I’ve let the links pile. A lot of them are already dated. Time to clear them before the Big East Tournament gets real (any game involving DePaul doesn’t count).

Before I start, I’m just wondering: who in the Big East offices did Villanova tick off last year? Bad enough they got scheduled with two road games to end the year, but both were on Senior Days at two of the toughest home courts in the Big East.  I know they have been struggling for a couple weeks, but that was just overkill.

Ashton Gibbs was named a 1st Team All-Big East team player. Brad Wanamaker made 2nd team.

“First and foremost, it was because of my teammates and coaches,” he said. “Without them, I wouldn’t be in the mention of being on the team.”

Gibbs, a second-team pick last season, averaged a team-high 16.4 points while ranking in the top 10 in the nation in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage.

“Great shooters work at it,” Dixon said. “And he’s paid the price.”

As soon as Gary McGhee was not included anywhere on the list — not even honorable mention — it was a lock that he wasn’t going to be named Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Idle question if someone wants to dig for the answer. Has there ever been a Big East Defensive POY not included somewhere on the All-Big East team?

Brad Wanamaker was also named the Big East Sportsman of the Year.

Wanamaker is the third Pitt player to win the sportsmanship award, which has been given out annually since 2002. Jaron Brown won in ’04 and Ronald Ramon in ’08.

“Those are good awards,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “I’m excited about that. It’s great for Brad. I thought he had a shot at that. It’s well-deserved.”

The funny thing is that in the ESPN the Magazine college basketball preview, Wanamaker was named the second biggest trash talker in the conference. Something he did dispute back then.

“I don’t know how I go to be No. 2,” he said. “That’s crazy. I just go out there and play. When I make a good play, get an and-one or something, I might scream, but I don’t consider myself a trash talker.”

On beating Villanova, it was noted that Pitt nailed free throws. It was  also noted by plenty of Pitt fans, that Coach Jamie Dixon played guards and guys who are good free throw shooters in the final minutes. Nas, McGhee. They were not out there when Nova was fouling to drag the game out. No coincidence that Pitt made 9 of 10 FTs in the final 45 seconds. Half-full: great move to make Pitt’s usual weakness a strength. Half-empty: it took until the final game of the season to make that move.

Villanova’s attempts to burn offense Pitt may have slowed Pitt but it wasn’t going to work. Not when Pitt stayed patient and Villanova couldn’t finish at their end.

Obligingly, the players expressed happiness but not contentment with winning the Big East on Saturday.

“We were happy,” senior Brad Wanamaker said, “but we realize this is just the first checkpoint on what we want to do this year.”

Even Bob Smizik states that Pitt has had a great season.

Ray Mernagh looks at how this team was/is perceived.

Brad Wanamaker was the kid that would never live up to the greatness that the Pitt coach kept insisting was inside of him.

Gary McGhee was the center that would never contribute anything besides picking up his five fouls and grabbing the occasional defensive rebound in his area.

Gilbert Brown would never live up to his talent level.

Nasir Robinson would never be capable, at 6’5?, of contributing offensively at the 4 position.

Ashton Gibbs would never be anything more than a spot-up shooter.

Travon Woodall would never be a quality Big East point guard.

Dante Taylor was being questioned because he was producing numbers right in the middle of all the McDonald’s All Americans from his class, while Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna were both being put in the “Pitt can’t recruit talented players” bin already.

And hilariously it continues, even on the morning after Pitt won its third outright Big East title.

Sadly, those perceptions remain with some Pitt fans. Especially when a mistake is made on the court.

Nick Rivers gets love and we learn he might be around for another year.

Nasir Robinson gets love from his local paper.

Before every Chester basketball game, Pittsburgh forward Nasir Robinson picks up the phone and calls his younger brothers, Kareem and Darius, to wish them luck and impart a little wisdom.

“I tell them to play hard and keep up the Robinson name,” Nasir said.

The Big East Tournament has lots of excitement, drama and complaints.The Big East is too big. The double-bye hurts the best teams. The Big East is too big and too hard on teams by the end of the year.

Now since Pitt hasn’t won a Big East Tournament game since 2008, there’s a bit of pressure and some talk about that. Hopefully the players won’t put too much pressure on themselves.

“The last couple of years were really tough, especially after what I experienced my freshman year,” McGhee said. “We always tell the guys what it’s like to win a game up there, to see the fans cheering for us at the hotel when we get back. This year, we’re going to get after it, and hopefully, bring home the Big East championship.”

Contra view:

“We’re going to treat these games like any other game,” Gibbs said. “We played every team in the tournament during the regular season. It starts in practice. We need to have a good week of practice and play hard. If we carry our momentum over from [the Villanova] game, we’ll be fine.”

This won’t be on Wanamaker, McGhee and Brown’s minds — unless you think it was why they lost to Louisville.

Pitt seniors Gilbert Brown, Gary McGhee and Brad Wanamaker were selected to attend the 58th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament on April 6-9 in Portsmouth, Va. The invitation-only event attracts 64 of the top college basketball seniors each year and upwards of 200 NBA scouts, general managers and representatives. “They earned it,” Dixon said. “It’s pretty hard to make that event. I don’t know how many teams have had all three of their seniors go to that event.”

Coach Dixon is spinning a bit. The Portsmouth is not a big deal any more. Not with so much of the draft focused on underclassmen and overseas players. It can’t hurt them, but it is hardly a big deal. Still, good for the guys.