Big East Report Team Blog: Pittsburgh

The talent level needed

2009-12-07T11:24:00.017-05:00

By Chris Dokish

I've been try to convey to Pitt fans recently how Pitt's talent is not comparable to the truly elite programs, and by that I mean the programs that could bring in the talent that keeps them in the national championship race for most years. I know very optimistic Pitt fans like to think the talent level is high and they point out top 100 prospects as proof. The truth is, however, that top 100 prospects are far from rare and a lot of teams lesser than Pitt have them. What the truly talented teams have are top 50 prospects. That's where you separate the men from the boys, and that's where you can see Pitt's lack of elite overall talent. That doesn't mean that Pitt still doesn't do a great job or have good players over the years. In fact, Jamie Dixon and his staffs over the years have done a remarkable job getting everything out of the talent they do get. They have beaten the likes of UConn and Duke over the years, two programs with much more individual talent, and have won a ton of games and dominated the Big East, especially in the conference tournament. But the program, as it recruits now, is still a notch below the elite programs.

And I'm no even talking about this season, in which less than stellar recruiting has put the team in a bad spot for the first time in many years. But that was bound to happen eventually when a program such as Pitt needs a high level of their prospects to live up to their potential to have a winning team, and do not have the high number of elite recruits to cover for any misses. In other words, a DeJuan Blair can cover for taking five projects on the front court, as Pitt has done. Without a player of Blair's ability, those projects are exposed. In the programs that recruit at a higher level, if a player of Blair's ability leaves early, they usually have at least one, if not more, elite prospects to take his place. The truth is, it's remarkable that without the elite recruiting that the Panthers have gone this long without it happening already, but that's what happened when Blair left early. Blair proved to be a double edged sword. His individual excellence helped Pitt be the most successful they've ever been, but it also led him to leave early, thus exposing the program's recent recruiting misses as well as the huge gap between what Blair and Young was, and what was left after they were gone. Yes, the current Pitt team is too young to be highly successful this season, but lack of talent is an even bigger problem. it's highly unlikely that anybody on the current team will ever come close to being Blair or Young. But that doesn't mean some, like Taylor, Ashton Gibbs, and Lamar Patterson can't still be good players and help the next group try to reclaim Pitt's previous standards.

Let's look at the talent needed to both get to the Final Four and to win the national championship over the last seven seasons. The average number of top 50 recruits on the roster for an average Final Four team is FOUR. The average number of top 50 prospects on the roster for the winner of the national championship is an incredible 5.6!! To put that in perspective, in the entire seven year span Pitt has had only TWO such players, DeJuan Blair and Dante Taylor, and never more than one at a time. Sam Young was ranked in the 50s, so for the sake of argument let's say that Pitt had one and a half last season. The result was that Pitt came closer then they ever have to reaching the Final Four, losing to Villanova on a last second shot. Incidentally, Villanova had three top 50 prospects, including Scottie Reynolds, who just happened to be the player who made that last second shot. Pitt was the best they ever were, especially with one of the top Big East players ever in Blair, and the Panthers were still one elite player short. The gap between Blair and Young, and the rest of the team was huge. One more player of their ability would almost assuredly get them to the Final Four, and maybe beyond. That's the good news in all of this. And that's that Dixon nearly went to the Final Four with just two elite talents and not much else. This should tell any reasonable person that if Dixon can ever get three elite talents, he is a great enough of a coach to not only go to the Final Four, but maybe beyond. But that's only if the recruiting gets better, which just may be happening

The best case scenario for the near future is that Taylor lives up to his potential, and Isaiah Epps, J.J. Moore, and John Johnson live up to their potentials. Of the latter three, Moore and Johnson have a chance to be consensus top 50 prospects, and I've been told that Epps has NBA potential. That could be enough elite talent in a few years to get Pitt back to Final Four potential. But even if they don't all reach their potential, they should still get back to winning a lot of games and getting into the Sweet 16 with this group.

Of course when Pitt's lack of Final Four talent comes up, somebody will always bring up George Mason. But that's simply citing the exception as the rule. In the seven year span Georgia Tech also would be considered a Cinderella team, though not as much as George Mason. But even including those two, that means there have been two Cinderella teams out of 28 teams total. That means less than 10% of Final Four teams are Cinderella teams. In other words, Pitt has a better chance of getting three top 50 players and having them perform great. I did not include Marquette as a CInderella team, despite having just one top 50 prospect because they also had Dwayne Wade, one of the best basketball players ever and a future NBA Hall of Famer. The chances of having such a player is even less than 10% and is not even worth discussing because it's such a long shot.

Here is the list of top 50 prospects on the last 28 Final Four teams. The list is taken from rscihoops.com, which takes various top 100 lists and combines them into one. I chose this list because it is the most fair and likely the most accurate.

* Winner

2009:

*North Carolina 10 (Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller, Larry Drew, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Deon Thompson, Tyler Hansborough, Danny Green, Marcus Ginyard, Bobby Frasor,)

Michigan State 7 (Delvon Roe, Durrell Summers, Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen, Raymar Morgan, Tom Herzog, Marquise Gray)

UConn 5 (Kemba Walker, Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson, A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien)

Villanova 3 (Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes)

2008:

North Carolina 8 (Tyson Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Alex Stephenson, Deon Thompson, Tyler Hansborough, Danny Green, Marcus Ginyard, Bobby Frasor)

*Kansas 7 (Cole Aldrich, Darrell Arthur, Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun)

Memphis 3 (Derrick Rose, Willie Kemp, Chris Douglas-Roberts,)

UCLA 2 (Kevin Love, James Keefe)

2007:

Ohio State 5 (Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, Mike Conley, David Lighty, Ivan Harris)

*Florida 3 (Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Chris Richard)

UCLA 3 (James Keefe, Ryan Wright, Aaron Afflalo)

Georgetown 2 (Vernon Macklin, DaJuan Summers)

2006:

LSU 4 (Tasmin Mitchell, Magnum Rolle, Glen Davis, Taurean Minor)

UCLA 3 (Jordan Farmar, Aaron Afflalo, Ryan Wright)

*Florida 3 (Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Chris Richard)

George Mason 0

2005:

*North Carolina 7 (Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Sean May, Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel, Melvin Scott)

Michigan State 4 (Shannon Brown, Paul Davis, Kelvin Torbert, Alan Anderson) 3 others ranked in 50s

Illinois 3 (Richard McBride, Dee Brown, Deron Williams)

Louisville 3 (Juan Diego Palacios, Brian Johnson, Brandon Jenkins)

2004:

Duke 8 (Luol Deng, Sheldon Williams, J.J. Redick, Shavlick Randolph, Sean Dockery, Michael Thompson, Daniel Ewing, Chris Duhon)

*UConn 6 (Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Rashad Anderson, Denham Brown, Ben Gordon, Taliek Brown)

Oklahoma State 2 (Ivan McFarlin, Terrance Crawford)

Georgia Tech 1 (Jarrett Jack) 9 losses

2003:

Texas 4 (Brad Buckman, T.J. Ford, Brian Boddicker, Brandon Mouton)

*Syracuse 3 (Carmelo Anthony, Gerry McNamara, Billy Edelin)

Kansas 3 (Aaron Miles, Wayne Simien, Nick Collison)

Marquette 1 (Travis Diener)

PITT RALIES FOR WIN IN MELLON ARENA FINALE

2009-12-03T14:42:00.001-05:00

Pittsburgh found themselves down 33-20 at the half and 40-24 early in the second half, but Jamie Dixon changed defenses, scrapping his trademark man-to-man for a 2-3 zone and Pitt Rallies Past Duquense to Win Epic City Game (Tribune-Review), as Mellon Arena Says Goodbye to Basketball (Tribune-Review), 67-58 in double overtime.

Ashton Gibbs shook off a poor shooting night with two three-pointers in the second overtime and finished with a team high 15 points. Gibbs was just 3-12 fromnt he field and his first field goal of the game did not come until 2:06 was left in regulation when his three tied the score at 53, which was how regulation ended.

Brad Wanamaker added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Nasir Robinson (11 points and 9 rebounds) and Gary McGhee (11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks) also reached double figures for the Panthers who continue to be without the serives of senior Jermaine Dixon (foot injury) and Gilbert Brown (academic suspension). With the win Pittsburgh is now 6-1 on the season.

Bill Clark had a game-high 23 points for Duquesne, but star forward Damian Saunders was limited to six points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes before fouling out late in regulation as a Chance for 'Big' Win Slips from Duquesne's Grasp (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Top 50 players on Big East rosters

2009-11-25T14:07:00.007-05:00

This includes transfers and players out for the year because of injury, and it is from the website rscihoops.com which uses a composite of all of the top 100 rankings.

Villanova 6
UConn 5
Louisville 3
Georgetown 3
West Virginia 2
Cincinnati 2
Pittsburgh 1
Syracuse 1
Notre Dame 1
DePaul 1
Marquette 1
Seton Hall 1
Providence 0
St. John's 0
South Florida 0

This shows how important it usually is to have top 50 players. Every team that has more than one is a top 25 team, or in the case of Cincinnati, about to be one. The only two Top 25 teams that has just one top 50 player also has a superstar. That would be Wesley Johnson at Syracuse and Luke Harangody at Notre Dame.

To show you how this translates to Pitt, last year you could say that they had two such players. DeJuan Blair was one and Sam Young was ranked No. 58 officially, but one of the rankings used did not count fifth year high school seniors which Young was. Without being unranked there, he would have been top 50. So two top 50 players, in their prime, and Pitt has their best chance ever for the Final Four. It's not a coincidence.

Analysis after the first five games

2009-11-25T08:04:00.009-05:00

By Chris Dokish

To quote former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green, "they are who we thought they were". After five games, the Panthers stand 4-1 beating four low-major teams and losing to No.3 Texas. None of the five results were a surprise, though many of the individual performances were. Let's take a look at those first and see how each player was perceived entering the season, how they played in the first five games, and how they project this season and beyond.

Ashton Gibbs- My scouting report in the preseason was that Gibbs was best as a great shooting sixth man off the bench because he was not exceptional at anything but shooting with his feet set. After five games I see no difference. Gibbs will not be a sixth man this season, but only because the lack of offensive talent around him prevents him from ever leaving the floor for long.

Not surprisingly, Gibbs averaged 17.0 ppg against the four inferior opponents and had little trouble getting open to score. However, just as unsurprising is how difficult it was for him to get loose against a high-major team like Texas. The result was a 2 for 10 shooting night.

Unfortunately for Gibbs, the Big East has more teams closer to Texas than the inferior opponents that they began the season with, so he will probably continue to have trouble consistently getting open shots once the Big East season starts. That's not to say that Gibbs is ineffective because he is not. In the right circumstance, he could excel despite his lack of elite athleticism. Past Panthers players like Ronald Ramon, who had a nice career, and Jason Matthews, who ended his career with 1,840 points, are similar. Like Gibbs, neither were elite athletes at the two. The difference is that neither Ramon nor Matthews had to be the main offensive threat on the team.

Because Gibbs has that hindrance, he may struggle in games this season, but he will have his big games, too. He's too good of a shooter not to. He should be a lot better in two years when he won't be asked to shoulder most of the offensive load.

Travon Woodall- In the preseason, I think I may have been the only writer, locally or nationally, who said that Woodall would probably be the point guard. Woodall did grab the reigns and has been light years ahead of where many thought he would be. That's not too hard since many thought he was going to be a bust, and leave the program either voluntarily or involuntarily.

But Woodall still does have a long way to go. He is averaging a solid 9.8 ppg and an excellent 6.6 apg. Those numbers are "Fields-esque", if you will. He has shown with his quickness and his moxie that he is far from a bust, and that he will be a good player for four years. On the other hand, he has been a little sloppy with the ball and has been out of control too often. But that is something that comes with a young freshman point guard. A little more concerning is his 33.3% shooting from the field and 26.1% from three. His lack of a consistent outside shot hurts both Gibbs and an already undermanned front line because opponents do not have to account for him.

Bottom line, Woodall has made huge strides, but he still has a long way to go if he wants to hold off incoming recruit Isaiah Epps, who many believe has the ability to perhaps someday play in the NBA. As for the immediate future, improving his outside shot is a must.

Brad Wanamaker- Prior to the season, I saw Wanamaker as a player with more of a physical game then a mental game, and unfortunately nothing in the first five games makes me think otherwise. He is a big, strong 6'4" player with physical toughness and athleticism. A player with his physical ability should be better than he has been so far. That may be harsh for a junior who is averaging 10.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg, but his lack of focus is preventing him from being better.

Too often Wanamaker uses his body for evil instead of good, and he still hasn't lost his "bull in a china shop" style. That style has it's benefits at times, and Wanamaker can make elite plays from time to time because of it. But just as often, if not more, he plays out of control, often looking like he is playing in the local gym with his friends instead of focusing his physical traits into a more concentrated game. His lack of focus and mental toughness was apparent in the Elite 8 match up with Villanova, when I had more than one basketball writer who attended tell me that the look in Wanamaker's eyes in the pregame shoot around was all they had to see to know that he was not going to have a good game. They were right. He fouled out with 5 points.

Ultimately, that's Wanamaker's biggest problem. He doesn't understand that playing hard without focus is just chaos. His second biggest problem is that he is shooting 1 for 9 from three and 55.2% from the line.

Gary McGhee- In the preseason, I saw McGhee as a borderline high-major player and said I would admit I was wrong if he ever turned into a player. Now I admit that I was wrong. Last season McGhee could not even catch a pass let alone make any nice plays. His hands were awful, he was clueless as to what to do, and he became a fouling machine with his chicken with his head cut off defense that made Wanamaker look like a cream puff.

McGhee still will never be an excellent player. He just isn't good enough at any facet of the game. But he does have some good things going for him. He has great size, he is sneakily athletic for that size, he plays hard (and now focused), and most of all, he plays within himself. His stamina for such a big man is also amazing and he plays hard and runs the floor with all out gusto the entire time he is on the floor. He doesn't try to be an All-American and just takes what comes to him. The result is that he is scoring at an 8.2 ppg pace to go with 7.0 rpg. And to show just how much he has been playing within himself, he has made 88.9% of his FGs, few more than two feet from the basket, and a huge number of them dunks.

Bottom line, I still had my doubts of how well McGhee could do against a major opponent, but his 11 point and 10 rebound performance against Texas' huge front line is all you need top know about whether or not the first four games were a fluke. It's no secret that if the Panthers landed a big man in the off season, which they tried to do, McGhee probably would not be on the roster this season. Well, McGhee had the last laugh and it couldn't have happened to a better guy. He quickly went from goat to fan favorite, and he deserves every bit of it.

Nasir Robinson- In the off season, I saw Robinson as a tweener, not big enough for the four and not a good enough shooter for the three. I also said that the Panthers staff was adamant that it would not be a good sign if Robinson was starting at the four, and he would only do so if there was no other choice.

Well, clearly there was no other choice because Robinson has started at the four all season. Not surprisingly he has been a mixed bag. His toughness and high energy style has led him to 9.2 ppg and he has had a 10 rebound game. On the other hand, it is obvious that he is out of position and is just too small to be a four, especially against big high-major teams. In fact, against the two biggest teams opponents so far, Robinson has had a grand total of 5 rebounds and has only been to the line twice, missing both.

Bottom line, Robinson is playing out of position and is way too small for the position (both in height and mass), so it's hard to criticize him. He is the kind of player you need on your team, but he's best coming off the bench. The lack of a true four has hurt the Panthers immensely this season and there are no signs that it will get much better this season. Unfortunately for Robinson, he is the one that will have to suffer for it.

Dante Taylor- In the preseason I saw Taylor as a potential 10 points and 7 rebounds a game player who flashed brilliance at times and showed great promise. I also did not share the stance of many fans that because Taylor was a McDonald's All-American he would be an immediate star and show that he would not be at Pitt for long.

It is apparent to many now what I was saying before was correct- DeJuan Blair was special so don't expect the same from other top prospects. Taylor's stats on the season are not bad thus far with 5.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg, but he could, and should, do better. The fact that against the two biggest opponents, Wichita State and Texas, Taylor had a total of 4 points and 3 rebounds, does not bode well.

Taylor is averaging just 16.4 minutes a game, seventh on a team that desperately needs a low post player with his talent. But Taylor has not made it easier for Jamie Dixon to put him in more. His defense has been lax and has just four blocks on the season, all in one game. He is also shooting 50% from the line and has just one assist.

Taylor is the cornerstone of the future of this program. Too much may have been expected from him, and he does flash every now and then, but he needs to get better fast for the Panthers to have a fighting chance this season.

Chase Adams- In the preseason, I saw Adams as a quick, little experienced guard with great hands on defense and an excellent three point shooter. Now I think Adams is underachieving and it seems mostly it's because he is being too hesitant. He may be deferring to others because he is new to the program and he doesn't want to cause friction, but he is only doing a disservice to his teammates if he doesn't play as well as he can.

Adams is averaging 4 ppg while shooting 40% from three and 46.7% from the field overall, a respectable number for a guard. He also has displayed his quick hands with five steals in five games, but he could do even better in that department.

Adams is fourth in minutes and it's clear that the staff wants him on the floor when the game is tight because they trust his experience and calm. But he needs to assert himself and use his sweet stroke and quick hands to contribute more.

Lamar Patterson- In the preseason, I said that Patterson had the potential to be a lights out shooter and has a solid all-around game. I also said that he would make Pitt fans forget about Darnell Dodson.

Whether or not I will be right about Dodson (who has been benched at Kentucky), time will tell, but Patterson has shown early that he is going to be a good four year player for the Panthers.

Like Robinson, he has sometimes been forced to play the four, but Patterson has shown brightly in limited action thus far. Despite playing just 12 minutes a game, Patterson is averaging 4 ppg and has made 5 out of 10 threes. He has also shown good below the rim athleticism, toughness, and brains.

Patterson looks to be a player who will contribute nicely in the next four seasons, but he will have to continue to improve because perimeter players with an even better pedigree are on the way.

Dwight Miller- In the preseason, I picked him to start at the four if only because somebody had to. It was imperative that he surprised and won the spot because there was no acceptable Plan B. Unfortunately, Miller is averaging only 5.8 minutes a game and has yet to score. Even worse, he played just 2 minutes against Wichita State and did not play at all against Texas.

Bottom line, Miller's progression was badly needed this season and it simply did not happen. That can not bode well for his future at a program that may go over the scholarship limit next season.

J.J. Richardson- In the preseason, I saw him as a high energy, tough low post player who could get some minutes at the four and five if he showed he could make the transition to this level. Well, he clearly hasn't shown that he could play at this level yet, and he hasn't played in two of the five games, but against Texas he did play 10 minutes and came up with 2 points and 2 rebounds (along with 3 fouls).

Time will tell with Richardson. Talib Zanna will almost assuredly be redshirted and it seems unlikely the Panthers would also redshirt Richardson. But that doesn't mean he is safe in the future, necessarily. If the Panthers do go two over the scholarship limit and have to jettison two players from the program, it would be easier to do with a player who had a chance and didn't show that he has progressed over the season- so he better progress.

Talib Zanna- In the preseason I saw him as a raw prospect who would likely redshirt. The fact that he has played in only one game shows that a redshirt is practically guaranteed now. He must make big strides next season, however, as the front court still doesn't look to be a strength next season unless Taylor makes major improvement.

The Team- Before the season, I predicted the Panthers to be 20-11, going into the Big East tournament. After seeing the Panthers play five games, I see pretty much what I expected. The talent, while good, is simply not exceptional and it's doubtful that there is an all-star caliber player on the team this season. I know a lot of Pitt fans don't want to believe the team doesn't have excellent talent this season, and of course many expect the best case scenario for each player. That's what fans do and that's why it's a great thing to be. But this team is filled with role players, a least now. Over the years that has been Pitt's specialty, but you can only be a successful role player if you support a star. This team has no such thing. Every player has a major flaw, be it physical, mental, or youth.

Jamie Dixon had a plan that he will always have a star so that the rest of his satellites can orbit around. However, the plan showed a major flaw when DeJuan Blair left early. The Panthers staff never expected Blair's monster sophomore season would propel him to the NBA. With Blair, this team could, and probably would, be a top 25 team because suddenly all of the role players can play their roles instead of having to be something more. He was that great. But without him, major weaknesses become apparent. Dixon has landed tough, hard nosed players during his stint. In fact, they made up a large majority of the players he landed. But he never landed enough star players. He usually had one true star. When he had two last season he came within a second of going to the Final Four. That's how much star players are needed. But now Dixon is paying for recruiting at a lesser pace than other successful programs, especially in the front court where McGhee, Miller, Zanna, and Richardson were all projects.

In other elite programs, a superstar recruit was landed, left early, and was replaced by another superstar recruit. The result was feast or famine, or least lesser feast. When their young stars performed well, they had a very strong season. But sometimes the attrition led to a down year. Simply put, the high level couldn't always be sustained because there was just too much to replace that season. Now Dixon knows how they feel. He lost a superstar and there just wasn't enough to replace it. The veterans don't have all-star ability and the younger players are just too raw.

In the first five games, the team only played two players, Wanamaker and Gibbs, that played any significant minutes last season. Jermaine Dixon and Gilbert Brown are scheduled to return, but they aren't miracle workers. Like the rest of the team, neither are all-stars, not to mention that neither will be in playing shape for awhile. Brown hasn't even practiced with most of the players on the team. To think he will make a major difference this season may be naive, especially since his career has been a disappointment thus far.

To think that a team with such problems could win 20 games is foolish. Nationally, and in the Big East, nobody expects much from Pitt this season, and truthfully, on paper, this team shouldn't even be in the top half of the league.

But there is more than just talent and experience. Pitt also had other things in their bag. They have a great coach who has a great staff. They have toughness. They have brains. They have determination. These things don't slump. Yes, they have inferior and young talent this year, but because of their strengths, the intangibles that don't show up on paper, this team will always be poised to win any game that the opponent is not playing their best, and that's bound to happen.

The out of conference schedule is not particularly difficult this season, but unfortunately after an opener at home against Depaul, the conference schedule gets brutal with the next six games against Syracuse, Cincinnati, UConn, and Seton Hall on the road, and Louisville and Georgetown at home. The Panthers may be underdog in all and it's not crazy to think that they could start the Big East season at 1-6. But this team will not give up because Dixon won't let it happen and the players themselves wont let it happen. And because they are Pitt, and because I can't imagine it otherwise, I still say that Pitt enters the conference tournament at 20-11.

If so, then what Dixon and his staff would have accomplished is nothing short of miraculous. To end the season in this brutal league with 20 wins, with less than great talent, is nearly unfathomable. But that's how good Dixon is and that's how many intangibles he has instilled in every player that comes through the program.

It would be a pretty successful season for a down year and it may be the last one the program has for awhile. The future holds many more years with the likes of Dante Taylor, Travon Woodall, Lamar Patterson, Ashton Gibbs, Nasir Robinson, Isaiah Epps, Cameron Wright, J.J. Moore, and John Johnson. The talent is better and deeper for the future, and the program may not find themselves in this position again. So memo to the Big East: you better get Pitt now, because this may be your last chance.

The situation now

2009-11-11T16:47:00.004-05:00

By Chris Dokish

I've been working the Blackberry all afternoon to answer the questions that fans have been asking me so let me try to clear the situation up.

First of all, the job the entire Pitt staff did to get J.J. Moore was very impressive. And I do mean the entire staff. Despite Moore almost certainly heading to Louisville, Jamie Dixon, Tom Herrion, and Brandin Knight all put on an all out assault to get the 6'6" small forward. According to one source with knowledge of the situation, "it was as complete an effort" as they've ever seen to recruit a player. Bottom line, chalk this coup up to a great joint effort of all of the coaches.

As for Louisville backing off because of Moore's grades, the same source tells me, "that Louisville theory is complete B.S". This is common sense, of course, because Louisville knew completely for many months that Moore's eligibility was in question. In fact, his situation was even worse when Louisville offered him, so it makes no sense that suddenly they saw a problem with his eligibility.

The biggest questions now are what does Pitt do from here. That's a good question and the situation is cloudy. First of all, Moore and the Panthers both want him eligible for 2010. In fact, for months Moore has been very determined to become eligible and once he signs with Pitt, he will have them giving all the help they can. If Moore does become eligible in 2010, then the Panthers will be one over the scholarship limit. The Panthers may still be over the limit if they sign Maurice Walker. Walker is a badly needed true center, but the staff may be unwilling to possibly go two over the limit. For that reason, not signing Walker becomes an option, despite the need. The problem is that it will be quite some time until Moore's eligibility is determined. In the meantime, Walker may not want to wait. or he may wait until spring and have a top program like Kansas offer him.

As for pursuing prospects like Durand Johnson and Mike Taylor, that will not be determined until it's known when Moore will arrive, which again will not be for some time perhaps. A top 2011 big man like Desmond Hubert would likely be taken right away, but Hubert, one of the top big men in the east, is highly coveted and would be considered a very difficult prospect for the Panthers to sign.

Panthers land Moore

2009-11-11T13:18:00.003-05:00

By Chris Dokish

Pitt pulled a major coup by landing 6'6" SF J.J. Moore of South Kent Prep in Connecticut. Most insiders considered Louisville the favorite, but in the end the Panthers prevailed. Moore, an excellent shooter and great athlete, is considered the big time wing that the program has been missing for a decade. Moore is still trying to be eligible for 2010, but may have to be reclassified to the 2011 class.

Added notes: I have been getting questions about whether Moore is ineligible for 2010 and if Louisville pulled off of him because of grades. One, Moore has always been considered a long shot to be eligible for 2010, but both Moore and Pitt are trying as hard as possible to have him eligible for 2010. That's is the preference for both. Two, I reported months ago that Moore's eligibility was a long shot so it's ludicrous to think that Louisville also didn't know. Bottom line, Moore was all but certain to go to Louisville, but Pitt did a great job and stole him away.

PANTHERS 'ROLL' IN FINAL EXHIBITION OVER COKER COLLEGE

2009-11-09T09:50:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of the NBE Basketball Report

I am still trying to digest the halftime score of last night's exhibition game between Pittsburgh and Division II Coker College: 41-6. Coker went over 16 and a half minutes of the game before they made a field goal. While the competition was something to be desired, Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon was please with how much Pitt Improves in Easy 83-40 Win over Coker (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) over their first exhibition game a week earlier over Slippery Rock.

The Panthers open the regular season Friday night at home versus Wofford.

On Sunday, redshirt freshman Travon Woodall may have taken another step forward in his quest to earn the starting point guard position in replace of Levance Fields who graduated after last season. Woodall Makes a Nice Impression in the Win (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) scoring a game-high 21 points in 22 minutes. Woodall was eight of 10 from the field and added three assists. Junior Gary McGhee added 13 points for Pitt, which led 50-6 four minutes in the second half.

With Jermaine Dixon already out with injury and Gilbert Brown on suspension from the University until mid-December, the last thing Pittsburgh would need is an injury. The Panthers received a mild scare when starting forward Nasir Robinson left the game in the 1st half with a painful looking left finger injury. Robinson's Injury is No Reason for concern (Tribune-Review), however, as the dislocated finger was put back into place and coach Dixon believed the sophomore could have came back into the game, but was held out as a precaution.

Q&A for November 3rd

2009-11-03T11:58:00.004-05:00

By Chris Dokish

This will be kind of a short Q&A because I have been on the road for the last month and I haven't had time to read all the questions, but I just got back yesterday and wanted to give any readers at least something to read. And, don't worry, I have been keeping constant contact with all of my sources throughout and I have missed nothing.

Q: What's the status with J.J. Moore, Mo Walker, and Durand Johnson?

A: Louisville has been the favorite for Moore for a long time and I haven't seen anything that would change that right now, though Moore is in today and that could always change things. The reason you see such a push for Johnson recently was because they knew getting Moore was far from a sure thing. But they love Johnson, too. He is a great shooter, plus he is Pitt tough. He just needs to add some size. From what I hear, I think the staff thinks they could get Johnson, but are waiting to see what Moore does first. Something may happen with Moore today that will make Pitt make a move. Either he says he wants to come to Pitt or Pitt will move on to Johnson. As for Walker, he is still waiting things out.

Q: You said before that the staff wanted Nasir Robinson as a SF and not a PF, but it seems like he played more PF at the beginning. What gives?

A: Well, for now they want Taylor at center and Dwight Miller has been ill. But Miller has been cleared to play again and will get more of a look on Sunday. The staff still prefers Robinson play at the three, but the four position is hurting a bit right now so they have to make do with what they have.

Q: Is it safe to assume that Talib Zanna will redshirt?

A: Not necessarily. He has been banged up, but they plan on getting him some time on Sunday to see where he's at in his development.

Q: Travon Woodall and Ashton Gibbs played the point mostly against Slippery Rock. Where does that leave Chase Adams? Is Woodall going to be the starting point guard at the beginning of the season?

A: Adams is still very much in the point guard race from what I was told and people shouldn't read too much into the early season. Woodall is a player that they want to see where he stands so he is basically getting a tryout.

Q: A few months ago you had Adams or Woodall starting at the point, Jermaine Dixon at SG, Taylor at center, Miller at PF, and Brad Wanamaker at SF. Do you still see that?

A: There is way too much emphasis on the starting lineup this year because it will change often, but I still think those players will get the most minutes at those positions, with Gibbs obviously getting a ton of minutes also.

Q: Is there reason to worry about the team struggling against Slippery Rock?

A: It makes me laugh how so many fans were raving for months about the job that Jamie Dixon will do with this team, then after one preseason game they are already talking about NIT. There will be growing pains with this team. They will surprise with huge wins and they will surprise with a few bad losses. But as the season progresses, they fully expect to find a few pretty good players develop along the way and battle for an NCAA spot.

Q: Is Dante Taylor going to play at power forward or center, and do you think he will start?

A: He will start at center, or at the very least come in the game early and get the majority of the minutes there. If he eventually proves he can play at the more demanding four, and they have nobody else there that can handle that spot, you could also see him go there and start Gary McGhee at center. But Taylor will be seeing more minutes than McGhee this year. He's a McDonald's All-American that just scored 27 points in his first game. I find it astounding that there are fans who doubt him.

doke88@yahoo.com

Q&A for September 18th

2009-09-18T14:18:00.006-04:00

By Chris Dokish

Q: Jermaine Dixon was the only really experienced player on the team. How badly will the loss of him hurt?

A: Maybe very little since the staff thinks there is a good chance he won't miss a single game. He is in great shape and heals quickly, according to people I've talked to at Pitt, and they think a quick and full recovery looks good. And even if it takes him some time to get back into shape, he can shake the rust off early in the season before things get too serious.

Q: You seem very high on John Johnson. Why did the Panthers take another point guard when they already have Isaiah Epps coming in?

A: Two reasons. One, he was too good to pass up. Two, while he has point guard skills and can play the point, they think he will combine nicely in the back court with Epps in a few years.

Q: Is is a sure thing that Epps will be a PG and Johnson will be a SG?

A: Not all. There is a long way to go yet and nobody knows what will happen. I can tell you that if some day Epps and Johnson starts in the same back court, they expect Epps to run the point. That doesn't mean they both will start, though. And Johnson is a combo guard who will no doubt get minutes at the point in his career.

Q: With Gilbert Brown and Jermaine Dixon out for awhile, what do you expect the starting lineup to be?

A: I have no idea and the Pitt staff has no idea. They will wait to see who wins the jobs when preseason practices get underway.

I think it's obvious that Chase Adams and Travon Woodall will get first crack at the point and if both fail, then Ashton Gibbs will take over. At SG, that's Dixon's spot. No matter what happens, though, Gibbs will play a lot. The favorite at SF should be Brad Wanamaker with Nasir Robinson and Lamar Patterson getting minutes, too. When Brown comes back, they will have to see where they are there. By that time, he may find it difficult to get minutes from any of the three because all three are hustlers who will not give up minutes easy. Dante Taylor will probably start at the four or five. If he proves he can play at the four, then Gary McGhee will probably start at the five. If Taylor can't learn the tough four position yet, then I suspect Dwight Miller or J.J. Richardson will start there.

Ideally, I guess it would be Adams or Woodall at the one (since they are both pretty even going in it's pointless to pick one), Dixon at the two, Wanamaker at the three, Miller at the four, and Taylor at the five. That would leave Richardson and McGhee as the back up big men, Gibbs with a ton of minutes at guard, either Adams or Woodall at the back up point, and Robinson and Patterson getting minutes on the wing. And Brown will see if he can carve out minutes when he comes back, but I would not assume that he will. But that's only ideally, as in if everybody played up to their potential, that would be the best lineup. That never happens, though, so any starting lineup is possible, and I suspect it will actually change quite a bit this season.

Q: With Gary McGhee doing so well in the summer league this year do you think he could start at center over Dante Taylor?

A: Well, if McGhee starts this year and Taylor doesn't, then Pitt will not be making the NCAA tournament, because that will mean that Taylor either flopped or got injured. I like McGhee as a person and I hope like hell he proves me wrong, but he was a Kyryl Natyazhko signing away from playing somewhere else this year so I don't see how playing in a summer league filled with players from small colleges should suddenly fill people with confidence. Let's be realistic here. And before anybody asks, yes, I will admit I'm wrong if McGhee becomes a quality Big East player this season. And you never know, it could happen. Nobody expected much out of players like Darren Morningstar, Andre Alridge, or Jaime Petersen either.

Q: You mentioned that Pitt wanted a big SG before signing John Johnson but didn't they already get that with Cameron Wright?

A: I was coming home from the airport in the taxi when I wrote that and I didn't explain exactly what I meant. What I meant was that Pitt was looking to get a big shooting guard who can really shoot well from the outside. That's not Wright, because he isn't a great outside shooter, and that's not Johnson, because he's only 6'1". But that's okay because both are very good players, especially Johnson, who I think could be a star. I'm not one for hyperbole, but the thoughts of a possible future back court of Epps and Johnson is very exciting and I can tell you that people at Pitt are ecstatic over getting these two. And Wright is a fine player, too. The future back court is loaded.

Q: There have been some rumblings that Johnson may have trouble academically. Any truth to that?

A: No truth at all. He is a good student and he goes to a tough school. The staff has no worries at all about him academically.

Q: Does the signing of Johnson mean they won't go after Mike Taylor now?

A: They didn't sign Johnson, he's only a verbal commitment, but I can assure you they won't stop talking to Taylor. I don't know if he would be as interested in Pitt now, though. He really likes Pitt and the Panthers had, and maybe still have, a legit shot at him, but Johnson was just too good to pass up. If they left Johnson out there longer, he would be even tougher to get because he is expected to blow up even more. Then if they lost Taylor, they would have been left with neither. They just couldn't risk it. Not that Johnson is inferior. He may prove to be every bit as good.

Q: You wrote that small forward and post player are the two positions Pitt wants to add still. Does this mean J.J. Moore and Maurice Walker? And since both are 2010 kids, does that mean if they sign both that two players will be forced off the team?

A: That's obviously the two they have coveted the most, but both are far from sure things. Walker and his dad keep their thoughts close to the vest, even to the coaches recruiting them. The fact that he is a true center, and a big one with some athletic ability at that, makes him highly coveted. That will be a tough get. Many at Pitt are also thinking that Moore is becoming increasingly difficult to get also. Louisville wants him very much and Florida is entering the picture hard. I'd say both are under 50% at this moment, but that could always go way up very quickly.

As for who would leave, I don't want to get into that, but Moore has a lot of work to do academically and will probably be a 2011 kid.

Q: With Gilbert Brown being out for the first half of the season does that mean Nasir Robinson will stay at SF instead of moving to PF?

A: While things can always change, the staff has never wanted Robinson to have a lot of minutes at the four, and very much want him to stay mostly at the three. If he ends up starting at the four it's only because others failed there. They do expect him to get some minutes there, though.

Q: Where do you expect the team to finish in the Big East this year?

A: I started off having them seventh, but then was slowly moving them up. Now I am slowly moving them back down somewhat. I'd say seventh or eight. That seems very low for a Jamie Dixon team, but on paper, they probably aren't even that high. And by that, I don't mean they don't have talent, because they do. It's just that the Big East is not kind to inexperienced teams and this is a pretty inexperienced team. But the players and coaches are acting very slighted by how little prognosticators are thinking of them so that may give them the drive to do even better.

Q: You seem especially high of Pitt's recruiting classes recently. Does this mean that the program is moving to a higher level?

A: Time will tell, but with potentially elite players like Epps, Johnson, and Taylor to go along with potentially very good players like Gibbs, Patterson, Zanna, and Wright, the future is as bright as it's ever been. All of those players are either underclassmen or not even on the team yet. And there's still probably another wing and another post player on the way. If Pitt can continue their hot streak with those two yet to be named players then it's even more obvious that the train is just going to keep on rolling.

Panthers land top combo guard

2009-09-17T18:35:00.002-04:00

By Chris Dokish

The Pitt basketball staff has struck gold again, this time landing 6'1" combo guard John Johnson of Girard HS in Philadelphia. Johnson, who is the Panthers first recruit for 2011, plays in a small classification, but has proven in all-star games and in AAU competition that he has excellent potential. One college assistant who was recruiting Johnson told us off the record that, "with more exposure he will be considered a top 50 prospect".

Johnson, who according to some is reminiscent of Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, is actually more athletic and faster than Reynolds, while also adding excellent offensive potential.

Johnson has point guard skills, but according to sources close to the situation, the Panther staff is dreaming of playing Johnson alongside 6'2" PG Isaiah Epps, a 2010 recruit that will play this season at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. The potential pairing of two top 50 talents could potentially make for the most explosive and electrifying back court tandem in Pitt basketball history.

Johnson was only recently coveted by the Panthers who were looking instead for a big shooting guard, but according to a source close to the situation, Johnson "was just too good to pass up". The Panthers now will look to add a small forward and a post player with their two remaining scholarships.

Johnson was offered by Villanova, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Virginia Tech, among others.

Panthers get visit from familiar name

2009-08-29T22:39:00.005-04:00

By Chris Dokish

The Pitt staff have been very active lately and this weekend hosted 6'0" PG Sterling Gibbs of Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, NJ on an unofficial visit. Gibbs, a 2011 prospect, is the younger brother of Panthers sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs. The Panthers have offered him a scholarship, as have Seton Hall, Rutgers, and Indiana.

Panthers hosting big center

2009-08-25T16:52:00.003-04:00

By Chris Dokish

Toronto native Maurice Walker, who will play this season at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH, is currently taking a visit at the Pitt campus. The 6'10" 270 pound Walker is a true center, a position that the Panthers are looking for immediately. Walker needs to work on getting in better shape, but thanks to his excellent hands and quick feet, he is considered an excellent developmental prospect.

Walker's other offers include Marquette, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Boston College, and Virginia Tech. Walker is a 2010 recruit, even though the Panthers currently have no scholarships available in that class.

Pitt prepares for important visit

2009-08-17T19:44:00.008-04:00

By Chris Dokish

One of the fastest rising players in the nation this summer is 6'6" SF J.J. Moore of Brentwood (NY) HS on Long Island, who will be visiting the Pitt campus on Tuesday, August 18th. Moore, an excellent outside shooter with very good athleticism, has also been offered by UConn, Louisville, Marquette, Seton Hall, St. John's, Oklahoma, Providence, and Rutgers. He recently stated that his top five are Pittsburgh, Louisville, Marquette, UConn, and St. John's.

According to insiders, the Panthers are considered one of the favorites to land Moore, even though the Panthers are currently out of scholarships for 2010. The staff is looking to add a true center, a wing who can shoot, and a quality big man for 2011, but if they can fill one of those positions with a quality player for 2010, then they will. True center Maurice Walker is a possibility for 2010, but true centers are hard to find and consequently, his recruitment is getting more competitive. If either Walker or Moore commit, and are eligible, the Panthers will be one player over the scholarship limit. There is also a chance that whoever commits to the Panthers this season could spend a year in prep school, which will give the program a start on filling their quota for the 2011 class.

Basketball Notes

2009-08-10T07:48:00.004-04:00

By Chris Dokish

Pitt's goal during this recruiting class was to add a big SG and a true center. Despite having no more scholarships currently, the staff will still try to add the big center. Few true centers were available this season, but the staff is concentrating mostly on Toronto native Maurice Walker, who will play at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire this season. Walker, who incidentally was first recruited by former Panthers assistant Orlando Antigua a few years ago, is 6'10" and 270 pounds. According to sources, the Pitt staff thinks Walker has a chance to be a good player down the road with his great hands and quick feet. But, they also say that despite Walker recently losing weight, he still has to get in much better shape. Who would leave if Walker, or another center, is signed, is unknown even to the staff, but like all programs they have a policy that you recruit first and ask questions later.

Speaking of Brewster Academy, Walker will be teammates with SG Will Barton, a former teammate of Dante Taylor, and Pitt's first choice at the position. But Barton chose to commit to Memphis. The Panthers were also heavily monitoring Doron Lamb, who Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion has followed all summer, and Trey Zeigler, son of former Pitt coach Ernie Zeigler, now the head coach at Central Michigan. But insiders see Lamb headed to Kansas or Kentucky, and Zeigler was expected to wait until much later to make a decision, mostly because he wanted to see if his father keeps his job at CMU. Also, Pitt saw him more as a SF than SG. That left the Panthers with 6'4" Cameron Wright of Benedictine HS in Cleveland. Wright is currently not considered to be at the same talent level of Barton, Lamb, or Zeigler, but the Panthers staff will not be crying about that. Word is, Herrion, who was the assistant who landed Wright, was absolutely in love with his new addition. Not only does Wright have the excellent size, he is also a big time athlete. The biggest difference between Wright and the three higher ranked players is that Wright is not in their league as a shooter. But with Ashton Gibbs and Isaiah Epps in the future backcourt, and with Lamar Patterson at SF, it isn't as essential for the program that Wright be an excellent outside shooter. His size, defense, athleticism and driving ability should still make him an effective guard at the Big East level.

Speaking of Epps, do not believe any reports downgrading him. When DeJuan Blair was ranked outside of the Top 100 on some national recruiting sites, I told you that big time NCAA coaches and assistant coaches laughed at that, and told me he was a Top 50 player. Well, the same can be said for Epps. An excellent athlete on both offense and defense, an excellent passer, and a big time shooter makes him a possible NBA player in the future. A lot of recruiting services did not see him light it up this summer, but that's only because he was refining his true point skills, rather than shooting a lot. But make no mistake about it, the kid can fill it up when he wants to, and his combination of shooting, passing, athleticism, and defense makes him a future star. If everybody plays up to their abilities, I will be very surprised if he wasn't the starting PG next season. If Travon Woodall beats him out next season then he will have turned into a damn good player.

Speaking of PG, do not underestimate possible late transfer Chase Adams. The 5'10" Baltimore native, who played the last three seasons at Centenary, can play, and was only brought in because the staff thought he could start. Woodall could hold him off, but the redshirt freshman is very inexperienced due to injuries, and no program wants to play in the Big East with an inexperienced starting PG, unless he is a big time talent (ex. Epps). Another scenario is that Gibbs starts at the point, but that's the last option. Yes, he started in the U19 World Championships, but his shooting ability was wasted there, just as it would be at least lessened this season as a full-time PG. In Pitt's system the PG passes first and shoots second. You want Gibbs taking passes, not passing to others. Also, Gibbs, while a good athlete, is not the elite athlete that other Big East PGs are, and that's something that will be exposed in the brutal Big East. If Gibbs has to use all of his energy to keep the ball away from a Kemba Walker or a Scottie Reynolds, when exactly is he going to be shooting? As one national college basketball insider told me yesterday, "Ashton does give off that vibe- the perfect third guard". Also with Adams, don't worry about chemistry because the Pitt staff doesn't. The reason they did not pursue Lance Stephenson was not because they were afraid of him messing up team chemistry. As one member of the Pitt staff told me recently, "we never worry about a player coming in and hurting what we have". Bottom line, Herrion would not go all the way to Shreveport, LA in the middle of very important summer evaluations just to bring in fodder for practice. If Adams commits, and the chances are that will happen, then he has a very legitimate chance of winning the starting job.

Q&A for 7/7

2009-07-08T21:41:00.001-04:00

By Chris Dokish
doke88@yahoo.com

Q: Chris, just out of curiosity, what percentage of your answers are from your contacts and what percentage are your own thoughts?

A: At least 95% come straight from contacts and for the 5% that doesn't, I make a point to say that it is my own opinion.

Q: How much does the Pitt staff take from the Greentree Summer League as far as the performances of the players?

A: Absolutely nothing. They don't even know that much about what goes on there, as far as how their players are performing. Especially this year when the Pitt players are the only high major players in the league. The league was simply designed to give the players a single place to get together and play in the off season. It's good to get in shape before the season and for the younger guys to get used to playing in front of more demanding fans. But it's great for the fans and I understand that one Pitt website actually had fans get together and sponsor a team. That's the kind of thing that the program needs as it helps in the grassroots movement to help turn Pittsburgh into a basketball city. It takes time but eventually kids may grow up wanting to play college basketball in the area as much as they want to play college football. And of course it's a great thing for the fans. I've been there a few times each year and I already stopped in already this year when I was in the city. It's a good thing to have. Just don't try to make too much out of the performances.

Q: Is it safe to say that Ashton Gibbs will be the starting PG this year?

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A: Not at all. Preseason practices haven't even started this season and the staff makes no judgments until then obviously. There is nobody guaranteed a starting spot at this time of year, this season especially. The staff still prefers that Woodall ends up being the starter and it's pretty important that he is. Simply put, he is the only true PG on the roster this season. Yes, Gibbs is a good player, but he isn't a true PG. From the emails I get I know Pitt fans want to convince themselves that he is, but he isn't. Woodall is much faster, much quicker, a much better penetrator, and much better defensively. His type of skills, if honed, is much better for Pitt. Look what happened at WVU and Cincinnati last year when they lost their PGs. They had SGs playing PG and it hurt them both.

If Gibbs was the starter, it would have the same effect as when Ronald Ramon took over for Levance Fields two years ago. Is Ramon a good player? Yes. Can Ramon start at PG for short periods of time? Yes. But can you win big with Ramon at PG full-time? No. Again, especially this season when things are so up in the air. Just like what will likely happen with Gibbs, Ramon's lack of PG skills were exposed against highly talented teams or highly talented PGs. Not to mention that if Gibbs is the starting PG, then that moves others out of their more ideal position, including Gibbs, who would be ideal as somebody who plays a lot of minutes backing up both guard spots. Bottom line, Gibbs could do well for the majority of the schedule, but if Pitt wants to have a really big season, it would be ideal if Woodall wins the job. And the staff thinks he definitely can. But they won't just hand it to him. If he doesn't win it fair and square, then they will take their chances with Gibbs.

Q: Is there a chance that Jermaine Dixon or Brad Wanamaker will start at PG this year?

A: Not unless there is some kind of serious injury and/or Woodall or Gibbs flops in a big way. I was told Dixon is third in line should something unforeseen happen. Despite the opinions of some fans, Wanamaker is not considered a serious contender at PG and he never was.

Q: How many scholarships does Pitt have for 2010, what position or positions are they looking at, and is there a commitment imminent?

A: They have one opening, but are looking at two different positions- "a true center" and "a big shooting guard". Whether they get both of those or just one, I don't know and I don't want to start that whole "is somebody going to leave?" thing all over again. Let's just say that as a rule the staff will never turn down an excellent player no matter how many openings they have.

Finding a true center will be hard, as it often is. And the staff is discouraged by the lack of talented true centers in the East this year. But if there is a sleeper out there, I'm sure they will find him. As for the big SG, I have had people tell me that I shouldn't be surprised if Will Barton eventually ended up at somewhere other than Memphis, but I doubt Pitt would be his choice if he did change. And Doron Lamb is a long shot, too.

One player they would like is 6'5" Trey Zeigler of Mount Pleasant (MI) HS. Jamie Dixon obviously has an in with Trey's father, Ernie, who coached with Dixon under Ben Howland at Pitt. He's a big-time player and since his father is the head coach at Central Michigan, he may pass on playing for him. But Pitt thinks Zeigler could wait for a long time before committing and if that's the case, they may find somebody else first.

As for how close they are to a commitment, they aren't close and never have been close this recruiting season. However, I would think with the AAU season in high gear, they will make a strong move on somebody sooner rather than later.

Q: Can the coaching staff be blamed for not having a center to replace DeJuan Blair?

A: Not really. They never thought in a million years that Blair would be gone after his sophomore season. Hell, they even thought it was less than a 50% chance up until the season was over this year.

Q: Will Gary McGhee start at center this season?

A: I have no idea, but I would be surprised if he got significant minutes this season. The three players who will play center this season are McGhee, Dante Taylor, and J.J. Richardson. McGhee is the only true center of the bunch, but Taylor is much more talented, and Richardson is a high energy tough guy with good athleticism. And that's not a typo. Richardson will primarily be a center this season. I get a lot of emails saying he will be at PF, and he will play there, but the plan is to have him play a a lot, and perhaps primarily, at center. As with Taylor, Pitt thinks it's easier to start off as a center because the PF position at Pitt is asked to do a ton. But they will try to see if either Taylor or Richardson has the ability to also play the four sometimes. If they can, that would be very beneficial.

Q: Could Nasir Robinson start at PF this year?

A: No, while he may play some four, they want him mostly at the three. And why not? His body, style, positives, and even negatives are exactly the same as Jaron Brown, another pretty good three from the past.

Q: Will Gilbert Brown play at the four and did he play at the four last year?

A: This is a pretty specific question to be asked by three different people, so I assume this was discussed publicly somewhere. So for that reason, I made a special point to ask. I was told he will not play at the four this season and if he was at the four at all last season it was because of a DQ at the end of a game.

Q: What are the five things that Pitt needs to happen this season to win 25 games?

A: Good question.

1. Woodall needs to legitimately win the PG job and perform well.

2. Taylor needs to be a Rookie of the Year contender in the league.

3. Gibbs needs to be an excellent three point shooter, especially in the clutch.

4. Brown needs to live up to his potential.

5. Wanamaker needs to improve even more.

Q: With him not playing well in the summer league, is the staff worried that Taylor will live up to his potential?

A: Of course not. The poor kid hasn't even had one college practice yet and you are already questioning him because of how well he plays in a pickup league? This is something that not only Pitt fans, but all college fans need to understand. And that's that a freshman progresses more in his first year of preseason practices than he did in his entire career up until that point. The Taylor you see in November will not be the Taylor you see now.

Q: Do you think Taylor will be as good of a freshman as DeJuan Blair was?

A: That's highly unlikely for any freshman. I picked Blair to win Rookie of the Year and the reason was not only because of his talent, but also because of the kind of talent he was. In other words, his game was mostly brute strength and that translates right away. That's why I always said that Richardson would make an impact as a freshman, unlike many fans who thought he was destined to redshirt. Now, J.J. is no Blair, but he is a strong kid with a lot of energy, plus he does the little things. In other words, he also is the kind of player that will have an easier time transitioning. Both of their games are not based on skill, but rather aggressiveness. Taylor is a tough kid, but he's not just going to carve out space like Blair did. He's going to have to use his skill set more and with that comes a few bumps in the road early on.

Q: Do you think DeJuan Blair made a mistake by leaving Pitt early?

A: No, I don't. His way to get money in life is to play basketball. He will probably do that in the NBA, but worse case scenario, he can always go to Europe and make millions. Plus, with his knees, you never know how long he can play. One more year at Pitt meant one less year making money before his knees gave out.

Q: I was at the summer league and Lamar Patterson impressed me. You nailed that one. He shot well, too. Do you think he could be a good three point shooter in college?

A: Well, like I've said before, Tom Herrion thinks he can be a "lights out shooter"- his words. With Gibbs, Patterson, and Epps in the future, the Panthers may have three excellent shooters at the one, two, and three. There have been some reports that Epps is not a great shooter, but those are flat out wrong. In fact, Pitt thinks it's his best trait. The kid can fill it up so don't worry about him. But, back to Patterson, like I said before, he will be a better player at Pitt than Darnell Dodson would have been at Pitt. Whether or not he would be better than Dodson at Kentucky, or anywhere else, I don't know, but that doesn't matter because he's at Pitt.

Q: Is Dwight Miller going to start this season?

A: Well, with Taylor and Richardson playing primarily at the five, and Robinson playing primarily at the three, that leaves Miller to grab the spot at the four. But like I said, nothing is written in stone, and in fact, nothing is even written on paper. It's way too early to know who will start. I can only tell you where the staff prefers to have everybody. But Miller has an excellent shot if he plays well in the preseason. If he doesn't, then you could see Richardson there or you could see Taylor there if McGhee surprises and can handle the center position. And there is always Talib Zanna, but he is still raw, so that would take a helluva preseason from him.

Q: Can you run down each position and tell us who the contenders are?

A: I can do that, but remember that nothing is settled until the official practices start. I can only tell you what positions the staff wants the players, but I can't foresee if those players seize those positions.

PG- Woodall earning the job would be ideal, but Gibbs could win it over him. Dixon is the emergency option. Wanamaker is not considered a PG by the staff.

SG- Dixon is obviously the favorite to start here. If Gibbs doesn't start at the point, he will backup here, as well as the point. Wanamaker will also get major minutes here, especially if Woodall doesn't pan out.

SF- Brown is probably the favorite here, though Wanamaker could figure in there, too. Robinson should see his minutes increase. Patterson will have to have an excellent preseason to get significant minutes this year, but he has a bright future.

PF- It's Miller's job to lose, but Taylor and Richardson should see minutes there, too. If they can't handle it, Robinson could see some time there. Zanna will have to have a big preseason to see time.

C- Taylor will probably get most of the minutes unless McGhee makes huge strides. Richardson will also see time here, especially if McGhee doesn't progress.

Dante Taylor apparently growing by the day

2009-06-19T18:42:00.004-04:00

By Chris Dokish

Even though his game is ideally suited for the power forward position, Dante Taylor may end up as the starting center this season for the Panthers, and he definitely now has the size for the position. I was told by the Pitt staff today that at the U.S. tryouts Taylor checked in at 6'8 1/2" and 251 pounds. If that wasn't impressive enough, he also had a 7'1" wingspan.

Added note: Apparently there has been some confusion as to whether that 251 pounds is good or bad regarding Taylor's conditioning, especially since there was a recent internet report from Draft Express that Taylor did not perform well at the U.S. tryouts. So let me clarify. The ideal weight for Taylor is around 245 so the 251 pounds was not a huge difference. However, Taylor was in poor condition at the tryouts and it showed in his play. To be blunt, it cost him a spot on the team. But the staff is not worried. For players at Taylor's level, there is virtually no offseason and sometimes they don't work as hard as they should to stay in shape twelve months out of the year. That's what happened to Taylor and it cost him. The Pitt staff does not expect it to be an ongoing problem, and certainly don't see him as a Chris Taft-like bad apple, as was mentioned in the Draft Express article. In fact, the staff notes that Taylor has previously kept himself well-conditioned. As one person at Pitt told me, at least it will temporarily quiet the talk of how quickly Taylor will bolt for the NBA.

Pitt Football under Dave Wannstedt

2009-06-08T11:33:00.002-04:00

By Chris Dokish

Comparing the conference records among all Big East schools in the four seasons that Dave Wannstedt has been Pitt's head coach.

West Virginia 22-6
Rutgers 17-11
Cincinnati 16-12
Louisville 15-13
South Florida 14-14
Pittsburgh 14-14
UConn 11-17
Syracuse 3-25

Pitt's Big East record in Walt Harris's final four seasons at Pitt: 18-9

Record against out of conference BCS programs:

West Virginia 10-2
Louisville 9-3
South Florida 5-5
Rutgers 4-4
UConn 4-5
Pittsburgh 3-6
Cincinnati 1-5
Syracuse 1-10

Total record against all BCS programs, Big East and non-conference, over the last four seasons:

West Virginia 32-8
Louisville 24-16
Rutgers 21-15
South Florida 19-19
Cincinnati 17-17
Pittsburgh 17-20
UConn 15-22
Syracuse 4-35

ISAIAH EPPS: FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS

2009-05-18T11:15:00.004-04:00

By Anthony Jaskulski

Bucket off the beautiful assist…

It’s a line you may hear often as a Pittsburgh Panther/Big East fan in the near future, and it won’t be replays from the Levance Fields era either.

Instead, you’ll be seeing one of the more prolific passers in the country follow the footsteps of the pass-happy Fields, and that assist man waiting in the wings is Isaiah Epps.

At a slight 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Epps may not strike you as the most impressive shooter on the floor, and he certainly isn’t a rebounding monger. But with a string on the ball, a quick, agile style and a passing game that would make a quarterback envious, Epps, has emerged on the scene as one of the top recruits in the country thanks to his smooth facet of the game.

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“When you work on your game as much as I have and put a lot of time into it, it starts to get a little easier,” said Epps. “There is always more room to improve though, and that’s what keeps me hungry everyday.”

A 2010 verbal commitment for the Pittsburgh Panthers, Epps, who was recruited by former Panther star and now assistant coach Brandin Knight, also a native of New Jersey, will more than likely be operating from the same position Knight dominated from 1999-2003, the point guard spot.

“Coach Knight definitely brought me towards the Pitt program, and my cousin (Travon) Woodall also made me feel more at home,” Epps said. “(Pitt) is a place where some of the best guards in the country go, and it’s a big honor to be a guard on a team like that.”

Woodall, a redshirt freshman next year for the Panthers, also operates from the point guard position.

But Epps, who is currently ranked 35th on the Rivals Top150 for the class of 2010 list, and part of the ESPNU Super-60 list, makes much more of an uncanny resemblance to a more current Panthers point guard, Levance Fields.

“I relate to Levance a lot more then any other Pitt player, because he’s more of a passer then a scorer like me,” Epps said. “He also was the guy the team could depend on to hit the game-winning shot, and I will definitely do that. I have a lot of confidence in me being that guy.”

From his high school in Plainfield, New Jersey to his AAU team: The New Jersey Playaz, Epps has wooed many scouts and crowds alike with his unique passing ability, solid ball-handling skills and spot-up shooting in clutch situations.

Recently, at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest, a weekend tournament held on April 17-19 at the Petersen Events Center, the talented Epps showed many what his game was all about, leading his AAU squad to the 17-U Gold championship game, in which they lost in the final seconds, but not before Epps showed off an impressive nine point, eight assist performance, including a hair-raising, half court, ally-oop pass that threaded through two defenders.

But for Epps, making plays like that is just secondary, when the passing category is your primacy.

“I like getting my own team involved first, no matter if it’s a pickup game or a championship game.” said Epps. “I’ll score when I need to score, but it’s not the top priority.”

With his Fields-esque style in full swing and his leadership-first, veteran attitude, you can expect Epps to make an immediate impact at Pittsburgh, and follow in the footsteps of one of the best point guards—Fields—to ever wear a Panther uniform.

PARROM OPTS FOR 'ZONA OVER PITT

2009-05-04T15:16:00.001-04:00

BY JEFF BORZELLO

Fresh off his visit to Arizona, Kevin Parrom made it official: he will play for the Wildcats next season.

“I committed today,” Parrom said in a text message Sunday evening.

Parrom, a 6-6 swingman from New York who played at South Kent Prep (Conn.) this past year, was released from his letter of intent to Xavier in April after Musketeers’ head coach Sean Miller accepted the job at Arizona.

However, he decided to follow Miller across the country to Tucson and suit up in the Pac-10. He chose Arizona over Pittsburgh.

“The people there,” Parrom said when asked why he signed with the Wildcats. “The surroundings. The coaching staff. Great academic support. And the campus is wonderful.”

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After his visit to Pittsburgh last week, Parrom said he would go see Arizona and then likely choose by the end of the upcoming week. However, he was so impressed by his trip to UA that he committed on the spot.

“My trip was great,” Parrom said. “Just getting out there in Arizona and being myself at all times with the people and the players on campus.”

Over the summer, I had a chance to watch Parrom at the Reebok All-American camp in Philadelphis. He was one of the best all-around players at the camp, and showed the ability to do nearly everything on the court. Parrom has good shooting form, which enables him to knock down outside shots, meaning defenders can’t leave him open for jumpshots. As a result, Parrom also drives to the basket well and finishes creatively at the rim.

He also has an effective back-to-the-basket game and posted up smaller defenders on several occasions. He is an extremely difficult match-up for most defenders. Parrom is also a very good passer with good vision who looks for his teammates as soon as he touches the ball. He can shoot the ball either in transition or in the half-court, and also runs the floor well. Parrom rebounds well at both ends of the court due to his athleticism, and is a very good defender, both on-and-off the ball.

Parrom transferred to South Kent after an off-the-court problem at St. Raymond’s (N.Y.), in which he allegedly hit a coach. He originally chose Xavier in September, picking the Musketeers over St. John’s, where high school teammate and close friend Omari Lawrence will attend next season.

However, once Miller left Xavier to replace interim head coach Russ Pennell at Arizona, Parrom wanted to re-evaluate his recruitment. Miller brought two of his assistants with him to Arizona, including Emmanuel “Book” Richardson, who was the former head of the New York Gauchos AAU program and with whom Parrom has a close relationship.

Parrom is the third recruit of Miller’s tenure at Arizona, following Kyryl Natyazhko and Solomon Hill.

May 3rd Q&A

2009-05-03T17:57:00.010-04:00

By Chris Dokish
doke88@yahoo.com

Q: You wrote in the last Q&A that Dixon is not a great closer and he isn't as aggressive as some other top coaches. In your opinion, what does it take to be a great closer? I’m sure a lot of kids/families are different and want to hear different things, so how do these other guys close the deal? I read message board fodder about AAU and coaching connections, promises made, skirting the rules, etc.... How much do these things play into closing? And one last thing, will Jamie ever be a great closer? If so, what does he need to work on?

A: It's like any sales job. The great ones can sell ice to an Eskimo. Is it just one thing that all the best real estate agents or the best car dealers have? It's just that some people are born closers. It's a great skill. Do the great ones probably skirt the rules a little? No doubt. I'm not saying Dixon should do that, but some of the great closers know every trick in the book, and some of those tricks are a little shadier than others. Dixon has chosen to stay away from that stuff. Some may say he's taking a moral stand and some say he is making a mistake by not using the same tactics as everybody else. I guess it's just a matter of opinion.

But, also Dixon just isn't aggressive enough. Tom Herrion wanted Dante Taylor and Dixon helped close, but it was mostly Herrion who was responsible. Brandin Knight went hard after Isaiah Epps and Dixon helped close, but this time it was Knight who deserves the kudos. When a Rick Pitino, a Jim Calhoun, or a John Calipari closes on a kid you know it because the kid can't stop talking about. When was the last time a kid was gaga over Dixon? They like him, and they respect him, but there isn't fireworks. In Herrion and Knight, Pitt has two guys who can go toe to toe with some big time recruiters, but at the end of the day, they need Dixon to come in and put the hammer down. That's what the head coach does. The assistants set them up for the kill, but the head coach comes in and seals the deal. Bottom line, kids like Dixon, but then a Pitino or a Calipari walks into his house and the kid sees rainbows and puppies.

If you look at the low numbers of elite prospects that Pitt gets compared to other top programs, it's quite startling. Pitt lags behind quite a bit. But thankfully for Pitt fans, what Dixon gets out of his players is pretty remarkable when you realize how the talent level of his team often can't approach programs that are equally as successful on the court.

Q: What does is say that Dixon couldn't close out on Kyryl Natyazhko and Kevin Parrom, and that Pitt will now probably end up with an obscure undersized junior college player?

A: Well, first of all, the undersized junior college player is pretty good. But Pitt may not end up with him either because his academics are highly questionable. If they weren't, he would have signed somewhere already.

As for Natyazkho and Parrom, Sean Miller was all over those kids long before Pitt was. For the Panthers, they were back up plans that they suddenly wanted after DeJuan Blair left. Miller has been courting them heavily for a year. That's a big difference. Both are good players in the 75-100 range, and they would have helped this year, but I don't think the loss will go beyond this upcoming season. Pitt is the masters of getting players in the 75-100 range.

Q: Why isn't Pitt going after Lance Stephenson? It seems so obvious that they could use him and he seems desperate at this point to join a great program.

A: You're right. He is desperate. And there's a reason why. As one college coach told me when discussing Stephenson, "He's going to get some coach fired". Enough said.

Q: Did Darnell Dodson officially sign with Kentucky?

A: Yes. Thankfully. Now maybe the Pitt fans can move on. He's a good player that has taken on mythical proportions. But not everybody at Pitt thought highly of his skills, and that's a fact. And I was told that the new regime at Memphis had no desire to keep him. The only reason Kentucky wanted him was because they need players for this season. But one assistant coach told me last week that Dodson will hardly see the floor at Kentucky because he will quickly get recruited over. Bottom line, he is a good, solid prospect, but he isn't a future star.

Q: With Natyazhko and Parrom out of play, is it Kavon Lytch or nobody?

A: Lytch has academic problems, so from what I hear, Pitt is going to keep looking into the summer. If they still can't find somebody then they will carry it over to next year.

Q: You say you want a center and shooting guard for next year. Any names?

A: Well, they don't feel the center crop in the East is strong for 2010, so I'm not holding my breath on that one. You never know who they may unearth, though. As for guards, there are a lot of excellent ones out there and none have Pitt in their sights as of yet.

Q: For 2010, what do you think Pitt's chances are for these players- Adreian Payne, Will Barton, Doron Lamb, Kyrie Irving, Trae Golden, Victor Oladipo, Shane Southwell?

A: Payne- very slim
Barton- very slim
Lamb- very slim
Irving- very slim
Golden- very slim
Oladipo- too early
Southwell- too early

Q: One of the national networks just reshuffled their top 75 and Epps was not in it. What does that mean?

A: I can only assume that it means they are clueless. That kid will be a star at Pitt and he will be in the NBA.

Q: Mike DeCourcy ranked Pitt No. 11 in his preseason rankings and Andy Katz ranked them No.24. Are you just being pessimistic?

A: Pitt could very well end up No. 24 at the end of the year, and I would not bet against a Jamie Dixon team, but no way are they No. 24 in the preseason. As for DeCourcy, he wrote his preseason Top 25 when he thought Blair was returning, and then it was released and edited by editors after Blair left. So it looked like he had them No. 11 without Blair, but he actually had them No.11 with Blair, which I would have agreed with.

KEVIN PARROM UPDATE

2009-04-28T19:35:00.005-04:00

by Jeff Borzello

Despite the high school basketball season ending last month, Kevin Parrom is still very busy.

The 6-foot-6 swingman from South Kent (CT) was released from his letter of intent to Xavier earlier this month after Musketeers’ head coach Sean Miller accepted the job at Arizona.

Parrom visited Pittsburgh this past weekend, and is set to visit Arizona next weekend.

“It was great,” Parrom said of his visit to Pittsburgh. “I had a chance to meet some guys and the coaches. The coaching staff was great. It was a good visit."

“There was a sense of family, everybody was together. Also, they win every year, so that’s a plus," said the polite and well-spoken Parrom.

Parrom will take a visit out to Miller’s new school, Arizona, this upcoming weekend.

“I’m going to check out the atmosphere,” he said when asked what he is looking for when he visits Tucson. “I want to meet the coaching staff and see how it is out there.”

Reports earlier in the week indicated that he was going to potentially visit Rhode Island, Providence and Virginia Tech, but Parrom is unsure.

“I was supposed to visit Rhode Island and Providence on Thursday,” he said. “But I don’t know if I’m going to do it."

“I was planning on visiting Virginia Tech, but the chances are slim of me actually visiting.”

Parrom’s former school, Xavier, is still in the picture but he said he wants to see other schools.

When asked what he is looking for in his college of choice, he said he wants to play immediately and also wants to feel a bond to the players and coaches.

“I’m looking for playing time and the chance to make an instant impact as a freshman,” Parrom said. “Also, I’m looking at the relationships.”

Indicative of his decision to originally sign with a school from a non-power conference, the Atlantic-10, Parrom said that conference affiliation will not a play a role in his decision.

“Conference is not a factor,” he said. “I’m not picking a conference, I’m picking a school. I could care less about the conference.”

As of now, Parrom said he is focused on Pittsburgh and Arizona, his top two schools.

“I plan on making a decision within the next two weeks, probably by the end of next week. I want to try to get it over with; I don’t want it to be a long process.”

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Due to technical difficulties at the NBE Basketball Report, this article is posted on this blog. We hope to have NBE back up this evening. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
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Weekend visits

2009-04-25T16:10:00.003-04:00

By Chris Dokish

Midland (TX) CC forward Kavon Lytch visited Pittsburgh this weekend as the Panthers continue to try to use their final scholarship for the 2009-10 season. The 6'6" 240 pound Lytch is a Brooklyn native who has played at three different schools over the last three seasons. On Sunday, 6'6" 200 pound combo forward Kevin Parrom is scheduled to visit. Parrom, who originally signed with Xavier before being released from his scholarship following the departure of head coach coach Sean Miller, is a New York City native that played this past season at South Kent Prep in Connecticut.

Panthers still pursuing forwards

2009-04-24T13:02:00.008-04:00

By Chris Dokish

As previously reported, the Panthers coaching staff are doing their best to use their last scholarship available for this recruiting season, a scholarship that opened when All-American DeJuan Blair left early for the NBA. As the NBA playoffs approach, one can see why a player like Blair would be valuable to help the NBA Odds of winning a championship as there will be few pure rebounders like the Panthers' 'Big Fella'.

One player the staff is looking at is 6'6" 200 combo forward Kevin Parrom of South Kent Prep in Connecticut. Parrom originally played for St. Raymond's HS in the Bronx, but was forced to leave after he punched head coach Oliver Antigua. Parrom was arrested for the incident. Eventually Parrom signed with Xavier, but after former Xavier head coach Sean Miller left to take the head coaching job at Arizona, Parrom asked for, and received, his release.

Now that Parrom is free, he is down to four schools- Pittsburgh, Arizona, Virginia Tech, and Xavier. Parrom has a scheduled visit for Sunday to Pittsburgh and next weekend for Arizona.

The Panthers are also looking at junior college prospects and head coach Jamie Dixon recently appeared at Midland Community College in Midland, TX to check out 6'6" 240 pound Kavon Lytch. Midland is one of the premier juco programs in the country and lost in the national championship game this season.

Lytch, a Brooklyn native, is a bit of a vagabond as he spent his freshman season at Redlands Community College in El Reno, OK. He is well known as a ferocious rebounder despite his height (6'6" may be generous), and he also has excellent passing skills, two attributes that Dixon looks for in his low post players. I have seen tape of him and he reminds me of former Panther Ontario Lett, who ironically was another undersized junior college sleeper that Dixon found late in the recruiting season. Cincinnati, Seton Hall, UAB, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and St. John's are among the other schools who have been pursuing him.

One forward the Panthers will probably pass on is 6'8" 230 pound Florida transfer Allan Chaney. Dixon has inquired about Chaney, but sources indicate that he is too similar to the young forwards the Panthers already have.

Q & A for April 21

2009-04-21T19:22:00.010-04:00

By Chris Dokish
doke88@yahoo.com

Q: Is the staff still looking to use the last scholarship, and if so, are they close to getting someone?

A: They are still looking and aren't close as of yesterday. If they can't find anybody, they will just not use it, but they are still looking everywhere. Personally I would just save it if they can't find a real gem late, but they didn't ask me.

Q: Why didn't Jamie Dixon offer Jarrid Famous earlier? Clearly by waiting too long he had little chance.

A: His chances were actually none because they never offered him, despite an internet report that stated otherwise. Tom Herrion checked him out a few months ago and they didn't think he was good enough, but thought a 6'11" junior college center could be a good addition so they kept him in mind for later. Well, later came and Herrion took Dixon to see Famous. Like Herrion before him, Dixon didn't think Famous was worth an offer so they passed.

Q: Is there still a chance that Pitt can get Will Coleman?

A: No, as expected, he is staying with Memphis.

Q: Is Pitt pursuing Kevin Parrom and where would he fit in?

A: They are looking at him, and they are not alone. He is a pretty good player and any program that still has an opening will come after him, thus making him more recruited than he normally would be. Where he will fit, I don't know. He's a small forward that Pitt thinks can play some power forward. They have Gilbert Brown, Brad Wanamaker, Nasir Robinson, and Lamar Patterson as possible threes and Dante Taylor, Dwight Miller, J.J. Richardson, and Talib Zanna in the low post. Even though Parrom is a good player, I personally don't see the need, but like I said before, they don't ask me my opinion.

Q: A lot of people are complaining about J.J. Richardson and think his lack of stats in his senior year means he is a reach. Do you agree?

A: Not at all. The kid is a solidly built 6'7" and 240 pounds, he is an aggressive and physical player with a die hard attitude, he is a good athlete, has long arms, can pass, can shoot a little, and does all the little things like a champ. Trust me, he is not a worry. All coaches look for is the raw material, not stats. Besides, Yuri Demtris averaged 31 ppg as a high school senior. How did that work out?

Q: How good is the New York City sophomore Mike Taylor and does Pitt have a chance?

A: He's excellent and will be highly coveted from a lot of the biggies. Too early to tell where Pitt stands right now. Herrion fell in love with him a few months ago and wanted Dixon to see him so they went together. Dixon fell in love with him, too, so Pitt is going to try hard for him.

Q: What was the final story with DeAndre Kane?

A: The final story is that Pitt thinks he is going to have a very good college career, but they realized that he would never be able to meet Pitt's academic standards currently. He won't have that problem at Marshall.

Q: I have been hearing many people say Nasir Robinson will be a power forward from now on? Is that true?

A: I was actually talking to somebody on the Pitt staff yesterday about this and they want, and hope, that he will be a three for them, so I'm not sure how that rumor got started. He's 6'4" and isn't one of those 6'4" big butted power forwards. He's going to be a three and hopefully he can score without being able to shoot.

Q: I heard Jamie Dixon say that Gary McGhee was going to see more minutes next year. I didn't even think he was going to be on the team anymore. What's the scoop?

A: What did you expect Dixon to say? I think McGhee wants to stay because he sees himself as the only true center on the team and probably thinks he will get more minutes. Personally, I would be shocked if he saw more minutes, but hey, it's his life. If he wants to stay then I hope he turns into a productive player because like I have said many times before, he is a great person. But the truth is, if Pitt liked Famous, and they ended up signing him, I doubt that McGhee would be back.

From McGhee's perspective, the lack of anybody else on the roster over 6'9" may be what's keeping him around, and from Pitt's perspective, they have nobody to currently take his spot so there's no point in helping him find someplace else that would be more suitable for his talent level. But, hopefully if Pitt does find somebody that they feel better suits their program, that they and McGhee agree amiably to find someplace else for him. I know that a lot of fans find such a thing distasteful, but a coach owes it to the school, the fans, and the players to make the team the best it can be. If that means adding somebody that pushes McGhee out, then that's what will have to happen. These guys don't get four year deals. Scholarships are for one year at a time so you can look at it as having to try out for the team every season. If you aren't one of the top thirteen that season then you have to go. I'm not saying that will happen to McGhee. Like I said, the kid is awesome so I hope he stays and shocks us all with his progress. But we all have to come to the conclusion that it may not end that way and that's just the way it goes.

Q: This may be a question that makes people angry, but I hope you answer it honestly. Is Jamie Dixon a great recruiter?

A: I always answer honestly. No, I don't think anybody in the college basketball world would consider Dixon a great recruiter. At least not as far as getting elite prospects. He's not in the same league as guys like Jim Calhoun, Rick Pitino, Jay Wright, Jeff Capel, John Calipari, and a few others. He's not as aggressive and he isn't a great closer like those guys. But, he is a great recruiter as far as finding the right players and that's a great skill, too.

Q: Is Tom Droney ever coming to Pitt?

A: Doesn't look like it. They really like him, but he doesn't seem to fit in with the current roster. But he hasn't signed anywhere yet and Pitt still has an opening, so you never know.

Q: Was the Pitt coaches worried to hear that Isaiah Epps wanted to be one and done?

A: No, because coaches hear that all the time. Plus they know it's not going to happen. Very, very few point guards are good enough to leave after one season.

Q: Lamar Patterson is not rated highly on either of the two recruiting networks and even dropped in both. Should we be worried?

A: No, Patterson is a better prospect now than he was at this time last year. Always take rankings with a grain of salt when a player transfers to a much better high school program, is their best player, and then drops from No. 8 to No. 124.

Q: Pitt is in the final ten for Kyrie Irving. Do they have a chance?

A: Doubtful. He and Epps are both point guards so why would Irving go somewhere where there is already an elite player at his position? I know fans will think that maybe either Irving or Epps can play the two, but why would they want to? They both have the potential to be a point guard in the NBA and college is their audition. It will help them much more to actually play the point in college. And the same can be said about Trae Golden.

Pitt Basketball Q&A

2009-04-12T22:58:00.011-04:00

By Chris Dokish

It seems the more info I report, the more questions come, so let's do this again. If anybody else wants to ask a question, feel free at doke88@yahoo.com. And, as always, these questions are edited for clarification.

Q: Why did Kyryl Natyazhko say one day that Pitt and Arizona State was his leader, then the next day choose to go to Arizona?

A: Good question. He not only told me, he told two other people I know the same thing on the same day. I really don't want to speculate on why he said one thing, his coach said another, and it went the way the coach wanted, because I don't want to get into that. But it is interesting, to say the least. But IMG Academy is more of a placement program than a school so use your imagination.

Q: What is this about Natyazhko's eligibility problems?

A: I would say "possible" eligibility problems. It's my understanding that Pitt recently discovered some things in Natyazhko's past that may put his eligibility in serious question. And those things were big enough that if they had known earlier, they wouldn't have even pursued him. But before people criticize Pitt for their lack of due diligence, let me say that it is very difficult to know everything about a player's background in a place like the Ukraine. Does Chinese gymnasts ring a bell? But let me make it known that I'm not saying anything fishy happened or that Natyazhko will definitely be ineligible, but I am saying that there are colleges who think the questions were serious enough that they questioned his eligibility. Pitt may have dodged a bullet or they may have missed out on a good player. Time will tell.

Q: I think Pitt should save the last scholarship. Do you agree?

A: It doesn't matter if I agree because Pitt has every intention of using the last one. On who, I don't know yet, and I don't think they even know yet, but Jamie Dixon and Tom Herrion believe in using every scholarship available. If for some reason they don't use one then it was because they tried hard and they really couldn't find one. But, believe me when I tell you, they are doing their best to find somebody to give it to. I know the fans want Pitt to save it for next year so that they can get Adriean Payne and Will Barton, but I got news for you- it's not that easy!! I would be very surprised if they got Payne, and Barton is going to be very difficult, too. Both are BIG TIME and the best of the best will go all out for them.

Q: Why did Pitt want Natyzahko so much? Why not just save it and get a center for next year? And was he even a center?

A: Pitt saw him as a center. Not a true center, but how many of those are there anymore? Blair wasn't a true center either. As for why use it on him instead of waiting for next year, the reason is simple- the center crop in the East for next year is not considered great and the staff is not holding their breath that they can land a big time center. The pickings are too slim. So they felt it was better to get a good center this year, rather than take a big chance on getting one next year. Like I said before, and this is not trashing the fans because this is part of the fun of being a fan, but it's not as simple as "don't take Natyzahko this year, and instead take Payne next year". There is one major flaw in that plan and it's that there are thirty other powerful programs that want him.

Q: Why did Blair get an agent so soon? Was that smart?

A: Doesn't seem smart to me, and I wouldn't have done it, but clearly he was done with college. If he flops in the NBA, he can make a fortune in Europe, so either way he will be fine. I have known him since he was 15 and it only seems like yesterday that he called me on his way home from summer school to say he was now eligible. It's too bad that we couldn't see him in a Pitt uniform for a longer period of time, but the guy was a great representative of the program and the school, and we should all feel honored that we got to watch him play.

Q: Did Pitt drop the ball again in their lack of recruiting a center? They didn't have an ideal replacement for Aaron Gray and now they have no replacement for Blair.

A: First of all, I don't see how you can say they dropped the ball after Gray. I'm the first to admit that I thought Jamie Dixon was crazy for making Blair a center at 6'7" (at most). While I knew the guy was a beast, I'm pleasantly surprised that he was as dominant as much as he was. Being good enough to leave after two years was never in my thoughts. And it was never in Dixon's thoughts either. Blair told Dixon before this season that he would not leave early. And I don't think Dixon thought Blair could ever be good enough to leave that early either. Well, as it turns out, the guy was a freak of nature and now Pitt is left without a center.

Q: Where do you think Pitt will finish in the Big East next year?

A: No idea where they will finish, but I'm guessing in the preseason they will probably be ranked anywhere from sixth to ninth. We're talking eight of eleven players who are freshmen or sophomores here. That's just brutal. And the three upperclassmen who will play- Jermaine Dixon, Brad Wanamaker, and Gilbert Brown- may not be all-star caliber. The staff knows the expectations are low, but they are looking forward to working with a young group. It will definitely be interesting and if Dixon can get this group into the tournament, then people should never doubt his ability ever again.

Q: If Pitt does land another player, wouldn't it make sense to go the junior college route?

A: Perhaps, but they don't think there is much left out there that they would want. The pickings are slim. But they will leave no stone unturned, I'm sure.

Q: Yes or no- Lance Stephenson, Jarrid Famous, DeAndre Kane, Roscoe Davis, Tom Droney, DeShawn Painter?

A: No way on Stephenson or Famous, doubtful on Kane because I don't even know if he is still on his prep team, and as for the rest, anything is possible, I guess. I'm sure everybody will be looked at. They are just waiting for the right player to spring open. You'll know when I know.