A few articles that really don’t have much to do with Pitt, but worth noting for one reason or another.

Syracuse basketball will not have the talented but troubled Billy Edelin back this season. The NCAA ruled him ineligible because of insufficient academic credits. No one really knows why he left the program and the school during last season, even now.

Ohio big 3 basketball programs — Cinci, Ohio St. and Xavier — are spotlighted. Xavier head coach and former Pitt great, Sean Miller, is given major hype.

That’s an impeccable coaching resume, and recruits have noticed. Miller has retained the verbal commitment 6-6 wing B.J. Raymond of Toledo had given to Matta at Xavier, and three weeks ago he picked up a commitment from 6-7 wing Derrick Brown of Dayton.

The hiring of Miller also means Xavier no longer has an interim coach, which is basically what Matta was. Since his 26-6 Xavier debut in 2001-02, Matta was holding down the job on a temporary basis. Everyone knew it.

For Xavier, it was better to lose Matta now instead of later. See, Miller was going to be a head coach — soon. He almost took the Illinois State job two years ago, and Stan Van Gundy even tried to hire Miller for his staff with the Miami Heat last year.

Whether it was Miller or someone else, Xavier was going to replace Matta with a rising star. Replacing Matta with Miller gives the program a rising star — and continuity. Remember when assistant Skip Prosser replaced Pete Gillen in 1994? That worked out pretty well.

Finally a real fun list. The top ten college sports scandals of the last 20 years.