Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News simplifies Aaron Gray’s interest in the draft to this question:

Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh. If he were serious about being in the draft, why’d he show up for his workout in Orlando in no better shape than during last season?

That was something I did not know. I heard nothing about his actual conditioning. If he went to Orlando in no better or different shape than by the end of the season, that seriously implies he just wants to get a feel for where he will go next year rather than if he should go this year.

Or at least we can hope.

So, if this post and the ensuing comments are any reflection, then there is more than a little free-floating concern about what the deal is with Pitt basketball at the moment. At the risk of coming off as a Dixon apologist, I’m going to go pretentious and quote Shakespeare.

Oh heavens, die two months ago, and not forgotten yet? — Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2

Maggie Dixon died tragically and suddenly a little more than 2 months ago (April 7). Yet of all the things detailed in the post and comments, that seems conspicuously absent. The final burial at West Point was on April 16. The next day, Assistant Joe Lombardi left to take over at IUP. A little over a week later (April 25) Associate Head Coach Barry Rohrssen was named HC at Manhattan. Three weeks later the signing period ends and Pitt didn’t get any top recruits with the loss of two top assistants and a coach maybe just a little in mourning and distracted.

While I get concern and confusion over delaying naming Antigua and deciding on Rice, it seems a little over the top to freak out over this offseason. I’d probably have been more concerned if Dixon made hires too soon after the loss of his sister. Who’s to say he would have been making a good call at that point.

Let’s face it. This has been one of the more effed up offseasons for any coach with all that has happened. From facing lucrative new job offers, sudden personal loss, major turnover to the coaching staff and trying to help a key player on the team decide to stay or go. That is a lot of shit with which to cope.

The loss of his sister isn’t a forever excuse, but I think 2-3 months after is not an outrageous time for some things to move slowly.

So, let’s see. For those still trying to understand Coach Dixon’s heavy involvement with Aaron Gray going through the draft process, this is a bit of a recap on the Randolph Morris-Kentucky mess from last year along with additional information.

In light of the Morris case, and ones before him like Lawrence Roberts of Mississippi State and Charlie Villanueva of Connecticut, the NCAA decided to be proactive. They put together an NBA worksheet for all prospective draft prospects that laid out the basics for those interested in testing the process.

In the past, the NCAA was much more reactive. For years, policies regarding expenses and the NBA predraft camp weren’t clear. As rules changed (a few years ago, the NCAA ruled it a violation if the NBA paid for a player’s expenses at the predraft camp), it was hard for underclassmen, agents, coaches and the NBA to keep up.

So, the NCAA dispatched Rachel Newman-Baker, the head of the agents and amateurism department, and her assistant director, Deana Garner, to visit with the NBA players’ association, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and certified agents — all within the past two months.

“The NCAA was great and upfront,” said Nevada coach Mark Fox, a statement that likely hasn’t been uttered too often by coaches in dealing with eligibility issues. Fox helped junior forward Nick Fazekas test the process before Fazekas announced on Friday that he would return to school. “It was clear what Nick could and couldn’t do, but it helps to have a family that has sense in the process and Nick did.”

…

The NCAA’s draft worksheet does say that underclassmen can have an advisor, as long as that advisor doesn’t market the player to NBA teams. The advisor would be considered an agent, though, if he contacted teams on the player’s “behalf to arrange private workouts or tryouts.”

That’s why the NCAA encouraged college coaches to act as the facilitator this spring in setting up workouts for their players if immediate family members needed any assistance.

Imagine that, for once the NCAA made something clear and understandable ahead of time.

Former Villanova and UMass head coach Steve Lappas has some thoughts on the Orlando camp.

Pittsburgh’s Carl Krauser showed how tough he was, but wasn’t as explosive and athletic as people would like.

He seems to be the only one I’ve read who doesn’t think Krauser helped himself with his performance.

No word on Aaron Gray’s decision, but he has slipped in the updated, post-Orlando mock drafts (mostly).

Chad Ford at ESPN.com (Insider subs.) dropped him to the final pick of the first round, #30 to the Portland Trailblazers. FoxSports/Dime Magazine also has him at #30. Both basically see Portland taking him because they see him as a serviceable replacement for free agent departee Joel Pryzbilla. Yeep, that’s not exactly encouraging to be thought of as a poor man’s Pryzbilla.

Hoopsworld.com, which has 4 different mock drafts from each of their writers, has two keeping him at #20 to the Knicks and two that don’t have him on the board for the first round.

Draft Express also has him off the board and apparently going back to school.

The only exception to this is NBA Draft.net who actually has Gray up to #16 with the Chicago Bulls. Just don’t see that.