I freely admit to going round and round on Krauser and what comes next. I have legitimate worries about what he will do to the team and program if, after a few weeks of thought decides to come back to Pitt.

Will he be controllable. Will Pitt end up with what happened in Maryland with John Gilchrist? A talented point guard who butted heads with his coach all season because he was more concerned with his own glorification and looking good to NBA scouts than helping the team win. Ultimately it cost a fairly talented team an NCAA bid in a deep ACC (2-0 vs. Duke but 0-3 against Clemson?). That managed to happen at a stable, successful program with a coach who has won a national championship and with complete job security. It can happen just about anywhere.

At the same time, Krauser is a clear talent. A scorer and a guy who can dish the ball. Not only is he the “floor general” on a young team, he is a clear leader of the team off of it. You need that. Unlike the last few years there are no other upperclassmen who can clearly step up to lead the team. Right now, about the only safe bets to see as starters are Gray, Ramon and Graves. None of whom exude presence and leadership at this time.

Without Krauser, this team will struggle. There is a good chance that a true freshman will be the starting point guard. In a conference that has coaches like Pitino, Calhoun and Boeheim, looking to exploit, pressure and trap on defense there could be some real ugliness. Experience matters.

Year 3 of the Jamie Dixon era was shaping up as a critical year for Pitt basketball. This would be Dixon’s squad. Krauser is/was the only player on the roster when Ben Howland was in charge. These are all Dixon’s recruits. It’s his team. There are no seniors (unless Krauser comes back) to help keep clubhouse order. The pressure is going to be on Dixon this year to show that he is a head coach. A coach capable of getting the assembled talent — and there is definitely talent — to play as a team, improve during the season, and move forward.