Simply because the home-and-home games with the Bulls left on the schedule are the easiest. This team hasn’t missed on that all season, and they can’t afford to now. The other four games on the road at St. John’s and Louisville and at home against WVU and ‘Nova are all toss-ups in my mind. Pitt may be favored in them, but those are all going to be tough games.

The Tournament is getting closer and Pitt is looking better and better for a #1 seed (possibly even the overall No. 1).

The Panthers know how important a No. 1 seed is for NCAA tournament success. They advanced to the Elite Eight two years ago when seeded No. 1 in the East Region and came tantalizingly close to the Final Four before losing to Villanova.

“I think it’s very important,” senior forward Gilbert Brown said. “Having that No. 1 seed brings a confidence and swagger, but it also makes you more focused because everyone is out to get you. Everyone is coming for us and bringing their best game. If we can maintain the way we’re playing we’ll get it, and it will definitely benefit us in the long run.”

Pitt has some tough remaining games on the schedule, but if the Panthers can finish the regular season 4-2 or better they will likely earn a No. 1 seed. The Big East regular-season champion has earned one of the four No. 1 seeds the past two seasons and in three of the past five.

I really don’t see the team that wins the Big East regular season being snubbed for a No. 1 seed. It’s been the toughest conference all season, so it would be hard for the selection committee to say that the best team in the best conference is unworthy of a No. 1 seed.

(more…)

There’s a rhythm to certain things. Especially in the media and debating polls. After the Number One team loses.

In a situation like this weekend where Ohio State lost a close one at Wisconsin — where no road team wins. You get the arguments that the No. 1 team, maybe shouldn’t fall just because they lost. Especially when you look at where and how they lost. You have the debate about the 2 and 3 teams. Maybe the No. 4 team, but that seems too far a reach. Especially since it would mean dropping the No. 1 team all the way to No. 4.

In particular with Pitt, and the initial reaction to the win on Saturday. Everyone acknowledges that it was a great win for Pitt. A tough road win, against a top-10 team in the toughest conference. Done without Pitt’s leading scorer. But the debate kind of leaves Pitt out of the discussion, for vague reasons. Whether it is tired, inaccurate claim that Pitt lacks sufficient offense, or another team is just playing so much better than everyone else right now (Texas), or another is has the most NBA-potential talent and depth (Kansas), or that the other has the best NBA prospect (Ohio State).

(more…)

The players and Coach Dixon admitted to not playing well and that it wasn’t a satisfactory performance.

“We weren’t good enough offensively,” Dixon said, “and we weren’t good enough defensively.”

Monday was Pitt’s only regular-season meeting with Notre Dame. The two programs could meet again in March at the Big East Tournament in a rematch of last season’s 50-45 Irish victory.

“It will hurt our guys, but we will bounce back,” Dixon said. “We’ll learn from it and be better because of it. We have to be.”

Brad Wanamaker called it another game the team can learn from. And aside from putting it behind them, that’s all they can do.

Pitt played well enough in the first half. Not fantastic, as the offense wasn’t that sharp, but certainly better than in the second half — especially on defense. That slipping in the second half definitely seems like something that irritated Coach Dixon.

“We need to go back to what we do,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said, “and do a little better at sustaining it.”

When you think about the lapses that have taken place in the second half, hopefully this will be the best reminder of what happens more than just having closer than expected moments in the second half.

(more…)

The ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll tabbed Pitt at #4. That’s nice.

Villanova by the Numbers compiled some Big East predictions, and surprise: the consensus is Pitt #1, ‘Nova #2. DePaul is still 16th.

Seth Davis from SI.com tweeted his top-25 ballot. Pitt is #7 (behind ‘Nova and Florida?).

(more…)

For a round-up of some of the media day, Pitt-centric stories head over to Pitt Script for the link round-up. If I can get back to it, I want to comment on some of the stories.

For now, let’s take a look at the Coaches’ preseason predictions.

Here are my thoughts on the rankings.

(more…)

I wanted to stick to football for the rest of the week, but I had a basketball post that I thought was posted on Monday. Instead it never posted and never ended up in drafts or anywhere else it could be. It has me ticked off, and I can’t just skip it until after the Miami game (I have issues) so I’m re-doing it now.

This article on Pitt from Mike DeCourcy seems to be getting around, because of Pitt’s confidence.

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon surely raised a Big East eyebrow or two when he declared to Sporting News magazine, “We could be as good as any team we’ve ever had.”

Only two seasons ago, the Panthers earned their first-ever No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed and reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight behind future NBA players and Sporting News All-Americans Sam Young and DeJuan Blair. This Pitt team, though coming off a 25-9 season and returning five of that team’s top six scorers, features no obvious NBA prospects.

So can this team really expect to exceed the ‘09 Panthers? Pitt hasn’t made a Final Four since the 1940s.

“The sky is the limit for this team,” Panthers G Brad Wanamaker told Sporting News. “As long as we stay together and do the right things ¬we can maybe go to the Final Four or win a national championship.

“They always say pros can get you the farthest in the NCAAs. Well, in our own mindset, we think we’re pros, too. We think we have a chance to play in the NBA.”

For the last couple of years, Coach Dixon has been very upfront about declaring that there are no limits to what the team can accomplish. He has also, increasingly challenged the players to buy into that approach. The comments from Wanamaker and Gilbert Brown in the story reflect that.

(more…)

Maybe not intentionally, but there is the Big East football special on ESPNU tonight at 8pm. Most of the ESPN.com attention today, though, is on the basketball side.

It started with ESPN announcing College GameDay Saturday night sites this season. The good news, Pitt plays on one of those games. The bad news is it will be at Villanova in the Pavilion.

Feb. 12: Pittsburgh at Villanova (from the Pavilion), 9 p.m. ET: In Wednesday’s Big East Shootaround, Jay Bilas pegged these two as the top teams in the Big East. Watching this Pennsylvania pair try to separate themselves from the chasing pack — which should include Syracuse, West Virginia and Georgetown — should be about as exciting as you’d imagine.

It is also the only College GameDay Big East appearance (2 each for the SEC, Big 12/10 and Big 10/11/12; 1 for the ACC and 0 for the Pac-10/12). It’s the first appearance for College GameDay at Villanova. That ‘Nova was willing to sacrifice the extra revenue to play in their true home court, would have made this a tough enough game. College GameDay excitement will only make it harder.

As that blurb indicated, the “summer shootaround” moved to the Big East and which team did Jay Bilas peg for #1 in the conference?

1. Pittsburgh: Jamie Dixon has a great program. Not good, but great. Every time you think the Panthers will take a step back, they find a way to win and wow you with high-level consistency and fight. With a young and inexperienced team last year, Pitt seemed to will itself to 25 wins and the best scoring defense in the league. This season, Ashton Gibbs returns with the confidence of a star; Gilbert Brown should have his best year, and was very good on a tour of Ireland; Brad Wannamaker brings toughness and leadership; Gary McGhee brings strength and finishing ability; and Dante Taylor will be far better and more productive. Pitt should have the best team in the Big East when it is all said and done.

Ashton Gibbs was on the list of 10 key players and J.J. Moore for the list of incoming freshmen to watch.

In a companion piece, their resident college basketball blogger Eamonn Brennan looked at the best case/worst case for each team. (He also learned that trying to do this sort of thing for a 16 team conference is draining.)

Best case: The supposedly rebuilding Panthers were a surprise in 2009-10, finishing in a second-place conference tie despite losing a trio of stars from 2008-09’s Elite Eight team. That won’t be the case this year: Pittsburgh returns four starters — breakout guard Ashton Gibbs, backcourt mate Brad Wannamaker and solid forwards Gilbert Brown and Gary McGhee — to a team that should compete for the Big East’s top spot yet again.

Worst case: It’s hard to imagine an experienced and proven Jamie Dixon-coached team taking much of a step back in the coming year. Instead, the danger for the Panthers is that last year’s impressive finish is this team’s peak. No one would scoff at another second-place Big East finish, but Dixon will be looking for this group to make a leap, and while that outcome remains a likelihood, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to think this particular group of Panthers has already topped out.

And the summer of high expectations for Pitt sports continues.

Just realized I missed a few tabs in the browsers and a couple other things I came across to toss into the mix.

The Austin American Statesman is doing its own top-25 and put Pitt at #21.

Pitt is an experienced team, but it has only nine seniors on scholarship. Pinkston is the only senior who starts on offense. Romeus is one of three seniors starting on defense.

Well, the only seniors who are set at the positions. Alex Karabin is a 5th year senior that could be the starting Center by the time of the Utah game.

Karabin worked with quarterback Tino Sunseri last year on the second team and has a natural chemistry with this year’s starting signal-caller.

“We kind of know what the other one’s going to say before he says it,” he said.

And Karabin is the team’s greybeard, thanks to his year in prep school and a redshirt season. He’ll turn 24 this fall.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the oldest guy on the team,” he said. “I’m always telling the freshmen and the young guys on the line what they have to do and what’s expected.”

Karabin is expected to make all the calls and anchor an O-line that was arguably the best in the Big East last year. And to do so while still paying his own tuition. He said earning a scholarship would be great “but that it’s more important to win games.”

Odds are if Pitt has an available scholarship, Karabin will get it.

Speaking of seniors, SI.com published some of TFYDraft.com’s grades for top seniors. Greg Romeus graded out 6th and Jabaal Sheard also placed among top seniors.

Greg Romeus/DE/Pittbugh/6.8: Romeus has been a force for the Panthers defense since his freshman season. He’s a terrific athlete with an NFL body (6-5, 267).

…

Jabaal Sheard/DE/Pittsburgh/6.2: Sheard is a terrific player and a solid pass rushing end yet can be overlooked playing on the same line as Greg Romeus.

As has become seemingly common — especially at the skill positions — the juniors (not graded in that list) are going to be high on the actual draft list next winter.

The low grades for senior wide receivers won’t matter next April since the elite pass-catchers have been leaving early for the NFL. Georgia’s A.J. Green, Alabama’s Julio Jones, Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd and Pittsburgh’s Jon Baldwin, all juniors, should make a splash in next year’s draft.

Not sure which is really the best WR of the bunch. Should be quite a debate.

Brandon Ifill — incoming freshman defensive back — was named the male athlete of the year by the Post-Gazette for the East region.

“He’s a high-character young man, the type of kid who held the team together through adversity,” [Penn Hills Head Coach Ron] Graham said. “Some of the things that came as far as what we faced this year, he was the one who held it all together.”

In addition to his football skills, Ifill is also a standout in track and field, winning the WPIAL 200-meter dash title.

For his leadership as much as for his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, Ifill has been selected as the PG East Male High School Athlete of the Year.

A Pitt football recruit, Ifill was chosen over candidates at high schools throughout the PG East circulation area.

“When things changed or became challenging for us, he was one of the kids who maintained discipline,” Graham said. “He just was a real leader on and off the field.

“He’s a good student who was well-respected on the team and within the school. He’s just one of those kids you like to have in your program. He’s really just an excellent student-athlete.”

Nicely done.

Well ESPN.com and BlueRibbon are putting out their team previews. Really just overviews of stuff mixed in with quotes from Coach Wannstedt (Insider subs).

Since the Big East was first up in teams previewed, Bruce Feldman lists 10 reasons to love the Big East. Pitt players and team grab 3 of the spots (Insider subs).

3. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh Panthers:
What a revelation the unheralded 5-foot-8 back from Albany was last season, going for almost 1,800 rushing yards and 17 TDs. Lewis’ style evoked comparisons to former Rutgers great Ray Rice. The guy just kept getting better as the 2009 season wore on, rolling off eight straight 100-yard games to finish out the year. His total of 159 rushing yards in the Meineke Car Care Bowl was the most North Carolina gave up all last season and that yardage also was more than every team but one — the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets — ran for against the Tar Heels. Lewis’ speed has continued to improve as well. He was down to a 4.42 40 when the Panthers tested him.

4. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pitt:
Another one of our top freaks in college football, Baldwin is a matchup nightmare at 6-5, 228 with sub-4.4 speed and a 42-inch vertical. Teams loading up in hopes of slowing down Lewis subsequently cringe at the thought of what Baldwin might do to their defensive backs.

…

8. The Pitt pass rush:
Dave Wannstedt has two outstanding bookend defensive ends in Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard, who have 30 career sacks. The inside of the Pitt D-line has changed. Sadly, for rival offenses, the outside has not.

Over at XtraPointFootball, their preview of Pitt concludes with the Panthers as the pick to win the Big East.

The one common question that is developing, though, is can the interior of the offensive line be relied upon this season? More than Tino Sunseri starting at QB. More than replacing Dickerson and Byham at TE. More than new starters at corner. More than new starters inside the D-line.

Looks like all previews have caught up to Pitt fans for the big question on the team: offensive line.

Interesting info dump on money spent by programs on football. Not totally convinced of some of the conclusions reached, but no surprise that the Big East contains some of the thriftiest BCS programs. Pitt spends less than 25% of what it spends on football, on basketball. Pitt also has one of the smaller total overall gross revenue among BCS teams. That the Athletic Department operates so well and the glamor programs are nationally relevant is a bit more impressive in that respect.

Coach Dave Wannstedt spoke yesterday. There are, apparently, expectations.

The Panthers are being billed as a Big East favorite, thanks to the return of conference offensive and defensive players of the year in tailback Dion Lewis and end Greg Romeus as well as fellow All-America candidates in receiver Jon Baldwin and left tackle Jason Pinkston. They are being counted on to lead a team that has only nine scholarship seniors — including starters Romeus, Pinkston, end Jabaal Sheard and safety Dom DeCicco — but has as much depth and talent as any since Wannstedt took over in 2005.

“We have a lot of potential,” Wannstedt said. “A year ago at this time, nobody would have been talking about Dorin Dickerson, no one would have been talking about Billy Stull breaking records and no one knew who Dion Lewis was. The encouraging thing is that who they are no one knows but there are three or four guys on our team right now that have the potential to step up and have an impact on our football team. …

“To have a good team, any year, the guys that are capable of making a difference have to step up and make a difference.”

Coach Wannstedt also went on record to state again that Todd Thomas will play WR, calling him a “playmaker” at the position. There did to be some wiggle-room, so the chance still remains that he could go to play safety/linebacker. Kind of the athletic passing downs defender that everyone envisioned Elijah Fields would fill.

Some things have not changed since the spring.

Dave Wannstedt today: “The whole interior offensive line is still, in my mind, up for grabs.”

That will remain a source of great anxiety.

Pitt has been recruiting New Jersey well the last couple of years. A lot of the credit has been going to assistant Jeff Hafley. That’s not entirely the case. O-line coach Tony Wise has also been a significant reason.

Wise handles the southern part of the state; he’s already landed commitments from Winslow Township (Atco, N.J.) athlete Bill Belton and Timber Creek Regional (Erial, N.J.) linebacker Quinton Alston for the class of 2011.

Timber Creek head coach Rob Hinson said that Wise has done an excellent job developing relationships with area coaches and players.

“Coach Wise does a fantastic job recruiting this area,” Hinson said. “He makes it his business to extend himself to you and anything that you might need from Pitt. That goes a long way when you have kids they are actively recruiting.”

According to Hinson, Wise’s reputation is well-established around South Jersey.

“Coach Wise is genuinely a great guy. The coaches down here in South Jersey all feel real comfortable talking to him.”

The Panthers are also targeting Alston’s teammate Damiere Byrd, a versatile athlete with incredible speed.

The buzz around the area is that nearby Willingboro (N.J.) standouts Kyle George and Brandon Bennett are also very high on Pitt.

I admit to being surprised to learn Wise has been doing recruiting — and doing so well for Pitt. My belief was that the ex-NFL assistant was simply an old Wannstedt buddy. And coupled with his age, made him more of a teaching/adviser type of coach on the staff.

Another reason, Pitt is hitting NJ especially hard this year. Pennsylvania is not having a great year for talent.

“For me, it’s the worst I’ve seen since I’ve been doing this,” said Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Mike Farrell, who has covered the region since 1999, of the Pa. crop. “There are some talented players for sure, don’t get me wrong, but the top-end talent is a bit down from past years and beyond the first seven or eight prospects, there is a huge drop. In years past we would almost always have at least three-stars at the bottom of the Pennsylvania top 40 but this year we hit two-stars near 30.”

However, Farrell feels that players will emerge and admits that a cautious approach is being taken towards rankings in the state this year.

“Because there are players out there we haven’t fully evaluated or really want to see more of, some of the three-star guys could jump up to four and some of the twos could become threes,” he said. “But the one thing I don’t see this year, not even close to be honest, is a five-star candidate. Even though Sharrif Floyd didn’t start off as a five-star kid in the rankings, you could see that potential based on his size, ability and rarity at his position. Right now I don’t see anyone who could make that kind of leap, but I guess you never know.”

(Hattip to On the Banks)

Here’s the Rivals.com list. I know, recruiting rankings aren’t perfect. It’s about developing the talent. Flaws, biases, etc. They do serve as rough sketches, though, and it definitely is a down year for PA talent. It is cyclical and does not mean a permanent shift.

Finally, the stat wonks of Football Outsiders have added a college section. They have a preseason top-25. Pitt comes in at #22.

2009 Record (Conference): 10-3 (5-2 Big East)
2009 Ranks: 19th F/+ | 11th FEI | 24th S&P+
2009 Offensive Ranks: 16th F/+ | 17th FEI | 20th S&P+
2009 Defensive Ranks: 28th F/+ | 26th FEI | 35th S&P+
Proj. 2010 Offensive F/+ Rank: 27th
Proj. 2010 Defensive F/+ Rank: 24th
Top 25 Opponents: 1 (home)

Two Signs for Optimism

1. The right players return. Pittsburgh fewer than a dozen starters, but most of their marquee players are among that group. Star running back Dion Lewis is a sophomore, and receiver Jon Baldwin returns as well. The defense has a pair of star ends (Greg Romeus, Jabaal Sheard) and safeties (Dom DeCicco, Jarred Holley), and they return their best linebacker (Max Gruder) to boot.

2. Run, run, run. While a team’s passing game can fluctuate from year to year, depending on who returns and how well a team stays out of passing downs, the running game tends to be a bit more stable. That’s a plus for the Panthers, who got 1,799 rushing yards (5.5 per carry) from Dion Lewis last season. Only two starters return on the offensive line, but they will likely start four upper-classmen, which helps. This should once again be a good running attack, and that will take pressure off of whoever wins the battle to replace quarterback Bill Stull.

Two Red Flags

1. Poor leverage. Despite their star power, the Panthers defense ranked only 46th in Standard Downs S&P+, meaning they weren’t able to leverage teams into awkward situations. Star ends can’t thrive if they can’t pin their ears back and attack the passer much. With two new starters at defensive tackle and a new middle linebacker, they could be vulnerable again in this regard.

2. New to success. While the Panthers have been good running the ball for a while now, thanks to both Lewis and his predecessor LeSean McCoy, they still haven’t been successful as a team in a while. It takes a while to prove that you can survive a lot of turnover in personnel and still thrive, and Pitt is not there yet.

Not sure about red flag #2, but #1 is a really good point. There were a lot of points last year, where the defense just couldn’t make the big stops. That really was exposed in the Cinci game. Just no way they could get that stop in the second half to end the drive and get off the field.

It’s all very superficial. It has nothing to do with the present coaches or players. It’s just the vibe. It’s the expectations are all there for Pitt to win this year. Maybe it is just a contrarian nature in me. Maybe I just don’t like to keep reading all these expectations as it can make the fall hurt that much more. It is giving me a very 2003 feel.

Remember 2003? I do. Coming off a big bowl win. ACC expansion dominating all spring and summer. Pitt looking like it had the talent to win. Everyone picking and talking up Pitt. Then came Toledo. And then ND. Building, building and a debacle at WVU. No showing against Miami. I still feel scarred from that season.

Well, if the national publications like Athlon, Lindy’s and Sporting News all picking Pitt wasn’t enough…

The UConn beat writer for the Hartford Courant, Desmond Connor, has almost all the Big East beat writers weighing in with their picks for the Big East. Top three picks

Brian Bennett, ESPN.com: Pitt, Cinci, WVU

Paul Zeise, P-G: Pitt, WVU, UConn

Dave Rahme, Syracuse Post-Standard: Pitt, WVU, UConn

Nolan Weidner, Syracuse P-S: Pitt, WVU, Cinci

Greg Auman, St. Petersburg Times: Pitt, Cinci, Rutgers

Bill Koch, Cinci Enquirer: Cinci, Pitt, USF

C.L. Brown, Louisville Courier-Journal: Pitt, Cinci, WVU

Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette: Pitt, WVU, Cinci

Connor also picks Pitt (followed by Cinci and UConn).

A few other UConn beat writers.

Neil Ostrout, Connecticut Post: Pitt, UConn, Cinci

Chip Malafronte, New Haven Register, Pitt, Cinci, UConn

Ed Daigneault, Waterbury Republican-American: UConn, Pitt, Rutgers

So, yeah, expectations.

The first batch of preview mags are out. Athlon and Lindy’s came out just before the Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to pick them up until today. So, this is just a cursory bit on them.

No, they aren’t the “bible” that is Phil Steele — next week — but they are a light snack.

Lindy’s — which disturbingly enough still uses the circa 2003 logo for Pitt — has Pitt at #14 nationally. Their Big East preview was done by Tom Luicci, who writes for the New Jersey Star-Ledger (NJ.com). Pitt is picked to win the Big East.

Athlon, puts Pitt at #18 nationally. They also have Pitt winning the Big East.

Sporting News’ preview should be out today or sometime this week. At least I have reading material to start distracting me for a little while.

I’ll have some more on these mags and content later in the week.

The preview mags are coming. The preview mags are coming.

• Athlon — May 27
• Sporting News — June 1
• Phil Steele (chorus of angels singing) — June 8

Usually dropping about the same time as Athlon is Lindy’s. They have their preseason rankings and put Pitt at #14 — and winning the Big East. WVU clocks in at 19th and Cinci at 22d. Very kind to the Big East.

Lindy’s also likes Pitt for their All-American preseason team.

Individually, three Panthers were named to the Lindy’s All-America Team. Sophomore running back Dion Lewis and senior defensive end Greg Romeus were named first team All-Americans, while junior receiver Jon Baldwin was a second-team selection.

Lewis is 1st team RB with returning Heisman winner, Alabama’s Mark Ingram. Behind them are Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State and Noel Devine of WVU.

Baldwin was beaten for 1st team honors by Michael Floyd of ND (who actually should have a big year with Brian Kelly’s offense) and Georgia’s A.J. Green.

You know, before the NCAA moved the draft withdrawal date to May 8, these revised, but still-way-too-soon lists of preseason top-25 basketball teams weren’t out until June. At least by then you also had a better idea about which teams might have injuries or academic casualties (either present or incoming class).

Here are yet a few more top-25 revisions.

Mike DeCourcy from the Sporting News comes in with the lowest ranking in to this point with a ten-spot.

10. Pitt. The Panthers need their youngest players to score. They relied too heavily on Ashton Gibbs last season and won more games than most anyone — Louisville, WVU, Providence — that could have gone either way. If sophomore Dante Taylor and some of the team’s freshmen can improve the offense, they might not need to win as many close games.

You could throw Wofford, Duquesne (2OT) and Cinci into that mix of either OT or games won by 3 points or less for Pitt. On the other side of the ledger, only two losses — Seton Hall and Xavier were by 3 points or less. And in both cases, it took a furious late effort just to make those losses that close. 6-2 in games that close. There’s a reason my liver took a few extra hits this past season.

Gary Parrish for CBS Sports updates his list with Pitt at #6.

The top three scorers — and seven of the top eight — return from a 25-win team, including Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wannamaker and Gilbert Brown. The roster still doesn’t seem imposing from an individual-talent perspective. But it’s basically the same roster Jamie Dixon used to tear through the Big East last season. There’s no reason to believe he won’t do similar things next season.

He does have ‘Nova at #4 and installs them as a slight favorite for the conference over Pitt. Lot of ‘Nova love this offseason. Seems that their late season swoon and Tourney flop is being pinned on Scottie Reynolds. How quickly they can turn.

Rivals.com is a fan of Pitt. Putting the Panthers at #4.

BUZZ: The Panthers went 25-9 overall and 13-5 in the Big East in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. Guard Ashton Gibbs was a revelation as a sophomore, and he should continue to improve. The Panthers need to beef up the frontcourt to justify their top-five ranking. The Panthers will look to sophomore Dante Taylor, a former McDonald’s All-American, to contribute more than 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds.

The top-2 or 3 in all of these lists seems to be some order of Duke, Michigan St. and Purdue.

If you are interested, the NCAA released attendance figures for 2009-10 (PDF). Eighteen homegames with a total attendance of 185,209. That averaged 10,289. That was 7th in the Big East and 42d overall. Not bad in a rebuilding year. Esepcially with a non-con that was light on marquee home games. Should be better this season with the expectations.

The passing of the draft withdrawal deadline gave college basketball writers a chance to rehash their top-25s that were way too soon with slightly less ridiculous ones.

Before getting to those, just worth confirming that Bradin Knight is not going to Rutgers to be an assistant for Mike Rice. Eventually Knight will leave for another assistant position. Simply because his career aspirations will demand it. Just glad it isn’t today.

Coach Dixon also was one of several to recommend that Robert Morris promote Andrew Toole after Mike Rice left for Rutgers.

Seven seems to be the number for Pitt. Yesterday I noted a preseason ranking that put Pitt at #7,  Andy Katz at ESPN.com concurs.

7. Pittsburgh: The Panthers aren’t going to wow you with their overall talent. But what they have is a solid core of players who grew into their roles and became winners again under Jamie Dixon last season, which has become expected with this program. Pitt loses Jermaine Dixon, but it had to play without him at times last season. Ashton Gibbs has become a big-shot maker and a quality lead guard, Gilbert Brown has grown into his leadership role and Brad Wanamaker will continue to shine. Nasir Robinson emerged as a better post option than McDonald’s All-American Dante Taylor, but that could shift as Taylor matures. Pitt might not have the most talent in the Big East, but the experience should lead the Panthers to the conference title.

Luke Winn at SI.com also says lucky #7.

The Panther I’m most curious about this season is power forward Dante Taylor, the former McDonald’s All-American who came in and averaged 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game as a freshman — hardly overwhelming numbers. Taylor’s per-possession statistics, however, are intriguing. If he could keep up his offensive rebounding percentage of 16.1 over a larger chunk of playing time, he’d be considered one of the country’s best offensive rebounders and be immensely valuable to Jamie Dixon. Of all the big men that DraftExpress projects to go in the first round in June, only one — Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins — had an OR% higher than 16. Pitt’s team offensive rebounding dropped off by nearly six percent after losing DeJuan Blair, and a breakthrough year by Taylor could help the Panthers get back among the elites in that category.

Offensive rebounding was expected to and did suffer after losing Blair. Considering how it seemed that Taylor was struggling with position and getting after boards at times, Winn suggests that a more consistent effort — and more minutes — will be a big difference.

The other side of that, though, is finishing. Whether it is going up strong with putbacks or knowing to kick it out for someone else.

Mike Miller at NBC Sports, is far more bullish than anyone else to this point. Picking Pitt for #4.

There’s a drop from 3 to 4, but not as much as some might think. Considering the Panthers return seven of their top eight players from a 25-9 squad, including two star-caliber players in Gibbs and Brown and Jamie Dixon’s squad is a fair bet to make that Final Four breakthrough. There won’t be any embarrassing losses in 2010-11.

Love that optimism.