Not a complete shock when Dominic Cheek decided to go to Villanova. They had been recruiting him the longest and they are a guard-dominant team. It makes it an attractive choice.

The choice of Cheek has meant that Pitt has returned to DeAndre Kane. Actually, Pitt had never stopped showing interest in Kane. They helped him get into prep school, and of course DeJuan Blair is a former teammate of his from Schenley. If Pitt has made a formal offer at this point, then it means that Kane has his academics in shape at long last.

Of course, if Kane were to sign with Pitt, that would leave Pitt one over on available scholarships. That fuels speculation over possible transfers or if Pitt would go UConn and push players who weren’t producing out the door. I’m not stressing over the issue at this point. More often, than not, these have ways of working themselves out.

I don’t know if Kane even fits well with Pitt. I sometimes think Pitt pursues some of the local players more out of obligation, than actual desire. That there have been so few local products in the past 20 years, that it matters in perception that Pitt keeps them here.

Pitt, though, already has several signed recruits that look really good, and there comes a time when you have to stop angsting over the ones that didn’t commit. Dante Taylor and Talib Zanna both looked great in a recent Nike sponsored event.

Dante, capable of running the floor, finishing stick backs and in certain situations shooting jumpers out to around three point land will fit in well at Pittsburgh, with not only his skill set, but toughness also. He didn’t display the low post spins in his repertoire during Festival action, but will in college.

At Pitt, expect the suburban New York City native to work on a go to move – jump hook, baseline fade, etc – and also eliminate his current desire to at times handle the ball, center position, on the break. He’ll also need to rely on more footwork and finesse then brute strength, as the Big East’s frontcourt players are notoriously strong and aggressive.

Zanna, also a forward/center, stands 6’8”, weighs around 235 pounds and is also headed to Pitt. On the way to earning first team All-Festival honors, Zanna, originally from Northern Nigeria and a member of the country’s Hausa group, illustrated not only interior strength and aggressiveness, but a good jump hook going over his left shoulder. He finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Bishop McNamara (MD) in a win.

Talib has improved his basketball awareness in high school, become stronger, as well as developed a nasty baseline spin move – one that wasn’t on display much in Festival play as he relayed “My coaches told me not to do it, because they may call a foul on me”.

Panther fans and haters alike will see him line up at both forward positions in Big East action, something he favorably anticipates. To achieve success, particularly at the small forward position, Zanna will have to fine tune his midrange to three ball face up shot, along with conduct continued strength, dribbling and balance development/enhancement.

The similar demands placed on ‘threes’ and ‘fours’ at Pitt should aid Talib’s utilization…

Lots to look forward to, even as this year offers plenty.

Even though, MLB Scott McKillop was excluded from being even a finalist for the various defensive player awards, he did take home the Big East Defensive Player of the Year Award along with being named as a 1st team All-American.

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.

For more than six decades the FWAA has selected an All-America team with the help of its members and an All-America Committee which represents all the regions in the country.

“On the field and off, Scott McKillop exemplifies what it means to be an All-American,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He will leave a tremendous legacy at Pitt, not only because of how many tackles he made, but more importantly because of the type of leader and person he has been. Our entire program is incredibly proud of Scott. He is very deserving of this recognition.”
…
Heading into the 2008 bowl season, he ranks second nationally in solo stops (tied, 6.50 solos/game), 11th in total tackles (tied, 10.50 tackles/game) and 20th in tackles for loss (tied, 1.38 TFLs/game). He leads the Big East in each of those categories.

Overall this year, McKillop has compiled 126 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, four sacks and one interception (returned 18 yards for a TD vs. Louisville).

In 2007, his first season as a starter, McKillop led the entire country in tackles (12.58 tackles/game). He has compiled an astonishing 277 tackles over his junior and senior seasons.

The only one who isn’t surprised by McKillop’s accomplishments seems to have been H.B. Blades.

McKillop said Blades taught him to play the position and he’s proud to share the honor with him as well as his current teammates.

“It is an unbelievable honor to be in the same category with guys like Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Larry Fitzgerald, Bill Fralic in Pitt history,” McKillop said. “But when I look back the thing that I’ll cherish most is that I’m there with H.B. because of how much he meant to my career and his friendship.”

Blades, unlike a lot of others, had no doubt that McKillop would have a chance to be a good player because, unlike a lot of the other younger players Blades encountered, McKillop was a better listener than talker.

“I’m not surprised at all by what he’s accomplished. Scott has one of the strongest work ethics of any player I’ve been around,” Blades said.

And like his predecssor, Blades, there will be a big question as to who will fill the spot and how effectively next year? Heck, that goes for all 3 LB spots, but that’s definitely an issue for off-season debate.

LeSean McCoy took home Big East Offensive Player of the Year Honors. I’m a little surprised that Donald Brown didn’t grab it.

Both McCoy and McKillop were unanimous selections to the All-Big East team. Also on the squad were K Conor Lee, TE Nate Byham and OG C.J. Davis. On the second team it was DE Greg Romeus and CB Aaron Berry. The latter had everyone scratching their head a bit.

SDWC: Hi Paul, Do you really think that Aaron Berry is deserving of 2nd team all Big East recognition?

Paul Zeise: Based on his ability — yes. Based on the way he played this year — no, not at all. He didn’t have a very good year on so many levels but he did play well in the final two games when they needed him too.

I’d say “competently,” not “well.” But that’s just me. I guess the question is, who got snubbed by the pick?

What? You really want to watch the culmination of the past week or so of Heisman hype?

It should be a little rusty from the team to start, but ultimately the Retrievers will be put down without a lot of drama.

Halftime: Pitt up 42-25. Fields drained a 3 at the buzzer. As expected a sluggish start. Pitt missed its first 5 shots. Then they woke up to drain 7 of their next 8 and shot 16-32 for the half.

UMBC came out with a solid strategy against Pitt. They packed it inside to make it hard to get it down low or to drive to the basket. Instead, making Pitt play on the perimeter and daring them to take outside shots. Obviously it worked for a couple minutes, but then Pitt found range and they hit those open shots. Pitt shot 6-11 on 3s.

Pitt is outrebounding the Retrievers 20-12. Young already has 11 points. Blair has 6 rebounds.

FINAL: 91-56 Pitt blows out UMBC. The big news, Tim Frye hit a 3.

Pitt shot 20-33 in the second half, and 8-16 on 3s. Technically, UMBC shot decently, but they didn’t have many attempts and only were able to get 3 offensive rebounds in the second half.

Good confidence builder game for a lot of back-ups. Gary McGhee had 6 points, 8 rebounds and a block. Ashton Gibbs shot fantastic with 13 points on 5-6 (3-4 on 3s) shooting. Nasir Robinson only got 9 minutes, and didn’t shoot much. Instead it was on defense with 2 steals.

The starters only played for a little bit in the second half. Young played the most minutes at 25 minutes. Blair would have had another double double, but for only playing 24 minutes. He had 12 points and 8 rebounds.

Pitt did what they were supposed to do. They beat the crap out of a lesser opponent, got the starters out early and really gave the bench some work.

So, I tweaked my right shoulder a couple weeks ago, and this week it has been killing me. Makes using the computer a bit difficult, so that hasn’t helped with posting.

Luke Winn keeps Pitt in the power rankings at #6, but complains of Pitt’s non-con.

January 3. I’m excited for that date, and not because of the International Bowl. It’s the day Pitt travels to Georgetown and finally gets to play a ranked team. I know go-to-guy Sam Young is a first-round draft pick, and I believe the Panthers are good, but how can I be sure when the best team they’ll play in the entire non-conference schedule is Washington State? It’s a shame that the Panthers’ non-league slate includes nary a sure-fire NCAA tournament squad. Wazzu might be in the Dance, and so might Texas Tech and Vermont, but none is a lock.

The lack of a marquee non-con game is something even Pitt fans have been a bit unhappy with it. With Florida State looking like the most dangerous game remaining in the non-con. I mean Siena will be desperate, but they haven’t been anywhere near as good as expected. Heck, the fact that I’m even pointing to the Siena game as a possible threat says it all.

Over at ESPN.com, Pitt moved up to #3 (though tied with Gonzaga) without playing a game.

The Panthers seem determined to show the America East who’s boss. They destroyed Vermont last week, and defending AE champ Maryland-Baltimore County is next.

In the ESPN panelists, Fran Fraschilla and Mark Schlabach had Pitt at #2. Hubert Davis was the lowest, putting Pitt at #5.

Seth Davis at SI.com mostly loves Pitt this year.

The two games I saw illustrated the number one reason to like Pitt’s chances to finally break past the Sweet 16 and reach the Final Four. The semifinal against Texas Tech was an open-floor, run-and-shoot affair, and Pitt prevailed 80-67. The final against Washington State, on the other hand, was a nails-on-a-chalkboard halfcourt grinder. Yet Pitt still won, 57-43. Because this team is deeper and more athletic than any other Jamie Dixon has had, Pitt can beat good teams no matter the tempo of the game. That’s a critical asset to take into the NCAA tournament, because in the course of trying to win four or six games, you have to be able to prevail playing different styles.

This team will also improve as Levance Fields plays his way back into shape after gaining a lot of weight during an inactive summer spent recovering from a foot injury. Fields told me he still has another 10 pounds to go, and as we all know those last 10 are the hardest.

Even so, the one nagging question I have about Pitt is whether they’ll be able to score enough quick, easy points to win the whole thing. Yes, this is as good a defensive team as you’ll see, buy can the Panthers make up for their lack of outside shooting with offensive rebounding? More and more I see teams suffer during the tournament because they are not proficient enough at the offensive end. Sam Young is scoring a ton of points right now (20.8 through the first nine games), but this team lacks a three-point sniper like Ronald Ramon, who graduated last spring. Their starting shooting guard, Jermaine Dixon, is there primarily for his defensive abilities.

Obviously, no one would be surprised if Pitt makes the Final Four. But if you’re asking me, in the second week of December, to choose, yes or no, whether they’ll get there? My answer would be no.

A concern echoed by Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News.

2. Does Pitt deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as UConn and UNC?

That question presupposes UConn is to be mentioned in the same breath with North Carolina, and it’s not yet clear that’s the case. We’ve got to see some more development from the Huskies, and what they’ll look like when forward Stanley Robinson returns at the semester break. I continue to believe they will serve as North Carolina’s strongest challenger, but at this point there is a gap between No. 1 and No. 2.

The Panthers are a terrific team with the kind of toughness Pittsburgh loves to see. Given Sam Young’s development and the presence of DeJuan Blair, they might have a couple of the NBA-level talents that can make a difference in the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

One thing I’ve suspected would hold Pitt back is the absence of a great jump-shooting threat. Memphis was not a great 3-point shooting team a year ago and made it to the NCAA title game — but even at that the Tigers shot just short of 35 percent for the year. Pitt is at 33 percent and hasn’t begun to face the most difficult part of its schedule.

If the question amounts to whether Pitt is third in line to win the NCAA title, I suspect not. Gonzaga has more of those kinds of weapons.

We will see if some of that sorts itself out as Coach Dixon sorts out the guards in the rotation and/or there is some separation from an offensive production standpoint. Maybe it will be Brad Wanamaker, after all.

Dixon said Wanamaker is unselfish to the point where it has become a detriment to his game. He has the tendency to rush in transition, and that has led a bevy of turnovers. Despite averaging only 14 minutes per game, he leads the team with 17 turnovers.

Dixon has been stressing to Wanamaker to take the open shot when he has it. Wanamaker worked tirelessly in the offseason to improve his jump shot, and Dixon would like to see him show more confidence in that improved part of his game.

Wanamaker, who shot 16.7 percent from 3-point range last season, has made 4 of 7 shots from behind the 3-point arc this season.

“He’s a much improved shooter,” Dixon said. “It’s not even close. He’s shooting the ball well. We’re trying to get him to the point where he’s shooting the open shot rather than driving in and taking a more contested shot. That’s something he has to get used to. That’s a common thing going from high school to college, but probably more so with him because he was such an effective driver in high school.

“He is a far better shooter than he was. He’s put in the work. I thought he could become a good shooter because of his form and his release. He’s a good free throw shooter. It was building on that form and just getting more comfortable doing it.”

Of course, these discussions are whether Pitt can win the National Championship/Final Four. I’ll take that discussion any day over whether the team is a bubble or even if it can get to the Sweet 16.

Coach Dixon has been pleased with the team’s performance to date.

The Panthers have played different styles of teams in the opening month — Texas Tech and Duquesne were more up-tempo, Miami and Akron ran deliberate half-court sets, Belmont was reliant on perimeter shooting and Washington State was a tough, hard-nosed defensive team.

“It’s been good so far,” Dixon said. “We’ve improved; there is no question about that. We’ve taken care of business. We’ve won by large margins in every game.”

About the only missing ingredient has been any sort of inside challenge for sophomore center DeJuan Blair, averaging 14.9 points and 13.4 rebounds. Florida State’s 7-foot-1, 241-pound Solomon Alabi probably will present the toughest non-conference test.

“We’ve played a lot of teams, as usual, that operate without a post guy inside,” Dixon said. “That’s something we always seem to face in the non-conference. It will be interesting when we play against a bigger post guy.”

That won’t be happening tonight against UMBC. They aren’t big and they aren’t deep.

UMBC can’t afford any injuries. All five starters average at least 29 minutes per game, led by workhorses Darryl Proctor and Jay Greene, who log as much court time as just about anyone in the nation.

Proctor, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, is playing 38.9 minutes per game, and point guard Greene, a 5-8 senior point guard, is averaging 37.6.

Take away the season-opening victory over Stevenson University, when starting forward Rich Flemming didn’t play, and sixth-man Chauncey Gilliam’s playing time, and the remaining reserve players on the Retrievers’ bench have played a total of 13 minutes all season.

Expect a bit of rust from Pitt, but this should still be a blowout.

Crazy, crazy second half to the week.

There has been a lot of discussion and talking about people who can’t make it down to the Sun Bowl, but want to support the team. One big way that has emerged would be buying and donating tickets to local charities or organizations. Of course, that can be a lot of work to locate the right charity in El Paso, contact them and get them the tickets.

The good news is that the Pitt Athletic Department makes that rather easy to do. If you order tickets through Pitt’s website — and thus helping Pitt fill their obligations to purchase tickets — there is an option to choose to donate your tickets as you go through the process. If you call to order tickets, you have to specifically tell the agent that you want to donate the tickets.

What happens to the tickets? The Pitt Athletic Department returns them to the Sun Bowl organizers who distribute them accordingly. Why this way? Well, according to Christopher Ferris, the Associate AD for Marketing, this is required by NCAA rules. It makes some sense. That way the tickets don’t end up under the control of a particular program that might distribute them to say a recruit and his family/posse. Or resold. Just generally avoid even the appearance of or opportunity for corruption.

I want to thank Maz and Carmen for starting this conversation at the beginning of the week. The volume of the discussion shows that there was a lot of interest in helping Pitt meet their ticket obligations.

It’s back for a second week. The Big East Blog Chat returns.

Hosted and moderated once more by Brian Harrison at Orange 44. John Radcliff of Mountainlair and myself will be participating.

There will be a good deal of talk about the bowls and the end of football season. Stop on by around 9pm at Orange 44 to join the fun.

With thirtysomething bowls, every one does these quick hit previews or viewing guides to the bowls. Now, virtually standard. There’s the snap evaluation of the matchup:

Oregon State will win if. . . it does as coach Mike Riley put it, “we can’t whine about that anymore.” He is speaking of Oregon State’s painful 65-38 loss to Oregon that ruined a chance at the Rose Bowl. It also would help to have a healthy RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who ranks 13th nationally at 114 rushing yards per game.

Pitt will win if. . . Running back LeSean McCoy has the ball in his hands–a lot. He steps up in Pittsburgh’s biggest games. McCoy rushed for 183 and 148 in two games against rival West Virginia. He had 169 against Notre Dame. But McCoy also needs QB Bill Stull to be on target to keep defenses honest. The Panthers’ offense has been inconsistent all season, although Pitt has looked much better since that 4OT win over the Irish.

Er, yeah. The offense has been the model of consistency in the final games.

Then there’s looking at the most intriguing/interesting bowls.

10. Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. No. 20 Pittsburgh, Dec. 31: This game features the best match-up of great young running backs as OSU’s Quizz Rodgers will try and outduel Pitt’s LeSean McCoy. This is also a fascinating sideline battle where you have one of the coaches that is always touted as one of the more underrated coaches (Mike Riley) facing off with one of the guys who is often the most skewered.

That’s the theme.

11. Sun (Dec. 31): Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. Oregon State (8-4). You like watching really good running backs? Allow me to present Pitt’s LeSean McCoy (1,403 yards, 21 TDs) and the Beavers’ Jacquizz Rodgers (1,253 yards, 11 TDs.)

Wondering what schwag the kids get for going to the Sun Bowl:

Sony DVD Handycam
Timely Watch Co. watch
Majestic fleece pullover, VP Sports cap
Armor Gear Dolly Llama luggage
Brut hair dryer

The cheapest remains the Motor City Bowl: a watch and a couple pieces of luggage. The max value on the gift packages is $500. A growing trend is to give a gift card or shopping spree — Best Buy seems to be doing a few of those.

It’s very interesting. I think a lot of the media really like Pitt’s team and do see them going to the Final Four this year.

The reason Pittsburgh is a serious Final Four threat is that the Panthers have three All-American-caliber players who excel in different ways. For proof, check out Saturday’s 80-51 victory over Vermont and realize that Pitt had one player score 28 points, another player grab 16 rebounds, and another player get eight assists. The points belonged to Sam Young, the rebounds to DeJuan Blair and assists to Levance Fields. And as long as that trio is operating at that level you can bet whatever you own that the Panthers are about to improve to 10-0 under Jamie Dixon for the sixth consecutive season.

At the same time, the reliance on the trio is why some are nervous along with another reason.

Pittsburgh has as much toughness out of its top three players — Levance Fields, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair — as anyone in the country. But this season is still reliant on Fields working his way back into shape — and staying injury-free. The Panthers also need to find someone who can make shots from the perimeter, even if it’s done by committee.

The perimeter. I’m not so concerned about it. I don’t expect Pitt will be a particularly strong or consistent team from the perimeter. I’m hopeful that Gibbs and/or Woodall might become a consistent threat from outside, but I doubt the coaching staff is relying on that.

Jermaine Dixon is not a 3-point threat. He wasn’t at the JUCO level and that hasn’t changed. Dixon has been getting a lot of praise for his defensive intensity — and deservedly so. I think he should also get praise for mostly playing within the system and being a real team player. As a shooting guard up until he got to Pitt, he has always been the best player on his team and the one hoisting a ton of shots. He has mostly kept it in check so far and been all about the team.

…As for Jermaine Dixon, he does have a tendency to take some shots early in the shot clock and I have noticed that coach Jamie Dixon has been somewhat frustrated by that. However, Jermaine is taking only about seven shots a game, which is fourth on the team behind Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. Jermaine is the starting shooting guard, so he is going to ample opportunity to shoot. I’m sure every Pitt fan would like to see him a better percentage of his 3-pointers, but other than that he has played pretty well. His worth to the team cannot be measured in his 3-point percentage. He is probably the team’s best on-ball defender and he has the ability to pentrate and get in the lane, which is important because Fields has not demonstrated the same penetrating ability since his foot injury last season.

He is also 5th on the team in average minutes played (30 seconds per behind Tyrell Biggs) and has only taken 5 more shots in the season than Biggs. So considering the amount of time he is seeing, he may occasionally shoot a bit early, but he is not taking shots from other players on the court.

Ray Fittipaldo sees only minimal growth in McGhee’s game this year. I  don’t disagree, but I wasn’t expecting a leap this year. McGhee’s a project and anyone who expected a lot from him from freshman to sophomore was being very optimistic. What I have seen is that his physique is definitely improving from conditioning and diet from last year to this year — strongly indicating how much he is willing to work. He’s still learning about being more than just being 6-11. Like Aaron Gray, you can see the wheels turning as he tries to remember his lessons in positioning and footwork. It’s not instinctive for him at this point. He will have a very up-and-down year. Some games it will almost look like it is clicking, and then others he will just be a stiff out there.

A nice piece lauding Sam Young.

He’s the smoothest operator since Big Daddy Kane (youtube it young bucks) and quite possibly the most overlooked/under-appreciated superstar in college basketball. Young is giving Pitt a guaranteed 20-plus a night while almost never getting 30 minutes of playing time, playing with the skill and production of a first team All American (Young was first team all Big East last year).

Even better, like Bernard King circa 1984-85, Young is starting to impose his will on opponents. He started showing signs of this trait in the aforementioned Big East tournament at the end of last season. He seemed to be a man possessed and that’s carried over to this season. It’s as if Young surveys the pulse of games before deciding the perfect time to dominate. He might go about it quietly, in a business-like fashion, but at some point he insists that everyone on the floor recognize he’s the man in charge. He did it last weekend against Texas Tech when the Red Raiders seemed to be making a statement that they weren’t going to go away quietly. Young hit a three from the corner, absorbed some contact while finishing at the rim with a violent banger, and hit a pair of free throws. Texas Tech went away.

And Coach Dixon is recognizing what Young can do, and taking advantage of it.

Through the first nine games, Young is averaging 20.8 points per game. No one at Pitt has averaged more than 20 points in a season since Brian Shorter (20.6) in 1989-90, and only five players have averaged more points in a season.

“We’re running a lot more plays for him than we’ve ever run for a guy,” Dixon said. “That’s fairly obvious. It’s by design.”

…

Having a prolific scorer at his disposal has triggered a change in philosophy for Dixon, who won a school-record 31 games in his first season as head coach without a player who averaged 16 points per game. Carl Krauser averaged 15.4 points per game that season and took 19.6 percent of the team’s shots.

Young is taking 25 percent of Pitt’s shots this season. He took 23 percent of the team’s shot last season.

“It fits what we’re doing,” Dixon said. “We play him in different spots. We run a lot of different plays for him. It’s something that works for us. It’s the best way it works for us this year. And it worked last year. You could see it coming. I anticipated that before the injuries last year.”

And for those who believe Young’s scoring average will dip once the competition gets tougher in Big East play, that won’t necessarily be the case. Young raised his game in Big East play last season, averaging 18.3 points per game in conference contests.

It’s one of the things you can see in Coach Dixon as the still improving coach. He has the principles of his game and how he wants things to run, but he is more willing to be more flexible based on the talent and ability of the players. Showcasing and utilizing Young can only help in recruiting. Coming to Pitt and playing for Dixon won’t mean sacrificing numbers and just playing defense. It will get you lots of attention and to the NBA.

It’s not the official Big East All-Conference team. Instead it is the Big East media version as voted upon by beat writers for the various BE teams. Pitt didn’t have the most players selected. That would be Cinci with 8 players selected. Pitt and with WVU each had 4 players selected. Two of Pitt’s players were unanimous selections. I’m pretty sure you can guess which from the list of players: Nate Byham, LeSean McCoy, Scott McKillop and Conor Lee.

Byham missed by one vote being unanimous, suggesting that it wasn’t the greatest year in the BE for TEs — not that Byham isn’t a very good player, but his numbers are 18 catches for 250 yards and 1 TD. Not exactly eye-popping.

McCoy and McKillop also were voted the Big East Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year by the BE media.

Any doubts about UConn struggling to comprehend showing up for football games is no longer in dispute courtesy of a UConn beat writer.

Update 11:48 p.m.: Senior festivities. Nice touch by the Huskies. I would say there is about 10,000 fans in the stands, maybe.

Here is how it looks from the press box. 5 MINUTES BEFORE SENIOR DAY!

Click to see the pic. Of course the other explanation is that UConn imported the same crack gate staff that worked Heinz Field for the Backyard Brawl, which meant most of the people were still trying to get into the Rent.

After the game, UConn Coach Randy Edsall alternated between disappointment, being positive and chiding the fans.

It’s a downer, but also this is the first time ever that this school has gone to back-to-back bowls,” Edsall said. “And it is disappointing because you know what? We set our standards very, very high.

”We want to win the conference championship and we didn’t get there this year, but I’m darn proud of what these kids have accomplished. … I think sometimes we spoil people. I think everybody wants us to win every game, but it isn’t going to happen. We’re still in a building process with this program.”

Hey, you are going to the International Bowl in Toronto. Really, it’s far better than going to Birmingham. Closer and a better city.

5-11-1, 24 yards. 2 sacks for -13 yards.

That was Bill Stull’s line from the first half. He was matched in ineptitude that half by UConn’s Tyler Lorenzen. The second half, however, something finally clicked back into place for Stull.

Stull completed 5 of 6 passes for 117 yards in the third quarter, and finished 10-of-18 for 141 yards. Meantime, Connecticut counterparts Tyler Lorenzen and Zach Frazer combined to go 6-of-31 for 80 yards with five interceptions.

It was sweet redemption for Stull, who was sacked seven times and responsible for five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles) the past two games against Cincinnati and West Virginia.

“It’s awesome,” Stull said after Pitt (9-3, 5-2) received an invitation to the 75th Brut Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas. “It feels good to finally do some good things.”

Still, on the downside, Pitt had six drives start in UConn territory, but only came away with 20 points. Not to mention two drives starting inside the 10 and settling for 6 points.

UConn’s quarterbacking. Wow. Trying to figure out how they won any games with that kind of play. Even with Donald Brown and a solid defense. Not that Pitt’s defense didn’t have something to do with forcing them to throw.

Pitt players, in case you forgot, had some big issues early with the footing on the field.

McCoy and some of his teammates, however, suggested after the game that perhaps the slippery field condition was more than just a coincidence given his reliance on speed, quickness and cutting back. And while he didn’t think Connecticut would have the field hosed down so it would be icy and limit his effectiveness, he wasn’t ruling that possibility out, either.

“I gotta be honest, can I be honest here,” McCoy said. “[Friday] when we visited the stadium and everything, the field was fine. Today we come out and it was really icy and slippery, so I don’t know.”

He paused. “Maybe some sprinklers? I just don’t know, it was tough, the footing was bad and I couldn’t really cut too well but we overcame it.”

Stull added, “[The field] really wasn’t [slippery on Friday for the walk through] and I was talking to the head official today before the game and he was surprised that when he came, there was no tarp on it or anything, I guess it was the equalizer.”

Homefield advantage however you can get it, I guess. Still, why they didn’t change cleats the minute they came out on the field on Saturday is still a question.

After the game, the invite to the Sun Bowl came in the lockerroom.

“Are you guys ready to go to El Paso?” Folmer asked, a question which was met with loud cheers from the players, coaches and even university officials who made the trip to East Hartford.

…

“As I said earlier, it is always better to get a team that won their way in instead of a team that’s lost their way in,” Folmer said. “These guys played really good all year long. We have a very good history with Pitt in El Paso and we can hardly wait to get them down there. I can promise you it will be a lot warmer there than it is here today.

“They are 9-3, they have a name, they have a good TV market. In our part of the country a lot of people still remember [Pitt head coach Dave] Wannstedt from his Cowboys days, and that is important. The people in El Paso like Pittsburgh and like the Cowboys so bringing them in will be great.”

Wannstedt said: “You know what is neat about this — going in with a win. We proved we deserve to be there. Our players deserve to be there. We’re not backing into anything.”

A cynic would simply see this as winning helps make any lockerroom very happy. It doesn’t hurt, but the players have long stood behind Wannstedt.

“It’s easier for a team to play when the people in charge have confidence that you can get it right,” Pitt senior center C.J. Davis said. “That’s one of the biggest things. We really believe this year.”

Pitt has 10 victories in its past 13 games, a reason why Wannstedt presented game balls to Nordenberg and Pederson for their willingness to make a commitment to him and his staff.

“When you see some of the things that are happening around the country, if our chancellor would have responded like some of these guys do, I’d be coaching in the NFL now or playing golf in Naples,” Wannstedt said. “That’s what separates our chancellor from others. This guy is committed to having the best program possible.”

The Beavers had to wait until after the formality of USC beating UCLA before Oregon State could get an invite. Now it is on to El Paso.

Both Pitt and Oregon State have been to the Sun Bowl before. Oregon State, under coach Mike Riley, edged Missouri 39-38 in a 2006 thriller. Oregon State scored and converted a two-point conversion with 23 seconds remaining to win that game.

Pittsburgh edged Texas A&M 31-28 in the 1989 Sun Bowl behind freshman quarterback Alex Van Pelt, who went on to a long NFL career as a backup quarterback with Buffalo. Pitt defeated Kansas, 33-19, in the 1975 Sun Bowl. Current Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt served as a graduate assistant coach for then-coach Johnny Majors. The Panthers set an NCAA bowl game record that day, as three players from the same team rushed for 100 yards. Tony Dorsett rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns and Elliott Walker added 123 yards and two touchdowns, while the game’s MVP, quarterback Robert Haygood, added 101 yards rushing.

Dorsett, of course, became an NFL Hall of Fame running back with the Dallas Cowboys.

Laughing, Folmer said, “Pitt came here once before with a pretty good running back. Now they are bringing another one.”

Yeah. He’s okay.

It’s finals week — in case you hadn’t noticed with the fact that Pitt basketball is off until Saturday evening. So not a lot happening. Just waiting for (hopefully) the recruiting bounce for football. That and the decision of Dominic Cheek this week.

Cheek is down to Kansas, Memphis, Villanova, PIttsburgh and Rutgers. He has taken official visits to all five schools.

“All the schools are still in there. Dom will make a decision this week,” [St. Anthony’s Associate Head Coach  Ben] Gamble said by phone Saturday. “It will be this week.”

Gamble said Cheek would consult with St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley, Gamble, his family and some former St. Anthony players.

“It’s pretty much Dominic himself,” Gamble said. “He’s gotten advice from myself and Coach Hurley and some other people who have gone through the recruiting process. Once in a while he’ll run into a former St. Anthony player who has been through the recruiting process.”

So, one way or another, we will know (mostly).

Meanwhile DeAndre Kane is now taking visits to Seton Hall and Marquette.

Not a lot of movement, except for one team free-falling right out of the top-25. This despite the arrows, which didn’t seem to update from Week 14’s ballot.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma	—
2	Florida	1
3	Texas	—
4	Alabama	2
5	Texas Tech	—
6	Southern Cal	—
7	Utah	—
8	Penn State	—
9	Ohio State	—
10	Cincinnati	1
11	Boise State	1
12	Oklahoma State	1
13	TCU	1
14	Oregon	1
15	Georgia Tech	1
16	Pittsburgh	4
17	Brigham Young	—
18	Georgia	—
19	Oregon State	2
20	Michigan State	2
21	Virginia Tech	5
22	Northwestern	2
23	West Virginia	2
24	Boston College	1
25	Missouri	6

So, with only a few games this isn’t surprising. Not sure even BC and Mizzou should stay ranked, but also unsure what teams should be there instead.

I might be too hard on Ball State, but then I also think I was too kind to them for the last few weeks. So, maybe it all balances out.

In case you didn’t think it was official yet.

The University of Pittsburgh has accepted an invitation to play in the 75th annual Brut Sun Bowl, announced Sun Bowl Association executive director Bernie Olivas. The game will pit No. 23 Pittsburgh against a team from the Pac-10 Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at noon (MT) at Sun Bowl Stadium.

“We are extremely happy to have extended an invitation to Pittsburgh to play in the 75th anniversary of the Brut Sun Bowl,” said Sun Bowl Association executive director Bernie Olivas. “Pittsburgh has a storied football program and will be making its third trip to El Paso. They area team on the rise and we could not be more excited.”

Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2 Big East) secured the selection with a 34-10 road win over Connecticut. The win marked the fourth win in the last five games for the Panthers. Pittsburgh’s opponent from the Pac-10 will be announced on Sunday at 5 p.m. MT.

“Everything about Pittsburgh right now is a positive. They really bring so much to the table,” said SBA football chairman John Folmer. “Running back LeSean McCoy will remind a lot of people of Tony Dorsett, who rushed for 142 yards in the 1975 Sun Bowl for Pittsburgh. Local fans will also remember (head coach) Dave Wannstedt, who spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.”

This marks Pittsburgh’s first nine-win regular season since 1982.

“Pitt football and the Sun Bowl are synonymous with great football tradition,” said Pittsburgh director of athletics Steve Pederson. “It is an honor for us to be playing in the 75th anniversary of a game that has meant so much to college football. We can’t wait to bring our fine team to El Paso.”

It is still not official as to who Pitt will face. Oregon State, though, seems a lock. USC is going to the Rose Bowl. Oregon played in El Paso last year. They could, I suppose invite Cal or Arizona, but no one seems to even think that’s what will happen.

I’m on FanHouse LiveBlog duty this evening. That’s two liveblogs in one day. I’m planning on doing very little near the computer tomorrow.

Hopefully Pitt can continue a very good day.

Game at 4pm today. Remember, Pitt’s website will stream the video live and for free at 7pm. Once more, props to Pitt’s athletic department for doing this.

Vermont has been a good team so far, despite their 4-2 record.

But Vermont could easily be undefeated. The Catamounts’ losses came in overtime — to Maryland and George Mason.

Vermont fell to George Mason, 80-79, in the opener. Six days later, the Catamounts took Maryland to the brink in an eventual 89-74 loss on Nov. 21 in College Park, Md. Maryland needed a 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to force overtime in coach Gary Williams’ 400th career victory.

“We’re two points away from being 6-0,” Lonergan said.

The Catamounts own a 31-point victory over Yale — the same Ivy League team that won at Oregon State two weeks ago — and handed host Delaware its most lopsided loss of the season (78-63), more than Big East teams Rutgers and Seton Hall.

Vermont has won three in a row since losing to Maryland.

“We matched up well with Maryland — they aren’t proven inside,” Lonergan said. “Pittsburgh may not have the height, but they are big inside. That is really concerning to us.”

A pair of All-America East players — junior forward Marqus Blakely and senior guard Mike Trimboli — lead Vermont. Blakely averages 18.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and ranks in the top 20 in the nation in blocked shots (2.8) and steals (2.8).

And of course, they are saying that their goal is to win the game.

There are questions about the guard rotation for Pitt after Fields and Jermaine Dixon. Coach Jamie Dixon says it is still unclear and unset.

“They haven’t separated themselves,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “Travon, Ashton and Brad, no one has really separated themselves from one another. … We don’t have all the answers today.”

In the power polls. Luke Winn at SI.com keeps Pitt at #6.

It’s weird how these Panthers are almost statistically reminiscent of last season’s Memphis squad, which shot 34.9 percent from long-distace (ranking 170th) and 61.4 percent from the free-throw line (ranking 329th) but was still very offensively efficient (ranking fourth overall). Pitt is slightly better in both cases, shooting 35.2 percent on threes (ranking 121st) and 66.7 from the stripe (ranking 207th), while sitting at No. 1 in the offensive efficiency rankings.

As Winn noted, little has changed with Pitt’s 3-point shooting. That trend is national despite an extra foot.

ESPN.com returns with theirs and Pitt is at #4. Mark Schlabach put Pitt at #2 in his ballot — the highest spot for Pitt. Three of the ten voters had Pitt at #5 — the lowest.