Everyday, it seems that there is just a lot more stuff on Blair. DraftExpress had a collection of the NBA Combine interviews with the media.

Blair, to what should surprise no one, had the longest interview at nearly 8 minutes. Duke’s Gerald Henderson was the only other to break the 7 minute mark. Most of the other were under 4 minutes. You can bet the beat reporters will be hoping that Blair gets selected by the team they cover.

With all the buzz on the appearance of Blair, here are the numbers.

DeJuan Blair: 12% body fat, 33-inch vert, 18 reps on the 185-lbs. bench, 11.50 agility, 3.50 sprint

The only player with higher body fat was UConn PG A.J. Price. (Sam Young checked in with 4.9% body fat).

As a brief mention about Blair’s conditioning at Pitt versus what it was like at Pitt. Pitt has been very good at improving players conditioning over time. Not overnight. Blair’s conditioning from his freshman to his sophomore year was good, but when compared to the difference of non-stop conditioning and diet control down at the IMG academy it doesn’t compare. One of the big thing is controlling diet. That, no doubt, had a significant impact on Blair’s improved physique. Much, much better controls and little chance to grab a Big Mac or any high fat and big calorie food.

The Milwaukee Bucks blog Brew Hoops has a very interesting analysis of DeJuan Blair and whether he would be worth it for the Bucks to take him at #10. Looking closer at the players to whom he draws comparison makes for good reading when you consider where most of them were drafted. In a way it really points out just how weak this draft is (and why Blair was smart to come out this year).

So, it seems football recruiting is not going particularly well at the start of June. With the uptick of early commits in May, Pitt came up rather empty. Right there listed as one of the final picks, but on the outside. Even perceived “locks” going elsewhere.

This despite Pitt coming off a 9-win season. The expectation that this should create more bounce in recruiting for Pitt.

I’ve paid some attention, but not gotten caught up in the minutiae. Understandably there is some concern. The recruiting wasn’t as good this past signing day, but it was excused as a down year for talent in Pennsylvania. This year, it seems Pitt is missing everywhere and the reactions range from absolute panic to a kind of zen state of waiting for things to fall perfectly into place

Since everyone has theories as to what is happening as Pitt recruiting seems to be falling off a cliff right now, I’ll share mine. Keep in mind, this is pure theory and conjecture. I have no proof or sources.

This is the inverse bounce. One good season does not make up for the previous 3 years of disappointing slightly below-mediocrity on the field.

In Coach Wannstedt’s first few seasons he could reasonably claim that he was building something at Pitt. That it was new, shiny and sparkly. The new direction, and aiming higher than what had been accomplished prior. It may take a little work, but it would be stronger, bigger and better.

It could be sold that way and recruits could buy into it. They did.

The problem is, the building is taking too long. That is no longer a realistic thing to sell kids heading into Year Five.

Let’s skip the whole impatience of society today, and Frank Beamer at VT comparisons. That was then, this is now and things are different — money, recruiting, expectations, coverage, TV, etc. There are just as many examples of coaches who have succeeded quickly and with less. This is the landscape Pitt is operating now, and it is not as easy to make the case versus other programs that Pitt is having comparable success or will soon.

That’s what makes this season on the field so important. Pitt needs to show that despite losing McCoy, McKillop, Kinder, Davis and plenty of other key players, that it did not peak last year with a 9-win season and a crappy bowl performance. That they are indeed building to something more.

I would make the comparison to Rutgers in that. They did not pull the big recruiting class right after the 2005 Insight Bowl or even the 2006 Texas Bowl. It was after going to the International Bowl in 2008 (the 2007 season) that was the thing that launched them for their best recruiting class this past year. They had to show that they were sustaining the success.

If Pitt can have a good season — 8 wins or more — then recruiting will pick up again. They will pull some late commits and switches. It still may not be the class expected back in March or April but it will be decent enough. More importantly a good season will be the evidence needed to go forward in 2011.