This was on the front page of ESPN.com’s basketball page today.

Seems the ridiculous to the extreme “bracketology” puts Pitt as a #1 seed for the 2009 NCAA Tournament. That’s really useless. On the positive side, Coach Dixon continues to say the right things about the goals.

“People are always going to expect more. We deal with it every year,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “I look at it as a good thing. It’s part of our program — both in the visibility of it and the success of it.”

…

“We’re going to continue to do things that have put us in a position to be successful in the tournament,” he said. “Obviously, the health of our players is very important.”

The key phrasing, in the second part was “in a position to be successful.” There is still the issue of what Pitt does once in that position.
Apparently the Oklahoma AD made contact with Coach Jamie Dixon, but that was about it (ESPN Insider).

Oklahoma State’s call to Pitt’s Jamie Dixon wasn’t even long enough to warrant a serious discussion. Dixon wasn’t going to Oklahoma State.

The popular rumor is that Dixon — along with plenty of other coaches — is not going anywhere for at least a year.

He would be great, as he has been at Pitt. But there’s no reason for Dixon to walk away from a preseason top 10 team, particularly when he’d probably be the leading candidate at Arizona if Lute Olson was to really retire after next season.

I’m not going to stress on the Arizona thing. I think Olson has already shown he will be pulling a Paterno, so he’s going to hang around for some time.

I do expect that Pitt will announce a new extension for Dixon anytime in the next couple of weeks. On a somewhat related note, I recommend this article about Kansas and their AD dealing with the “costs” of winning. It’s something Pitt, in its history has struggled to handle.

The team banquet was on Sunday night (and yet another year passes without an invite coming my way). 12 players managed to take home awards including Mike Cook. It is easier to list the players who came away with nothing — Austin Wallace, Cassin Diggs and Tim Frye.

Lamar Patterson is Pitt’s first verbal for the class of 2009. It looks increasingly likely that Pitt snagged him early and before he really started showing what he can do.

Pittsburgh quietly landed Lamar Patterson during the high school season and the commitment probably didn’t generate the kind of buzz that it deserved. Patterson is the real deal. He has been the most consistent player for Team Final this weekend and showed off all the facets of his game. His passing ability was on showcase on Saturday.

Amusing complaint from some minor Philly paper about Pitt recruiting talented players from Philly these days.

But it bothers me that Pitt was able to land Nasir Robinson from Chester and Lamar Patterson from the Lancaster area. Add them to current Panthers Bradley Wanamaker and Mike Cook and you have a veritable Philadelphia pipeline heading to the other side of the state. There’s nothing that Pitt has that Villanova doesn’t, and the Cats should take it personally that schools like Pittsburgh and Virginia have multiple Philadelphia players on their roster.

Ah, provincialism. It’s everywhere.

I don’t take these projections seriously. Really, they can’t even be anything more than pure guesswork until the end of June. After players have stayed in or pulled out of the NBA draft. Even then, there’s a plenty of guesswork, but there is some time and spacing. Predicting right now has the element of looking too closely at how the team played at the end of the season (WVU) and not giving enough respect to the teams that were strong all season but stumbled in the post-season (ND).

I was collecting the various links, but NBE Basketball Report did a great job of collecting all the links in a couple of posts here and here.

Only one list completely excluded Pitt — a guy for the San Jose Mercury News. The highest ranking Pitt received was #2 (likes the coach and returning talent). The lowest, #16 (questions about perimeter shooters).

Really, the issue of who will be the primary SG (read, perimeter threat) seems to be the biggest question about Pitt.

There’s still no word on whether Mike Cook will get a 6th year. According to a blog by a Pitt News Assistant Sports Editor, he is hearing it is 90-10 that Sam Young comes back to Pitt for next season.

I chatted with a Pitt spokesman close to Pitt basketball earlier today. He told me that Pitt’s junior forward Sam Young, the winner of the Big East’s Most Improved Player award for this past season, is “90-percent sure” that he’ll stay at Pitt for his senior season.

I still expect Young to go through the draft camps. That just makes sense as a junior. He loses nothing by finding out what scouts think when they see him up close amidst similar competition.

A big Pitt/Wannstedt puff piece from Yahoo!/Rivals.com to start off the day.

The upset of West Virginia may not have been a fluke, but Wannstedt – ever the cautious coach – warns that it won’t matter when the Panthers open the 2008 season against Bowling Green on August 30.

“That will be the focal point, but it won’t have a darn thing to do with us beating Bowling Green,” he said. “Beating West Virginia reinforced that we could be good and reaffirmed to the kids we were recruiting that you could win at Pitt.”

There are a lot of reasons to anticipate a successful season for Pitt this fall. Seven starters return from a defense that ranked fifth in the nation last season. The return of Stull and Kinder should boost the passing game, which will benefit McCoy.

…

You also need a reliable quarterback. Stull, who has thrown only 30 college passes, doesn’t figure to challenge for All-American honors, but he should be an upgrade at quarterback. His presence is another reason many Pitt fans can’t wait for the season to start.

But Wannstedt can. “I can wait,” he said. “We need to work. The season will get here soon enough.”

When it arrives, Wannstedt will have a team with eight offensive starters returning. He’ll have a dynamic tailback, an All-American linebacker, a junior quarterback and an all-conference receiver returning from injury. He’ll have a team with one of the best defensive lines in America. He’ll have emerging stars, like strong safety Elijah Fields or defensive end Greg Romeus.

He has a team that lost three games by a touchdown or less last season and is seeking redemption. He has a team coming off that win over West Virginia. There are a lot reasons to like Wannstedt’s team in 2008. And he does, although not for the reasons listed above.

Looks like Pitt is set to be the trendy media favorite “darkhorse” team to “suddenly” jump from losing record to top-25 team at least. This always begs that deep philosophical question of whether a team can truly be considered a sleeper or darkhorse when everyone is picking them to be that team?

Paul Zeise has had a week to watch practices and the P-G beat writer has had daily Q&As. The first one, to the shock of no one was all questions on the O-line. The now annual concerns for the O-line.

Dickerson has looked great at TE by all reports, and that was another major topic for a Q&A. It was also the topic of this story.

“It feels good catching the ball again,” Dickerson said. “I worked real hard in the offseason. I knew this is what I wanted to do, and me and Bill went in there and started throwing every day.”

What has caught Wannstedt’s attention is Dickerson’s willingness and effort to take on defenders with blocks, even though Dickerson likened the difficulty of blocking linebackers to hitting a moving target.

“I was impressed with how he made an attempt to block. That’s usually the biggest transition for these kids,” Wannstedt said. “Catching the ball and running is an easy thing. Everybody wants to do that. Very few guys want to get in there and get their nose bloodied up. Dorin showed that he’s not afraid to do that. If he can keep that attitude, I think he’ll be an asset for us at tight end.”

At least he is willing and working on the blocking. If he can, then he has huge potential to be a key player in the offense.

The latest Q&A addresses Bostick’s wind-up motion –like everyone and their mother, Zeise believes Bostick will be redshirted — and then questions about the linebackers. Especially the young ones: Brandon Lindsey, Tristan Roberts and Greg Williams. And what do you know? A story on the linebacker corps to tie-in to this.

Now, the coaches seem to have found linebackers capable of delivering that speed. That group includes four redshirt freshmen in Max Gruder (middle), Greg Williams, Tristan Roberts and Brandon Lindsey, as well as redshirt sophomore Nate Nix.

Williams, who is 6 feet 3, 220 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, is the most intriguing prospect, mostly because he is physically gifted. He is a converted running back who seems to have picked up his new position well and continues to make plays in every practice.

“The competition we have at linebacker, I really like our young linebackers,” head coach Dave Wannstedt said. “I am really impressed with the progress all of them have made in two weeks. It looks like that will be a good competition and they’ll only continue to improve.”

Of the group, Gruder is the one who likely won’t see the field much this fall, because he is behind McKillop at middle linebacker and also is battling Steve Dell for the backup spot. But Gruder has been a surprise and looks like he might be a fixture at the position when McKillop graduates.

At this point, Shane Murray and Adam Gunn look to remain the starters at the WIL and SAM spots. The rotation, though, should be a little more frequent which means a lot more speed and energy regardless of who is out there.
Finally, there was recap article from Zeise at the start of the week on key obsrvations from spring practices so far. Most of them have already been mentioned in this and previous posts — Dickerson at TE, Stull will be the QB, WR is deep, Defense is strong, O-line [sigh] — but this stood out to me.

Buddy Morris is worth whatever they pay him — Morris was brought in last year as the strength and conditioning coach and he has transformed the program. His grueling schedule has instilled a mental toughness the team seemed to lack in recent years, and more importantly, they are stronger and in better shape this spring then they have been. The Panthers seemed to get stronger as the season wore on last year and played some of their best football down the stretch. That has carried over into the spring, and it is clear his contributions are making a difference.

This is a radical shift from his view on the whole matter in February 2007.

My point? Strength and conditioning is an easy target when things go bad, but I’d be willing to bet most strength and conditioning coaches are roughly the same and their success or failure is almost always commensurate with the talent they have to work with.

I agreed with his viewpoint back then, and I think there is something to be said for the change in players. The majority of the players now, are recruits Wannstedt has brought in. If we agree that the players are better physical, athletic talents, then it stands to reason that they will respond to most strength and conditioning better and probably faster.

Still, that he would change positions like this suggests that what Morris is doing has had a significant and noticeable impact on the players.

Some unconnected links.

A little late, but Rivals.com spring practice preview.

Pittsburgh missed playing in a bowl for the third consecutive season under Dave Wannstedt, but all signs point to 2008 being a turnaround year with recent recruiting classes coming to fruition. With other teams in the Big East in transition, Pitt could make a run at the league title. The Panthers need to settle on a new offensive line and find new starters at defensive line and in the secondary this spring.

A ranking of BE Coaches. Wannstedt comes in 6th. I understand Wanny being in the lower half based on what he’s done, but seeing Kragthorpe 4th and Leavitt 5th is ridiculous.  Kragthorpe may have a solid body of work prior to Louisville, but he can’t compare to what Leavitt has been doing. I can at least see the argument for nos. 1-3 (even if I don’t agree with the order — Edsall, Schiano, Kelly), but if body of work counts for Kragthorpe, Leavitt blows him out with how he’s built USF.

Joe Starkey writes that Pitt is embracing expectations on this team from national speculation.

“I’m kind of surprised,” says Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, whose team began spring workouts Tuesday. “You know, coming off a five-win season.”

That said, Wannstedt welcomes the pressure. The Sporting News’ Matt Hayes and SI.com’s Stewart Mandel have Pitt pegged at No. 25; ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach and CBS Sportsline’s Dennis Dodd at No. 22.

“We don’t dodge the issue,” Wannstedt said. “You meet it head on – but, really, it doesn’t have any bearing on anything. One of the early lessons you learn playing this game is that you have to prove yourself every week.”

There’s also some talk of the possible LeSean McCoy and the Heisman talk. Let’s make sure there’s an O-line first.

Finally, I mentioned that Rod Rutherford is in af2. In his debut, he threw for 4 TDs and ran for 2 more. Of course, in what had to take him back to his Pitt days the O-line let him get sacked 7 times and there was little defense as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Pioneers lost 48-41. Ah, memories.

I seem to be having some trouble with embedding it on the site, but here is a link to the video of the player introductions for Pitt from the 2008 Big East Tournament Championship. Good times.

Now the biggest issue for Pitt basketball for the 3d time in 4 years, is whether a vital junior player will go into the NBA Draft. I’ve already said I think he should at least go through the draft process. Several sites have him going late in the 1st round. Plenty don’t include him. If you want to go crazy, here’s a link to a collection of mocks (quality of evaluations vary). One of the great variables that is always unclear until late April into May is the Euro players. Until the overseas scouting reports start coming in, the 1st round remains quite fluid.

As noted, there hasn’t really been a clear indication by Young as to what he is thinking.

Young won’t have to make a decision to even enter the NBA draft until April 27. The date to withdraw is June 16.

So take a deep breath. Relax and until Young actually says something, don’t drive yourself insane.

Of course, if he comes back…

Young would join Fields and DeJuan Blair, the Panthers’ top three scorers, as returning starters. Gilbert Brown, who was forced into a bigger role with the injury to Cook and was a major part of coach Jamie Dixon’s rotation, also returns and could move into the starting lineup at the three spot to replace Keith Benjamin.

A Young return could equal a top 15 or better preseason ranking for the Panthers, who garnered top-10 predictions the year Aaron Gray returned after testing the NBA.

The top incoming freshmen are expected to be Nasir Robinson, a four-star recruit who also could compete for the starting wing position, and shooting guard Ashton Gibbs, who may fill Ronald Ramon’s role. Other newcomers will likely be guard Travon Woodall and forward Dwight Miller. Point guard Jermaine Dixon has committed to Pitt and is expected to sign in the next month, but it’s unclear if there will be a scholarship available.

In Ray Fittipaldo’s final Q&A he speculates at the possibility of moving McGhee into a more prominent role. One that would have Blair at PF and Young at SF. That does, however, squeeze Gilbert Brown unless his shooting gets a lot better over the summer. Still, it is reasonable to assume that’s a goal at some point. McGhee’s development will be vital. Obviously it would allow Pitt to go bigger with him at center. The other advantage is that the rest of the players would be able to shift back when the team needs to go smaller.

Worth noting that Nasir Robinson was named to the all-PA AAAA 1st team for the second straight year. Also making the AAAA 1st team was Deandre Kane from Schenley.

I think I would prefer more doubters like Grant Wahl at SI.com.

Bracket buster: Oral Roberts. Scott Sutton‘s 13th-seeded Golden Eagles are playing in their third-consecutive NCAA tournament, and they’re blessed with more size than any other low- to mid-major, going 6-8, 6-9 and 6-10 on their starting front line. They will be taller up front than first-round foe Pittsburgh, which is riding high after its Big East tourney title, but for this game in Denver I’m predicting a repeat of what happened the last time Pitt went out west for the NCAAs and got knocked off in the first round (by Pacific in Boise in 2005).

Instead, it’s mostly positive stuff about Pitt.

SI.com: Who has the hardest road?

SD: Memphis, no doubt about it. Pittsburgh won four games in four days at the Big East tournament … clearly, with Levance Fields back, that’s a different team. Memphis will have to get past Pitt, then past Texas in Houston, where Texas has a home-court advantage — it will be burnt orange wall-to-wall.

Seth Davis also thought Pitt should have been a 3 seed.

What Pitt did in the Big East Tournament seems to have inflated lots of expectations. Bobby Knight isn’t the only one willing to predict Pitt in the Final Four.

Instead, I’m going with No. 4 seed Pittsburgh, which just battled through the Big East tournament to win the title at Madison Square Garden. The Panthers will bump free throw phobic Memphis and then Texas, if things play out according to my bracket plan, to join the three remaining top seeds in San Antonio. North Carolina, the top overall seed, takes UCLA in a classic title game.

While not predicting Pitt to win the South, Pitt is the “darkhorse” to come out of the bracket.

So how about Pittsburgh? A fourth seed isn’t that big of a dark horse, granted, but nobody from seeds 5-16 has a chance in this region.

Pitt is the hot “darkhorse” or “sleeper” team right now.

The Panthers are seeded No. 4, which is startling considering that they entered the Big East tournament last week as a No. 7 seed. But it would be hard to find a hotter team in the country than the Panthers, who became the second team in Big East tournament history to win four games in four nights. (A note of caution: the last team to do it, Syracuse in 2006, lost in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament.)

But the reason to be high on these Panthers is that they are finally healthy after the starting point guard Levance Fields came back from a broken foot. Sam Young has emerged as one of the country’s best players, and the freshman big man DaJuan Blair is no longer playing like a freshman.

I hate being the sexy pick. I’m not saying I want Pitt to be the team everyone is predicting to flame out in the first round, but it is a little too much. I worry about the players reading too many press clippings.
This breakdown of the 1st round game, is pretty good. And not just because they go with Pitt.

Pittsburgh game plan: The Panthers will look to wear down the Golden Eagles with their efficient offense. Though not an especially high-scoring team, Pitt can push the ball to negate ORU’s defensive style, create mismatches in transition and ultimately tire out the Golden Eagles. Also, forwards Sam Young and DeJuan Blair must establish themselves on the glass.

Oral Roberts game plan: ORU wins with defense – it held opponents to 39.7 percent field-goal shooting this season. It has a pair of shot blockers in Shawn King and Yemi Ogunoye and quick-footed guards who make teams work for every point. By slowing things down, ORU might keep the game close enough at the end for guard Robert Jarvis to take over.

Jarvis generally comes off the bench, but is their leading scorer.

This story from the Tulsa paper has the Golden Eagles poor mouthing their chances.

“They’re athletic, they play hard and they play great as a team. There’s no one man. You can’t just stop one man and expect to win,” said ORU senior guard Yemi Ogunoye. “They’re playing great toward the end of the season. They’ve got all the confidence in the world right now. It’s gonna be tough for us to come out and win. Everything has to be be on that night for us,” Ogunoye said.

But it was hard to dampen the Eagles’ enthusiasm after receiving their highest seed in their three consecutive years of qualifying in the tournament.

“We’re making progress,” said senior guard Moses Ehambe. “Two years ago, a 16 seed. Last year, 14, and now a 13. So we’re taking steps up. Pittsburgh is a physical team, but I believe if we go out there and play hard and play our signature (defense), we’ll be all right.”

Worth noting that ORU is a bad free throw shooting team. Only 67%. Granted I would kill for that after what Pitt did in the last couple games of the BET, but I’m hoping the team is over those yips.

Here’s another capsule collection of the teams.

Finally a couple of the Colorado papers look at the teams coming to Denver here and here. Nothing too important.

The game is at 1pm on CBS. It’s also a pretty good match-up.

Game worth watching on TV: The battle of teams down key players is Saturday in Hartford. It’s Pittsburgh minus Mike Cook and Levance Fields because of injuries vs. Connecticut minus Jerome Dyson because of a failed drug test that has earned him a 30-day suspension. So yeah, the game would be better if those guys were involved. But it’s still a great Big East matchup scheduled for CBS, and why wouldn’t you want to watch CBS?

Technically Jim Calhoun says he hasn’t decided whether Doug Wiggins will play. Right. He’s playing.

ESPN.com includes the non-ESPN game as a big weekend game.

Connecticut has one of the most explosive groups of athletes — led by guard A.J. Price and forward Stanley Robinson. Craig Austrie stepped up in the absence of Dyson and Wiggins and scored 15 points against Indiana. Center Hasheem Thabeet has steadily improved his offense to go along with his shot-blocking ability and overall defensive presence in the lane. Jeff Adrien is a dependable power forward who competes and provides consistent production in the lane as a scorer and rebounder. Despite losing to Rutgers at home this past Saturday, the Panthers beat Villanova on Wednesday. Pitt is short-handed with Levance Fields still out with a foot injury, but coach Jamie Dixon has shown he can rally the troops. The Iron Five of Gilbert Brown, Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, Keith Benjamin and Ronald Ramon should not be taken lightly, even on the road against a confident Connecticut team.

Good news, Seth Davis at SI.com picks UConn by 3.

So the question becomes, which team is better equipped to win a physical conference game with a thin bench? Well, Pitt out-rebounded Villanova by eight in its win on Wednesday night, but I doubt that will happen against UConn. My sense is the Huskies have turned the corner in terms of understanding how tough they need to be and how smart they need to play. That, plus the two days of additional rest and preparation they had this week after beating Louisville on Monday, should be the difference.

The extra days off for UConn seems to be a big advantage. The only thing I can sort of point out is that the Huskies played Indiana and Louisville on Saturday then Monday. Davis points out the team seems to have turned a corner. Contra that, they are still a young team and got a couple extra days to relax. They were rolling a bit, and now had a chance to rest.
Pitt, of course, is tired as they are finishing a 4-game in 10-day grind.

There are those times late in games when, admittedly, Biggs’ legs feel a bit like Jell-O, when his breathing becomes labored and his body is telling him to shut it down while his head wins a tussle as it screams to “keep on going, push through.”

Biggs harkens back to those semi-torturous offseason conditioning sessions when a moment like that arises.

“Just grinding it out in the summer and all that running we did on the track and all that stuff we did on the court, it definitely pays off right now,” Biggs said. “You can find yourself at the end of games with your wind going down and your legs feeling it some. But you just have to tell yourself to keep fighting, you don’t have any choice but to fight through it.”

I don’t have a strong sense on this game. I do expect some very ragged second half play from both teams.

So, it’s a little more than a week to National Letter of Intent day. Also known as, make sure those servers are ready for the millions of hits and refreshes for Scout.com and Rivals.com.

Pitt headlined an East recruiting recap on USA Today. Stuff already covered numerous times.

Scouts, Inc./ESPN.com has Pitt #21 nationally in recruiting.

19 verbal commitments, four ESPN 150 prospects

Despite still not leading Pitt to a bowl game Dave Wannstedt remains a top recruiter, especially in Western Pennsylvania. Four ESPN 150 prospects include the big, talented wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin (Aliquippa, Pa.).

Pitt is far and away with the best recruiting class in the Big East.

Class highlights: Besides Baldwin, running back Chris Burns (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington Area) offers promise. The Panthers already have the exciting LeSean McCoy, but Burns could offer a wonderful second option. He combines workhorse qualities with scatback, change-of-direction skills.

The offensive line also receives a boost with the addition of the big, athletic offensive tackle Luke Nix (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson). Wannstedt has recruited well, but Nix offers his best land yet at the offensive tackle position.

Pitt also landed talented in-state quarterback Tino Sunseri, the one-time Louisville commit. A coach’s son and a gunslinger, this could prove to be a great pick-up a little down the road. Mike Cruz (Johnstown, Pa. / Bishop McCort) is a big tight end with deceptive athleticism who catches pretty much anything near him. The defense also recently got a good addition with the commitment of Shayne Hale (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) a linebacker prospect who will likely develop into a defensive end. A pair of talented athlete prospects, A.J. Alexander (Altoona, Pa.) and Cameron Saddler (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway), have potential.

Could see the field in 2008: Wide receiver Baldwin, running back Burns, tight end Cruz, athletes Alexander and Saddler (in a variety of roles and special teams), Hale (likely as a back-up) and JUCO OC Rob Houser (Chico, Calif./Butte College).

Looks like A.J. Alexander is back with FSU. Of course, there is still a week left for him so don’t hold him to it.

There is a grayshirt addition and a preferred walk-on.

Central Catholic running back Andrew Taglianetti made a verbal commitment to Pitt on Sunday. His brother, South Fayette quarterback Jon Taglianetti, accepted an opportunity to be a preferred walk-on for the Panthers.

“My brother was one of the reasons,” Andrew said. “Pitt is one of the top educations you could probably get, the best one I was able to get. I love (Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso), and all of my friends that I played with and against this year, they are going there.”

Andrew, who said he will likely play defensive back or safety, chose the Panthers over Louisville and Toledo. He made the decision after his official visit to Pitt last weekend.

Article on top questions for 2008 in college football.

18. What team will follow Wake Forest of 2006 and Illinois of 2007 as the “surprise” team of ’08?

Pittsburgh hasn’t posted a winning record since 2004, but that could change unless injuries take a devastating toll again. The Panthers could even challenge for the Big East championship. Why not? They beat Big East champion West Virginia in Morgantown this past season, and the Panthers return eight offensive starters and seven defensive starters. That includes tailback LeSean McCoy, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards. The defense ranked among the nation’s top 10, and leading tackler Scott McKillop returns. Also, the Panthers will play Big East rivals West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers in Pittsburgh.

…

20. What player returning from injury will give his team the greatest boost?

Pittsburgh receiver Derek Kinder. McCoy was extremely productive as a freshman tailback, and that was without a solid passing game to ease some of the pressure. Pittsburgh averaged fewer than 180 passing yards and ranked 104th nationally in passing offense in 2007. At least part of the reason for that futility was the loss of Kinder, who suffered a knee injury in August and missed the entire season. Kinder led the team with 57 receptions for 847 yards and six touchdowns in 2006, but last year no Pittsburgh receiver had more than 37 catches. Kinder’s return will give the Panthers a legitimate receiving threat, which in turn should enhance the running game.

Last week, Smizik had a column that rehashed how much that one win over WVU turned everything on its head for Pitt and WVU. As did Gorman on the same day. I’m actually tired of these, and right after NLI day, you can bet we’ll see them again.

Then Ron Cook gave his support for Greg Gattuso to take over as DC. Now, I’m in favor of this as well. The cynical side of me, of course, has to observe that of course the local news media folk would want this promotion. They already know him, have a relationship and don’t have to try and build a new relationship to get info from a key coach.

It’s nice but hard to take seriously. With football season over. The BCS hashed, rehashed and playoffs pumped then torn down. The head coaching carousel done. Recruiting stuff has already gotten tiresome for many — or they don’t want to sully their hands with the discussion. That leaves precious little to write. That means it is time for sports writers to predict 2008 polls.

Dennis Dodd at CBS Sports puts Pitt at #22.

Stewart Mandel at SI.com has Pitt at #25.

Yeah, it has little meaning. On the other hand, Pitt has been absent from even the discussion since the 2004 season. So, there is the fact that Pitt is still somewhere in sportswriters’ minds.

Things that I just haven’t gotten around to linking or posting.

Bruce Feldman at ESPN.com lists 10 teams he expects to take a big step forward in wins.

2: Pittsburgh

All hail the ‘stache! The Panthers emerged from a four-game losing skid to upset No. 23 Cincinnati and finished off the season by wrecking the title hopes of West Virginia in Morgantown. Pitt will return many of the leaders of the nation’s No. 7 defense as well as one of the country’s top young running backs in LeSean McCoy. They also hope to get back smooth WR Derek Kinder, an All-Big East pick in 2006, who underwent season-ending knee surgery during training camp. QB Bill Stull, another former starter, also will return from injury, and he will try and beat out Pat Bostick, the talented true freshman who finished the season as Pitt’s starter. DT Gus Mustakas, a rugged inside presence, missed the final 10 games of the season after knee surgery and also should be back, as will tackle machine Scott McKillop. I think the Panthers’ patience with Dave Wannstedt will pay off with a return to the Top 25 next season and maybe even a Big East title.

A few individual honors. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) — which is essentially the Eastern schools from UConn, BC, Syracuse, PSU, UVa, WVU and such — named LeSean McCoy the rookie of the year (PDF). In addition to McCoy also being named to the all-star team, Jeff Otah, Greg Romeus and Scott McKillop were also named to the squad.

Romeus and McCoy were also honored by being named to the Football Writers Association of America All-Freshman team.

A couple days ago, I noticed a slew of hits from a premium WVU message board. Oddly enough, they concerned a post that had nothing to do with them and was 18 months ago. The issue was Charlie Taaffee who served as a Pitt assistant in 2006. Taaffe left to go back to being a head coach in the CFL. He had a disasterous first year back, but there was nothing to suggest he was leaving. He had even hired some new assistants.

Turns out he was big in the rumor mill to be hired as offensive coordinator at WVU. Those reports later turned out to be false and recanted.

Therefore, if the reports are credible, recently fired O-line Coach Paul Dunn is now a candidate for the job in Morgantown.

Big East conference play got underway the last couple of nights. As that was happening, a slew of previews came out once more updating things. As you can imagine, injuries — especially to Pitt — were a big theme.

Dixon has enough depth and experience at those position to keep the Panthers competitive in the Big East, as long as they defend the perimeter. We’d be surprised if they didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, although without Fields it will be a lot harder to get back to the Sweet 16.

Pitt’s injuries have been the most prominent, though, several other teams have their own problems.

Pittsburgh lost Mike Cook (knee) for the season and guard Levance Fields (foot) for at least two months. The Panthers will be an interesting case study. Coach Jamie Dixon’s club may go 8-10 or 9-9 in the league, yet still be in the conversation come Selection Sunday.

Syracuse lost last season’s starting backcourt – Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins – to knee injuries. Padgett was expected to miss the season, then returned for the league opener Tuesday against Cincinnati. The Bearcats lost perhaps their best player, Texas transfer Mike Williams, in the fall with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Marquette’s Dan Fitzgerald (wrist) and Providence guard Sharaud Curry (foot) also have been hobbled.

Villanova is also without Casiem Drummond who went down with a stress fracture provided vital defense and rebounding inside Pitt’s injuries, however, are still the big story.

The biggest story heading into conference play is the state of the Pittsburgh Panthers (11-1).

…

Not only were Jamie Dixon’s Panthers one of the favorites to win the Big East, but with freshman DeJuan Blair stepping in nicely and averaging about 10 rebounds, they had all the pieces necessary to make a Final Four run.

But now, who knows? No loss for Pitt this season will be as big as the two the program has already sustained in the injury column.

So with Pitt down, the question in part is what teams will challenge G-town for the Big East.

Has any team’s fortune changed more in just more than one game’s time? First, the Panthers lost forward Mike Cook for the season in overtime against Duke. After they stole the win on a late Levance Fields 3, they lost Fields for perhaps the rest of the regular season while getting destroyed at Dayton. The Panthers still have one of the best frontcourt tandems in the country with freshman forward DeJuan Blair and junior Sam Young, as well as a lot of grit, but these losses are two big blows any team would struggle to overcome. The loss of Fields might short-circuit Pitt’s conference-title hopes.

Marquette is about the best bet at the moment. Louisville has appeared to falter, but you should never count a Rick Pitino team out this earl. Some think Villanova — of course that was before the loss to DePaul last night.

Personally, and I hate typing this, I think UConn will be back up there. Things seem to be coming together with the talent they have.

Well, for those of you thinking Pitt is always underrated, this preview of a top-25 will make you feel good. For those feeling that this is just asking for bad things to happen, well I understand.

10. Pittsburgh Panthers (29-8)

The Ben Howland/Jamie Dixon era has made Pittsburgh perhaps the most consistent team in college basketball. And they’re only improving. Freshmen DeJuan Blair and Bradley Wanamaker headline the best recruiting class of the era, and the returnees have a lot of potential. Blair, a center, and forward Sam Young will take on starring roles. Young is explosive, Blair is steady and strong. Senior guard Levance Fields is the chemistry guy and gutsy defender. Together, they give the Panthers the type of leadership and skill that could push the team beyond the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1974 (when there were only 25 teams invited to the Big Dance).

…

OVERRATED: Louisville | UNDERRATED: Pittsburgh

Admittedly, I have a bit of an advantage over a number of publications’ preview specials in that I have seen a little bit of the season already. Still, Louisville is not a top 10 team, yet some are claiming they are a top five team. I’m not sold that Derrick Caracter has the fitness or mentality to play big minutes consistently. And without David Padgett, Caracter will need to. Juan Palacios would help, but he can’t stay healthy either and is out till at least December. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh makes the Sweet Sixteen seemingly every year these days. So why is it that no one expects anything big from them? Jamie Dixon is a really great coach, the system works, and Sam Young and Dejuan Blair are two of the best players ever to come to Pitt.

Everyone wants their team to play in the non-con tournaments in November and December. Afterall, national media exposure is a good thing. Pitt fans are no exception. the disadvantage for Pitt is that the marquee teams and coaches in the Big East still carry a lot of weight. That limits Pitt’s opportunities.

The recruiting classes in 2008 does not have the talent as 2007 offered. Pitt finds itself ranked somewhere in the middle of the Big East, yet not highly ranked nationally. Yet, last season Pitt was somewhere in the middle of the pack in the Big East, but ranked nationally.

Point guard Travon Woodall (5-11, 185), shooting guard Ashton Gibbs (6-2, 190) and forward Dwight Miller (6-8, 220) are unranked at this time. Rivals ranked Pitt’s class as No. 8 in the Big East behind the likes of Rutgers and Cincinnati.

“I would term it solid,” said Jerry Meyer, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals. “There is no star power in this class. There are no difference-makers. This is not a great class. But I think this is a good class.”

The recruiting class from a year ago was No. 6 in the Big East and ranked No. 26 in the country by Rivals. That lofty ranking was due in large part to Dixon getting DeJuan Blair and Brad Wanamaker, both top-100 players, to come on board.

This whole 2008 recruiting class seems like a “nuts-and-bolts” type class. And I mean this for both Pitt and on a national level. There just aren’t that many difference maker players for next year. A lot of potential sleepers and surprises, but mainly players that will contribute a little in their first year and develop down the road.

Many of you know I’m a big fan of the more advanced numbers and statistics that are starting to permeate basketball. Especially those involving tempo and efficiency. Ken Pomeroy has been a guy I regularly cite and his stuff is often used by me during the season. He and John Gasaway formerly of Big Ten Wonk blog have gone to work for the people who do Baseball Prospectus to produce work stat-driven work in college basketball this season. The geek in me is very excited about this for this year and going forward.
Of course, just two of them trying to cover 340 teams means the previews ran right into the season. They only got to the Big East this week. Interesting to see that Pitt is 10th in the Big East in % of returning minutes — something that speaks to the experience of a team. Marquette, Louisville and G-town are 1, 3 and 5 in that.

As for the look at Pitt. There’s plenty, but here’s a snippet.

As mentioned above, 6’1″ senior Ronald Ramon has functioned as a highly efficient supporting player up to this point. While he turns the ball over a hair more often than you’d like from your spot-up shooter, uncanny accuracy from the floor has more than made up for that. With Gray gone, more possessions will now come Ramon’s way. The test will be how well he can sustain his efficiency while playing a more prominent role in the offense. Also available is Keith Benjamin, a 6’2″ senior.

There’s been talk this year about how a new-look no-Gray Panther team is going to run the floor and increase the tempo. It could happen, sure, but don’t bet the farm just yet. Dixon may let his foot off the brake enough for the pace to creep up a little from last year’s mark of 62 possessions per 40 minutes in-conference. (The were the slowest non-Georgetown team in the Big East.) Even so, this team isn’t going to look like North Carolina or Kansas any time soon.

Pitt this year could have the makings of an interesting test for its coach. The Howland/Dixon preference, doubtless, would be to continue life as an old-school pound-it-down-low kind of team. The makeup of this year’s personnel, however, would seem to suggest that a more perimeter-oriented approach may be in order. Coaches often talk about modifying their styles year-to-year, depending on the players on hand. Dixon will have to decide if this is one of those years.

I think Ramon’s numbers are going to suffer a bit as teams are less likely to play off of him this season.

Pitt, of course, is feeling a bit confident about its ability to play different styles in response to what defenses give them after the weekend.

The Panthers showed off their new transition game against Houston Baptist, which employs full-court pressure defense and a fastbreak offense. The Panthers won, 103-62, the most points scored by a Pitt team since a December 1995 game against Long Island.

The following day against North Carolina A&T, Pitt had to win the game with outside shooting. Aggies coach Jerry Eaves, noticing Pitt shot only 29 percent from 3-point range against Houston Baptist, packed it down against the Panthers’ post players and forced their 3-point shooters to win the game.

The Panthers responded by making 12 of 27 shots from behind the arc and won easily, 88-61.

Then came Saint Louis, which played at a completely different pace. The Billikens gave the Panthers all they could handle for 30 minutes before Pitt finally pulled away. Not only did Dixon get to see his team excel in a low-possession game with a defensive posture, he got to see how they performed in a close game under pressure.

“That’s why the coaches scheduled like this,” point guard Levance Fields said. “[Saint Louis] was a great opponent for this game. We weren’t able to get up and down like we would like, but it was something we knew we’d have to deal with throughout the season. We think we did very well doing it. We didn’t lose our heads or get mad. We knew we wouldn’t be able to get as many points as we did the first two games, so we had to settle down, execute plays better and step it up on defense. And that’s what we did.”

There’s still a lot of work to go on this, but it’s a good start. That could also apply to DeJuan Blair who keeps getting positive pub.

There are those who feel Blair’s combination of skill and toughness are reminiscent of forward Brian Shorter, one of the most ferocious scorers and rebounders in Pitt history. Others believe Blair compares favorably to Charles Smith, the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer and shot blocker.

…

“He’s gotten better each game and he’s continued to improve in every area,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “On defense, he’s has a way to go but he can score in the paint, he’s bright and he understands things.”

Memphis coach, John Calipari, was on Mike&Mike on ESPN radio this morning. He was being asked about the impact and effect on the game with freshmen players. Specifically his own in Derrick Rose. He made an interesting — and it is was as much about plugging the rest of his players as anything else I know — point about how it is as much about the media fascination. That all the stories after Memphis’ opening week were about Rose despite the outstanding play of players like Douglas-Roberts and Taggart.

There’s a bit of that going on right now with Blair. Young is getting a decent share as well, but there’s a lot going on with the team right now that should be noted. Wanamaker has come in and created 11 assists in only 3 games (and he only played a couple minutes on Sunday) to spelll and compliment Fields. Not to mention 4 steals. Mike Cook is quietly doing a lot of things early with some scoring, a 3-1 A/TO ratio and rebounding.

It will be curious to see how Benjamin actually fits into the rotation as the season progresses. In the faster tempo, attacking style I could actually see him getting minutes at the expense of Ramon.

Definite bemusement by a Duquesne fan looking for optimism.

I love it. A Duquesne fan looking a few games ahead to Pitt. In seasons past this would have been bad form because the Dukes would go out and lose at home to Lafayette or some team like that before Pitt. But now that Ron Everhart actually has some talented players, it’s kind of fun to take a peek ahead to this game.

Haven’t really thought much about it since it doesn’t happen until early December. The Dukes will be better, but not even better than St. Louis at this point.

Still trying to dig things out like the articles for Pitt basketball right after Media Day last week. Starting with the tradition from Coach Dixon to bring the seniors to Media Day, that has special meaning this year amongst the four seniors in tow.

Four years ago, Ramon and Benjamin, New York City natives, were the first two recruits to give Dixon verbal commitments, weeks before he coached his first game at Pitt.

Dixon has always brought his seniors to Big East media day in New York. But yesterday was the first time he brought a class of players that he recruited, signed and brought to Pitt as the head coach.

…

“It’s a reward for the seniors who have been through it,” Dixon said of bringing his seniors to this event. “They came to a program that wasn’t quite established when they arrived, and they’ve established it. They’re part of a team that’s had the best record in the conference by far over the past six years. And they’ve been a big part of that.”

The article also notes that they had a dinner with Manhattan head coach, and former top Pitt assistant Barry Rohrssen. Rohrssen will be one of many to attend the Sunday, November 4, exhibition game. Not to see Pitt have its way with IUP in a tune-up, but for the Bill Baierl Alumni game in between the men’s and women’s exhibitions.

A former basketball letterman and 1951 Pitt honors graduate, Baierl was a kind, caring, generous, highly accomplished and dedicated long-time supporter of the Pitt athletics program. As a student-athlete at Pitt, Baierl was a basketball player under legendary Pitt coach H.C. “Doc” Carlson. Following graduation, Baierl always remained close to his alma mater and became one of Pitt’s most highly respected and widely beloved graduates. Baierl was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni Fellow and was formally welcomed into the Cathedral of Learning Society, a recognition group for lifetime donors of more than $1 million to the University. He provided the lead gift for the construction of the Petersen Events Center’s 43,000-square foot Baierl Student Recreation Center and Baierl Basketball Center which houses Pitt’s lockerrooms, team meeting rooms, training and practice facilities. He passed away in April, 2007.

The game was put together by former Pitt great Charles Smith, who was very close to Baierl. Quite a list of participants.

Smith and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon are the co-hosts for the game. And they pulled out all the stops to make it a star-studded event. Among the former players expected to attend are Don Hennon, Jerome Lane, Clyde Vaughn and Curtis Aiken.

Many prominent coaches with Pitt connections are taking time out of their schedules to be there as well, including Memphis coach John Calipari, Xavier coach Sean Miller and Manhattan coach Barry Rohrssen.

The goal is to make this an annual event.  Something that is so blatantly a good idea that I have nothing snarky to say about it. The only thing I will sadly note is that former coach and player Tim Grgurich is not listed in the release as expected to attend. I keep hoping he will reconnect with Pitt at some point. He could be such a resource for Pitt in teaching and helping develop players. One of the great teachers of basketball (IMO), even just to get him in for a day or two each year could be so valuable.

As for the team itself, the consistency and achievements of the program has earned it a place now as a perennial top-25 team. Even with the changes, those outside of the program expect Pitt to continue to do well regardless of the personnel and change in style.

“Will Pitt be different because they don’t have Aaron Gray?” Thompson III said. “I think history has shown that they have made adjustments. They will be fine.”

…

“We’re obviously a different group and they understand it and they push the ball,” Dixon said. “We have six guys out there who can all handle the ball and handle the ball in transition. I think that’s going to lead (to up-tempo play) more than anything. It’s just going to mean opportunities. If Gilbert or Mike comes up with a loose ball, they can take the ball in transition. We always haven’t had that.”

The change in styles and the loss of three starters didn’t lower expectations at Pitt. The Panthers last week were picked to finish fourth in the Big East pre-season coaches poll, and 20th in the nation in the USA Today/ESPN poll.

“Personally, I don’t look at them as rebuilding,” Thompson III said. “They lost some very good players, but they have very good players that are there. I don’t think it’s a case of rebuilding. I think Jamie is too good of a coach and the players they have back there are too talented.”

That is the hope. Of course, stranger things have happened. Just look at UConn.

It’s a strange problem to have, and one I doubt I’d want to trade right now. Effectively I’m trying to write for four different blogs/topics. Pitt Football, Pitt Basketball, FanHouse College Football and FanHouse College Basketball. All the while taking care of a six-month old all day and my 5-year old added in to the mix in the afternoon after morning kindergarten. It’s probably wrong to think how much I’m looking forward to the point where the 6-month old will get hooked on the baby crack (Baby Einstein videos) so I can do extra work in the mornings. The point, is that I have a bunch of Pitt basketball links to clear through for almost a week.

In probably the highest preseason prognostication so far, Jeff Goodman at FoxSports places Pitt at #12.

Jamie Dixon lost three starters, including the team’s best inside player and its top defensive player. Despite the departure of Aaron Gray, Levon Kendall and Antonio Graves, Pittsburgh should be improved from a year ago.

That’s saying a lot since the Panthers finished 29-8 and 12-4 in the Big East. However, while the 7-foot Gray was a presence in the paint and a force on the boards, Dixon’s squad will be able to get up and down the floor now and utilize its speed on the perimeter.

He still tabs Pitt for 4th in the conference, so Goodman clearly likes the top teams in the Big East on a national level. 4th in the conference, of course, was also what the Big East Coaches thought.

“It doesn’t mean anything to us as far as how we are going to play,” coach Jamie Dixon said.

There is no Pitt player among the eight players pictured on the cover of the 2007-08 Big East Conference media guide. Senior forward Mike Cook graces a spot on the back of the 170-page resource, between players from Cincinnati, picked 12th, and USF, picked for dead last in the 16-team league.

“I still think they are going to have an outstanding team,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said of Pitt. “They are one of the favorites in this conference. Their style is going to change, but I don’t know to what.”

Oddly, the Syracuse newspaper beat writer seems very perturbed by Pitt’s preseason respect. Both Nationally and within the Big East. Mainly, I think, because it seems to have come at the expense of where Syracuse is predicted/expected to be. Seems silly since it is essentially one spot in the conference and it’s not like Syracuse doesn’t have more questions than Pitt — and more losses from the team. Just one of those things I guess.
I am of the opinion that Doug Gottlieb doesn’t actually hate Pitt. He just likes to see how pissed off he can get the fans. He offers quick thoughts on each team in the pre-season coaches poll.

20. Pittsburgh (29-8)

Let me predict Pitt’s season: 25+ wins, a couple of questionable losses, good team, well-coached, second round or Sweet 16.

It essentially is how a lot of the rankings in preseason seem to be looking at Pitt. For good and bad. As for Gottlieb, don’t let it get to you. Refute when factually in error and don’t waste time responding to the bait.
ESPN.com/Blue Ribbon happened to make Pitt’s preview page a freebie rather than an Insider subs.

Dixon has a good point. Pittsburgh is no longer a team that lives year-to-year, hoping enough players stick around to prevent a big slide. Nope, the roster is well stocked with talent at all four-year levels. OK, so there are no sophomores, but only because Austin Wallace and Gilbert Brown red-shirted last year. The Panthers welcome a deep crop of newcomers and have five stalwarts returning from last year’s three-round tournament run. It should be another good year, which will be no surprise to Dixon.

”I’m excited about the team,” he said. ”I know we have some guys who haven’t played as much who are ready to step in and be productive for us.”

…

BACKCOURT: B+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C+
INTANGIBLES: B+
Forget this stuff about rebuilding. Pittsburgh isn’t a juggernaut — although it could become one — but it isn’t some team in need of big-time rebuilding. Pittsburgh has talent. It has some ex-perience. And it has depth. That may not add up to an NCAA Tournament berth, but it’s a great start.

More stuff later.