After a couple less than positive stories, let’s end with something really good.

Travon Woodall hasn’t been seen much at Greentree this summer. While some haven’t noticed because of the shiny new baubles of Johnson, Johnson, Birch and Gilbert. To say nothing of all the other guys who have been there playing. Apparently he got some grief about it. Turns out there’s a really good reason:

For everyone who doesn’t know, I have a STAT class that I am taking in order for me to graduate in December.

These are still college students, and part of the the reason they are staying in the ‘Burgh in the summer is to take the summer classes. Sometimes they conflict with other activities, but they still take precedence.

That’ is fantastic that Woodall will be graduating a semester early. He is heading into his redshirt junior year, but has tracked academically a bit ahead of schedule. Anyone who has seen “The Street Stops Here” or knows Woodall’s back story has to be excited for the young man.

Aliquippa is expecting big things from Brandon Lindsey. They like to have their boys from ‘da Quip getting attention and they love to make it some sort of geographic lineage.

Lindsey, 22, has strong family bloodlines. His father, John, played major-college basketball at Memphis. His brother, Willie, played major college football at Northwestern.

Lindsey comes from a strong high school football program that has produced five first-round picks in the NFL Draft — Mike Ditka (1961), Sean Gilbert (1992), Ty Law (1995), Darrelle Revis (2007) and former Pitt teammate Jonathan Baldwin (2011).

“It’s a little too early to start thinking about the NFL Draft, but really, it’s not too far away,” Lindsey said. “This is my last year (at Pitt), and I know it’s going to happen. What round I get drafted … it all depends on what I do on the field this season.”

The successes should be celebrated. In an area like Aliquippa that has no shortage of problems, you want to point to the people that do something. That take advantage of their opportunities.

Then there is Monroe Weekley.

(more…)

The recruitment of shooting guard Myles Davis ended with an abrupt Twitter thud, last night.

“I would like to announce that I will be a Musketeer at Xavier University,” Davis tweeted late Monday night, also confirming the commitment to CBSSports.com in a text message.

The 6-foot-1 guard from Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) chose Xavier over Pittsburgh, Georgetown and West Virginia.

This was a surprise since Pitt had been recruiting Davis for some time and he is the coulsin of Pitt assistant Brandin Knight. Davis seemed to be highest on Pitt and Georgetown, so the choice of Xavier was a bit of a surprise.

(more…)

Okay, so Coach Jamie Dixon isn’t exactly a font of controversial statements and radical thoughts in college basketball and the coaching profession. Odds are that isn’t changing anytime soon. In fact, that sticking to the orthodoxy of what coaches say, probably was a factor in being named a director on the board of the National Association of Basketball Coaches along with Brad Stevens, Mark Gottfried and Jim Boeheim.

The directors list of the NABC is, um, varied. There’s Tom Izzo, Phil Martelli, Bo Ryan and other respected, very good coaches. Then there are guys like Ernie Kent (ex-Oregon coach), Paul Hewitt and Mike Brey.

Well, technically two weeks and a day, but close enough. When the Big East gets a little attention and the media wax rhapsodic over the lobster and clam bakes.

Generally, I have not subjected which players represent Pitt at BE Media Day to much attention. Mainly because under Coach Wannstedt it was senior-oriented with the star players.

You look at Pitt’s roster, and who has been put on the preseason watch lists, and everything else. I would have expected the possible 3 or 4 players heading to Rhode Island would include Brandon Lindsey, Ray Graham, Tino Sunseri, Lucas Nix and Mike Shanahan.

Not so much.

(more…)

How is it, that when my kids actually have some camps this week I have less time?

Okay, a few dated stories to clear from the tabs and one delay.

Myles Davis is one of Pitt’s targets for its remaining scholarship in 2012. At this time, Pitt has two spots after Gibbs and Nas graduate. One is going to the New Zealand center, Steven Adams. While Pitt is open to the best available player (Amile Jefferson), Davis has long been a Pitt target. The shooting guard is also the cousin to Pitt assistant Brandin Knight.

Davis has indicated that his final choices are Pitt, Georgetown, West Virginia and Xavier. He had stated that he would make his announcement today —   if his AAU team, the N.J. Playaz win the Peach Jam. Instead, they lost yesterday in the semis. Now he will make a choice (probably) in August.

(more…)

There was some disappointment when Pat Bostick decided that he was done with being a member of the Pitt football team. You hate to lose a good leader and a veteran back-up QB at any level. At the same time, Bostick has his own life and wanted to get on with it.

The good news, he’s staying a very active part of Pitt football.

Former quarterback Pat Bostick, who was under center for some of the Panthers’ most stirring victories in recent years, will join Bill Hillgrove in the booth to form Pitt’s new radio duo for the 2011 season.

Bostick was a three-year letterman for Pitt (2007-08, 2010) and quarterbacked the Panthers to such memorable victories as their 13-9 upset of West Virginia in 2007 and 36-33 quadruple-overtime win at Notre Dame in 2008. An honors graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he earned his bachelor’s degree in just three years and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Pitt’s School of Education.

In addition, Bostick will have a regular appearance on 93.7 to talk Pitt football. Reed can also breathe easy with the knowledge that Bostick will continue to write articles for Pitt’s website and the Pitt Athletic Department’s newspaper.

(more…)

A short follow-up to the post about Anthony Gonzalez. It was noted that he was applying for the accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD) program. This is in conjunction with the prosecutors lowering the marijuana charge misdemeanor possession to conspiracy to possess.

Speaking with a friend who has more than a passing familiarity with the criminal legal system in Allegheny County, it is safe to assume that Gonzalez is nearly a shoe-in for getting ARD. Now that his charge is no longer a straight drug charge, it is more palatable for a prosecutor to recommend a first time offender for the ARD.

The likely result is that at the time of his next hearing, he can formally accept participating in the ARD program.

(more…)

It was just a small bit at the end, unrelated to the article (which I will get to in another post), but it is significant for the upcoming years.

Cornerback E.J. Banks, a 2009 Montour High School graduate, has left Notre Dame and enrolled at Pitt where he will sit out the 2011 season in compliance with NCAA transfer rules. Banks was a four-year starter at quarterback and safety at Montour. … Backup center Brandon Sacco, who would have been a redshirt freshman, has left the Pitt football team. He joined the Panthers last season from Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep.

My first impulse on seeing that Pitt was losing a very promising offensive lineman who plays at a position of definite need for Pitt and picking up yet another transfer for the secondary. Not the trade I would like to see.

(more…)

Probably not the best news for Anthony Gonzalez. His arraignment date is not until September 1.

Gonzalez, 20, waived his right for a preliminary hearing Monday in front of District Justice Nancy Matos Gonzalez in Bethlehem.

The marijuana charge is a misdemeanor and the others are summary violations, according to court papers. Gonzalez was cited May 20 while he was a passenger in a car that was stopped by police in South Bethlehem.

Pitt coach Todd Graham suspended Gonzalez, one of only three quarterbacks on the roster, at the time of the incident. His status with the team hasn’t changed, a spokesman said.

That means Gonzalez very likely won’t have this settled until after training camp. The season opener is September 3. While I have stated that I do not feel these charges do not merit a dismissal from the team or even much more than a game suspension, there is no way Pitt will reinstate Gonzalez to the team until after the case has been settled — if it takes until then.

(more…)

Shaky-cam alert, as the increasingly receding-haired Coach Dixon (not helped by the camera angle) is asked about recruiting and Pitt and the team for next year.

As Zagoria says from the get-go, it is not like Coach Dixon can say much about recruiting. Not allowed to comment on specific players and Coach Dixon just says that Pitt is looking for the best players who will come to Pitt.

(more…)

Jeremiah Bryson was one of the stranger pick-ups in recruiting, even before Dave Wannstedt was fired. Not in terms of size or potential, but being a kid from Tennessee. Like many of the other recruits after Wannstedt was fired and then the chaos of Haywood, Bryson’s commitment was understandably shaky. It probably didn’t help that his mom wanted him to stay closer to home — but on signing day he signed with Pitt.

Now after a month at Pitt, Bryson has decided that he should not be at Pitt. He’s withdrawn from classes at Pitt and will go with his second choice, Middle Tennessee State.

(more…)

Seems that Zach Brown may not be the only thing Wisconsin sends Pitt’s way. How about the possibility of a home-and-home with the Badgers? (Hattip to Brad)

University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said this week that attempts are being made to add Pittsburgh and Kansas State to future non-conference schedules.

Alvarez declined to offer specifics, but confirmed that talks are taking place with those two Bowl Championship Series schools. Kansas State is out of the Big 12 Conference, while Pitt is a member of the Big East Conference.

Alvarez said no contracts have been signed with either school. The same goes for Brigham Young, an independent which has reportedly agreed to a non-conference series in 2014 and ’15.

Alvarez grew up in Pennsylvania and is known to have an affinity for Pitt, which has played the Badgers in football only three times, the last in 1967.

Needless to say, a really quality non-con opponent is always great to see on the schedule.

Not sure how far out this would be. Pitt appears to have openings in 2014-15, but if Wisconsin is slated to play BYU then, I doubt they would do both series. Expect this one to be a good 5 years or so away.

It’s the July recruiting period. That means Coach Dixon and assistants Brandin Knight and Bill Barton are out watching kids at tournaments all over the place. Twitter updates when sited by the various media folks also watching. Right now, so many players that Pitt is potentially pursuing for 2012 (2 scholarships), 2013 (2 scholarships) and 2014 (3 scholarships).

It’s nice seeing Pitt listed in the mix with players that have big name interest, but at this point in the recruiting cycle it is hard to be sure how realistic some are — especially for 2014 recruits. There are actually some good recruits from Pittsburgh on the radar. Granted, James Young, is going to HS in NJ, but he is a kid from the Pittsburgh area.

Still, some of it are from the kids themselves just rattling off names of schools they heard from. Not even always with confirmed offers. The compliment is seeing Pitt listed among the top teams at least looking at the kids.

(more…)

Pitt got a new commit yesterday from Dakota Conwell, a linebacker/quarterback/athlete out of Upper St. Clair. Pitt (and most of the other schools that were recruiting him) recruited him to play linebacker. Conwell stands about 6-1, 210 pounds.

Pitt Script has the recruiting summary info — a 3 to 2 star player that works hard and has good speed. There’s also the note about the odd, vaguely interesting comment from Conwell’s coach.

“I could probably build an argument that maybe he should’ve played this season and then see what transpires with colleges. But he’s happy with Pitt, and if he’s happy with Pitt, I’m ecstatic.”

As Pitt Script notes, Pitt hasn’t had a kid on the team since at least 2001, and with a comment like that it could be suggested that the coach is the reason why.

(more…)