Sam Young is getting attention nationally. It’s not full puff pieces right now. It’s more nugget material right now. Even if it is somewhat headscratching at times.

Pitt’s Sam Young and UCLA’s Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: both are high-level athletes who have always been solid defenders, and now are now vastly improved on offense. Don’t be surprised if those guys are playing against each other in the Final Four.

Um, uh, yeah. Okay. Right. Solid defender.
NBA Draft.net includes him in a list of breakout players.

Power Forward – Sam Young, Pittsburgh junior

Going into last season, a friend of mine told me Young would be a huge factor for his Panthers. One year later, that prophecy has finally come true. Young has a world of athleticism and his tenacity and defensive skills make him a perfect fit for coach Jamie Dixon’s system. And he provides the Panthers with a top-flight scoring threat that the team lacked last year. With his range on his jump shot and sky-scraping hops, Young has blossomed into a legitimate star.

Pitt doesn’t play Dayton until the end of December. Of course, the Flyers are hot now, so they are getting plenty of love, headlining the ESPN.com Weekly Watch.  Not that Pitt was ignored.

Pitt: The Panthers’ true road wins at Duquesne and at Washington may not be over NCAA teams but still came in hostile environments. Pitt should get plenty of credit for playing true road games and has a tough stretch coming up against Oklahoma State at home, Duke in Madison Square Garden and then at Dayton.

Andy Katz has an interesting little bit about Dayton and Pitt working out the change of date for the game which was close to conflicting with the Duke game at Madison Square Garden (Insider subs.).

So just think how crazed Dayton will be for Pitt on Dec. 29? The Panthers stroll in after Christmas, following a pre-holiday game against Duke in Madison Square Garden. The Dayton-Pitt game was originally slated for Dec. 22, two days after the Duke game. But Pitt didn’t want to go from New York and Duke to Dayton, so the Panthers tried to push it to Sunday, Dec. 23.

But Dayton was smart enough to keep this on a Saturday night and was willing to work with the Panthers, as long as it stayed on that night of the week. “I wasn’t worried,” Gregory said of Pitt dropping the game. “Jamie [Dixon, head coach of Pitt] isn’t that kind of guy.”

Gregory said the game will likely be the biggest nonconference game he’s seen in his five years at the school.

Back to the Weekly Watch and the) game looming on Saturday. Oklahoma State is listed as a potential upset.

Pitt is experienced in the backcourt with Levance Fields and Ronald Ramon, but forwards Sam Young and Mike Cook — both above-the-rim athletes — are benefiting from the more up-tempo emphasis this season. Freshman Dejuan Blair is a powerful scorer and rebounder with double-double talent. The boys from Stillwater, in transition mode this season with seven newcomers, are led by 6-6 freshman swingman James Anderson, powerful point guard Byron Eaton, and returning double-figure scoring wings Terrel Harris and Obi Muonelo. Coach Sean Sutton has more depth to play up-tempo and create turnovers with the pressure defense the Cowboys are known for. Sutton has enough talent, and if the newcomers continue to improve, a huge road win is possible.

Of course, Oklahoma State has struggled on the road. This includes an early season road loss to the Mean Green of North Texas.

Interesting Q&A regarding Jamie Dixon’s end-of-game strategy with three-point shots.

Redshirt Freshman Center Austin Wallace will be out for the season with a  fractured patella in his left knee. He is still eligible for a medical redshirt, but here’s hoping he has a full recovery.

Slightly basketball related, is that Pitt football commit Jonathan Baldwin is leaving the door open to walking on for Pitt basketball (Marquette had been recruiting him, though I think they gave that up a few months ago when it became obvious that he was focusing more on football).

DeJuan Blair enjoyed his first road game. He started off shaky in the game but got more confident and aggressive as the game went on. He does have to remember that until the refs blow the whistle, he can’t assume a call or held ball.