No not Fraud Graham. I’m talking basketball recruiting and one Torian Graham.
With Khem Birch gone, Pitt has an extra scholarship available. It hasn’t been clear whether Pitt was going to use it or bank it. Assuming that Steven Adams is one-and-done, Pitt has 3 scholarships for next year. The sense I have gotten from rumors, reports and such; is that Coach Jamie Dixon is seeing if he can get a very talented player or JUCO. He won’t, however, take a flyer on someone just because he has the scholarship available.
Some of the names that have been popping up are kids like Sheldon Jeter, Jakarr Sampson is getting attention, and Andrew Young (JUCO) for 2012. Dixon has obviously been looking at kids for 2013 (Stanford Robinson and Kris Jenkins), as well, but let’s stick to the present class.
According Adam Zagoria, Pitt is among the most persistent suitors for one Torian Graham.
According to his guardian, Craig Wilson, four schools are working hardest on the 6-foot-4 wing: N.C. State, Xavier, Pittsburgh and Oregon.
“Everything is still wide open right now, everybody’s still calling,” Wilson told SNY.tv Thursday by phone.
Graham is a 4-star, top-100, 6-4 shooting guard.
He’s also loaded with baggage and question marks.
He has committed and decommitted to NC State — TWICE.
Class of 2012 shooting guard Torian Graham committed to North Carolina State last Thursday after de-committing from the Wolfpack in August. Then, just hours later, he de-committed from head coach Mark Gottfried and company for the second time in just four months. Graham has been quiet in terms of explaining why he walked away from the Wolfpack again but there has been speculation ranging from he potentially may not qualify to everyone in his family isn’t fully behind his decision.
The issues of interference with what he wants by those around him and grades is persistent. He is more than a little adrift with the recent passing of his mother.
Based on information from people with knowledge of the situation, it appears that Graham actually decommitted against his own wishes.
Sadly, his mother passed away earlier this year, and the prospect of playing for the Wolfpack excites Graham more than some of the influential people in his life, people who believe he’d fit better somewhere else, possibly at a higher-profile program. There’s also talk that N.C. State won’t accept a commitment from Graham until he makes a qualifying test score.
So there are grades, interfering adults, lack of family. Anything else? Yes. How about a history of jumping schools.
Torian Graham has attended Durham Hillside, Raleigh Word of God, Chapel Hill’s PACE Academy and Arlington (Fla.) Country Day. He is expected to finish the season at Creedmoor Christian Faith Center.
That’s 5 schools in 4 years.
By all accounts he is a good kid. His talent and potential are not in doubt. Having said that, there is a lot of baggage. This is the kind of kid that could do amazing things or leave a crater. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground.
When you factor in what just happened with Khem Birch, it seems less likely. But even without that in the equation, I don’t see how Pitt can take this kind of chance.
PK your opinion is correct. We are soft (to say the least) near the basket. Young (if he pans out) would take pressure off Adams and enable Zanna to develop. Taylor is a medical case (knees) who knows what will happen with him next year?
Jay Wright will be flashing his fancy $1200 custom made suit and matching tie and cufflinks…Pitt should be flashing a solid game on offense and defense.
It appears that the Panthers are back on track and Birch could have been part of it. He’s the one who lost out.
Nice little tidbit on adams
Remember, the grades issue is pure speculation and we don’t know why he transferred schools. I will also defer to Dixon on this one.
Zanna and Taylor could be nice complements to Adams up front – but we’ve seen they can’t carry the load. Patterson has shown Wanamaker-like flashes… and frankly looks to be right about even with Wanamaker’s development pattern. Remember, Brad was mediocre until his junior year. Johnson is a sniper. BUT a lot will hinge on this new point guard since we’re lost without Woodall. Another wing player with a great shot certainly wouldn’t hurt… and could help answer some of those questions.
As far as Graham goes, every kid is different and the Birch fiasco shouldn’t make Dixon gun shy. If he qualifies academically — sounds like a big if — and wants to commit to Pitt, I’m all for it. I’m glad I’m not judged for things I did when I was seventeen and god only knows how worse it would have been had my mother passed. Let’s give this kid a break.
Do yourself a favor and dont assume Adams is a one and done, he’s only been playing ball for 5 years and needs a lot of refinement.
I’m going to continue to assume that Adams is a one-and-done. Not in any slight to the kid. But in respect to his talent, potential and the raw economics of it. I won’t complain if he lasts 2 years — hell, I’ll consider running naked down the street cheering the news — but counting on more than one strikes me as the foolish approach.
Even if you play Woody at the 2 with Robinson, that is a really small backcourt. Same thing with Johnson at the 2. While Wright gives you more size and defense, he’s limited offensively. So the Graham kid definitely is needed. Of course who also wouldn’t want a 6-9 kid that averages 20 & 20. Too bad Gilbert’s redshirt was burned, but perhaps they could redshirt him next year, as he’s not going to get much time behind Adams and Taylor anyway.
It’t be worth rolling out a backcourt of Robinson and Graham come March 2013 or 2014. Let’s have other teams worry about our guards for once.
Steelers fans – Dermonnti finally made it
Pretty Impressive
I remember Chris Doleman playing down here against South Carolina and being a 1 man wrecking crew that game. He was a monster for PITT and the Minny Vikes. Congrats Chris.
And of course congrats to Curtis Martin of Alderdice HS, another PITT & NFL great. Only Curtis and Barry Sanders have rushed for 1000 yards in the NFL, 10 years in a row !
USC: 11
ND: 10
Pitt & Ohio State: 8
Understand I am not saying that Graham will be a bad investment. I am just trying to give some perspective to the actual issue. It isn’t about just denying some 17 year old a future because of mistakes he may have made. It is always- in every kid’s case- about determining whether the investment is worth the risk (i.e. that he doesn’t pan out, that he ends up embarrassing the school, that he is injury prone and never sees the court, that he isn’t able to make the grades, etc.).
That said, I don’t want to see Khem Birch make us gun shy on other kids. It doesn’t seem like Dixon is, but I hope that he and we will be willing to judge each kid on his own merits.
Hail to Pitt!
Fitzgerald and Revis are many years away from induction. Fitzgerald is a lock. Revis has a lot more work to do, especially with years. He needs at least five more years of solid production. Would be a good idea for Smiley to have a jersey throwback game to honor the newest inductees.That would make too much sense however. Congrats men on your accomplishments.
The old adage..
Fool me once, shame on you!
Fool me twice, shame on ME !
You want the best for this kid, but I think we’ve had enough “drama” to last a season or two..