DeJuan Blair Going Pro

Pittsburgh Panthers All-American DeJuan Blair has declared for the NBA Draft, and will not return to the Panthers next season. The fact that he declared for the NBA Draft was not surprising, as most players do to go to the pre-draft camps, and feel out where they will be drafted. If you do not hire any agent or representation, then you are allowed to pull your name out of the draft and return to school. DeJuan Blair has hired representation, leaving out the possibility of returning to school for next season. We pretty much knew this was going to happen, and is the right move for Blair, I just didn't want to believe it.

This all means that the Panthers lose four starters from last season, and lose their three best players. I still feel as if Pitt will be a tournament team come next season and will crack the top 25 at some point, but it will still be somewhat of a "rebuilding" year, and probably not up to the standards that Pitt basketball has been at these past eight seasons.

Let's take a look at how this leaves the team for next season.

PG: Blair leaving will not affect the guard position, you still will have Travon Woodall, the only true PG on the roster, and Gibbs in the mix at this position.

SG: Dixon, who will be the lone senior who plays next season will most likely get the start here, with Gibbs, and Wanamaker coming off the bench to knock down some 3's. Dixon really needs to take his game to the next level next season, and will need to average over 10 per game.

SF: Still probably Gilbert Brown's position, with Nasir Robinson getting some time here, and Wanamaker also. Look for incoming freshman Lamar Patterson to get some minutes also.

PF: With Blair come, Dante Taylor will definitely be a starter right away, and will be relied on to contribute right away. Taylor is Pitt's first McDonalds All-American since the 1980's, so let's hope he is ready to step in immediately. If Taylor plays well on the inside, Pitt should be better than people think.

C: This is a very interesting position going into next season. Gary McGhee is the only player on Pitt's current roster who can fill this position right now. However, McGhee did not have a good season last year, and should not be starting. I don't actually see McGhee starting, but he is a true center. J.J. Richardson, Dwight Miller, and incoming freshman Talib Zanna are also in the mix here.

Recruiting: With Blair leaving, the Panthers have an extra scholarship to give out now. ESPN's 31st ranked player coming in this season, Kyryl Natyazhko, a center, has narrowed his choices down to three school, with Pitt being one of the finalists. If he comes in, he could get some immediate time at center. Also, remember the name Will Coleman. Chose Memphis over Pitt in his recruiting, but may back out of his Memphis commitment with Calipari leaving, and re-open his recruitment.

It will be very tough to replace not only Blair, but also Sam Young, who will also be a first round pick, and Levance Fields. Pitt has established a basketball program, and thus a "down" year for this team right now will not hurt as much as people think. They will still be able to challenge in the top half of the Big East, and hopefully get in the top 25 at some point this season. In my opinion, this is still a tournament team this season.

Pitt Panthers - Looking Ahead to Next Season

The college basketball season came to an end yesterday, so I wanted to address what my Pittsburgh Panthers lineup might look like for next season. The Panthers finally made it past the Sweet 16 this season, however lost to Villanova in the Elite 8 in what might have been the best game on the tournament…. or worst from my prospective.

The team coming back for Pitt next season will not be as highly touted or ranked to start the season as this year’s team. We lose Sam Young, Levance Fields, and Tyrell Biggs. Young and Fields are virtually impossible to replace, and thus next season may be a down season for the Panthers. The good thing is that Pitt has established themselves as a solid basketball program, and right now, a “down” season would mean being around 20th in the nation, and 4th or 5th in the Big East, and still making the tournament. It is tough to hang year-in, year-out with the big dogs in the Big East, Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, and Villanova, who consistently get the best high school players in the nation.

That being said, Pitt has its first McDonalds All-American since the 1980s coming in next season in the form of Dante Taylor. Taylor is a 6’10” power forward from Maryland, who had 15 points and 6 boards in the McDonalds All-American game. Joining Taylor are 2 other elite prospects, small forward Lamar Patterson, and center Talib Zanna. Pitt also figures to get a contribution from point guard Travon Woodall, who played at the beginning of the season, then sat out to redshirt.

The biggest question mark for next season will be whether or not All-American DeJuan Blair returns to the team. If Blair is projected to be a lottery pick, as much as it pains me to say it, he should enter the draft. But most mock draft’s I have seen have him going in the 13-23 range of the draft. That makes for a tough decision. First round picks are guaranteed, so it may be the right thing for Blair to enter the draft; however he could also come back next season, be a beast, and improve his draft stock. Blair is actually from Pittsburgh, and he wants to bring this Pitt team a championship. Blair will most likely test the waters, go to some pre-draft workouts, and see how he does. I want nothing but the best for Blair in his professional career, but as a die hard Pitt fan, I want DeJuan Blair back with the Panthers next season.

If DeJuan Blair is back with the Panthers next season, the lineup should look something like this—

PG: Travon Woodall may very well get the start here. He is the only true point guard on the roster, but doesn’t have much experience. Whether he starts on not, Woodall is still a guy who Pitt expects a lot out of, he was an elite product out of high school. The Panthers could also start Dixon here if they wanted Wanamaker to start at SG, or start Gibbs here, who is also more of a SG. I expect the first game starter at PG to be Gibbs. Remember the name Isaiah Epps, who is a top 10 PG coming to Pitt in 2010.

SG: Jermaine Dixon will be the starter here next season, and will be the lone senior in the starting lineup. Dixon has shown the ability to shoot well, and score double digits, but was terrible in the tournament. Dixon will need to elevate him game, both on his three-point shooting, and on driving the ball to the hole. Gibbs, and Wanamaker can both play this position also.

SF: This will be the toughest spot to fill as it is vacated by All-American Sam Young. Gilbert Brown will be the starter here next season, and Brown was probably the best bench player for the Panthers this past season. Brown is extremely athletic, has an improving shot, and a tremendous upside. He will also be counted on to start scoring in the double digits.

PF: If Blair returns, he will shift over to his more natural power forward position. This may be a good thing for him, as scouts will get to see him at the position he will play in the pros. Okay, maybe I’m grasping, but please come back DeJuan! We all know Blair is a beast, and we will be getting a double-double out of him almost every night. If he comes back, he may be one of the favorites for player of the year, and could average around 20 and 12 a game.

C: Dante Taylor, who is also more of a power forward will start immediately at center, as he is 3 inches taller than Blair. Taylor is one of the top incoming freshman this season, and if Blair comes back, look for Pitt to go into the paint a lot, where Blair and Taylor should be able to do some damage.

Bench: Brad Wanamaker improved a lot this past season, but in my opinion is not a starter. He still makes way too many mistakes, and can’t handle the ball well. He is good in transition, and is a good guy coming off the bench. Ashton Gibbs may get the start at PG, but if he doesn’t, he will be a good guy coming off the bench to give instant offense, as he is the best three-point shooter on the team. Nasir Robinson will look to have his role increased, and with Gilbert Brown stepping into the Sam Young role, Robinson should step into the Gilbert Brown role. Increased playing time, and hopefully Robinson will look more comfortable out there. Also coming off the bench will be big man Gary McGhee, freshman big man Talib Zanna, and freshman small forward Lamar Patterson.

If DeJuan Blair does not come back next season, which is a definite possibility, the lineup could look something like this—

PG: Remains Woodall, Gibbs, possibly Dixon.
SG: Dixon, with Gibbs, Wanamaker in the mix
SF: Brown
PF: This may be a position you have to go small at. You could insert Gilbert Brown here, and even though he isn’t a PF, play 3 guards among Woodall, Wanamaker, Gibbs, Dixon, and then Brown at the PF spot. This probably isn’t the best idea. This should be freshman Dante Taylor.
C: Could be another freshman here, Talib Zanna, or could be Gary McGhee if he improves in the offseason.

Bottom line – We need to hope Blair returns to Pitt next season. Maybe if I say this enough, he will come back. I can hope.

All in all, with an established program, Pitt should be in the tournament for a 9th straight season next year, and should compete with the best in the Big East, even if they are not as good as this season. As we saw from Villanova, it is all about getting hot at the right time. I want to thank Sam Young, and Levance Fields for their great four years with the program, and wish them nothing but the best going forward. Again, next season relies significantly on DeJuan Blair coming back, which as I stated before, I am not too confident about. So in what will be a common theme of Pitt fans this offseason – Please come back DeJuan!!!!!!!

Pitt Wins Wild Game Against Marquette

The Pitt Panthers won Wednesday night to improve to 27-3 on the season, 14-3 in the Big East. With this win, Pitt clinched the coveted "double bye" in the Big East tournament. The top 4 seeds in the Big East tournament will get the double bye and advance to the Quarterfinals without even playing. This is a very big deal, especially when playing in the best conference in basketball. The Panthers can still finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd in the conference, depending on what happens this weekend.

The game last night at the Pete was a wild one. The first half was fairly uptempo, with Pitt outplaying Marquette. However, the Golden Eagles hit some late 3's in the 1st half to keep the game close. The Panthers went to the locker room with a 7 point lead. The 2nd half started, and it got crazy. Marquette went on a 21-5 run in only the first four minutes of the 2nd half. This turned their 7 point halftime deficit into a 9 point lead. The Panthers were not rattled, and from that point on, proceeded to shoot 16-20 from the field the rest of the way to win by 15. The Panthers "Big 3" all played well. Blair had 23 and 9 boards, Young had 18 and 8 boards, Fields had 17 and 10 assists. Gilbert Brown and Jermaine Dixon also put up double digits, and gave the Panthers a lift.

What does this all mean in terms of seeding for the tournament? I feel like Pitt has done enough to get a #1 seed for the tournament no matter what. However, UConn is coming to Pitt this Saturday in what should be another great game, just like the first time these two teams played this season. If Pitt wins that game, there is no doubt they lock up a #1 seed in the tournament, even if they lost their first Big East tournament game. If Pitt loses to UConn, they may just need to get to the Big East semi-finals or finals to get a #1 seed in the tournament. It does help that Oklahoma lost last night, and Memphis should not be considered for a #1 seed. Dickie V, and Dan Shulman, who announced last night's Pitt game were discussing where Memphis would fall in the Big East, and they were both saying Memphis would fall in the 4-5 range, or even 6-7 range in the Big East. As of right now, Pitt still has the #1 RPI in college basketball.

DeJuan Blair - That Just Happened

DeJuan Blair is may be coming off the best individual performance of this entire college basketball season. True, Blake Griffin, Jodie Meeks, and Stephen Curry can put up 40 on any given night, but lets take a look at what DeJuan Blair did on Monday. Blair put up 22 points, 23 rebounds against the #1 team in the country, the #1 defensive team in the Big East, in UConn’s own building, going head-to-head with the man who is supposed to be the best defensive player in the game, and a shot blocking machine, in Hasheem Thabeet. Not only that, Thabeet was coming off of a 25, 20, and 9 block performance in his previous game. He ended this game with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot. Blair also stayed out of foul trouble, and when caught in a bad position defensively, actually gave up a 2-point dunk or layup instead of committing a stupid foul. There were pro scouts all over the arena that night, mostly to see Thabeet. Instead, they got to see Thabeet get owned by Blair, and see DeJuan’s Blair’s draft stock rise through the roof.

This past performance by Blair was not a lucky game, or anything new. Blair has been putting up big numbers and big games all season long, against the best competition. Blair had 20 points, 17 rebounds in a game earlier this season matched up against Georgetown center Greg Monroe. Blair had 23 points, 22 rebounds against Notre Dame center Luke Harangody. Blair has consistently risen to the occasion in big games, and outplayed centers who are supposed to be better or more hyped than he is. The only way you can take Blair out of his game if to get him in foul trouble and get him on the bench. You know Blair is doing something right when the opposing teams’ game plan against him is nothing that involves play on the court – the goal is to get him into foul trouble.

All of this has allowed DeJuan Blair to fly up the mock draft boards. Comparisons are now being made of Blair to Wes Unseld, and Charles Barkley. Still only a sophomore, Blair has a tremendous upside. His mid-range shot, and low post moves are getting better every game. I do believe he will benefit if he stays another year at college. Many players have breakout seasons, and go to the pros, only to realize they could have learned a lot more by staying at school for another year. If Blair comes back to the Panthers next season, he will dominate, and likely be a lottery pick in 2010.

But before we worry about where Blair can be drafted, or what he will do after the season is over, he, along with the rest of his teammates, still have work to do this season. It won’t get any easier for going against the best in the nation in the Big East. Every game in Big East play is a battle, especially under the basket, or to borrow a football term, in the “trenches.” Some Big East basketball games are more like football games, and the Pitt Panthers may be the toughest team in the nation, with Blair as their tough-minded leader. Blair is built like a tank of pure muscle, and is a monster down low. Blair wears arm bands around his arms, and Jay Bilas commented during the game that these could we worn a head band, or a belt on anybody else.

The Panthers have a good opportunity to go deep in the NCAA tournament, and even get to the Final Four and contend for a national championship. They have the scoring, and athleticism in Sam Young, another future first-round pick. They have the leadership in Levance Fields, who leads the nation in assist/turnover ratio, and is the ultimate floor general. And then there is DeJuan Blair, who with his tough play, and infectious smile, can help lead this Pitt team to a national championship this season.

Pitt-Nova Tonight at the Spectrum

The Pittsburgh Panthers (#3) play the Villanova Wildcats (#21) tonight at the Spectrum. This game is not only significant because it is a matchup of top 25 teams, it will also be the final college basketball game every played at the Spectrum.

In a stadium that witnessed maybe the greatest college basketball play ever, Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beater, it will all come to an end tonight. Pitt is #3 in the country, and features three elite players, who may be the best combination of three players on one team in the nation, in PG Levance Fields, SF Sam Young, and C DeJuan Blair. Blair is a double double machine, is in the top five in the nation in rebounding. Sam Young averages 19 points a game to lead the Panthers, and Fields leads the Big East in assists, and leads the nation in assist-turnover ratio. Villanova on the other hand will need to have big games from Scottie Reynolds and Dante Cunningham. For Villanova to win, they will need to hit their three-pointers, and force the Panthers into some turnovers. If they can’t do that, Pitt will win this game by double digits.

It will be exciting, and sad at the same time to watch the final college basketball game at the Spectrum. Growing up in Philadelphia, my first memories of Sixers and Flyers games were all at the Spectrum as a child. Let’s hope my Pitt Panthers pull out a win at the Spectrum tonight.

Pitt Panthers Ranked #1

Finally......

For the first time in the 101 year basketball history of the Panthers, Pitt is ranked #1. The #1 ranking comes after the Panthers stomped Georgetown in D.C., and are one of four unbeaten teams remaining in college basketball. Pitt is 14-0 overall, and 2-0 in the Big East, both road wins.

The Panthers being highly ranked is nothing new to this team, especially recently. The Panthers have been to the tournament 7 straight seasons, making 4 sweet 16 appearances, and basically have been ranked in the top 25 for the most part all 7 seasons throughout. The Panthers always have a good Big East record, and always do well in the Big East tournament. The hurdle that this team has to get over is getting past the Sweet 16 in March Madness, and hopefully advancing even further. We have seen Pitt get high seeds many times, only to blow it come March Madness.

This Pitt team is built to make a long run in March, with a lot of toughness and experience, with guys like Levance Fields, Sam Young, and DeJuan Blair. So while the #1 ranking is well deserved, and something every Pitt player and fan should be proud of, this team will be judged come tournament time, and I think this is the team to get past the Sweet 16.

Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball 13-0

Due to my Pitt Panthers disappointing finish to the college football season, I would like to officially welcome in the college basketball season to the forefront. The New Year means the bowl season will soon end, and conference play starts in college basketball, which is a very exciting time for anybody who likes college basketball.

There are six remaining undefeated teams in college basketball, the Pittsburgh Panthers being one of them, standing at 13-0 after a solid win at the RAC yesterday. The #3 Panthers will face the #8 Georgetown Hoyas this Saturday at noon on ESPN. This Panthers team boasts a "Big 3" with 3 players averaging in double figures, led by Sam Young. DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields also score double digits, and DeJuan Blair averages a double-double, and is 2nd in the nation in rebounding.

While Pitt has been to the tournament for 7 straight seasons, we have never been past the Sweet 16 in any of those seasons. This season may be our best chance to break through that Sweet 16 barrier.

Either way, it should be an exciting year as we welcome in conference play in the college basketball season.

Pitt Beats Duke on Buzzer Beater

One year ago today, we witnessed one of the best college basketball games of the 2007-2008 season. Here is a recap of what happened--

Pittsburgh Panthers College Basketball Preview

The Pittsburgh Panthers open the 2008-2009 season on Friday, against Farleigh Dickinson. After a disappointing end to the 2007-2008 season that ended with a loss in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament against Michigan State, the Panthers look to bounce back with a team that should be able to compete with the best in the country this season.

Pitt returns their top 3 scorers from last season in Sam Young, Levance Fields, and DeJuan Blair. All three players averaged double digits last season. Young and Fields are back for their senior seasons, and both have been solid contributors since they were freshman. Blair burst onto the scene last season as one of the top freshman in the nation, and one of the better centers in the Big East, despite being undersized. The Panthers also return another solid freshman from last season, Gilbert Brown, who will be in the starting lineup this year, and just like Sam Young, is one of the most athletic players in the country.

Aside from the great core the Panthers have returning to the team, Pitt had a very good recruiting class, and should have some freshman join the mix this season, as we usually do. Nasir Robinson, from Chester High School leads the Pitt newcomers this season, and should see significant time at the 2 and 3. Travon Woodall will be the backup at point guard to start the season, and looks to continue to tradition of great points guards in the recent past for Pitt, following Brandin Knight, Carl Krauser, and Fields. Also joining the mix are Ashton Gibbs, and highly touted junior college transfer, Jermaine Dixon… no relation to coach Jamie.

As good as the Panthers look heading into this season, they will need to fill the shoes of the players who are gone. The Panthers will need to find some players who can hit a 3-point shot, as their most consistent 3-point threat from the past four seasons, Ronald Ramon, is no longer on the team. Neither is Keith Benjamin, who could knock down an open shot as well. Both of those players will be missed and will need to be replaced in the lineup by some of the young talent coming in.

The Panthers have some interesting non-conference games this year, playing some very good under the radar teams, but the bulk of the Panthers schedule will come into play this season once the Big East schedule gets under way in January. The Big East will continue to be the best conference in college basketball, and consistently has 6-8 teams ranked in the top 25 in college basketball. It’s never easy playing Georgetown, Louisville, Uconn, Villanova, Syracuse, and Marquette….. back to back to back to back.

This is our best chance to advance past the Sweet 16 for the first time in a while, as we currently have all the tools in place to do so. The Panthers start the season ranked #5 in the AP Poll, and #6 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. There are definitely high hopes from all us Panthers fans, and the Oakland Zoo will be going crazy this season.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!!