I’ve been trying to make some time to get this posted. Most of you are probably already aware that incoming freshman Dante Taylor along with sophomore Ashton Gibbs were added to the FIBA U-19 tryouts after Wake’s Al-Farouq Aminu and UConn’s Kemba Walker pulled out.
The tryouts are in Colorado Springs and got underway yesterday. Coach Dixon will be able to give his players a little extra work.
“It’s great for Dante and it’s great for the program,” Dixon said. “Dante and Ashton were the next two guys on the list.”
For the 12 spots on the team, Gibbs and Taylor will compete with Butler’s Shelvin Mack, Florida’s Kenny Boynton, West Virginia’s Darryl Bryant, Washington State’s Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, Duke’s Seth Curry, UCLA’s Drew Gordon, Butler’s Gordon Hayward, Kentucky’s Darius Miller, UTEP’s Arnett Moultrie, Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson III, Northwestern’s John Shurna, Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor, Georgia’s Howard Thompkins and Ole Miss’ Terrico White.
Dixon won’t have final say on the cuts, with a committee led by Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim controlling the roster. But he said he would like to see shooters to bust zones in the competition and quality point guard play on this roster.
Taylor was apparently already on the Pitt campus, according Coach Dixon’s tweet.
Dante is having a great summer and we are very excited to have him at Pittsburgh.
The expectations for this Pitt team are so very different from the one that just finished. Yet, I’m almost as excited about what will be. Definitely more curious.
As we know there is much more intrigue this year with great potential talent but no experience in the frontcourt, but expect Taylor, Talib and Miller to all contribute much expecially come February.