A few more things regarding the basketball team.

The season-opener is next Friday against Wofford. It will start late, but if you have tickets go early.

The start time has been moved to 8:10 from 7 pm, but the athletic department wants people in their seats by 7:45 for a banner raising ceremony in honor of Pitt’s Elite Eight appearance.

While it was Pitt’s second Elite Eight showing in its history, it was the first time Pitt has made it past the first three rounds of NCAA Tournament games.

Chris Dokish had a short Q&A earlier this week on Pitt b-ball recruiting and the team this coming year.

Q: Is there reason to worry about the team struggling against Slippery Rock?

A: It makes me laugh how so many fans were raving for months about the job that Jamie Dixon will do with this team, then after one preseason game they are already talking about NIT. There will be growing pains with this team. They will surprise with huge wins and they will surprise with a few bad losses. But as the season progresses, they fully expect to find a few pretty good players develop along the way and battle for an NCAA spot.

There is no question that Pitt will find itself in the now unfamiliar spot of being a bubble team come February. Going from wondering about seeding to wondering whether the RPI is good enough, enough quality wins, comparing to other teams’ resumes will take a little adjusting.

Here’s a piece on Travon Woodall and how he should be the team’s point guard, despite growing pains.

Woodall has a decent enough shooting touch, and plays above average defense. To usurp the other two guards, Travon must bring his own special skills to the table.

What are those skills?

In limited action for Pitt, Woodall has revealed startling quickness. The aspiring PG scurries around the court like a pinball.

The transition from foul line to foul line should be Scottie Reynolds fast. With Gilbert Brown, Nasir Robinson, and Brad Wannamaker out on the wings, Pitt has the potential to be more uptempo. Woodall introduces that element to a traditionally halfcourt team.

Speed kills. The hope of coaches is that the speed kills opponents. Some speedy guards commit frequent turnovers. With Woodall’s jets he still efficiently distributes the ball.

The issue is doing it while maintaining a low turnover ratio. Coach Dixon is practically Wannstedtian when it comes to the issue of turnovers. But early comments from the first scrimmage is that Woodall seems the most comfortable to get the ball low and inside. Something vital for Pitt. Even in this more guard oriented roster.

If you missed the stories about the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) getting the NCAA to pass some significant (if somewhat selfserving) recruiting reforms, well hopefully I can detail it more in a week or two. Here’s the cliffs notes of what passed.

• Banning package deals to try and get a player.

• Banning purchase of  “recruiting service and info” that happen to be run by the AAU coaches or hanger-ons of prospective players.

• Banning payments to AAU teams and nonprofits related to summer teams.

• No hiring outsiders to work the coaches summer camps.

The punishment (which might still get watered down) is potentially strict. Coach Dixon had a role in shaping the new rules through the NABC.

Head or assistant coaches could be suspended from participation from regular-season games as well as the NCAA tournament, and the penalties would follow him to subsequent jobs.

Also, basketball players caught in the web could be rendered permanently ineligible at a school found guilty of one of these infractions.

“These are potential career-killers,” Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon said. “I’m not saying that it’s too strong, but I just expressed that the punishment to a person’s career will be much greater than the single game we’re talking about.”

Which these days might be the only way to get the attention.