The big theme Coach Wannstedt is trying to stress this spring is that no starting position is guaranteed. Sure that’s not really true (and that was the similar message last spring), but it is the message.

And, because of the way the Panthers performed last season, Wannstedt’s approach to this spring is every starting position, including quarterback, is up for grabs.

“We want our guys to be hungry,” Wannstedt said. “We want them to understand they have to work hard to earn what they get. Nothing is going to be handed to anybody. There are obviously some positions where we have returning players who are pretty secure in their spots, but they are our leaders and they are the ones we are asking to set the tone.

“We have a lot of work to do, obviously, but I’m excited because I think we’re going to have a great spring.”

Even though all of the starting spots are open for competition, the Panthers are in a strange position in that most of the competition won’t really begin until August when the incoming freshmen and first-year players arrive. Wannstedt expects as many as 10 true freshmen to be starters or backups this season.

For the WRs, especially, this is their window.

Greg Lee, the leading receiver from last season, opted to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft. Recruit Dorin Dickerson, the Associated Press Class AAA player of the year for Pennsylvania, doesn’t join Pitt from West Allegheny High School until training camp in August.

That leaves a little window this spring for the returning receivers to jockey for position.

Kinder and senior Joe DelSardo have the most experience. Redshirt sophomore Marcel Pestano played a little. There are high hopes for others, primarily redshirt freshmen Oderick Turner and Cedric McGee.

Coach Dave Wannstedt called the receiver spot probably the most competitive on the team this spring. He said some will get ample opportunity to shine because the Panthers will work a lot from a three-receiver set because of a depleted group at tight end.

I somehow missed the news that Tight End John Pelusi had a knee injury. Anyone care to fill me in?

The receivers will get more looks this spring because tight end is depleted by John Pelusi’s knee injury, which leaves only Steve Buches and Darrell Strong at the position. Wannstedt said the Panthers now have an opportunity to use more three-receiver sets to see who can perform.

“We got spoiled here because we’ve always had a bunch of tight ends,” Palko said of the Panthers, who lost starter Erik Gill to graduation. “I was sick when Pelusi did that. He was looking like he could do big things.”

Not that the incoming freshman are far from the present players’ thoughts — or even line of sight.

The signature signees from Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt’s first and highly heralded recruiting class attended Sunday morning’s helmet-and-shoulder pads session, and their presence sent a powerful message to the holdovers.
…
Scattered throughout the UPMC Sports Performance Complex on the South Side were 10 high school stars who signed with the Panthers in February. West Allegheny’s Dorin Dickerson, Duquesne’s Elijah Fields and Gateway’s Aaron Smith followed the receivers. Thomas Jefferson’s Nate Nix and Gateway’s Dan Loheyde watched the linebackers. Baldwin’s Justin Hargrove and Jason Pinkston and Franklin Regional’s John Malecki studied the defensive linemen. Seneca Valley’s Kevan Smith watched quarterback drills. Cornerback Aaron Berry of Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt came by bus Saturday for the practice.

According to this graphic, the top 5 areas Pitt Coaches are looking for answers are:

• Defensive Line
• Left side of O-Line & Center
• Fullback
• Receiver
• Defensive Backfield

The lines are the issue. What a shock.

Pitt rotated sophomores Rashad Duncan and Corey Davis and redshirt freshmen Craig Bokor and Darrell Jones at defensive tackle, but Wannstedt hinted that the depth could allow some moves to be made.

“If a couple of those offensive linemen don’t pick it up, we’ll have some defensive linemen going to the O-line,” Wannstedt said. “We’ll wait until they put the pads on.”

Same as last year, Coach Wannstedt is itching to get the kids in pads.

“It’s really difficult when you don’t have pads on to get the type of work that you’d like to get,” he said yesterday.

The NCAA mandates teams can’t wear full pads the first two practices, so Pitt will be in shorts again tomorrow and in full gear Thursday.

Teams must have a third practice without pads, and Wannstedt said the Panthers probably would do that the final week of spring drills.

And of course the players spoke positively about the first practice.

“We had a good practice,” junior cornerback Darrelle Revis said Sunday. “There was a lot of effort, the intensity was up, and we were moving really fast. Everyone was into it. … We had a tough offseason, but it was done on purpose to get us ready for next season.

“They wanted to let us know that we don’t want to go 5-6 any more. We don’t want to have a losing season. We want to try to change the program by working hard, and this is the place to start. So, I think we’re ready to have a real good spring.”

I’d rather have a good January, but the point is taken.

I hope Pitt AD Jeff Long isn’t thinking he’s got plenty of time to work out a contract extension with Coach Dixon. Arizona State is ready to go.

According to multiple sources among ASU boosters and officials, the Sun Devils have targeted Pitt coach Jamie Dixon as their No. 1 candidate.

Love is expected to formally ask Pitt Athletic Director Jeff Long this week whether she can speak to Dixon, who has four years left on his contract at an annual salary of a reported $600,000.

There has been talk since last fall that Pitt would extend Dixon’s contract, but that has yet to happen.

It’s not clear how a disappointing loss to Bradley might affect negotiations for a new deal at Pitt.

Meanwhile, Wichita State’s Mark Turgeon, who is also on ASU’s short list, is suddenly a hot candidate after the Shockers advanced to the Sweet 16 with an upset over Tennessee.

Formal conversations between ASU and Turgeon wouldn’t happen until after Wichita State’s run is over. The Shockers next play George Mason.

As for the “what if” scenarios, I don’t put a lot of stock in this.

UNLV coach Lon Kruger, some believe, is intrigued at the possibility of going to Arizona State, where he could coach his son. Kruger couldn’t possibly be accused of playing his son too much. Kevin Kruger averaged 39 minutes and 15 points per game as a junior for the Sun Devils. ASU might have its sights elsewhere, on Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon. If Dixon bolts Pitt, Memphis coach John Calipari would rank No. 1 on the Panthers’ wish list. Failing that, Hofstra’s Tom Pecora or Pitt associate head coach Barry Rohrssen are possibilities. If Pecora moved to Pitt, Rohrssen would be a candidate to replace him.

Why do I think that the source of any Calipari rumors are Calipari himself? While there are probably some old boosters who push for Calipari, dating back to his assitant days under Paul Evans and of course being a Moon Twp. native. I just don’t see it. First, the Memphis gig is worth around $1.5 million/year, so Pitt would have to approach $2 million in the package to get him. Second, they didn’t have much interest in him and his always bordering on sketchy recruits and recruiting last time around — despite Calipari’s best efforts.

Can’t wait for the Herb Sendek rumors once more. Maybe Skip Prosser as well.

Just work out the #!@@!$%^ extension for Jamie Dixon, and stop $#@^%^&* around.

I am starting to think that the Pitt Athletic Department is trying to get me to begin drinking in the morning. A press release that begins with a quote from Rocky III, then concedes this may not have been the best way to go, is just a little much to start my week.

It is questionable how well that 1982 film has aged, and the movie’s hit song “Eye of the Tiger” has fared even worse. There is a lot of resonance, though, in the idea of regaining your edge by going back to your roots.

Go ahead, read it all. I’ll be over here in the corner staring down the bourbon.

…

Ok, you’re back. Did you make it through the whole release or were you finding yourself averting your eyes after that start? It took me a few times before I made it all the way through, so I’ll skip to the most interesting part:

The Panthers begin spring drills on March 19. Per the NCAA, Pitt can hold 15 total practice sessions, including the spring game, which is scheduled for April 19 at Heinz Field.

In an effort to reach out to Western Pennsylvania’s surrounding communities, the Panthers are scheduled to hold two spring practices at area high schools. On March 24 Pitt will practice at Center High School, while on April 7 the Panthers will be at Thomas Jefferson High.

“Western Pennsylvania is our home and we have really appreciated the way the surrounding communities and area high school coaches have rallied around us,” Wannstedt said. “This is our backyard and we always want to make an effort to keep those ties strong. Visiting area high schools during the spring is a win-win for all of us. We really enjoy making those visits and I think the host schools and communities relish the opportunity as well.”

I like it. A great way to get out into the area again, and go to the local recruits’ home turf. Definitely good to see continued effort to find ways to have the local talent keep Pitt in the front of their mind. Part of the continuing effort to make as many things as possible serve as a recruiting tool.

Of course, the counter argument is that Pitt has so much work ahead of it, and only a limited number of coordinated practices allowed. That the players and coaches should really be more focused on getting better, improving and not being distracted by going out to other high schools on thinly-veiled recruiting trips.

Pitt also has the 2006 Prospectus available. All of the sections are in PDF.

UPDATE: The press release does contain an error — nice catch CathedralLawn. The spring game is indeed scheduled for April 15, a Saturday at 1 pm. You can see it in the “Schedule” portion of the prospectus (PDF).

Lots and lots of stories. Not many that can make you feel too good in the aftermath. Let’s get the runaround.

The story of Bradley’s success started with their big man inside.

O’Bryant was the catalyst for the Braves, who haven’t advanced this far in the tournament since 1954. O’Bryant was 10 for 17 from the field and got the better of Pitt’s 7-footer Aaron Gray. Gray, a first-team all-Big East Conference selection who averaged a double-double for the season, scored 12 points and had a season-low four rebounds.

“That was my ‘A’ game right there,” O’Bryant said. “I think I played a great game.”

Gray picked up two early fouls and could not get into the flow offensively or defensively. He sat out 12 minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul, and he picked up his third foul early in the second half after slamming the ball to the floor out of frustration after being called for five seconds.

Gray’s technical foul proved to be the turning point. Pitt led by one when it was called, but Bradley used the momentum for a 19-4 run in which it took control of the game.

“Obviously, I could have played better, I should have played better,” a distraught Gray said afterward. “I definitely had to play more tentative than I would have liked. I wanted to be more aggressive in the second half, but I picked up that cheap technical that got me my third foul. Obviously, I wasn’t playing the most aggressive I could have, and he definitely took advantage of that.”

Bradley outrebounded Pitt, 40-38, and got 16 offensive rebounds against the usually hard-nosed and defensive-minded Panthers. The Braves were quicker to loose balls and more aggressive in the lane.

Gray was never in his game. He committed obviousdumb fouls in the first half, and was visibly frustrated by both his early misses and O’Bryant’s shots falling. Gray missed his first 3 shot attempts within the first 5 minutes of the game.

The Technical Foul called on Gray was a big swing in emotion and momentum according to all.

Gray, working against O’Bryant on the block, was cited for a 5-second call before being assessed his third foul on a technical after he slammed the ball to the floor in frustration.

“Obviously, the technical foul gave them momentum,” Krauser said. “They gained a lot of energy off that play.”

Sommerville made both free throws, sparking a 9-0 Bradley spurt that ultimately led to a 19-4 run and gave the Braves a 14-point lead — their largest of the game — at 53-39 with 8:52 remaining.

“It showed we were starting to frustrate them a lot and they might have gotten a call or two that didn’t go their way and it just made them more mad,” O’Bryant said.

And that was something Bradley had been counting on.

Bradley appeared to feed of the technical. More accurately, it fed off Pitt’s frustration.

Coach Jim Les planned for it.

“We said, ‘When you see a level of frustration, we’re going to turn it up another notch with our pressure,’ ” Les said. “I think we took (the technical) as part of the cue that it’s time.”

There were some questions by Coach Dixon regarding the 5 second call itself.

As the possession unfolded, Gray appeared to be angry at guard Ronald Ramon for not clearing out and letting Gray go one-on-one against Bradley center Patrick O’Bryant. Gray later confirmed as much but also said Ramon made a smart play by giving him an outlet after Ramon’s man went to double-team Gray.

“He was doing the right thing,” Gray said. “I was just frustrated.”

Pitt coaches said the referee on their side of the court never began a 5-second count as Gray held the ball on the low block. Had a count started, the coaches could have yelled to Gray — who was near the Pitt bench — to pass.

“What was strange was there was no count,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said.

Bill Raftery, bless his Big East biased heart, thought the technical shouldn’t have been called. So did Joe Starkey.

Referee Scott Thornley’s ticky tacky technical-foul call on Pitt’s Aaron Gray was another. It happened early in the second half with the Panthers leading 35-34 and completely turned momentum.

As an NCAA spokesman later explained, spiking the ball — as Gray did — is not an automatic technical. Thornley should have used better judgment and let it go. It was a rotten way to slap a third personal foul on Gray, who was obviously agitated with teammate Ronald Ramon and not trying to show up the referees.

Let the players determine the outcome.

I disagree. I think they had to call it. He didn’t just slam the ball on the court and hold it there. Nor did he spike and grab it. He spiked it hard and high to the rafters. I don’t think you can let that pass unexcused. Yes, it was frustration at himself, not the call, but it has to be called when the ball flies like that.

I do agree with Starkey that it had as much to do with Bradley being the better team and this about Marcellus Sommerville:

Move away from the center matchup and ask yourself this: Who was the best player on the court?

If your answer isn’t “Marcellus Sommerville,” try again. Sommerville, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound senior forward, killed Kansas on Friday and had 14 second-half points yesterday. He scored nine during a 19-4 run in which Bradley took control.

Sommerville took a long road to Bradley. He was a top-ranked JUCO, but before that he had been a recruit and played a season at Iowa. There was a lot more talent on that Bradley team than realized.

Even Smizik says that Bradley was the better team. He also continues his complaints that Pitt needs shooters not athletes and playing defense.

As so often has been the case in big NCAA tournament games, Pitt didn’t have the offensive answer for Bradley. Coach Jamie Dixon’s emphasis on defense and rebounding holds the team in good stead in the Big East. But out of the league, the Panthers become the lesser team.

In 2002, Pitt lost to Kent State of the Mid-American Conference; in ’03 to Marquette, then in Conference USA; in ’05 to Pacific of the Big West Conference; and this year to Bradley of the Missouri Valley Conference. That’s not supposed to happen to Big East teams.

But when you gear up to win on defense and rebounding sometimes it’s hard to have offensive answers to talented teams. The Dixon-Ben Howland approach has taken the Panthers further than anyone might have expected at the start of their run. But they’re stuck as an early-round loser in the most important event of the season.

Maybe it’s time to tweak the formula. Maybe it’s time for Pitt to have an offensive answer of its own.

Yeah, it had nothing to do with being outrebounded — second chances on offense — and freethrow shooting. It had nothing to do with poor positioning and not getting to the looseballs. It’s about offense. So what if Pitt actually shot better than Bradley.

Still no word on what is ailing Keith Benjamin. And some of the final numbers for Krauser.

Krauser had 17 points, 5 assists and 6 turnovers and finished his career in ninth place on Pitt’s all-time scoring list with 1,642 points. In his four playing seasons, Krauser had a 104-27 record with four NCAA tournament appearances, becoming one of only three players in school history to play in four NCAA tournaments.

“This is the best five years I spent anywhere in my life,” Krauser said. “I didn’t have anything but one book bag when I got here. This was a city known for football and we turned it into a nationally known basketball program. I’m proud of my achievements.”

He ended that statement with a little something else.

“We turned a football school into a school known for basketball, but there’s a lot of winning left for Levance and the kids to do.”

Good luck to Carl Krauser.

As for the team and next year, the first order of business is getting Coach Dixon’s extension hammered out before Arizona State, Missouri or anyone else come calling.

runkle had this to say:

I am not sure who “J-Maile” is, but threatening to censor his thoughts is below you (I don’t know you either!) and quite frankly, undemocratic.

That’s in response to my warning to J-Maile:

…Abusive crap is something all together different. J-Maile, I’m cutting you slack for today because it was a tough loss. Keep it up and I’ll simply ban you.

As my dad used to tell me when I was a teen, “who said this was a democracy?” Last I checked, anyone is free to do their own blog. I try to keep the comments open and free, but what can I say. I try to hold certain standards, and I really expect some level of civility.

Simply put, there is a line I feel between disagreements and screaming abuse. Especially crossing lines is the way he described Krauser. You can criticize the game, but I won’t put up with calling Pitt players a “f—ing piece of trash,” or a “cancer” based on the result of a game. Those are some very personal attacks, with no call or basis for that. All of that needed to be checked. This isn’t some call-in radio show. Emotions may have been raw, you may not like the player or his game, but that’s going too far.

J-Maile did raise some good points that I do hope to address when I have time.

While I’m ranting a bit, can everyone give a rest to this whole not a “real fan” line of BS? It’s like listening to bad discussions of what is a Christian, Jew, Muslim, etc. It’s a bad argument that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Thank you.

Well if there’s any consolation to the end of Pitt’s B-ball season (and I don’t see much), it’s that attention will start shifting to Spring football practice (yes, Reed, you can do a happy dance that I am finally getting to it).

Pitt hosted its “pro day” on Saturday. Things were a little different then in the past.

“We had to re-organize some things, just try and make it better for our players,” Wannstedt said. “We have guys from about 20 teams coming in, from scouts to personnel guys and even some coaches and I will meet with them all before the workouts begin.

“It is something different I wanted to do for our players to show them we are committed to helping them get to the next level. It is the way they do things at programs like Miami that produce a lot of NFL players and it is the way we are going to do things here.”

Wannstedt and his staff will meet with the scouts at 6 a.m. today at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex on the South Side and review tape with them. The team’s medical staff will be available to answer questions and perform any tests that are requested. Wannstedt’s assistant coaches also will meet with the representatives from the NFL teams to answer any questions about individual players.

The reason behind the changes to the format is so the Panthers can give as much information as possible to the NFL teams about every player who has aspirations to play professionally.

All of the seniors from last year’s team — as well as junior receiver Greg Lee, who left school a year early — are expected to be in attendance at the combine-style workout today.

Seniors who worked out included Josh Cummings, Eric Gill, Josh Lay, Charles Spencer and J.J. Horne.

Additionally, Pitt had Juniors Tyler Palko and H.B. Blades have informal workouts for the scouts to get them additional exposure. Not to mention put on a show for the numerous high school juniors who attended unofficially, of course.

The Pitt coaches took this opportunity to bring in some top local high school prospects. Among them was Downingtown East quarterback PAT BOSTCK, the No. 1 rated quarterback in the state and one of the top rated in the country. Local quarterbacks in attendance included Bethel Park’s JEFF STEWART and Seton LaSalle’s MATT RODGERS.

Other local players attending included top offensive line prospects GINO GRADKOWSKI, also from Seton LaSalle, Mt. Lebanon’s ANDREW DEVLIN, Seneca Valley’s DONNIE BARCLAY, Peabody’s ANDRE WESTON, and MATT OSTROWSKI from Highlands. Gradkowski and Devlin hold written offers from the Panthers.

Two Keystone Oaks standouts, Chris Jacobson and Myles Caragein, also attended. Jacobson, one of the best offensive guard prospects in the country, has already verbally committed to the Panthers, while Caragein, a fast rising defensive lineman, is also being heavily pursued by the Panthers, who have already offered.

Others HS Juniors who attended included Dom DeCicco and Chris Drager.

“My favorites right now are Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Iowa and Ohio State,” he said. “Chris (Drager) and I are a little disappointed we don’t have an offer yet from Pitt but we remain really interested. We go to almost every activity they have.”

DeCicco has been a three year starter. He is capable of playing wide receiver, safety and cornerback on the next level. Although most schools prefer him at safety, he stated the Panthers’ coaching staff may have other ideas. “We spoke with several of the coaches there. Coach (Dave) Wannstedt, Coach (Bob) Junko and Coach (Curtis) Bray spoke with me. They told me they were very interested in me and that they like me at outside linebacker.”

Drager plays TE and DE, and Pitt seems more interested in him on defense.

I can’t help but think that having Palko and Blades performing for scouts was primarily for the recruits. A way to make a point to showing them that Pitt will do what it can to help them get to the next level in football and noticed by the scouts. Coach Wannstedt does his best to use any event as a recruiting opportunity.

It has to be considered a positive that Pat Bostick keeps attending Pitt events. He keeps coming from the other side of the state for the activities. Not exactly like they are things in his own backyard.