I know a lot of folks find Dick Vitale irritating. It may be his purple prose, overheated game-time commentary, or his enduring man-crush on the likes of Jim Boheim (sorry, but I can’t spell Mike Kryzewski), but even those who admire him can find him a bit wearying.

Still, we Pitt fans should cut the man some slack. It would only be fair, seeing as how as he’s done the same for us recently:

Look across America, and there are only a handful of unbeatens left in college basketball. Well, the Panthers are one of them, and sports fans across the nation are no doubt surprised by that fact. Yes, some may question the schedule and ask who Pittsburgh has played; some may say they are pretenders. Forget about it.

He then predicts (if vaguely) good things and goes on to name names:

The Panthers will cause problems in the Big East all season. They play tough defense, are tenacious and hungry. Pittsburgh has a nice blend of young talent and experienced performers. Diaper dandy Sam Young can put points on the board and rebound. Veteran point guard Carl Krauser knows how to win. Up front, Aaron Gray is one of the nation’s most improved players.

Suddenly, my estimation of Mr. Vitale has gone up a few notches. Heh. Guess I’m easy that way. Still, there are worse things than being praised by College Basketball’s most famous pundit.