A fun, fun, fun day of post-holiday cleaning and snow shoveling. Wheeeeee.

It’s the DePaul Blue Demons coming to the Pete to play Pitt on Monday night on ESPN—–U. To kick off the start of Big East play for Pitt. True Big Monday games don’t start until the Mouse Monopoly runs out of MNF NFL games.

Consider this the warm-up,

Liveblog around 7pm.

If you need to break it out Click Here.

Otherwise, right below.

I pointed it out briefly this morning how in a tight game like this the losing side will bemoan the mistakes their side made that cost them. For the UNC game it was the mental things.

Some of the self-inflicted wounds for North Carolina included, in order:

A pass to a clearly covered running back Ryan Houston on a third-and-goal play at the 4-yard line by quarterback T.J. Yates with four minutes left in the first half. If Yates had simply taken the sack or thrown the ball away, UNC could have kicked a field goal to tie the score at 10.

After kicking a 37-yard field goal to tie the score at 10 with 1:05 left in the first half, UNC kicker Casey Barth attempted a squib kick that went out of bounds, giving Pitt possession at the 40-yard line. Bolstered by the good field position, the Panthers moved in position for a 31-yard field goal by Hutchins to lead 13-10 at the half.

A 15-yard penalty for interfering with a punt catch at the start of the second half by the Tar Heels allowed Pittsburgh to start a drive at the UNC 36-yard line. Hutchins would cash in with a 42-yard field goal to give his team a 16-10 lead.

But the most damaging miscue by the Tar Heels came on the game-winning drive by the Panthers.

Yes, the one thing all sides can agree upon was the game-changer. The dreaded jumping offside.

“We had put in a new kick-block play (in practice) just for a situation like that, and I think the guys were just too excited,” [Linebacker Kennedy] Tinsley said. “It’s the biggest play of the game. I guess Pitt’s coach told them to wait as long as they could. That was a great call, because our guys were so excited. You can’t blame those guys for getting excited about that play. That was basically the end of the game, that kick. Guys got excited, trying to make a play, and jumped offsides.”

The 5-yard penalty gave Pitt a new set of downs. Four plays and 14 yards later, Hutchins easily made the shorter field goal.

“We were definitely trying to drew them offside,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “They were jumping the gun a little bit, so we told our center to take his time adjusting the ball to lengthen it and drew them offside. But we were going to kick it. If they didn’t jump offside, we were going to kick the field goal. But the extra 20 yards sure did help.”

Carolina senior defensive tackle Cam Thomas was flagged for the offside penalty, but at least three Tar Heels jumped the play when Janocko signaled for the snap.

“Guys got anxious trying to make a big play,” Austin said. “The game was on the line. The center moved his head up, and it just triggered Cam. He was trying to run through everybody and make a play. It was just an unfortunate play.”

Without that penalty. Even if Pitt kicks and makes the FG, UNC has a lot more time and more timeouts available. It does stand out.

Missing from the analysis, from the UNC side, however, is that Pitt left 10 points off the board with a missed FG and a fumble by Dion Lewis that went into the endzone. That tends to be glossed over because those were Pitt mistakes and they took place early in the game. Easily forgotten and lost in the rest of things that happened — especially late.

You know who will bitterly remember those missing points? Anyone who bet on Pitt and had to give 2.5 points. They are really feeling bitter.

Briefly, as I have to head home today.

So that’s what it is like to end the season with a win in late December. It’s only been 7 years so the feeling is unfamiliar.

The Meineke game ended like the UConn game, though, it could just as easily been like the Cinci game — except that UNC’s offense was definitely more UConn than Cinci as far as quick-strike ability. The view from Charlotte definitely was UConn-esque.

Leading by one point early in the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels downed a punt on Pittsburgh’s 5-yard line.

Little did they know, they wouldn’t get the ball back for more than eight minutes. No. 17-ranked Pittsburgh churned out one of the best drives in the Meineke Car Care Bowl’s eight-year history, going 79 yards in 17 plays and eating up 8 minutes and 47 seconds for the winning field goal in a 19-17 defeat of the Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium.

The fourth game that ended up being decided in the final minutes. Pitt finished 2-2 in those games. As simple as it would be to talk/rant/complain about how Pitt could’ve-should’ve been 4-0, they just as easily could have been 0-4.

As is typical in games that end like this, the winning team fans and coverage talks of breathing a sigh of relief at overcoming mistakes, leaving points on the table and just finishing. On the other side, it is about too many mistakes, questionable play-calling, and just blowing it.

It was a familiar ending for UNC.

With the ACC’s best defense and one of the best in the country, the Tar Heels were one stop from their first bowl win in eight years. Instead of celebrating, UNC watched helplessly as Dan Hutchins’ 33-yard field goal lifted No. 17 Pitt to a 19-17 win at Bank of America Stadium.

No bowl win, no bandwagon. Instead of avenging last year’s bowl loss in Charlotte to a Big East team, the Heels got a serious case of deja vu.

They lost by a point to West Virginia in last year’s Meineke Bowl. Both times they led in the fourth quarter and looked like they were on their way to an elusive bowl win.

Instead, they’re 0-for-Charlotte, winless in three trips here in six years.

It also forced Butch Davis to do his best Dave Wannstedt impression on spinning the season as part of the journey.

Pile it all together and it was a 19-17 loss to a good Pittsburgh team.

Shifting his focus from what happened at Bank of America Stadium to take in a broader view, Davis was optimistic.

“The mileage we’ve made in three years, we’ve covered an awful lot of ground,” Davis said. “But we haven’t scratched the surface of where we want to go.”

From the Pitt side, the story was bowl MVP Dion Lewis, Dion Lewis, Dion Lewis.

Lewis’ record-setting effort was soured some when he lost his first fumble of the season after a 25-yard run vaulted him ahead of Dorsett. Lewis ran up the back of split end Jonathan Baldwin, and the ball squirted through the end zone for a touchback.

Lewis, whose 10th 100-yard rushing game also tied a freshman mark set by Dorsett, didn’t drop his head.

Instead, he energized the seemingly uninspired Panthers with a jaw-jarring 9-yard run with Pitt trailing North Carolina, 7-3. Then, he capped a three-play, 45-yard scoring drive with an 11-yard touchdown run around left end to give Pitt a 10-7 lead at the 11:08 mark of the second quarter.

“I made a costly turnover, and it nearly changed the game,” Lewis said. “It was a great feeling to know the coaches trusted me (on the game-winning drive) in a pressure situation.”

It’s not like anyone would have been insane enough to get off the horse that Pitt had ridden all season just for that fumble.

There will still be lots to dissect over the next week or so, what with recruiting  likely done for the most part and no games left. The one thing that was clear is that Mike Shanahan and Jonathan Baldwin will be big, excellent targets for whoever is under center next year. Shanahan emerged not just as a sure-handed target, but someone very willing to go over the middle to make the catches.

Happy day after after Christmas. I’m in Central Ohio for the weekend with the wife’s family. That means posting will be lighter. That does not mean there won’t be a liveblog, though. Just because the in-laws lack a wireless set-up, only menas that it s the excuse I needed to head to a local watering hole with wi-fi.

So, for however long the battery lasts (or if I can find a convenient outlet) I’ll be live blogging the Meineke Car Car Bowl .

You can break it out from Here.

Or join in right below.

Another stand-by for any road game. Find the players and coaches from the area. Max Gruder got that treatment when Pitt visited Raleigh earlier in the year. It’s a redux as he actually comes back to the city where he lived.

There will be visits to old stomping grounds, dinner with old friends and one demanding task – finding enough tickets.

“My parents are coming up from Tampa and they needs about 12 tickets,” said Gruder, a 6-foot-2, 230 pounder who was a two-way standout at Country Day and named first team all-N.C. Independent School Athletic Association as a senior.

“And then there are all my friends in Charlotte. Man, I need about a million tickets, I think,” he said. “When we step on the Country Day field to practice, I think that will be the first time since I stepped off my senior year.”

Then there is OC Frank Cignetti, who spent a year as OC at UNC in the final year of the Frank Bunting era. So he knows some of the players.

Starting linebacker Quan Sturdivant is another player whom Cignetti helped bring to North Carolina. In Sturdivant’s case, Cignetti was the assistant coach primarily responsible for recruiting him. That meant Cignetti made home visits with Sturdivant’s family and showed him around campus.

“Coach Frank, I remember him well,” Sturdivant said. “I remember thinking to myself that he was the most organized coach I had ever seen. He was on top of everything, he was really organized and that made a big impression on me.

“Plus, he was good at talking. I was a quarterback and I knew I wasn’t going to be playing quarterback in college, but he kept making me feel like I had a shot. That told me that he really wanted me to come to North Carolina.

“It will be cool to play against him, but it will be a challenge because he has built a very strong offense with a great running game.”

Cignetti’s stay at North Carolina was short and mostly because that one season he was there — 2006 — the Tar Heels finished 3-9 and Bunting, along with his staff, was fired.

But it’s a hook for storylines.

Over on the UNC side of things, the Tarheels have to do damage control after the disappointment of ending up in Charlotte again (Insider subs).

Even with that, UNC still figured to be headed to the Music City Bowl to play Kentucky. But because of the shuffle created by a back-room deal that sent Florida State to the Gator Bowl in honor of coach Bobby Bowden’s retirement, the Tar Heels got relegated to the Meineke Car Care Bowl for the second year in a row and the third time in five seasons. Coach Butch Davis and his players would rather be anywhere else in the world than back in nearby Charlotte on the day after Christmas…

That meme has made the rounds. To the point where Butch Davis had to respond with the appropriate denial.

“Absolutely our team wants to be here,” Davis said in advance of the Saturday game against Pittsburgh. “We’re trying to build a program and make going to bowl games a yearly event.

“Certainly coming to Charlotte, where a lot of people might say they’re disappointed because they were here last year, in some respects that’s good for us because so many of our kids are from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia. Their families can come and be a part of this. I think it’s very good.”

We’re thrilled, dammit.

Not too high over the wins and not too low over the losses. That is how I am trying to treat the games this season. Otherwise by blood pressure will not be able to handle things.

So, I’ll start with the poor mouthing. Ohio isn’t very good. They were picked to finish last in the MAC-East by a lot of preseason pubs. So beating and even pounding on them the way Pitt did should not have been completely unexpected.

Now, the turnovers. The box score shows that Pitt had 21 turnovers. Sloppy and suggesting that Pitt could have really killed the Bobcats. Breaking down the turnovers a bit, Pitt committed 7 in the first half. Not great but tolerable compared to where Pitt had been. Pitt started out the second half with roughly the same rate. Through almost 9 minutes Pitt had 3 turnovers.

At that point, Pitt was up 21 points. Over the final 11+ minutes, Pitt had 11 turnovers and still won by 25. As Coach Dixon put it.

“That was the only drawback,” Dixon said. “We got careless with the ball. The disappointing thing was we were good at it until late.”

Well, I wouldn’t say “good,” so much as slightly better than it has been.

Jermaine Dixon and Nasir Robinson had 3 turnovers each in that final 11. Travon Woodall and Gilbert Brown had 2 each and Brad Wanamaker had 1.

Otherwise it was a very good night for Pitt, with the overriding story the return of Gilbert Brown.

“I definitely put in hard work and effort to make sure I came back in shape and prepared to contribute to the team,” he said.

Brown is Pitt’s most experienced player, and his presence on the floor made a big impression on his teammates.

“Gil is a great player,” sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs said. “I think he gave us a lot of energy. We’re expecting big things from him, and I think there is more to come.”

Gibbs led all scorers with 15 points. It was his 10th game in double figures. Jermaine Dixon scored a season-high 14 points and Nasir Robinson registered 10, sinking all five attempts from the field. Junior guard Brad Wanamaker contributed an unconventional double-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Brown looked a little out of sorts when he initially came in. He committed 2 fouls in 2:32, definitely trying to feel his way. Then after a little more time on the bench, Coach Dixon surprised us all by sticking Brown back for the final 4:28 of the first half. He was much more settled and really got into the flow of the game.

Despite committing 21 turnovers, the Panthers finished the game with a season-high 26 assists on their 29 field goals, prompting Jermaine Dixon to call the timing of their holiday break “unfortunate.”

“But I’m sure when everybody gets back, we’re going to get at it,” he said.

Brown showed little signs of rust in his debut, shooting 4 of 4 from the field, including 2 of 2 from 3-point range. He switched from small forward, which he played each of the previous two seasons, to power forward, splitting time with Robinson.

“It was a big adjustment, actually, coming into this first game, switching positions,” Brown said. “Having a thorough understanding of the offense helped me get through it.”

Playing Brown at power forward worked well in this game. It still means a rather small line-up for Pitt. He looked a lot better than I expected in his return. His suspension was the type where he could not practice or workout with the team or coaches. That goes all the way down to what he was eating as well. I really didn’t expect that solid a performance, but I also would not be surprised to see him struggle in the next game.

The reduced minutes for Robinson seemed to light a fire under him. It seemed to finally hit him that his minutes will be impacted with Brown’s return, and if he doesn’t improve it won’t get better. Robinson started the game and came out hot. Finishing all his shots and getting after things.

Jermaine Dixon really looked his best to date. He did not seem as winded despite playing 25 minutes. He was penetrating and finishing. Definitely not looking as hesitant.

Wanamaker had another good game even with only 4 points on 2-8 shooting and 4 turnovers (tied with Woodall and Robinson for highs in the game). He played a team high 34 minutes and had 10 asssists, 10 rebounds and 2 steals. That’s 17 assists in the last 2 games.

With some of the pressure to score off him now that Dixon and Brown are back, Wanamaker seemed to comfortably take more of a supporting and help role.

He has led the redoubled defensive effort for Pitt after the break for finals, and has been the good soldier for Coach Dixon with what the coach wants the team to do. Whether it is be the penetrating/slashing guard attacking the basket. Going after boards and helping to tighten the defense. Or be more of a facilitator.

Dante Taylor looked as comfortable as I’ve seen him at the center position. I’m not sure, but I think the message — whether in talking to Coach Dixon or reading Dixon’s comments —  finally got through to him. He’s not going to get to play power forward until he shows more. He has to play better defense and have better footwork. He grabbed 10 boards and had 2 blocks in 18 minutes. Not particularly solid on offense, but that will come.

McGhee played just a little more (21 min) than Taylor and definitely was moving well. He was 3-3 with two slams. He had only 5 boards but also 5 blocks.

Most importantly, McGhee and Taylor had 0 turnovers. An actual positive amidst the volume of TOs.

The near week off for the players is not a bad thing. It means more practice. Something they need — with Jermaine Dixon and Brown  there to help push them.

Sorry about getting the post out last minute. Out of the house for the afternoon and evening. Having a teeming distaste for humanity after being ordered to get last minute gifts for my wife’s boss and co-workers.

Join the fun below right around 7pm.

I’ll say two makes a trend. At least for blog post headline puporses. Andrew Devlin sat out this year, and Hubie Graham will sit out next.

One of the most heavily recruited players in the country in 2007, Graham played the last two seasons at the University of Illinois, having recently been released upon his request from his scholarship.

“It was a tough decision to leave Illinois, but it’s something I felt I had to do for myself,” Graham said. “I had the opportunity when I was being recruited in high school to maintain the relationships with a lot of universities, which allowed me to have the chance to transfer.

“Down deep in my heart, I just know that the University of Pittsburgh is the place I want to be now.”

In two seasons with Illinois, Graham played in all 12 games as a freshman, seeing action on 109 offensive snaps and 44 on special teams.

This season, he played in eight games and started against Penn State. However, he missed three Big Ten games with a back injury and did not play in the season finale against Fresno State.

He had four receptions for 59 yards.

“I’m extremely happy to be headed to the University of Pittsburgh and having the opportunity to play closer to home,” Graham said. “I’m excited. The coaching staff is great and they have a great program. They run a pro-style offense where they use the tight end.

“I think that Pittsburgh offers me a chance to use my skills in a good system.”

I think, “One of the most heavily recruited players in the country in 2007” might be a touch of hometown hyperbole. Graham was a consensus 4-star recruit and not even top-10 at his position. The top choices for him were Illinois, GT, Pitt, UCLA and Michigan.

This is not meant to denigrate Graham, or piss on picking him up. He seems like a solid transfer pick-up. A player that will fit very well in Pitt’s offense and a very good player. Let’s just keep it in perspective.

Pitt also got a long expected local commit from 3-star safety/cornerback Brandon Ifill. Pitt beat out Maryland, Rutgers, Michigan (where his more hyped and starred teammate Cullen Christian committed) and WVU.

Here’s some of his evaluation from ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. (Insider subs).

Ifill is a very versatile football player with a lot of athletic talent. He has good height but could afford to put on some bulk and lower body strength. A very heads up and instinctive football player from the safety position. Breaks quickly on run support and has the ability to change his angle of support and redirect if the ball bounces out or cuts back. Doesn’t mind mixing it up and delivering on bigger ball carriers but would be more effective with some more lead in his behind. Very reliable openfield tackler that does whatever is necessary to bring the guy down.

Maryland was the early favorite at the start of the season, but…

“Pitt really came on with me this fall,” Ifill said. “I started talking to their coaches a lot more and the more I talked to them, the more I got comfortable. They’re just so well-rounded in everything they have. Their academics and academic support are great, just as well as the coaching.”

Sure Dan Mason worked him hard as well, but I think we all know the real reason. Pitt had the built-in advantage since in a preseason Q&A he admitted his favorite place to eat is the “O.”

Dion Lewis’ name came up a whole lot after the college football season ended. It’s quite a resume the freshman has already accumulated.

There are the multiple “Freshman of the year” awards from the Sporting News, CBS Sportsline, ECAC and CollegeFootballNews.com.

He couldn’t crack a 1st team All-American ballot with Heisman winner Mark Ingram and finalist Toby Gerhart ahead of him, but was on numerous second-teams.

He was a second-team All-America selection by the AP as well as by Sporting News, CBSSports.com, SI.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com.

So, cue the stories on how he handles it all.

In fact, beyond a little bit of a grin or perhaps a little chuckle, Lewis, who was the Big East Conference offensive player and rookie of the year and the only true freshman to be named Tuesday to The Associated Press All-America college football team, doesn’t let on that he understands the magnitude of what he has been able to do.

That aspect, however, is not surprising to his coaches and teammates because Lewis, 19, is described by them as focused, driven and mature beyond his years.

“You always worry about players of any age handling the hype, the attention, the accolades, but especially freshmen because it is all new to them,” said Pitt running backs coach David Walker. “But not Dion, he’s not changed one bit, not even a little. He’s the same guy he was when nobody outside of the team knew who he was. He’s humble, he’s very well grounded and he just wants to be the best player he can be.”

What? You were expecting a “I’m Rick  James, bitch!” moment? Everything this whole season with Dion Lewis has been low key and humble. And the advice he keeps getting is to do more of the same.

[Tony] Dorsett could feel Lewis’ pain. He embraced Lewis afterward and encouraged him to keep running — even if it means erasing his name from the record book.

“(Dorsett) told me he enjoys watching me play,” said Lewis, who has only seen Dorsett highlights on YouTube videos. “He told me to stay humble.”

Humility is hardly a problem for Lewis. Even at 19, he readily shares the spotlight with his teammates.

“Dion is always like that,” said sophomore receiver Jonathan Baldwin, who along with Lewis is among 10 Panthers to earn All-Big East first-team honors. “After the game, he was talking about how bad it felt not being able to give the seniors a Big East championship.”

He seems a near lock to get the 47 yards needed to pass Tony Dorsett’s freshman rushing record — though Dorsett set it with one less game.

While on the subject of Dion Lewis and Pitt’s running game. Anyone else think that RB Coach David Walker should be up a raise or at least a bonus? He keeps coaching the running game to better than expected results. Yes the talent is key, but he has some sort of touch when it comes to getting results year-in-year-out where ever he is.

Yes, the O-line was a huge factor in helping Lewis, which will make it very likely that next year could see Lewis in a “sophomore slump” as much because of a new O-line as anything else.

So, let’s get the stoylines out of the way:

Teams that are mirror images of each other. Waiting for the full piece.

Defensive struggle expected. Sort of, but expect more.

Both coaches recruiting talent. Check.

Same coaching tree. Check (Complete with 1992 photo on Johnson’s boat, with Johnson wearing shorts that well. Eep.).

Friendship between the coaches. Full story coming

All storylines rolled into one. Right here.

The fundamentals of North Carolina’s defense are similar to those of Pitt: Play an aggressive 4-3 with the emphasis up front, pressure the quarterback and force turnovers.

That’s not a coincidence. North Carolina coach Butch Davis and Pitt’s Dave Wannstedt are close friends who were assistant coaches on Jimmy Johnson’s staff for 11 seasons with Oklahoma State, Miami and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Both are defensive specialists, and Wannstedt was Davis’ boss for seven of those 11 years.

“Dave’s an outstanding football coach,” Davis said. “His teams are extraordinarily well-coached. He’s got an excellent assistant coaching staff, guys who have got a lot of experience and have been with him for many years …

“Dave’s fingerprints are all over this football team. They’re very sound in special teams. They play very physical defensively, which is certainly Dave’s background. You can tell just how stingy they are by watching how aggressive their front seven are.”

Sound familiar? That description could just as easily apply to the Tar Heels.

Oh, and both teams managed to lose to NC State in Raleigh. Hopefully they won’t start rolling like Pitt afterwards, since they ended their season there.

History, though, has suggested that Wannstedt struggles against his friends and former coaching subordinates. Or that could just be Greg Schiano.

After nearly a week off for finals the players are back to practice.

“It is great to be back,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said yesterday before the Panthers’ first practice since the Cincinnati loss. “I think it is important we go out and not just practice these three days before we leave but practice with a purpose. These seniors have done so much to bring this program back to national prominence but we have to finish the thing out.

“We had two tough, tough losses to end the season so we have to finish and finish on a positive note. We’re going to enjoy the bowl game but it is business and we need to go down there and understand that. The best thing about this is we have another game to play and that means we have another opportunity to turn disappointment into positive.”

The players no doubt will say all the right things about how they want to end the season with a win, and at least partially wipe the taste of the two losses by a total of 4 points away.

It will still be a question of how they actually do when they get on the field. That’s going to be up to the coaches, especially Coach Wannstedt.

The game today (now playing) against Mt. Saint Mary’s is the last that won’t be seen on any TV. After today, whether on Big East/ESPN regional or somewhere on the Mouse Monopoly, there Pitt will be watchable on the tube.

The annoying thing — beyond the fact that I want to be able to see every game — is that this game will be very interesting to watch after Pitt has had a week off for finals. Coach Dixon has decided that the team needs some shaking up.

When the players reported for practice Tuesday afternoon they were informed that all starting positions were up for grabs. The practices were harder and longer than usual. One player described the past three days as a “boot camp.”

Another player said he wished Dixon would have done it sooner.

“The week was tough,” junior guard Brad Wanamaker. “I felt as though it was something we needed. It helped us mature. It will help us make better decisions. Every little thing we did coach was on us in practice. Coach was constantly on us to see the fight in us. Maybe it was something he should have done constantly throughout all of the practices. We would be a better team now. But it was good for us.”

Freshman forward Dante Taylor said when the players got to practice on Tuesday they discovered there were no gold jerseys. Gold jerseys designate the starters and represent a team hierarchy of sorts.

“When we came out for the first practice there was no gold team,” Taylor said. “He told us positions were open. This was the time for you to show if you wanted to be a starter or not. He was going to start the five guys who play defense.”

And for the first time this season, Coach Dixon really explained how the inexperience has been a problem. Not an excuse, but a problem.

“That has been the challenge,” Jamie Dixon said. “You have new guys who are used to doing it one way. You don’t have the guys to demonstrate it. Jermaine is our best defender, and he’s not there.

“I think we’ve had to do more teaching and more film. New guys generally don’t believe it until they see it in a game situation. And then if they continue to play minutes and not suffer the consequences then it becomes less believable. There has been improvement and there needs to be more improvement.”

In other words, how do you yank their asses off the court and onto the bench to make the point when you don’t have a viable option?

And of course, after today, the rotation changes again with Gilbert Brown returning.

Jamie Dixon will likely give Brown minutes at power forward and small forward, meaning once again that the rotation will change significantly.

The unique aspect of Brown’s return is that he has been barred from practice and has not been a part of the team since September. He has attended games, but has not been allowed to participate in any team-related activities during his suspension.

“There is no formula for that one,” the coach said. “That’s a unique situation. It is what it is and we’ll see come Sunday. It’s the situation that we’re in.

“The thing that’s unique is that he’s been in the program for four years. That’s something that should factor in some ways. He has played minutes. He has that going for him unlike the seven new players we have this year.”

We’ll see. I know I’ll be very curious to see what kind of shape Brown is in at this point.

1-AA Champions.

I’m just sayin’

I have to admit to being a bit disappointed by all the “chicken little” reactions to Pitt basketball so far. There seems to be a disconnect between the realism before the season that this was going to be a rebuilding year and a team that would be a NCAA bubble/NIT team to seeing it actually happen. Players not as good or as experienced as Young, Fields and Blair. Struggling to execute on offense, shaky defense, lots of turnovers.

Things not seen from Pitt basketball in a while. Leading to frustration and anger. Angst over how the talent level could possibly dip or coaches could possibly miss on evaluations. Frankly, just plain silliness.

Pitt has the longest streak of making the NCAA in the Big East. A conference that includes teams that perennial top-ranked programs with top coaches.  Few are the programs that don’t suffer a down year. Whether it’s a dip in talent, injuries, inexperience, lack of chemistry and/or any combination. Regardless of the recruiting and coach. Florida, Ohio State, Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, UCLA, Illinois and Washington are just some recent or present examples.

After last season ended and DeJuan Blair declared, the expectations of this team doing well were not based on Nasir Robinson, Gary McGhee, Travon Woodall and Brad Wanamaker. Those were supposed to be the supporting players. Like Keith Benjamin, Antonio Graves, Levon Kendall and so on. Guys who were not stars but role players and part of the system. Players who had the time to learn and know their roles. They provided energy and sparks at times. They were not the stars but they were vital to the team.

The hope was that Gilbert Brown was going to be the latest Pitt junior to make the “leap” to centerpiece of the team. That Dante Taylor would be at worst DeJuan Blair-light. That Jermaine Dixon would provide the strong defense and leadership. That Ashton Gibbs would continue to be the 3-point assassin to make teams pay.

Well, that has not worked that way. Gilbert Brown has been suspended, and who knows for sure how well he’ll play when he comes back (and if he can avoid being injured for the 245th time). Jermaine Dixon has been hurt all season and is only now trying to play his way back into shape. Dante Taylor is a freshman playing a new position — and while talented — looks that way frequently. Gibbs has been forced to do a lot more than simply spot-up and fire.

As for the supporting players. Well they have had to do a lot more than expected and many would want. This seems to be the source of much of the frustration. Seeing guys who should be supporting or role players have to be almost central to the team exposes more of their flaws, rawness and how far they still have to go. Which in turn fuels fan frustration and hyperbolic statements as to their ability and skills (more specifically, their lack thereof). With more than a little vitriol and annoyance focused on Nasir Robinson and Brad Wanamaker.

I understand the frustration with both — to varying degrees. I like Wanamaker, except for the fact that he perpetually looks out of control. Even when he isn’t. I think it hurts him with the officials who hesitate to give him calls because it appears that he is barreling around and into people — almost like the antithesis to Duke players that flop upon being a light breeze striking them.

With Robinson, well, I touched on him before. That inability to finish just kills. In that, he has shown no growth from last year in spots to this year as a starter.

To me the biggest factor this year is that there is no focal point for the team on the court. Whether a guy on offense or a true leader at the point. You look at the guys on the team, and they are all really good teammates. Guys that want the team to succeed. Who will work hard. They say the right things. Put their egos aside. Every cliche like that, and would have us speaking glowingly of them — if they were winning.

Unfortunately, this team has been struggling and this team needs some sort of alpha dog on the team. Wanamaker, Gibbs, Woodall  or Jermaine Dixon. Almost by virtue of their experience and position played on the team. One of them has assert some control out there.

One final thing this season should have made clear to everyone. Coach Jamie Dixon did not reject the overtures of Arizona and USC in the spring because he felt he was coming back to a special team this year.

I really, really, really don’t look forward to 18+ months of mindless speculation over Big 11 expansion. The amusing thing is that it doesn’t seem my fellow bloggers from Rutgers or Syracuse are that enthusiastic about the matter either.

I’m a cynic and money always trumps all. And no doubt the money of being part of the Big 11 would be too great for any to turn down.

That said, I like the Big East. Yes, it is not a powerhouse football conference, but it is a better fit for Pitt. That said, if the Big East wants to survive it has to act. Sean at Troy Nunes is right, the Big East has to “Grow a F***ing Pair.” They have to stop acting like a b-ball conference and the whole Providence thing is over.

My feelings on this are much the same as when it went down in 2003. If the Big East is to make it and Pitt be a part of it, then the Big East needs to stop the hybrid crap and commit to being a real frickin’ conference. That means jettisoning the b-ball only schools and get to the magic number of 12 teams that compete in the major sports.

Honestly, I was saving this post until the spring when speculation is easier and there are less interesting things — like a bowl game and basketball games. Then the Big 11 decided it needed more attention.

So here it is.

First, there is no magic bullet.  Admit that there is no frickin’ way the Big East is going to be able to raid other BCS conferences for teams. It is about money and the other BCS conferences make and have more than the Big East. Leaving the ACC by BC and/or Maryland is not going to happen. Grumbling alumni in Boston won’t have BC jumping yet again. Just as Penn State isn’t leaving the Big 11. It’s all about the money.

Second, ignore the independents. Please. Notre Dame is not going to make the full commitment. They just aren’t. Pride and money.

Army and Navy are respectable names, but they are not BCS conference teams. Besides their own desire to play a schedule of their choosing — they don’t compete in other major sports. They don’t have (and nor should they be committing) the resources to a full athletic department budget of a major conference program. So, despite the historic cache and respect for being service academies, they aren’t going to be a part of this.

Third, admit that like after the ACC raid, it will have to be retooling with teams with potential and willingness to make the commitment. They will not make the conference better right away.

Fourth, there has to be some geographic logic and natural rivalries. That means Southern Miss and Tulsa are not in the mix.

Philly. Villanova has to make the leap to D-1A. They need to follow the UConn model. They have been successfull at 1AA, function in a major media market and are smack in the Big East footprint — natural rivalries with Pitt in state and Rutgers right next door. If they aren’t willing, then maybe default to Temple as long as the school is willing to continue to make a full commitment.

Central Florida. Okay, this is a no-brainer. USF may not like the idea of helping them, but they are needed. They have made the commitment to an on-campus stadium. They are in a still growing market (Orlando). They offer USF the natural rival, geographic proximity, and further solidifies the Big East in Florida.

East Carolina. Another, mostly no-brainer. They have a very good fanbase and will be immediately competitive in football. Basketball still needs a lot of work, but they have shown a willingness to make a financial commitment to upgrade on all fronts.

Okay, these are predictable. Right? These have been the ones generally mentioned when it comes to Big East expansion. That means the fourth team is going to be Memphis.

Wrong.

Forget the overall shadiness of Memphis’ athletic programs. Forget that outside of basketball  (and their dance team) that they bring little to a conference. Their geographic isolation from all other programs in the Big East (Louisville is closest and they are nearly 400 miles away) without offering the fertile recruiting of Florida is a real problem. As is further spreading the conference west. They are a choice of last resort.

Now for the 4th team.

Charlotte. You read right. The school formerly called UNC-Charlotte. The University of Charlotte 49ers are bringing back football by 2013. Their ill-fated foray into the A-10 — that has seen the loss of rivalries (geographically isolated with Richmond their closest conference foe) and hurt their basketball program — has them working to expand their athletic department. They provide a natural instate rivalry with ECU and exist in  another growing market along the East Coast.

It’s not ideal. And it sure makes clear why, if the Big 11 reaches its inevitable conclusion of expansion and offers Pitt, Syracuse or Rutgers, they will take it.

I have no choice but to mention this, despite the fact that anything that will happen is at least a year or two away. They will only be forming a study group to gather the info and make a recommendation in a year to 18 months. I’d rather wait until at least May — when speculative topics are much better at filling dead space.

Still, here are the basics from my viewpoint.

The Big 11 is doing this because it has to. All for money. It wants more money for a championship game. It wants to be able to push more adoption of the Big 11 network. It has seen the SEC blow them out of the water with money and the more fertile recruiting — which means more money in the bowls and BCS.

It has to worry about the ACC ever getting its football house in order and actually becoming another major factor to the East. Especially as the ACC is only checked on the B-ball side by the Big East. Again, eating into money.

Big 11 expansion is realistically and effectively limited to 5 schools: Missouri, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pitt. Not just for geography, but because the Big 11 prides itself on all members being part of the Association of American Universities — all the aforementioned schools are members. Schools like Cinci, Louisville, WVU and UConn are not part of that group. (Oddly enough the University at Buffalo is a member.)

Notre Dame isn’t joining. Everyone knows that.

Missouri would be very unlikely. After the ACC raid on the Big East, every conference upped the costs and timeframe to disentangle membership. The Big 12 is particularly harsh  (but I can’t find the exact cost and time it would take). So Mizzou would face short term financially crippling costs to make the jump.

That leaves Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers.

If you follow the idea that you want to keep geography more condensed, then Pitt makes the most sense since it is already within the geographic footprint. If you follow the money and media market then it is clear that Syracuse or Rutgers would be the picks.

Whoever gets offered realistically should and must jump. If they don’t, they know one of the others will. That is, unless they can create some sort of ironclad — and cost prohibitive penalty — that binds the three together.

What Joe Paterno has to say about this, is as meaningless as anything else he has said on it for the last 6 years. He’s the geriatric, iconic coach of one football program. He’s not an AD. He’s not a school president. He’s marketing and a colorful quote for the Big 11 and little else in this matter.