Just want to get some of these out, before I try to catch up on the training camp football material that I’ve fallen behind on, yet again.

Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News (now with a new and even slower loading format) has a piece on Pitt’s now deep frontcourt.

“I think he’s going to play minutes. I think he’s going to be good,” Dixon said.  “I think [Talib] Zanna is going to give us a different look with his length and his size at the 4. It gives us another option.”

Undersized Nasir Robinson started at power forward last season alongside 6-10 center Gary McGhee, and Robinson figures to remain in that position this season.

But Dixon is pleased that Zanna’s emergence and the continued development of 6-7 Texan J.J. Richardson brings a greater degree of size and physicality to the frontcourt and should give the Panthers five players to rotate at the two power positions.

McGhee and 6-10 sophomore Dante Taylor are the team’s centers. Richardson showed last season he can play there, as well.

“I think we’ll end up playing bigger,” Dixon said. “Our big guys played well in Ireland. We saw that happen in practice, too.”

Zanna shot .636 (21-of-33) from the field for the Panthers in the five games overseas and averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Assuming for a moment that Pitt does indeed go big more often, I think the guy that sees his minutes squeezed more than anyone else will be Travon Woodall. He was already going to find minutes a little tougher with Isiah Epps and J.J. Moore pushing for time in the backcourt and to play wing.  Nothing I’ve read regarding the summer league shows that he has gained more consistency with his shooting touch.

(more…)

As far as predictions go. Not so good.

That was Tweeted a little before 6 pm last night. Coach Dixon was in Cleveland for the King James Classic. Want me to make a reach to spin that positively for Pitt? Okay. Try this.

It is a reflection on Coach Dixon’s sense of loyalty to Pitt, that he would think that LeBron James was going to stay with the Cavs. That LeBron wanted to stay with the team where he started and has not finished reaching the goals.

Or something like that.

Or Coach Dixon, because of his past close ties to former GM Danny Ferry was hoping James would stay in Cleveland.

It’s camp season for coaches and players.

Gary McGhee is in Akron for the LeBron James Skills Academy. That makes him one of the “counselors” to work with the high school prospects. For McGhee, the benefit isn’t just a chance to meet-and-greet with LeBron James while James is being stretched.

(Phil Long, AP Photo)

It also means playing against some of the best college players in games after the skills camp part.

It is McGhee’s second camp of the summer. He performed well in the Amare Stoudemire camp earlier.

Gary McGhee, 6-10 senior post, Pittsburgh: Coming out of high school–and even earlier in his Pitt career — McGhee didn’t look like much of a prospect, but thanks to continued development, he’s now a solid low-post scorer, a beast on the glass, a tough defender and a hustle guy that doesn’t require touches, all of which has the makings of a second-round pick in 2011 and eventually a solid pro, particularly due to his rugged frame.

Of course, while he is counseling, he might want to whisper in the ear of potential Pitt prospect Khem Birch about developing as a player.

Birch has seven big-time NCAA Division-1 programs who have already offered him a scholarship for the 2012-13 school year -Ohio State, West Virginia, Iowa, Pitt, Texas, Arizona and Providence -with more undoubtedly to come.

He spoke to The Gazette yesterday during a break at the exclusive LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio; a dream week that came just after he helped lead Canada’s junior national team to a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas U-18 Championships in Texas.

But in spite of all the accolades and accomplishments, Birch can’t understand how he could be regarded so highly.

“I’m still shocked,” Birch said of his ESPN ranking. “I never thought I was that good.”

Birch was a shot blocking machine at the FIBA Americas tournament, averaging better than four a game while pulling down nearly eight rebounds a contest.

“I don’t know, I could have done better at the offensive end,” Birch said of his 5.8 points per game average. “To represent my country and come back with a medal, I’m really happy right now. But I learned that I need to get way better, I need to develop a more well-rounded game.”

I’m sure Coach Dixon will make an appearance at the LeBron camp at some point. Just like all the coaches do to be seen. Yesterday, though, he was in Indy to be seen with other coaches for an Adidas camp.

He also has to find a new video coordinator, as Rasheen Davis took an assistant coaching job at Xavier.

He has worked Louisville under Rick Pitino and for Jamie Dixon at Pitt, so I asked if he comes to XU with any particular lessons they imparted.

“With Pitino, it’s all about working extremely hard and improving every single day in whatever facet you’re doing. With Coach Dixon it’s about family about being there for one another. He stresses working hard but also having each other’s back,” Davis said.

Yet another Pitt assistant moving up the coaching ladder.

Want a puff piece to hype Talib Zanna? Here you go.

“The redshirt’s going to help me a lot,” Zanna said. “It’s going to make me learn a lot from offense and defense and get ready for next year.”

It seems to be paying off already, as he has been one of the top players in this summer’s Pro-Am league in Greentree. Through four games he’s averaging 12.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

While that might be a surprise to some, the people who watched Zanna in practice last season saw this coming.

Former Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon compared Zanna’s natural abilities to a recent Panther great, saying, “If he works on his ball handling I think he can be as good as Sam Young. His rebounding is great, and he can shoot the ball.”

“I think that kid’s just going to be a pro,” Woodall said. “That kid’s unbelievable.”

Maybe in time. I’ll settle for serviceable with flashes of possibilities this year.

Okay. Conference expansion/realignment was an incredible timesuck. I’m having a hard time at the moment getting myself mentally up for a final round-up of the post-mortem.

In the meantime, a few things with basketball that I have not made time to post.

If you have heard the Tom Izzo to the Cleveland Cavaliers rumors, then you know that means that Michigan State may be a very late jump on the coaching carousel. You know what else that means…

Yes, they put Coach Jamie Dixon on the list. Along with Tom Crean, Brian Gregory, Jim Boylen and other assistants present and past of Izzo. Dixon and Mark Few are the only ones on the list not to be former Michigan State assistants.

In most circumstances, no coach would dream of jumping to a program in June or even July. It is too chaotic. It really is abandoning your own program late in the process. It is incredibly messy. Not to mention it usually speaks to a program in disarray.

Michigan State, though, is well-stocked. Coming off two straight Final Four appearances, and looking like they have the talent to do it again.

I don’t think Coach Dixon would really go at this point. Pitt is also looking very good for the coming year. I also think that if Izzo leaves the next coach is screwed. They have to match Izzo’s success. It wouldn’t quite be as bad as following Krzyzewski at Duke, but close.

Now back to the the SEC/Big East Invitational stuff from last week. How does Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl feel about the game?

“The bottom line is the SEC had a contractual obligation and somebody had to play Pitt at Pitt, and the (SEC) commissioner felt we would be a good choice for that,’’ Pearl said. “Even though we’re not getting a game back, it’s something that will help our strength of schedule and something that sends a strong message to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

“I’m also sending my team a message that I believe in them by taking this game. I’m putting them in harm’s way.’’

Not exactly a rousing statement of excitement. More like, we have no choice so after a dig at the SEC, I’ll try to give the positive spin.

This story on the game also included a quote from Coach Dixon that bothered me.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said the schools have yet to settle on a contract for a City Game site but that talks were progressing toward an agreement to play the game annually at Consol Energy Center.

Since 2002, the teams had been alternating home sites until last season, when Duquesne agreed to give up its home date at Palumbo Center to play Pitt in the final college game at Mellon Arena. The Panthers rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to beat the Dukes in overtime, 67-58, on Dec. 1, Pitt’s ninth consecutive victory in the series.

“It’s a real possibility for that game to be played (at Consol Energy Center),” Dixon said. “We’re going to try to play there as much as possible.”

Pitt is expected to relinquish its home date this season if the schools can agree to shift the series site to Consol Energy Center.

I understand that the City Game being played there annually makes some sense. I suppose. I am, however, not wild about Pitt seeking to pull a Villanova and play extra games there. The difference is that the Pavilion on ‘Nova’s campus holds only 6500 people. So playing in the Wachovia Center at more than triple capacity (over 20,000) is a big source of more revenue.

The Consol has a capacity of 19,100 for basketball. That’s less than 7,000 more than the Pete holds. I’m not after you factor in the cost of rent to use and loss of concession revenues for those games are really significant. I really doubt that the amount of increased revenue would be worth the loss of a valuable home court advantage.

I admit to being biased from my experiences as a student at Pitt and the move of games to the Civic Arena that killed all homecourt advantage (yes, I know I’ve written this before). In the short term — with the novelty of a new facility — the energy and size of the crowds might be good. Long term, though, it is a bad idea.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for an excuse to go to a Pirates game, DeJuan Blair will throw out the first pitch on Wednesday night.

Blair, a star on the court at both Schenley High School and the University of Pittsburgh, will take the mound before the Pirates-White Sox game at 7:05 p.m.

“I have been a fan of the Pirates for as long as I can remember and I am thankful for this opportunity,” Blair said in a statement. “I am looking forward to getting out on the mound in front of my hometown crowd and taking part in such a cool Pittsburgh tradition.”

On the recruiting front, Pitt is targeting centers to finish the 2011 class. One of them is Desmond Hubert.

As for Pitt, Hubert said Panthers head coach Jamie Dixon “is a great guy.”

“I can sit down and talk with him. He makes me feel real comfortable when I talk to him. That’s a big plus for me. And then just they had a lot of good bigs lately [Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, Tyrell Biggs].”

The No. 7 center in the Class of 2011, Hubert, a rising senior at New Egypt (N.J.) High School said he also holds offers from UConn, Maryland, Wake Forest, Ohio State, Notre Dame,  Virginia Tech, Virginia, Rutgers and Seton Hall.

“I’m still pretty much wide open right now,” Hubert said. “Hopefully, after the live period I’ll be able to make my list.”

Hubert’s two front-runners right now are Pitt and Villanova. Should be an interesting battle for the 6-9  player.

Jaylen Bond, a 2011 verbal to Pitt, fought through injuries at “Rumble in the Bronx.”

Jaylen Bond, a 6-7, 220-pound combo forward from Plymouth Whitemarsh who committed to Pitt over West Virginia and Temple, battled an ankle injury but was still impressive in asserting himself. Bond said he wants to improve his handle and perimeter game going forward and imagines himself as a “Sam Young-type player.” “I think you’ll see a lot more to come of him,” Myers said. “He’s getting better and better.”

Still no official word from Pitt on hiring Pat Skerry as the new assistant. Providence, though, has acknowledged it.

Providence College Head Coach Keno Davis will look to replace assistant coach Pat Skerry, who left to take the assistant position at the University of Pittsburgh. Davis believes that the Friars are in a good position to bring in a top assistant coach who can help move the program forward.

“I appreciate the opportunity to have had Pat work with us the last two seasons,” Davis said.

Early reports are that the Friars might replace Skerry with ex-Iowa player and present University of Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars (Div. II) head coach Kevin Gamble. Yet that same story contradicts with the fact that Davis is looking for a coach with East Coast ties. His only connection to the East was 6 years with the Celtics in the 90s.

Pitt released info on the highest paid individuals at the school. No shock that Coach Dixon is the highest paid employee.

The report says Mr. Dixon, head basketball coach, was the highest paid with $1,389,951 in total earnings, including $629,792 in base pay; $603,000 in bonus and incentive income as well as other compensation, some deferred.

This was for 2008. Not last year. So I imagine it’s a bit higher. Not sure if that includes the money he earns for basketball camps and Nike sponsorship money.

VegasWatch aggregates the various preseason polls and finds Pitt averaged out at about #7.

The Panthers were quite overrated for much of last year, but return everyone except Dixon, who didn’t have a very good season anyway. What his departure does mean though is that Gibbs is going to have to shoulder even more of the load offensively. It’s hard to get excited about this Pitt team one way or the other.

Uh, okay. I’ll quibble. Unranked to start. Picked to finish 9th in the Big East. Pitt didn’t enter the either of the polls until January. Did they rise a bit higher than warranted? Perhaps. Now it is hard to believe that they got as high as 9th, but for the most part they hung out in the second half of the top-25. Considering the number of games they won and who they beat, I hardly consider them “overrated.” Especially for “much of last year.”

I understand when you don’t look closely at this team it can be hard to understand how they did it and why pundits expect Pitt to do more next season — aside from the fact that Coach Dixon always has the team play well. There are still no big names on the team. At least not as far as the general public notices.

No embeddable video, but here’s a link to the story on Coach Jamie Dixon’s program with the Pitt basketball players to help middle-school kids. Mentoring and giving them a better understanding about the basics in just being a better person.

No snark this time. Cool program.

Have to admit that this has been a weird Saturday. No basketball games or football games all day.  I basically have either been watching or attending games for every Saturday since September.

Today, I’ve been spending time with my family. Beginning work on the ridiculous number of projects around the house.  God, it sucked.

Coach Jamie Dixon did not win the AP Coach of the Year. As expected that went to Jim Boeheim. He did, however, collect the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.

Named after legendary Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jim Phelan, who won over 800 games and coached in more contests than any in college basketball history, the award is presented annually to the top coach in America by CollegeInsider.com. The honor is voted upon by a distinguished group of coaches, media members and athletic administrators.

Dixon, who has been listed as a finalist for virtually every national coach of the year honor, was also named the CollegeInsider.com Big East Coach of the Year. Other finalists for the Jim Phelan Award were Steve Alford (New Mexico), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Donohue (Cornell), Fran Dunphy (Temple), Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa), mid-season honoree Frank Martin (Kansas State), Chris Mooney (Richmond), Matt Painter (Purdue), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin), Bill Self (Kansas), Brad Stevens (Butler), Mark Turgeon (Texas A&M) and Jay Wright (Villanova).

Previous Jim Phelan Award winners include John Calipari (Memphis, 2009), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin, 2008), Tony Bennett (Washington State, 2007), Ben Howland (UCLA, 2006), Tubby Smith (Kentucky, 2005) Phil Martelli (St. Joseph’s, 2004) and Mark Slonaker (Mercer, 2003).

So, that’s nice.

Marshall is looking for a new head coach. They have been very busy interviewing many. Including Assitant Coach Tom Herrion.

A head coach at the College of Charleston from 2002-06, Herrion was 80-35. He just concluded his second season as Coach Jamie Dixon’s top assistant at Pitt and previously was an assistant to Pete Gillen at Virginia and Providence.

Herrion, 42, was the Pitt coach who was hit in the face by a quarter thrown during a game this season at the WVU Coliseum. A brother, Bill Herrion, is the head coach at New Hampshire – and was the head coach at East Carolina while [Marshall AD Mike] Hamrick was the AD there, before he moved to UNLV.

What makes me nervous is how much sense this could make for Marshall.

Worth noting that Marshall lost their head coach to Central Florida, and the rumor mill down there is that UCF made the move to fire a head coach of 17 years because they are getting serious. Why? Because the belief is the Big East is going to beckon soon.

UCF Athletic Director Keith Tribble and UCF President John Hitt said they never mentioned a move to the Big East during interviews with candidates.

“No, those rumors were incorrect,” Tribble said. “It was never discussed.”

However, new UCF basketball coach Donnie Jones has not been shy talking about the Knights’ Big East potential.

“We have a chance down the road to maybe go to the Big East,” Jones said this week. “… This school has the ability with the students and obviously the commitment and facilities to put ourselves in a situation to make that next step.”

Football and basketball recruits have noted UCF’s Big East potential during interviews discussing their decision to either commit or sign letters of intent to play for the Knights.

Tribble has made it clear he wants UCF to be part of a conference with an automatic qualifying BCS bid, generating more revenue for UCF through shares of BCS game revenue and bigger conference television agreements.

So, maybe the Big East is finally reacting a little.

This year will be the final year for the SEC/Big East skirmish. Pitt is assuredly one of the teams from the Big East that will play. In a format that guarantees obscurity and low attendance, there are only 4 games each year played on two sites that are semi-neutral.

Well, the SEC is in favor of extending, improving and expanding the thing.

The ACC/Big Ten Chal­lenge, created in 1999, has been the biggest success among series of this kind, pairing those leagues for 11 games annually on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The games usually occur at home arenas rather than neutral sites.

“We know about the ACC/Big Ten format (for the SEC and Big East). Whether that’s the right format, I don’t know,” Slive said. “We may not change it. Those are sort of the extremes, and we’re talking with ESPN to see if we can do something to create more.”

Slive said discussions for an opposing conference “right now” are only with the Big East. All 12 SEC teams have played in the invitational; Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Se­ton Hall have yet to play for the 16-team Big East.

The Pac-10 and Big 12 have their own exchange, but it is spread out over a month, so it is largely ignored. The SEC-Big East is on back-to-back days, but it is so small a group it is also fairly irrelevant.

Let’s face it. The ideal approach is the ACC/Big 11. All the games are on campus courts. It is all over just a few days, so it gets a lot of attention and is easy to follow. Hopefully the 800 pound gorilla that is ESPN (who owns this invitational) will press the Big East to accept an expanded set-up.

Finally a piece on Gil Brown.

“I bided my time and earned my role with the team. It has been a great experience and everything played out for me.”

The potential is there for the Panthers to become a dangerous team next season, and Dixon knows exactly what he wants from Brown.

“He has focused on becoming more physical on drives to the basket,” Dixon said. “He is a better defender, but he can be a great defender. I hope this offseason will be a good one for him.”

Brown realizes what he needs to do in order to take that next step in becoming the all-around player the coaching staff envisions. The ball, sort of speak, is in his court.

“I felt I provided some leadership this season and I felt comfortable with that role,” Brown said. “I have to be more assertive [on the court] and be a better leader to become an elite player.”

And consistent. Definitely would like to see consistent.

Did Coach Dixon meet with Oregon officials boosters while he was in NYC to do studio work for CBS College Sports? Technically, no one knows for sure. Coach Dixon won’t address it. Oregon denies it — like it denies offering Turgeon, Few, Smith and others. Really, the fact that the guy heading the Oregon search — Kilkenny — is not an actual employee of Oregon really improves everyone’s deniability.

Coach Dixon was asked that question on the radio, but dodged the question, as expected. Lee at EoaP is a little concerned that this will start to alienate some towards Dixon since he is at least listening. While he says  he isn’t bothered by the fact that Dixon listens, he does seem a touch concerned.

I don’t mind so much, in part because I’m a little jaded about the whole coaching carousel. It really doesn’t seem to matter how entrenched and successful a coach is at a place. Tom Izzo is a Michigan native. He was a longtime assistant for Jud Heathcote at Michigan State. He has had amazing success as head coach. Over 20 years at Michigan State. Yet, his name keeps popping up each year. Whether delusional or not. It will keep happening for coaches until they reach a certain number of years at a school (Boeheim, Krzyzewski) or age (Calhoun). Some school, somewhere will believe they have enough money, facilities, fertile recruiting, history, etc. to lure a coach.

(Honestly the number of schools that can truly meet those first four are very limited — Kentucky, Kansas, UNC, Indiana, Duke. Some schools like Texas and Florida simply have so much of the first three, they can probably skip the history part. A school like UCLA lacks the truly big money part because of state laws. Everyone else has to either compensate or lower their expectations of who they hire.)

I also don’t mind Dixon listening, because you never know when someone is going to offer that crazy money you can’t refuse. That or you have that moment of absolute clarity and realize that you want to stay where you are. It doesn’t hurt to listen.

[As a personal example. I get contacted by blogging networks and collectives trying to get me to move this site several times each year. I have no interest in joining them, but I listen. Part of it is to get an idea of what objective value is placed on this site and what I do. But there are other factors that go into why I listen. Whether it is because of a relationship with the person contacting me, or simply because I don’t know if they are going to offer a deal that is simply too good to refuse. I’m sure many of you do or have done the same in your career.]

The terms of the contract (i.e., money) remain unknown at this time. I’m sure at some point over the next 12 months it will get out. Then casually mentioned in stories like everyone had common knowledge of it. In the meantime, it is speculation.

What I am fairly certain, is that like last year with Arizona, Coach Dixon took less money to stay. Arizona was willing to start at $2 million last year. That wasn’t enough, and Pitt didn’t have to redo his contract once more. This year, it is safe to assume that Oregon was probably willing to start at around $2.5 million per year. Coach Dixon, instead, stayed for 2 more years and very assuredly less than that over the length of the contract.

To me that says how much he prefers to be at Pitt, and just how crazy the money would have to be for him to leave. As Dokish points out, this is at least the 10th different offer from another school he has rejected.

It also means he believes that Pitt can win it all.

Watched the streamed press conference. Nothing particularly startling in the presser. Took some notes, and these were some of the things I felt were worth jotting.

— The presser started with both Coach Jamie Dixon and AD Steve Pederson sitting down, followed by a minor crush of reporters rushing to the table to put and activate their digital recorders.

— Pederson speaks first, thanking everyone for showing up to the pres conference on short notice, noting that this in part is because of  “today’s speedy news cycle.” (A slight acknowledgment of the rumors and mini-crisis of yesterday?)

— Usual stuff. Lauding Coach Dixon and the job he has done. Lauding the character. Lauding. Lots of lauding.

— Saying that Pitt approached Dixon during the season about another extension and that Dixon never approached them (no mention as to whether Dixon’s agent did).

— I think AD Pederson was tired of press conferences with back-to-backs. He only spoke for some 5 minutes or so.

— Coach Dixon then had some brief comments. Lots of “thank yous” and statements of loyalty and never wanting to leave.  That he, his wife and children love it hear. Acknowledging that he is very lucky. “I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want to go anywhere.”  Basically saying all the things that he wouldn’t say yesterday.

— Then he ended with a confused look, and said, ” I don’t know why we are here today.”

— Pederson responded saying that it was just a coincidence about things. He and Coach Dixon kind of went back and forth about how there was no great time to do this. Coach Dixon leaves for the Final Four tomorrow. Then hits the recruiting trail. Suggesting that it was now or Easter Sunday. Right.

–Questions from the media followed for about the next 15 minutes. What I hate, is that the questions never are heard. Only the responses. They really need to send an intern with a microphone around to whoever is called to ask a question. I understand Nate Byham is available.

— There were questions about yesterday’s radio days. Dixon really didn’t clarify too much. I think one of the reporters read part of his quote back to ask for clarification. Coach Dixon responded, “I think that was what I was referring to.” Thanks for clearing that up.

— Dixon did go on a bit more with whatever was asked saying that two very good friends were fired yesterday. Presumably he meant Al Skinner and Pat Kearney being fired from Boston College and Holy Cross yesterday. Not sure who else lost their job yesterday.

— Again, Dixon refused to comment Oregon or any of the jobs. Mentioning again how he just doesn’t do that.

— Dixon quote about his situation at Pitt, the administration and how lucky he is, “The most important thing in coaching is who you work for.”

— Someone asked Pederson about the rumors of the Oregon job and Dixon, “I was never nervous about rumors over the last 48 hours.”

According to new addition to the Pitt blogosphere, Every Loyal Son, the new contract is in the range of $2.5 million. Unknown at this point.

Via ESPN’s Andy Katz’s Twitter:

News conference at Pitt this afternoon to announce coach Jamie Dixon — getting an extension. Not leaving for Oregon as expected.

And, exhale.

UPDATE (2:16): Press conference is set for 3:30 PM. Here’s the link to watch it stream live.

If anyone is feeling particularly masochistic, listen to local sports talk today in Pittsburgh to find out what anyone says in light of yesterday.

I think it is rather clear that I am a big Coach Jamie Dixon fan and supporter. He is an excellent coach. He runs a clean program that does not even catch a whiff of impropriety. I like the way he handles the Pitt program. I love how it has developed, improved and gotten stronger under him. I love that what Dixon is building is not based and wrapped entirely around him. I also like that he has always been a coach that does not lie to the public.

He does not say things like, “I will never leave Pitt.” Or, “This is my home forever.” In other words, he does not lie about getting contacted and even listening to offers from other programs. Instead, he simply refuses to directly address them. Making it his long-standing approach to refuse to comment on coaching searches.

Would I prefer that Coach Dixon came out and said unequivocally that he would be the coach at Pitt and was not going to Oregon? Yes. Because I would believe him, because when he has said things in the past he has meant them.

The conflict for Coach Dixon is that such unequivocal statements also take diminishes his negotiating position — be it money or years for him, more money for assistants, better money for the program overall, or any other issues. Since Coach Dixon won’t lie about other schools being interested in him, he just won’t comment. From the absurd — DePaul — to the possible — USC — to the big money — Oregon.

Coach Dixon will instead use trusted media sources to pass things along. Andy Katz at ESPN, for example, has proven to be one of the more consistent media folk to get Dixon’s actual view out there. The fact that he has dismissed claims that Dixon would go to Oregon is a good sign.

As AD Pederson said about Dixon,

“For 11 years, I don’t know anybody who has been more loyal or has worked harder or put more of his heart and soul into the University of Pittsburgh than Jamie Dixon has,” Pederson said. “So, every time something like this comes up, I would let their actions speak for them.”

Pederson, of course, also benefits his negotiating position with the statement. While defending and protecting Coach Dixon from questions that he is dodging the question of the Oregon job, he is also reminding Coach Dixon that he has the school’s full support and they too are trusting in him.

This all re-started because Coach Dixon went on the radio — and the radio people did their job — and Coach Dixon did his usual tap dance and sidestep. He did not do it as well as he has or could.

Couple that with The Big Lead speculation that Coach Dixon would take the job. And make no mistake, TBL specifically said, “the guess here” renders that pure speculation. For the record, this morning TBL noted that other media folk have said that Coach Dixon has privately made it known that he turned down Oregon. Gary Parrish at CBS Sports and Jeff Goodman at FoxSports (previously noted here) both have said that.

Mark Madden then cribbed TBL right down to the claim that it would come after the Final Four. [Brief aside, does anyone really believe Mark Madden has “reliable sources” anywhere in college sports? Really? The Pens, sure. Maybe even the Steelers. But at Pitt? In basketball? He barely acknowledges the existence of the sport.] That confluence created the mini-issue

I spent most of the evening watching the NIT and hitting every site and news feed possible to see if there were any updates on the Dixon-Oregon stuff. Nothing. Not even additional baseless speculation.

UPDATE (7:56 PM): Usually I put this at the bottom, but since people are a little freaked out.

As other noted in the comments, Andy Katz at ESPN has repeated — now several times on the air that while “Oregon has made a strong push for Jamie Dixon, but he is not going to go there.” (that was the quote from Katz at the halftime of the Dayton-Ole Miss NIT Semifinal)

—-

Well, suddenly the day is getting weirder. Plus it is Passover, so no beer for me tonight.

Apparently Coach Dixon had a bad day on the radio.

Jamie Dixon went on a radio show earlier today and when asked about Oregon’s situation stated that he doesn’t ever comment on other jobs. Then one of the hosts, Ron Cook, asked him flat out: “You gonna be the Pitt coach next year?” Dixon laughed nervously and said ‘same thing I’m not going to talk even about the Pitt job search.” Dixon then canceled two other radio interviews he had scheduled the rest of the day. Now, within the last hour, another Pittsburgh radio voice — the controversial but well-connected Mark Madden — said on his show that a source has told him Dixon has accepted the Oregon job and it will be announced after the Final Four.

Mark Madden’s “source?” I’m guessing the Big Lead.

Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh is still the top target and the guess here is that after the Final Four (shortly, you’ll see why that date is important), he’ll take the job. He privately met with an Oregon official over the weekend in New York City. Dixon’s difficult decision: Oregon’s roster is blah. Pittsburgh’s is real nice. Pittsburgh has two incoming Top 150 recruits next year. Oregon has none. Next season will be a lost cause at Oregon, with hopes that maybe in 2012 they can contend in the Pac-10. Will the extra $1 or $1.5 mil a year make up for the one or two years of struggles?

Of course, TBL also says that Mark Turgeon isn’t a big enough name, even though, everyone else reported that he already rebuffed interest. TBL also says Tubby Smith does not have an offer. So, take all of this for what it is worth

The Pitt Athletic Department reports that it has not been asked by Oregon to speak with Coach Dixon — which is worth even less these days.

Oh, and Holy Cross fired Pat Kearney after one season. Pitt assistant Tom Herrion was one of the finalists for that job last season.

Um, stay tuned?

Hello all. Sorry for the gaps. Been visiting family and yesterday was travel day to get home.

Coach Jamie Dixon was doing studio work for CBS College Sports Saturday night in New York City. Guess who was also in NYC that same weekend?

It is not known if Dixon has officially been interviewed by Pat Kilkenny, the former UO director of athletics heading the search, but it seems likely. Dixon is in New York this weekend, working for CBS College Sports Network, while a source indicated that Kilkenny traveled to New York on Friday and was still there Saturday.

Kilkenny could have also arranged to meet other coaches during his stay in New York, but Dixon is the only one definitely known to also be in the city. Neither Dixon nor Kilkenny responded to telephone calls Saturday.

Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon, who had once been an assistant at Oregon is apparently out as he just got a raise and extension prior to the weekend. The money is for $1.5 million — or about $100K less than what Coach Dixon reportedly earns. Why this means Turgeon is out, but Dixon is still in play exactly remains a mystery.

Tubby Smith remains another mystery as to whether Oregon really wants him, and whether he is really interested. Some reports say he’s going nowhere, others suggest he is mulling a slight bump to $2 million +/year to go west.

Smith has been offered the University of Oregon job, but hasn’t accepted it, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Pioneer Press on Sunday.

The offer is believed to be in excess of $2 million annually. Smith, who led the Gophers to a 21-14 record and a second straight NCAA tournament appearance in his third season this year, currently earns a salary of $1.8 million a year.

Oregon representatives contacted Smith directly last week about the job, a person close to Smith said Friday. But Eugene, Ore., television station KEZI-TV reported Sunday that Smith wasn’t a candidate and that the university hadn’t spoken to him.

I am not too sure about believing anything from that Eugene TV station after this report.

A source close to the University of Oregon Athletic Department has told KEZI the Ducks are planning to offer Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo the largest contract in college basketball, with the backing of Oregon’s biggest booster, Nike Chairman Phil Knight.

Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari currently has the largest contract, after he signed an eight-year, $31.65 million deal last year. Izzo currently makes about $2.5 million per year, excluding bonuses.

Don’t get me wrong, after this weekend it is hard not to say that Izzo is one of the absolute best coaches in college basketball and is the present master of NCAA Tournament. Now appearing in his sixth Final Four. So if anyone is going to get the biggest contract out there, why not him. It is simply that when you add in his bonuses, Izzo makes well over $3 million. He’ll get another raise after this year. Plus he is a Michigan native with no ties or reason to go to Oregon.

Oh, and then there is the fact that the guy — who is not the AD at Oregon — running the search says he wants his the coach hired by the weekend of the Final Four. The lack of knowing who is in charge at Oregon (I mean aside from Nike) is going to be a big deterrent for anyone other than an assistant or mid-major coach to take the gig. Heck, they don’t even have an interim AD at this point.

The interim AD is Lorraine Davis, who doesn’t take her post until April 20, and won’t be involved in the hiring.

The decision will instead be made by Kilkenny.

But what will Kilkenny’s long-term role be with the Ducks?

Unless he is planning on again running the department on a daily basis, the new coach is likely to want some assurance of any promises that are made to him. That could come from UO president Rirchard Lariviere, but he’s traveling in Asia for the next week and unavailable for an in-person talk with any coaches.

It’s no wonder that ESPN’s Andy Katz is dismissing all the “names” that Oregon is pursuing.

Once Oregon is done with Smith (after not getting Turgeon), Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Pitt’s Jamie Dixon, the Ducks will have to refocus the search.

The lack of stability in the Oregon athletic department is the main reason I dismiss most of the Dixon talk.

Has he listened to what Oregon is trying to sell? Wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Outside of more cash — which he has turned down at other places with better potential — there isn’t much to want. Add in questions of who would actually be in charge of the athletic department, when Dixon has shown an understanding of how that really affects the success or failure of the coach, and it looks like a ridiculous longshot.

UPDATE (10:08 AM): And here’s a post from Jeff Goodman at FoxSports saying that Oregon is now focused on Tubby Smith and that Dixon “spurned” Oregon interest.

However, most top-tier coaches understand that the job isn’t nearly as attractive as the Ducks believe it to be. Sure, there’s the Nike connection – but the recruiting base is often bare and even with a state-of-the-art new building set to open, it’s an average Pac-10 job.

Oregon attempted to get guys like Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon, but were spurned by all three.

So it twirls.

Sorry for the lateness. Visiting family, and away from what passes for normalcy.

Oregon columnist/sports radio guy blog post on an interview with the David Pump of Pump Bros.:

Said Pump: “Oregon job is a Top 20 job, it’s extremely, extremely attractive. They’re paying top dollars and will probably end up paying more (to the next coach) than any Pac-10 school out there.”

Pump called Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon and Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon Oregon’s top priorities, and saw Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett as the fallback candidate.

First, the Pump Bros. are not running the search for Oregon.

Second, money alone does not make it a top-20 gig. In no particular order: UCLA, Arizona, USC, Washington, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Kentucky, Florida, Ohio St., Purdue, Michigan St., Indiana, Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, NC St., Maryland, UConn, Syracuse, Louisville and Pitt are all better jobs in terms of the combination of money, recruiting, reputation and fan passion for basketball among BCS programs. That is 23 teams off the top of my head, and Oregon at its best comes into the tier with Tennessee, Michigan,, Georgia and Texas A&M — football schools that are willing to spend money to look decent or better in basketball.

The rumors for Oregon really don’t seem to be focused on Jamie Dixon. More on Mark Turgeon since he was a Oregon assistant in the past and longshots that others claim Phil Knight wants: Tubby Smith from Minnesota, Billy Donavan of Florida and Michigan St.’s Tom Izzo.

Izzo receives $300,000 a year to represent and wear Nike clothing and equipment, plus a $25,000 annual Nike merchandise credit in addition to Nike equipment provided for his basketball camps and four assistant coaches, as well as a bonus package that takes into account postseason games.

Izzo also became embroiled in a dispute during the past season when he came to the defense of Nike and lashed out at Michigan State alums for being critical of a new logo designed by Nike for the school’s sports teams.

Well, that ‘s enough to convince me.

Chris Dokish addresses further comments and notes that it seems unlikely Dixon is leaving for Oregon.

Maurice Walker remains one of the better players not to be signed. Even if he does end up at Pitt. Be realistic. He won’t have much of an impact until at least his second year.

Maurice Walker (6-10, 270) | Grade: 92 | C Rank: 8
Toronto, Can./Brewster Academy (N.H.)
He is a Canadian transplant that has developed his game in the New England prep ranks. He is a space-eater that is a huge presence bumping and grinding in the paint. Although he is limited athletically and is better suited for a team that likes to play in the half court, his combination of size and soft hands will be in high demand during the late signing period.

That description also explains why he is so interested in signing with Pitt and their history of developing big men like that.

Continuing the Pittsburgh area silliness and focused only on the NCAA Tournament to determine that Coach Dixon is an underachiever is today’s Q&A comparing him Cowher. That’s just plain foolishness of the typical fan that only pays attention to things starting in March. That’s as stupid as defining a football coach’s success only in terms of whether he wins a bowl game, because that was the only time you started paying attention.

Maybe it is because I don’t reside in the ‘Burgh. I didn’t know there was a huge debate and divide over Coach Jamie Dixon.

I ask, because few local sports personalities generate as much hysterical reaction as Dixon.

Some consider him overrated. They say he’s never won a big game, ignoring the fact he wins big games every year.

Others wildly boast that Dixon is the best coach in America. Which sounds great until you look at all the names you’d put behind him.

I can say that there seems little debate among college basketball bloggers and writers around the country that Coach Dixon is one of the best coaches — and always high on fans wishlists. Obviously, I am part of the group that believes Coach Dixon is one of the best coaches in the country.

Not top-5 or even top-10 (which when considered with career achievements includes Krzyzewski, Williams, Self, Izzo, Pitino, Calhoun, Boeheim, Howland, Donovan, Calipari). Instead he is in that high-character, excellent coach tier with Ryan, Wright, Few, Miller, Crean and others like that .

The dichotomy of maximizing the talent of players, but not getting the most talented players possible seems to really be the issue. Something that has been beaten to death over the years. I’ve maintained in the past, and seeing it occurring in the present, that the way Coach Dixon has built this Pitt program is not to be flash and immediate. Instead it is steady, building on each success. The talent has been increasing each year.

Like everything in life, the growth and progression is not a pure straight line. There are dips and spikes, but it is all trending upward. The result is a stronger overall program with better foundations and creating a perspective of high expectations within the program and by the fans.

The issue of not winning the big games, really comes down to not getting the team to the Final Four or more. Under Dixon, the team is always near the top of the conference. They have made runs to and won the Big East Tournament. The team has always made the NCAA Tournament, made the Sweet 16 and for the first time in the programs history gotten past the two-win mark in the NCAA Tournament. They even achieved their first #1 ranking in the polls.

You can expect a lot of this sort of write-up about Pitt for next year.

Pittsburgh: After losing DaJaun Blair and Sam Young to the NBA, the Panthers were under the radar entering the season, but coach Jamie Dixon again proved the staying power of his program with a 25-9 record and a tie for second place in the Big East. This time around, Dixon should be returning nearly all of his significant contributors. Sophomore leading scorer Ashton Gibbs will again be one of the Big East’s top home run threats and solid point guard Brad Wanamaker returns for his senior season. Gone will be defensive specialist Jermaine Dixon. The defense will again be anchored by 6’10” junior Gary McGhee, the Panthers’ top rebounder and shot-blocker. This collection of solid talent will be joined by a pair of Rivals ranked recruits, No. 69 Isiah Epps, who will back up Wanamaker initially, and No. 107 J.J. Moore, who could help replace the defensive gap created by Dixon’s departure. Should be another strong team for Dixon.

Yes, I know there are plenty of inaccuracies and fallacies in the details. That is the difference between broad overviews of a boatload of team and focused examinations.

I don’t know how closely anyone follows the coaching rumor mill, but yesterday had a real fun one. Ben Howland to DePaul, and then Pitino to UCLA. Sadly the silliness was debunked, but that’s great stuff. Still, there is some claim that it was somewhat legit, while at least acknowledging Dixon to DePaul was never real.

Contrary to a TV report that ran in Chicago last week, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was never a serious candidate for the job. He is a good friend of DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto and the two keep in touch but Dixon never was offered the job and he never seriously considered it. UCLA coach Ben Howland did consider the DePaul opening but decided on Tuesday to stay in Westwood where he feels his program is poised for a rebound season after a difficult 2009-10 campaign.

Sorry, the only reason Howland’s representatives even listened is for the same reasons any coach’s agent listens. The money (rumored to be in the $3 million ballpark) and to remind his bosses that he is still a valuable commodity. Something Howland probably needed to do after the disaster of a season the Bruins had.

Coach Dixon was out yesterday in Chambersburg, PA watching a potential recruit for 2011 in Jaylen Bond.

Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Jaylen Bond may have picked the perfect time to get rid of the blues, caused by foul-shooting woes, that have plagued him recently.

Last night, in a PIAA Class AAAA state semifinal against North Allegheny, with University of Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon watching him for the first time, Bond delivered a monster performance to place PW within a win of its first state championship since 1997.

Fueling a 16-2 scoring surge, Bond erupted for 12 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter as the Colonials broke open a two-point game and blasted the Tigers, 71-47, at Chambersburg Area High.

“This was my best game in the whole playoffs,” Bond, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, said. “I did everything I could to help my team win.”

He also had 14 rebounds in the game. Bond has interest from Villanova and WVU, as well as FSU and Temple. This story has video from the game (Bond is #15). At the moment, Pitt still has one scholarship open for the 2011 class. Guard John Johnson has one spot claimed.

Bond gets a “93” from Scouts, Inc./ESPN.com (Insider subs), but they don’t have an evaluation up since April of 2009.

He has very good length coupled with very good leaping ability, which makes him a handful on the offensive boards. He runs the floor well and can finish off the break with a dunk. In the paint, he has a tendency to keep the ball low, which serves to make him smaller and prone to guards coming in and swiping the ball from him. Bond also will have to work on staying under control offensively and not playing too fast, which makes him turnover prone at times.

He’s a tweener as far as forwards go. Plays inside like a PF, but size makes him more like a SF. For those hoping Pitt goes for more size inside, with recruits, this won’t make you happy.