Sorry. Last week, well, last week was not one of the better ones. With the Boston Marathon bombing, the fertilizer plant in West Texas among other things; it just seemed the best thing to do was to sit back and just listen a little more. What do you say, that everyone else hasn’t said? Is it better to just repeat what others have said, and likely more eloquently? Or just maintain a respectful silence as you listen? This time, I opted to just listen.
But, now to awkwardly transition to other things.
Lots to catch-up on in the news.
Clear some story links first.
Good article on Mike Young by Josh Verlin (who has in the past, helped out this site with some liveblog moderation).
“I’m a Pittsburgh guy, man,” he told CoBL on Tuesday night. “I always wanted to go to Pitt. I grew up watching Pitt, I didn’t watch any other team. Only college games I went to.”
Recent Pitt commit and now signee of his NLI, Jamel Artis was merely waiting for the right time to give Pitt his commitment.
The right time came last weekend, when Artis — who recently achieved a qualifying SAT score — pledged to the Panthers during his official visit. Artis picked Pittsburgh over Connecticut, La Salle and South Carolina, among others.
“They liked me a lot. They didn’t care how long it took,” Artis said. “They just wanted the right time, and the right time came. I passed all my tests. It came back.”
This is going to happen more for many players who are good — but not great — recruits. Recent changes to the NCAA minimum qualifications standards are getting phased in over the next few years. Teams are going to have to maintain interest and show love, but won’t be able to take verbals (let alone signed NLIs) too early due to the risk of academically not qualifying.
But as for Artis’ game, it is exactly what Coach Jamie Dixon loves — versatility:
Artis has been described by scouts over the years as a point forward, but [Notre Dame Prep Coach Ryan] Hurd thinks it does “a disservice” to the future Panther to put a label on him.
“We kind of made a hybrid spot for him,” Hurd said. “He defended everyone from the 3 to the 5. Offensively, I tell people he’s a pick-and-pop 3. It depends on what we needed. He had the opportunity to break someone down in isolation or take a guy into the post. He has a tremendous array of offensive moves.”
Then there is shooting guard Jon Severe. He has his list cut down to Pitt, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Fordham. He has also moved up his time to decide to April 24.
Jon Severe will announce his college decision at 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon in the Christ The King gym, coach Joe Arbitellotold SNY.tv.
“He hasn’t decided yet,” he said. “It’s between Fordham, West Virginia, Pitt and Wake Forest.”
The 6-foot-2 Severe initially planned to announce in late May, after the late signing period ends, but opted to move it up.
The bad news for this decision is that he never took a visit to Pitt. So, it’s hard to imagine that he’s going to choose Pitt without setting foot on the campus.
One of the other targets for Pitt, graduate transfer from Tulane Josh Davis still hasn’t made a decision. Pitt is either hedging or doesn’t think they will get him because they have picked up their recruiting on another power forward, Lennard Freeman.
Plenty of questions.
we better make lennard freeman one of thoes god
fathers offers the kind you cant say no to
to many recruits have bit the dust and went outher
places maybe dixon has BO i dont get it.
I hope overall, that Dixon is smart enough to reassess how he recruits and make the necessary changes. We all F up at work from time to time. The key is to make sure it does not happen again.
What I always ask “what happened, how are you going to fix it, why will it never happen again?”
wanted and have gone to outher schools or
will soon.
josh hearliny
shane rector
cameron forte
josh davis
jon severe
cosby from seton hall
carter the SG from rutgers who said when he was
asked i would not play for pitt. or something
like that.
Weds is last day to sign players for next season.
Nobody but us has offered Joseph Uchebo according to sites. (which is kinda strange)
So we should get him, I would think.
Freeman & Severe are listed as “high interest”.
Jason Boswell & Jordan Washington both 6’6″ but Washington being 255 lbs listed as “medium interest”
Eli Carter the Rutgers guard is getting interest from Duke & Florida, which is why he had no interest at all in Pitt and snail ball.
As he’s now considered an NBA prospect and he wants a team that will best serve his low post game.
That being Goodluck Okenobo, however Indiana, Syracuse, Uconn , Gonzaga among others are after him. So fat chance there.
Uconn is recruiting two 6’10” kids, one 7’2″ kid and two 6’9″ kids (including Goodluck)
And the Huskies are already recruiting another 6″10″ 253 lb kid & another 7’0″ Top 10 kid.
I thought Calhoun was gone and they’re going to playing in the AAC, which means wtf. ??????
is it becuse of snail ball.
to visit pitt and he really likes the asst coach at
retgers who is staying and will work under the new coach.
when severe found that out he pit them back on his list and said this changes every thing.
what gives i thought dixon was the man with the in
as far as australian BB.
big bucks a year thanks to ND comeing to the acc
horse shoes is it.
PF from the same JC school as uchebo.
he has no out side shot and has been called a bull in a china shop. i dont know if that is good or bad
he has not said yes or no so far.
we nrrd players dont know if he is any good was a 3 star in high school.
250 pound center from img academy.
Home – Duke; Syracuse; Maryland; Virginia; Virginia Tech; Clemson; Florida State; North Carolina State; Wake Forest
Away – Miami; North Carolina; Georgia Tech; Boston College; Notre Dame; Maryland; Syracuse; Clemson; North Carolina State
Just have to laugh at what, at least according to press reports, is a last minute scramble by “Decade” to try to fill the ever-vanishing Pitt basketball roster. Three big men lost in 2 years. Two guards. Forget about the disappeared from previous years. And an egg laid, as usual, in the NCAA tournament.
BTW – where are all of those posters that were rejoicing in the 10 year extension, because it meant Steve Adams would be back next year?
What kind of odds could one get on a bet that Pitt will win more football games in its first year in the ACC than basketball? Probably even money.
Hail to Pederson!
So JD has been very good. Not great. But he doesn’t cheat and he isn’t a polarizing figure either.
No need for hate. Safe that for someone who gets it wrong almost all of the time.
Dixon’s use of top talent Taylor, Birch, and Adams is not.