In addition to all the other pre-season polls, the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll came out. The coaches poll puts Pitt at #17. This is actually higher than most other pre-season rankings. The Pitt Athletic Dept. press release is here, along with their two themes you can expect to see for most of the season — barring any negative surprises.
Pittsburgh has now been ranked among the nationÂ’s Top 25 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll in 48 consecutive polls.
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Over its last three seasons, Pittsburgh has compiled an 88-16 record and .846 winning percentage, a winning percentage that ranks first nationally during that period (1. Pittsburgh, 88-16, .846; 2. Duke, 88-17, .838; 3. Gonzaga, 81-16, .835).
One other thing, from the very end of an ESPN.com Andy Katz chat session.
Stacy (Pgh, PA): Speaking of Big East Champs…Pitt came in second last year and is getting no kind of respect. You didn’t even mention them when saying CT and Cuse were potential Big East Champs! Pitt lost 3 players, 1 of which hardly contributed last year, and they are gaining a year of experience in coach Jamie Dixon and Taft (who will be one of the top players in the country this year) Krauser, and McCarroll. Not to mention the returning dominant defensive and clutch guy, Chevy Troutman. I know some leadership roles need to be filled from the loss of Page and Brown, but I know Krauser is up to that task! What’s up with the lack of respect???
SportsNation Andy Katz: Stacy, putting Pitt as the third or fourth best team in the Big East isn’t a slight. The Panthers lost Jaron Brown and Julius Page, two of the biggest winners in the program. This team will still be very good (see a nice cozy home schedule) and should be a factor in the Big East race. I love Carl Krauser’s toughness and Chris Taft is one of the top frontcourt talents in the country. But Jamie Dixon told me last week he’s got seven players competing to start at small forward. This team is a work in progress. I’m not down on them at all.
It’s a little too soon to be complaining about lack of respect for Pitt B-ball. Pitt is going to get deserved crap for its weak-ass non-con. Once more it will have to prove itself in the conference. That means, though, people won’t know much about the team until sometime in January.
