A lot of reports have been saying that for a while, that the Pitt commit plays tough gritty defense. That he scraps for balls and will be a perfect fit in the way Pitt plays the game, and the Big East play. What also has become clear is that Pitt found a player who was under the radar a bit and got him before he was fully appreciated by other coaches.

During the City of Palms Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida, the attention was on the top names like Greg Monroe and Samardo Samuels. Robinson still got noticed.

On a night where Pittsburgh basketball fans had plenty to be happy about after a big overtime win over Duke, the Panther faithful would have been elated to see Nasir Robinson in action. The future Pitt player scored 26 points (10-12 FG, 6-8 FT) and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 83-69 win over Scott County (Ky.).

Robinson’s trademark is his grit, motor and tough-as-nails attitude on the floor and it was all present on Thursday night.

Robinson actually helped lead his team into the championship game before falling to Samuels’ St. Benedict team, and was named to the all-tournament team. Robinson is expected to come in to Pitt and back-up Sam Young at power forward next season, but it seems that he has been flashing an ability to be out on the wing at small forward well.

Nasir Robinson 6-foot-6 WF Chester (Pa.) – All-Tourney Performer is one tough customer. He showed range to the arc, but is at his best attacking hoop off the dribble. He led Chester to final in Fort Myers including a 26-point and 11-rebound outburst versus Scott County in the quarters. Look for him to add immediate depth at Pittsburgh next fall.

Versatility like that would be tremendous for Pitt, not to mention help him get into the rotation.

Well, at least new/old AD Pederson recognizes that getting fans into Heinz Field is a priority. Frankly, we can bitch about the pricing plans and all the gimmicks, but fans will show when they believe in the team and/or the team is winning. It’s the simple answer. They can offer promotions. Make prices better. Cut the costs for the parking lots. It doesn’t matter if the fans don’t think the team has a chance in the games.

Personally, I find SI.com’s Stewart Mandel’s singling out Pitt as a potential surprise team for next year, a bit of a scary thing.

As for the Kansas comparison … take your pick. The Jayhawks went 7-5 and 6-6 the two seasons prior to this one. Next year’s Kansas could be South Carolina (8-5 and 6-6). Or Oklahoma State (7-6 and 6-6). Or any number of other middle-of-the-pack teams. I think if I had to put money on somebody, however, it would be … Pittsburgh. Obviously, as evidenced against West Virginia, the Panthers were a much better team by the end of the year than their 5-7 record indicated (they also beat top-20 Cincinnati). They finished with the No. 7 defense in the country, they’ve got a heck of a budding star in tailback LeSean McCoy, while Dave Wannstedt has recruited extremely well since he’s been there. His three-year record so far: 16-19. Mangino’s record the three years before this one: 17-18.

Other than those nagging questions at O-line and QB sure.

Yeah, getting Josh Jenkins would be nice on the O-line. I’m not sure the WV psyche could take losing a Parkersburg native and one of the few quality players in-state to Pitt. If they attacked Kicker Pat McAfee’s car and started conspiracy theories about Rodriguez throwing the Pitt game (or at least already mulling an offer), well Jenkins and his family may have to move out of state if he goes to Pitt.

Now, it’s hard for many to root for the Cleveland Browns to make the playoffs, but maybe just a little hope since Darnell Dinkins is still on the team.

Highest draft potential listing I’ve seen for Jeff Otah as the 19th best player in the draft?