They put Pitt at #23. For good and bad, Pitt is now a presumed team in preseason rankings. Even when not everyone is exactly sure why.

For all the uncertainty that exists in the middle of the Big East pack, the one thing coaches in the league agree on is the inevitability of the Pittsburgh Panthers.

They may not know precisely how or entirely why, but they’re all sure Pitt is going to wind up somewhere in the upper portion of this league. The team’s traditional toughness, its wealth of experience, the extreme homecourt advantage provided by the Petersen Center and Coach Jamie Dixon’s resiliency have allowed the Panthers to finish with double-digit Big East victories in six consecutive seasons. They haven’t finished lower than fifth since 1999-2000.

That never gets old for me. I go through this every year on the blog with the basketball team. The dark decade of the ’90s still seems like yesterday to me when I think about Pitt basketball. That Pitt is now thought of as one of the top programs in the country and a consistent threat is just… wow.

Mike DeCourcy also has a highly encouraging article regarding Sam Young.

This was one of those offseason skill sessions the NCAA now allows each team, and joining Young on the floor were veteran guard Ronald Ramon, redshirt freshman Gilbert Brown and freshman guard Bradley Wanamaker. It started with shooting drills, which even the greenest college player can figure out, but things got a little rough for the rookie when the players were paired up for defensive drills.

It was Young who had to remind Wanamaker where he was supposed to be, when he was supposed to be there and what techniques he would need to employ to prevent the opposition from scoring.

I repeat: It was Young.

Those familiar with Pitt are aware that awareness, for lack of a better term, frequently was a problem for Young in his first two seasons. He brought to the program a set of physical gifts unmatched by any player during the Panthers’ renaissance, but his minutes were limited by his tendency to wind up misplaced and the presence of veteran Levon Kendall, who specialized in defensive efficiency and played the same power forward position.

With Kendall gone, Young becomes the veteran, and it seems he is embracing that responsibility. “Now I get to say I’m more experienced, I’m more of the leader of this team. It’s going to be a privilege to lead the team and see what I’m capable of,” Young said. “They’re looking at me to take them to the promised land. I’ve got to be that guy.”

If Young is comfortable, healthy and really embracing the team game, well this will be his break out year.

Last week’s record; season record: 3-2; 15-4

Friday, September 28, 2007

(5) West Virginia vs. (15) South Florida, 8:00 pm EDT
The first huge game of the Big East season is this one. USF gained national attention by beating WVU in Morgantown last year and this year at home they’ll likely have a Friday night sellout. The Bulls’ win over Auburn proved a lot — I like QB Matt Grothe to rip apart the WVU defense.
Pick: South Florida

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Akron vs. UConn, Noon EDT
I hate UConn so much right now. They managed to pull in some votes in the BlogPoll this week and yet they’re one of the worst 4-0 teams ever. Pitt managed to make them look amazing, but it ends this week.
Pick: Akron

Syracuse vs. Miami (OH), 3:30 EDT
Miami (of Ohio, naturally) picked up their only win of the season against Ball State. Syracuse has only one win as well — I’ll take a win over Louisville to a win over Ball State.
Pick: Syracuse

Maryland vs. (12) Rutgers, 3:30 EDT
Line one of the Yahoo.com preview:

One of Rutgers’ biggest strengths is its ability to score in a hurry. Giving up points in bunches is one of the reasons Maryland is suddenly struggling.

Game. Over.

Pick: Rutgers

Louisville vs. NC State, 3:30 EDT
Two ugly weeks for Louisville. Steve Kragthorpe might not completely have his team behind him, and especially not the fans, but they turn it around against NC State.
Pick: Lu-uhl-vuhl

Pitt vs. Virginia, 7:00 pm EDT
Answer: A true freshman making his first collegiate start, on the road, against a decent ACC team. Coming off of a disastrous loss — to Connecticut of all teams. Half of the team injured. Coached by guys who might be better off coaching 10 year olds. Nobody playing with intensity and no one showing leadership. Question: Why is Pitt going to lose?
Pick: Virginia

(19) Cincinnati vs. San Diego State, 10:00 pm EDT
The classic trap game if there ever was one. Next Saturday, the Bearcats will play at #12 Rutgers and the Cincinnati players have to be really looking forward to that game. Hopefully they don’t overlook SDSU. They have to travel out to the west coast and play an Aztecs team that isn’t great but is by no means a complete pushover. I still like Cinci.
Pick: Cincinnati

Track the scores here.

(Rankings used are from the BlogPoll.)

Football’s been stressing everyone out. Too tense. Way too serious. There is a real need to relax.

Take a moment. Breathe in. Hold it. Let it out. Ahhhh. That always helps me feel better. Of course, it helps when you picture someone else taking that deep breath. Lately, it’s been Missy Peregrym, but go with who works for you.

Anyways, the college basketball season is creeping closer. Athlon and Lindy’s both have previews on the periodical racks. They put Pitt at #21 and #17.

ESPN.com also has a little teaser as it gets to the Big East in its “Conference Shootaround.”

The Panthers don’t play glamorous basketball, but it’s definitely effective, especially on the offensive end. Aaron Gray, Antonio Graves and Levon Kendall are gone, but Levance Fields (assuming resolution of his legal issues), Mike Cook and Ronald Ramon all return. Add in Sam Young, Keith Benjamin and Tyrell Biggs, who all showed flashes in more limited minutes, and the Panthers may look different this season but could score with similar effectiveness.

Jay Bilas puts Pitt at 6th in the Big East this season.

Jamie Dixon has another solid group that should be back in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers have good guards, are experienced and understand how to win. In short, Pitt has a program, not just a few good teams. Dixon needs to resolve the Levance Fields situation, but even without Fields, this is an NCAA Tournament team.

The questions remain about what will happen with Levance Fields. Damn. Now I need to take a few more deep breaths.

I didn’t do this last week, but I’m hoping to make this a weekly thing.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Middle Tenn. St. vs. (8) Louisville, 7:00 pm EDT
MTSU gave up over 400 yards in last week’s loss to Florida Atlantic, while Louisville’s offense picked up 655 over Murray State. Brian Brohm will tear this defense apart.
Pick: Louisville

Oregon St. vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 pm EDT
Oregon State’s running back Yvenson Bernard looks good this year, and although Cincy beat up on Directional Missouri, I’m not completely sold on them.
Pick: Oregon State

Friday, September 7, 2007

Navy vs. (18) Rutgers, 7:00 pm EDT
ESPN’s Friday night game is an interesting one for Pitt fans since we play both teams. Rutgers beat up on Buffalo while Navy beat Temple 30-19. I have Rutgers for the win because of their evolving, multi-demensional offense.

While Ray Rice rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns, the Scarlet Knights showed there is more to the team than just their senior running back – who’s rushed for 2,914 yards in his previous two seasons. Junior quarterback Mike Teel was 16-for-23 for a career-best 328 yards and two touchdowns, and junior receiver Tiquan Underwood caught 10 passes for a school-record 248 yards and two TDs.

Pick: Rutgers

Saturday, September 8, 2007

(3) West Virginia vs. Marshall, 11:10 am EDT
Five words: Pat White and Steve Slaton.
Pick: West Virginia

Grambling State vs. Pitt, Noon EDT
Watching Michigan lose to a I-AA (or whatever they call it now) team puts the smallest slice of doubt in my mind. In reality, I expect us to win by at least 3 touchdowns — even with Smith or Bostick starting under center.
Pick: Pitt

Maine vs. Connecticut, 7:00 pm EDT
UConn quarterback Tyler Lorenzen (any relation to Jared?) threw for 298 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Duke. In my book, Duke and Maine are comparable.
Pick: UConn

Syracuse vs. Iowa, 8:05 pm EDT
The ‘Cuse managed to make people feel embarrassed for them last week. Iowa, while not amazing, managed to receive one vote (one whole vote!) in the AP poll. If the Orange manage to keep the loss to 16 points or less, we’ll call it a moral victory.
Pick: Iowa

South Florida vs. (16) Auburn, 9:00 pm EDT
Everyone’s Big East sleeper team will have a tough test playing War Eagle on the road. One guy who can make a difference for USF is freshman RB Mike Ford, a former Alabama recruit. Meanwhile, Auburn’s ground game was nonexistent (62 yards) against Kansas State. Matt Grothe and his great passing accuracy helps the Bulls knock off the ranked Tigers for the upset.
Pick: South Florida

Track the scores here.

(Rankings used are from the BlogPoll.)

I’m flicking between the Washington-Syracuse game — still no offense from the Orange — and Navy-Temple — the offense makes me nervous, but the defense is definitely going to be an issue.

This time tomorrow, I expect to be back in the parking lot enjoying some post-game tailgating while waiting for traffic to thin out.

The Trib breaks out its college football previews. For the Big East, they (or at least Rick Starr) predict Pitt to finish 5-7.

Joe Starkey says the fans need something to believe things are going forward. Something I touched on earlier this week.

Kevin Gorman uses numbers and topics to ask a lot of questions about Pitt this season.

5. After losing all three starting linebackers, has the defensive line improved enough to win the battles up front and take pressure off the first-year starters?

We’ll get an idea in about two weeks.

A Q&A with cornerback Kennard Cox.

Center Chris Vangas has managed to earn the starting Center position. Whether it’s by default or for being the best guy available is still debatable. Vangas at least seems aware of that and doesn’t want to give it up easily.

A bit of Zeise give and take. His online chat from yesterday.

Deke: Despite losing Revis,Blades and Session to the NFL, do you think the defense will be better this season because of the improved depth on the D-Line and both safeties are healthy?

Paul Zeise: I do think the defense will improve — and let’s face it, after watching Connecticut, West Virginia and Louisville combine to put up about 135 points and like 1,500 yards in the final three games of the year I’m fairly certain there is clearly plenty of room for improvement — for a number of reasons. You mentioned one — the line is (or at least should be) better, the safeties are much better and the linebackers I think as a group will be much better than anyone is giving them credit for. I really think this group of linebackers could be as productive as last year’s group.

Deke: Is the offensive line a concern? Or specifically, the interior O-line?

Paul Zeise: The entire offensive line for as long as I have covered Pitt has been and will be a concern until they prove otherwise. This year, you’d think the tackles will be fine but both of those guys have been banged up throughout camp. You’d also think the guards would be OK but both of those guys have been banged up as well. And center has been very inconsistent throughout camp. This is an area I have said consistently — I have no idea how good they are until we see them perform on Saturdays. I think they have the talent to be pretty good, but I’ll take a wait and see approach before I make any definitive statements about them.

And his Q&A from today.

Q: I think back to the USF game last year where like 2 or 3 OL went down in the matter of a few plays. I think a similar scenario played out against Ohio U. the year before. What if something like that happens this year? Is there depth to keep the Pitt OL from looking like a mid-level MAC team?

Zeise: Great question. When McGlynn is healthy and ready to go (he’ll dress tomorrow but I’d imagine he is not going to play), they have, I think, one legitimate reserve tackle in him and I think Dom Williams gives them a legitimate back-up guard. Craig Bokor has also played well enough that coaches feel comfortable putting him out there at guard. So, in short, I think they can have one or two (at the very most) injuries on the offense line and survive, but it is still slim pickings behind the starting five.

The more things change…

7-5. 4-8? 5-7? 6-6? 8-4? 9-3?

The first is the most reasonable and expected record from Pitt this season. The rest are the other possibilities. I hate predicting the season — mainly because I suck at it. Still, even casually we all do it. Eyeball the schedule and pick the expected wins, losses and toss-ups.

Eastern Michigan — Win — Just imagine the empty seats if Pitt drops this game.

Grambling — Win — Or this?

@ Michigan State — Loss (?) — On the plus side, Pitt is 2-0 versus Mark Dantonio coached teams. Of course Pitt is 0-5-1 versus Michigan State. Drew Stanton is no longer the QB, and Dantonio isn’t a spread option Coach. Big negative, RB Javon Ringer is back along with 4 of the 5 starting O-linemen from last year. If you buy into Pitt’s D-line being better because of experience, then it works against Pitt considering how the Spartans O-line manhandled Pitt last year. Michigan State isn’t that good, so a win is possible but I just can’t see it.

UConn — Win — Trap game. Pitt should win this one, but is fully capable of losing this. I mean, UConn didn’t score more than 23 points against a D-1A team last year but Pitt made them look like an offensive juggernaut by the end. Useless/meaningless factoid: in the two years under Wannstedt, Pitt is 3-7 in night games.

@ Virginia — Win (?) — Their defense returns 10 of 11 starters, and their offense 9 of 11. That doesn’t seem to be that great a thing, other than to have more experience. Still not much to fear from their receiving corps, but QB Sewell is a dual-threat. Obviously that is something that has killed Pitt before. I just think Pitt actually matches up well versus the Hoos from the coaching down through the players.

Navy — ??? — I find this one to be a complete toss-up every time I try to break it down. Honestly, the Navy offensive schemes seem too far out of the grasp of DC Rhoads. He struggles with the option. A triple option? Oy. On the other hand, virtually the entire Navy defense from last year is gone. That gives Pitt a real chance. Especially if Pitt can generate a real ground attack and keep the ball from the Navy offense.

Cinci — Win — I think Pitt matches up well with the Bearcats. Their wide-open offense, though, does give me pause. If Pitt loses this, it should be the final nail in Rhoads’ coaching coffin at Pitt.

@ Louisville — Loss — Just not seeing it.

Syracuse — Win — Pitt’s chance to even the all-time series at 30-30-3 with a win. Now I’m scared.

@ Rutgers — Loss — This hurts. It would make 3 straight losses to them, but I can’t see Pitt holding them.

USF — Win (?) — Another useless factoid. The Bulls are only 1-5 when playing in temps below 40 degrees. Late November in Pittsburgh. If you saw them go, uh, brittle last November in Cinci, then picking a weather-related loss is quite plausible.

@ WVU — Loss — I wish. Oh, how I wish.

So there you have it. Seven wins is my baseline expectation with a +/- 2. If all goes exceptionally well and breaks go right, then 9-3 is possible. The other way could fall to 5-7.

End of season meaning of the records:

• 4-8 — Absolute disaster and major coaching overhaul.
• 5-7 — Significantly disappointing. Very hard to defend the team and direction.
• 6-6 — Frustrating. It means another season where Pitt was below .500 versus 1A teams.
• 7-5 — Finally some progress. At least no dropping a game that shouldn’t have been lost.
• 8-4 — Now we’re talking about heading in the right direction.
• 9-3 — Expectations going into 2008 will be big.
• 10-2 — Holy Crap!

Season starts in a little more than a day.

Not sure, other than for filler, why the PG would do this “Five Questions Revisited” thing. The only real answer that was close to definitive was whether Thatcher and Phillips were back physically and mentally from their injuries. It seems in the piece to almost be acknowledging that the other questions can’t be answered until Pitt actually plays the game.

Seems to be a continuing theme from the AP story that I noted and added my own thoughts. Now Kevin Gorman notes the pressure on Wannstedt this year is up a bit more.

Wannstedt has done all he can to be an avid fundraiser, goodwill ambassador and, perhaps most important, persuasive recruiter for Pitt. He has the unwavering support of the university’s top administrators, who don’t want to compromise their credibility by cutting corners.

“Winning is extremely important to us,” said Pitt athletic director Jeff Long, who hired Wannstedt in December 2004. “We want to win the Big East championship. We want to play in a BCS bowl. We want to win a national championship. But we’re not going to do that at all costs.”

Yet Pitt fans are becoming restless, craving a winner after back-to-back six-loss seasons that included lopsided losses to arch-rival West Virginia. Not only has Wannstedt yet to claim a signature victory, but the Panthers have suffered demoralizing overtime losses at Ohio and Connecticut that cost them likely bowl berths the past two seasons.

…

Is it fair to call this a make-or-break season for Wannstedt?

“It’s probably not unfair, if you look around the country and see people have made those kind of changes,” Long said. “We brought Dave Wannstedt here because he’s a proven football coach, a proven winner. He loves Pitt, loves Pittsburgh. I think Dave is the right man for the right job. He’s leading us strong.”

Gorman does seem to want to blame the pressure on the nebulous things such as the “culture of college football” changing and increased expectations from fans for things to happen sooner. That’s a cop-out. The patience is there. As long as there’s something indicating progress is happening. It keeps coming back to showing some tangible signs of progress. Not just being told there’s a “plan” or that it will happen.

— A “marathon” negotiating session last week led to former Panther Darrelle Revis getting a deal done with the New York Jets. Aside from 1st overall pick JaMarcus Russell and Revis, every other 1st round pick had been signed. Revis has a bright future ahead of him, and SI’s Peter King lists him as a CB on his “All-Future Team.”

The Cleveland Browns thought enough of him to have him ranked as a top-five player in the draft this year — and the Jets thanked their lucky stars Revis was still there at No. 14. He’s got excellent cover skills and is a willing tackler.

— CBS SportsLine predicts Pitt will finish sixth in the Big East over UConn and Syracuse.

6. Pittsburgh: Which way you headed, Wanny? Without a proven quarterback and six new starters on defense, Dave Wannstedt is on the hot seat. Watch roadies at Virginia and Michigan State. They will be an indicator of his future.

Pitt and Cincinnati in the 5/6 spots seem to be a toss up. And the comment about Wannstedt being on the hot seat is a bit premature; but it got some talk in the discussion thread.

— Sports Illustrated devoted this week’s issue to previewing college football. They also have Pitt coming in at #6 in the BE with a 5-7 overall record and 2-5 in conference. Not a ton of love there — but they do give a nod to Oderick Turner who is going to be a little more widely known since he’s our top receiver right now.

— Both PSI and Kevin Gorman report that freshman offensive guard Chris Jacobson badly hurt his right knee and will need surgery. The procedure will like take place next week and though he will possibly miss the whole season, Wannstedt did not entirely rule him out for the rest of the year. Obviously, redshirting him is looking like the smart option.

— Beano Cook was a guest on Mark Madden’s show on ESPN Radio 1250. Cook, who Madden calls the “Pope of college football,” says Pitt’s home schedule is the worst it’s been since World War II. That’s not a joke — Beano knows. He also says that LeSean McCoy will see a ton of playing time this year and will make an immediate impact. I found it funny when Cook, at a young 75 years old, referred to McCoy as “Shady.” He also says McCoy will be Pitt’s running back for 3 years before jumping to the NFL.

A question that has been asked here last week, gets asked in Zeise’s Q&A.

Q: Is McCoy running all over Pitt’s defense a sign that we are going to get the same old horrible Pitt defense against a talented back?

ZEISE: Good question, and that’s one that we really won’t know the answer to until they play Michigan State the third week of the season. But the run defense has stuffed the offense pretty much the entire camp and I really think this team is better up front, so I don’t expect every play to be an adventure and every decent back look like Walter Payton every week, either. The thing about what McCoy did is a little different than what the typical back has done to Pitt — McCoy got a lot of his stuff on his own talent. It wasn’t like the D-line was dominated or overpowered, as has been the case in the past. Again, only time will tell but I am starting to think this defense is going to be better than it has been for a few years.

Well, at least Michigan State will also be breaking in a new QB (plus, while Pitt is 0-5-1 against MSU, they are 2-0 against Dantonio).

At least there’s depth on the defensive line. Now, show that they can tackle somebody.

A bit of love for Jeff Otah and Greg Romeus.

I was lucky enough never to have my car booted while at Pitt. Know plenty who weren’t so lucky. So, I actually sympathize with the USF player who got booted — and subsequently removed the boot.

The Sporting News lists Pitt for fifth in the Big East and in the “Scouts’ Views” adds this.

I think it takes ex-NFL coaches like Pittsburgh’s Dave Wannstedt and Syracuse’s Greg Robinson two to three years to adjust to the college game. They just aren’t used to seeing a lot of the stuff that goes on in college football — especially on third down. This isn’t the NFL. We don’t automatically pass on third-and-5.

Great. Another prognostication that says “wait until ’08.”

Even with the loss of Steve Buches, our group of tight ends is possibly the deepest position on the team. Senior Darrell Strong and sophomores Nate Byham and John Pelusi are all going to see playing time — it just depends who will see the most.

Right now the depth chart looks like it is going to be Byham as the starter with Strong and Pelusi each seeing some time on the field.

“Nate came in as the No. 1 guy in the rotation, but we’re going to use all the tight ends,” tight ends coach Brian Angelichio said.

“They all do things a little bit differently. We’re going to use all of their strengths wherever they can help us win football games.”

Pelusi is generally considered the best blocker of the bunch, and Strong, who led Pitt’s TE’s with 15 receptions, 171 yards and three touchdowns in 2006, is thought of as the best pass catcher and route runner. So what is Byham? Darrell Strong has that answer:

Nate is a mixture of me and Pelusi, just a little lighter.

It looks like most of the times that Pelusi and Strong see action will be in two tight end sets.

“I don’t see Nate coming off the field very often,” Wannstedt said. “I don’t see any scenario, unless we go no tight-end, where Nate will be standing next to me [on the sidelines].”

We rarely hear such a straightforward sentence from Wannstedt, but it’s a welcome change. Byham is their man right now, and he says he is feeling some pressure. As long as he can contain it and turn it into productivity then the pressure isn’t all bad. He says even if he were to be dropped to the 2 spot on the depth chart, he’ll still “feel comfortable in [his] role.”

Strong, who the article is mainly focused on, is trying to move forward and forget past actions. You might recall him throwing up his middle finger after a TD at South Florida.

“I’m past [those incidents] right now,” Strong said. “I’m trying to go out this season and surprise myself and everybody that’s around me. I’m definitely looking forward to this season, especially since it’s my senior season.”

He missed two games because of the incident. Meanwhile, sophomore John Pelusi was redshirted last year because of a knee injury, which he says feels fine now. In 2005 as a true freshman he played in 11 games.

Overall, the TE corps looks like it’ll be a solid group — not only this year but with two sophomores, the future looks good too.

“You can put any three of us out there, and we’ll get the job done,” Strong said.

“Having all three of us is not only good for the team, but it gives the coaching staff a lot of options,” Pelusi said.

Awesome.

Sorry about the sporadic posting. Lots of little things in the real world, including hitting the road tomorrow and more travel plans for next week. There are days when being a one-man global content provider can be a bit tricky.

You know, as bad as Pitt had been in the 90s, at least the local papers knew enough to send someone to cover the Media Days.  Cinci gets to a bowl, has their team selected by the media for 5th in the Big East this season (Pitt, 6th), has season ticket sales actually getting a noticeable bump, and they still can’t  get the local media to care to even spare the cash to send a beat writer to the event. — really pissing off new coach Brian Kelly.
Hell, the Altoona Daily Mirror actually sent a reporter to do a piece on Derek Kinder and Pitt along with a more general Big East overview.
Discussion with Pitt is muted, unless you consider getting tips on how to eat lobster from Dave Wannstedt vital news. This bit is worth chewing over (sorry).

When asked how many freshman players would be contributors for the Panthers this season, Wannstedt replied, “Seven guys will play for us right away.”

Hmm. Maybe McCoy, Jacobson,  DeCicco, Hargrove, Caragein, Jones… and who else?

Some more from the basketball camps as Coach Dixon shuttled from Akron to Philly for the camps. On Monday he was at the Rbk U camp watching Ashton Gibbs. Not to mention Travon Woodall and Eloy Vargas. Vargas finished the camp strong.

Ashton Gibbs was also the subject of a lead story out of New Jersey.

“I think I fit in well there,” Gibbs said in between games at the elite Reebok University showcase. “They told me I would be a Ronald Ramon-type player — play the one and two, play tough defense and try to get some buckets on the offensive end. I think I can run up and down, but Pitt slows it down and they’re physical. That’s definitely my style of play.”

Like the gritty Ramon, Gibbs is a quintessential combo guard. He is neither a true point nor a pure scorer, but he can fill either roll on any given possession.

At the three-day Reebok Camp, which features 120 of the best players in the county, Gibbs ran the point in scrimmages and was one of the few guards who made an effort to set up a half-court offense.

With Pitt coach Jamie Dixon watching from the front row of bleachers, he also buried jumpers when the defense sagged.

“He’s very steady and he knows how to make his teammates better,” NJ Hoops publisher Jay Gomes said. “It’s funny because earlier in his career he was more of a ball-handler than a shooter, but he’s become a very good shooter.”

Nice.

Dealing with the present, Darnell Dodson is indeed qualified this year and is already taking summer classes at Pitt. ‘

Another incoming player this season, Bradley Wanamaker, did not qualify for the US Men’s Under-19 team.

I suppose, part of why I’m still a bit more focused on basketball is that the I’ve been putting a way too early FanHouse BlogPoll  together and posting the teams this week. Pitt came in at #18, and I had to give objectivity a shot in discussing them today.

It’s just lists and quick hitter stuff. Rivals.com revises its top-25, post NBA Draft withdrawal deadline. Pitt fell two spots from #21 to #23.

Even with the losses of frontcourt starters Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall, the Panthers still should fashion a winner. One reason to believe is Jamie Dixon, who has coached Pitt to four consecutive 20-win seasons. He’ll lean on guards Mike Cook (10.5 ppg), Levance Fields (9.2 ppg, 4.6 apg) and Ronald Ramon (8.8 ppg) early and hope five-star freshman power forward DeJuan Blair develops quickly.

Pitt was the lowest ranked of 6 Big East schools listed. Louisville #5, Georgetown #10, Marquette #15, Syracuse #19, UConn #21.

Jay Bilas at ESPN.com does good news/bad news capsules for the Big East teams:

Good news: Pittsburgh is always good because the Panthers have a program, not just individual teams. Losing good players will not affect the way that Pitt plays and the way that Pitt wins. Coach Jamie Dixon brought in a top-10 recruiting class, including hotshot DeJuan Blair, and Pitt will be in the NCAA Tournament again.

Bad news: Losing center Aaron Gray will be big, but a team can break through after losing its big anchor in the middle. In 1984, Virginia went to the Final Four the year after Ralph Sampson graduated.

I’m just completely confused. There isn’t even a hint of being able to play the “disrespected” card or write about Pitt being underestimated. This just messes with my head.

Joining with other top-25 lists following the results of who returned to school. Jeff Goodman at FoxSports has Georgetown #6, Louisville #8, Marquette #10, Pitt #12, Villanova #21 and ND #24

Sure, the Panthers will lose 7-foot senior Aaron Gray. But Jamie Dixon still has a pair of experienced starting guards in Keith Benjamin and Ronald Ramon — as well as Mike Cook on the wing and Sam Young at power forward. The key will be whether Tyrell Biggs can step in and replace Gray in the middle. Big freshman DeJuan Blair will also help ease the loss of Gray.

He also adds Syracuse in the “10 on the verge.” I think the ‘Cuse are getting lowballed a bit after writers let Boeheim convince them that Paul Harris was going to blow up as a freshman. Syracuse has a lot of incoming talent, but still lost a lot of leadership and upperclass starters.

Andy Katz at ESPN.com also has his list. Georgetown #5, Louisville #6, Marquette #13 and Pitt #14:

The Panthers lose big men Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall but add Dejuan Blair, who might be another under-the-radar superstud coming to Pitt. The Panthers return the core of their perimeter as well as their wings and Jamie Dixon quite simply doesn’t lose too often. This team will move quicker, play defense perhaps a bit tighter and will not lose too many, if any, home games. Expect the Panthers to be in the thick of the Big East race.

It’s going to be hard to claim Pitt is being disrespected going into the 2007-08 season at this rate.

Now that the underclassmen decisions have been made (Jeff Green going NBA; Dominic James back to Marquette), it will be time for another round of early top-25 predictions. Gary Parrish at Sportsline puts 5 Big East teams in his top 25. Louisville — 5, Georgetown — 8; Marquette — 10; Villanova — 12; and Pitt — 24.

The Panthers are similar to Southern Illinois in that regardless of what leaves, it’s safe to assume they’re going to be pretty good.

Well, it’s a compliment to the consistency of the program at this point. There is a bit less underestimating Pitt after players leave. Personally, I’m not that sold on Marquette being that high. I still question their inside presence (or lack thereof). That said, the Big East will be a jumble with Syracuse, ND, UConn, Providence and WVU all going to be pretty good which is 11 of the 16 teams.

Scout.com/Dale Grdnic had a couple stories on the Pitt assistants. New assistant Tom Herrion says all the right things about staying awhile.

“Few coaches stay a real long time at any one program, and young assistants are mostly looking to move on to head coaching jobs,” Herrion said. “But I’ve already done that. That’s not where I’m at right now in my career, so I’m very glad to be at Pitt. Clearly, Jamie’s success speaks for itself during his four seasons as a head coach at Pitt.

“And he’s not threatened to bring in someone with head coaching experience. That certainly speaks to his level of confidence. As we got to know each other, he found out that wasn’t my agenda. I’m part of a team here, in terms of working with other talented coaches, and we all have a niche to help this program build on its winning tradition.”

Herrion’s big niche is of a top recruiter. He also has experience running a more up-tempo offense. Two things to watch.

Orlando Antigua also gets a piece.

“We want to show the kids that we bring in here that getting a good education, getting a college degree, is just as important as success on the basketball court,” Antigua said. “And they can get both here at Pitt.”

As a native of the Dominican Republic and hometown of the Bronx, N.Y., he has become a key recruiter for Pitt.

“Orlando has played a key role in our recruiting since he joined our staff,” Dixon said. “He understands what type of players we look for and what type of student-athletes we want to represent the University.”

Coach Dixon says the right things about Antigua, but there may be some pressure on him with regards to recruiting. Mike Rice came in last year to really bring in a bunch of recruits to give Pitt it’s best recruiting class in almost 20 years. Tom Herrion this year comes in with a reputation for being an ace recruiter.

Orlando is a former player and is well liked, but he hasn’t received a lot of credit — even if he was the one to keep DeJuan Blair in the ‘Burgh.

This year, the big recruiting target is Eloy Vargas. Pitt had been the presumed favorite for him because Pitt was recruiting him early — before he started making a big impression on coaches from other schools on the AAU circuit — and he had a relationship being built with Antigua. Now that Vargas is getting lots more attention and offers, Pitt seems to be falling back into the pack and it is unclear if Pitt is even considered a lead anymore. If Pitt doesn’t get Vargas that raises some questions about Orlando Antigua’s ability to close on the recruit.