unbelievably naive.

Dixon will handle the situation like the head of any other business which is profit-driven and focused on beating the competition — he’ll do what the system allows.

Realistic
I don’t believe TJ was making any point to the kids being student-athletes. And I am sure he would agree as most would that many D1 athletes don’t fill the student role as they once did. Some do though, the kid at FSU who won the Rhodes is an example. But that wasn’t the point and has nothing to do with this. His point is that there are people out there who are good guys. I believe its totally unrealistic if you decline to acknowledge that some people do things the right way and do have a moral spine. Yes, these kids may not be hitting the books in the classroom like a typical sutdent, but that has nothing to do with the fact that a coach who cares about his kids will treat them as people and not property. No doubt there is shady business in college hoops. But that doesn’t mean everyone is shady. It’s the same as any business, there are scumbag’s who do whatever it takes to get ahead, cheat, bend rules, break rules, and so on. There are others who simply decide to do it the right way. Now I believe Dixon has more of a spine than to rip scholarships from kids who are contributing and kids who haven’t stepped on campus. I think the fact that Pitt hasn’t gotten these big time recruits may have something to do with the fact that Dixon does things the right way and isn’t a slimeball. But, I guess the situation will shake itself out and we all will see. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m right, but no matter which, there are people who do it right.

Thank you Yinzer for clearly articulating my point.

You’re kind of missing my point. My point is that taking a scholarship from a non-producing player isn’t something that would be considered shady in today’s college hoops — because that’s the norm and that has a lot to do with the disappearance of the student-athlete model. You hear more about examples of non-contributing kids who were left on college teams in order to finish their educations because those are exceptions and the kind of feel-good stories that the NCAA wants us all to hear. We always hear about student athlete exceptions…..like the FSU/Rhodes kid. What we don’t hear about is the norm because it’s not a fun story.

If only it were so simple as good guys and bad guys…..guys that do it right and scumballs. Those clear black and white distinctions, if there ever were any in college sports, vanished years ago. Now they all (Dixon included) play in a gray game of deals and solutions to problems.

I doubt there’s such a thing as a squeaky-clean winning program these days because the game they’re playing doesn’t permit it. How can you build some clean building on the foundation of what these kids have been through from the age of 12 on up?

They’ll find a scholarship if that’s what they need and you’ll never how they got it.

realistic– In your case “realistic” means 100% cynical. Sorry, but some of us choose not to be quite that cynical. Being “realistic” does not have to be the same as being totally cynical. Everyone does not have a price. And everyone isn’t 100% about money and success at all costs–many may be; but not everyone.

I couldn’t disagree more with realistic. To the contrary, I think taking a scholarship (without cause) is something that would be frowned upon by the University, administration and fans…not to mention the team. The guys who don’t play are still friends/teammates with the guys who do and I don’t think any of them would condone that type of behavior.

Secondly, this has absolutely nothing to do with money or the bottom line or success at all costs. It has everything to do with integrity, character and a coach’s relationship with his players. Ya, the college game is a business. But much like any business in the real world, it is entirely possible to be successful without bending rules or forgetting you character along the way.

Finally, I believe Dixon does run a “clean” program and that integrity is important to him, the administration and the University of Pittsburgh. Not to mention there are plenty of deterrents and negative consequences for this kind of behavior.

We’ll see what happens, but I’m willing to give Coach Dixon the benefit of the doubt on this one. I’m sure we’ll all hear what the real story is in a few months anyway.

Absolutely cynical, no argument there…..you’ve correctly characterized my assessment of the business of college sports. College hoops is the most cynical business I’m aware of; universities, bastions of learning and openness, using kids who are often from disadvantaged backgrounds to sell tickets and enhance the image of the institution. Hire a few tutors to get them through and maybe some them will pick up some education while they’re winning some games for the old U. Can’t imagine anything much more cynical than that….

Don’t misunderstand me, though. I’m not talking about doing anything dirty re: the scholarship. They’ll find a way around the issue without any bad publicity, if that’s what they need to do.

And yes, it’s absolutely possible to be successful in many businesses without bending the rules or forgetting your character.

But college sports isn’t like most businesses. It’s built on a foundation that isn’t truthful or solid (these kids are there to make money and prestige for the university and conveniently nobody ever mentions that) and that infects everything that happens around these sports.

Regarding actually breaking the rules:

Plenty of deterrents? Negative consequences? Are you kidding me? The NCAA has a vested interest in the lack of deterrents and lack of consequences. They write a longer and longer book of regulations, but they don’t want to actually bust anybody, unless you just get stupid and flagrantly flaunt violations like Kelvin Sampson…..

I’m a fan of college sports (and Pitt especially), but I’m realistic enough to think of it like any other professional, money-making entertainment sport.

I guess it just comes down to the fact that I am not as cynical as you, and I believe with good reason. Pitt has done the past several seasons (under both Dixon and Howland) with dignity and class. They’ve done it with good kids who were overlooked and underrated. I certainly believe they made some sacrifices along the way and decided to do the “right” thing when going another route could have landed bigger recruits.

As far as the NCAA goes, yes they are a complete joke. They are focused on a lot of the wrong things and I sometimes questions whether or not they have the student-athlete’s best interest in hand (i.e. the whole Mike Cook situation). But there are other consequences and repercussions that are real; for example the perception of the coach and the program, that I believe are legitimate deterrents to what I would consider to be inappropriate behavior by a coaching staff. And I think those deterrents can be more effective than any potential punishment that the NCAA could hand out.

TJ,
I’d like to think Pitt has done things with dignity and class, but I’ve also heard plenty of rumors about certain former assistants with supposedly shady duties.

Who knows? In big-time college athletics you rarely get the real story. Rumors are always swirling and some are BS and others have some truth behind them.

I’d also like to think that the reason Pitt hasn’t gotten the big recruits is because they wouldn’t sell out for them (I think you mentioned this earlier and I agree). I don’t mind missing Final 4s if it means the kids stay for 4 yrs and develop. That makes it seem a lot more like college basketball to me……

well, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how’s life? hope it’s introduce branch 😉