After a couple weeks of nothing but bad news for Taft in the draft, an actual positive story.

On Thursday Taft worked out for the Clippers against Sean May and outdualed the Final Four tournament MVP. In a 2 on 2 game with Elder and Ewing, Taft outplayed May in all facets of the game.

NBADraft.net is still putting Taft in the 10-18 range.

Well, there is some more of Pitt’s name coming up with top Western Pennsylvania talent. In this case Dorin Dickerson of West Allegheny:

Though I wish I could claim I managed to find a diamond in the rough, a hidden gem that I managed to uncover, college scouts and coaching staffs alike have been well-aware of him for some time now. A running back/wide receiver prospect, Dickerson has already roped in some twenty-plus scholarship offers from across the country. With 21 total offers on the table (Toledo, Virginia, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, West Virginia, Eastern Michigan, Rutgers, Wisconsin, LSU, Pittsburgh, Boston College, North Carolina, Connecticut, Michigan, Purdue, and Akron) before he has yet to play a down of his final high school season.
…
“Right now I am looking at Michigan, Pitt, Penn State, Ohio State and Florida right now. I am not sure if there is a “top” school right now, but any of those five I could potentially see myself at.”

However, if one was going to handicap Dickerson’s decision-making process, one would have to put the hometown teams first on the list. However, Dickerson has definitely made it clear that the Wolverines are the most hot in pursuit of his versatile abilities.

Begging the real question, who benefited more from PSU joining the Big 11, Penn State or Michigan?

The so-called increased transparency by the Coaches Poll is already being questioned.

It was amusing more than outrageous that Steve Spurrier reiterated this week at the SEC meetings that he usually votes Duke in his preseason top 25 coaches poll ballot.

It’s Spurrier’s way of giving a shout out to his former employer. Spur Dog guided Duke to a share of the ACC title in 1988.

What’s distressing is that the AFCA told CBS SportsLine.com last year that it has never taken the vote away from a coach for improper voting patterns. If Spurrier is being allowed his dalliance, how do we know that other coaches don’t flat-out penalize hated rivals by leaving them out of the Top 25?

Making the ballots public at the end of the season hardly answers that question.

Nope.

Final note is an article about Steeler back-up QB Charie Batch putting up a lot of money to help rebuild a playground in Homestead. It got some corporate support from the Home Depot and others helped:

Along with the volunteers, several Steelers participated in the renovation process. Other major contributors to the cause include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cutler Hammer, Caruso Paving and the Renewal Center of Pittsburgh.

Brown, Jenkins, and former NFL and Pitt running back Adam Walker, also a Steel Valley alum, reminisced about the condition of the court before the renovations began.

“Saying it (the playing surface) was uneven is an understatement,” Walker said. “I remember playing basketball here and you were literally climbing uphill or running downhill. It looks awesome now.”

Walker said he spoke with Batch about rebuilding the playground last July and added he is amazed the dream is about to become a reality.

“From standing under the pavilion last year and seeing this done 11 months later, it’s outstanding,” the former San Francisco 49er and Philadelphia Eagle said. “It just looks so much better.”

Adam Walker. Now there is a name I haven’t heard in ages. Didn’t even know he made it to the NFL. The article doesn’t mention what he’s doing now.