Coincidence that Pitt is playing in MSG tonight, and it got a verbal from a recruit in the area? I think it’s safe to say the timing didn’t hurt.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has landed another recruit from New York. Levance Fields, a 6-foot, 185-pound point guard from Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, made a verbal commitment to the Panthers last night.

Fields chose Pitt over St. John’s. He will sign a binding letter of intent during the spring signing period and will be eligible as a freshman after scoring 840 on the SAT.
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Fields joins three other recruits for the 2004-05 class. Forwards Tyrell Biggs, Sam Young and Doyle Hudson signed during the early signing period a month ago. Biggs is from New York as well.

The signing is viewed as significant in recruiting circles because St. John’s has re-established itself as a player in recruiting. New coach Norm Roberts got Ricky Torres to sign with the Red Storm instead of Pitt a month ago.

Naturally the recruiting was handled by Associate head coach Barry Rohrssen. It also didn’t hurt that he went to the same high school as Chris Taft. His coach put his physical build as similar to former UConn Point Guard Khalid El-Amin — stocky.

Fields put it this way.

“I basically had to decide whether I wanted to go to an established program like Pittsburgh or a rebuilding program like St. John’s,” said Fields, 5-foot-10, 189 pounds. “It was tough, and it’s why I waited awhile. But my mother thought going to Pittsburgh was best for me, and I agreed.”

According to the recruiting sites. Fields is a top 100 player in the country and the anywhere from the 9th to 16th best PG prospect.

I think that Fields will be the last player Pitt signs for the class of 2005.