A couple more previews as real basketball is just barely getting underway.
CollegeHoopsNet puts Pitt at #11 in their rankings. Their concerns seem to be the health of Levance Fields, who will be the 2-guard. Seems to be a common theme.
Sports Illustrated pegs Pitt at #7 for this weeks CBB Preview issue. They also have Pitt as one of the regional covers — which are below the rankings.
ESPN.com power rankings spot Pitt at #9.
Over at Sportsline, Gary Parrish ranks the Big East and puts Pitt 4th.
The good: Levance Fields, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair form quite a trio for the college game. They combined to average 41.6 points, 19.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season and should easily keep Jamie Dixon’s streak of consecutive 20-win seasons intact. Dixon has never won less than 20 games, never not made the NCAA tournament in five years as a head coach, which is why Pitt is paying him big money and other schools are constantly interested.
The bad: Just when Fields was cleared to practice following a foot injury, Gilbert Brown went down with — you’ll never guess — a foot injury. The sophomore guard who started 15 games last season is expected to miss at least 10 days. That means he’ll miss the Nov. 14 opener against Fairleigh-Dickinson.
The bottom line: This is the fourth Big East team ranked in the top 10 of the preseason Top 25 (and one), which backs my theory that this is going to be the best and most competitive league in the nation. Any of the top four — Louisville, UConn, Notre Dame and Pitt — are capable of winning the conference, advancing to the Final Four and, perhaps, winning a national title if North Carolina somehow screws things up.
Meanwhile Andy Katz for ESPN.com goes one better at #6.
Five points as the season nears, according to head coach Jamie Dixon:
1. Junior Jermaine Dixon will be the starting shooting guard. He had seven assists and five steals in an exhibition win Sunday. Yet he feeds the post well and will be starting alongside Levance Fields, when Fields (who is still nursing a foot injury) is ready to play the point again.
2. Freshman Ashton Gibbs played the point in Fields’ absence and had seven assists and one turnover. He will play the position throughout the year and has given the Panthers another ballhandler to rely on.
3. Not having Fields and sophomore Gilbert Brown (out with a stress fracture in his left foot) has left the Panthers wondering when the team will be complete. Until then, Dixon and his staff are trying to coach with two teams in mind — one with them and one without.
4. Dixon has been impressed with the freshmen’s learning curve. The teaching continues, but the newcomers’ ability to pick up what the Panthers want to do has eased a lot of the concerns here lately.
5. The Panthers are getting good news on senior forward Tyrell Biggs. He made all five of his field goals in the exhibition win over La Roche on Sunday. He hasn’t been discussed as much as Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and of course Fields. But if Biggs can be a factor that certainly helps.
By the end of this week (I hope) FanHouse will be releasing its own top-25 with previews.
That’s it for those kind of previews, but there are a couple more pre-season lists connected with Pitt.
Jay Bilas has his 10 Burning Questions (Insider subs).
7. Can anyone stay down on Young’s shot fake?
Watch Pitt’s Sam Young this season. He is a really good player, and as tough as they come. Young has the most exaggerated shot fake in college basketball, and maybe in all of basketball. Many coaches will teach you to exaggerate your shot fake, knowing that the speed of the game will likely speed up your fake. Well, Young’s fake looks almost cartoonish when you watch it on film, but defenders go for it almost every time. Watch for it. Young has the best and most effective shot fake in college basketball. You will see defenders flying when he uses it.
The question is, will all the whining from coaches last year that Young left his feet (when he didn’t) catch-up and get some bad calls go against Pitt when Young does his shot fake?
Luke Winn at SI.com ranks the preseason tourneys — man, they rank everything.
10. Legends Classic, Nov. 28-29, Newark, N.J. (Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Farleigh Dickinson, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Texas Tech, Washington State)
This tourney will go from having Texas and Tennessee — a legitimately huge November duel — in its inaugural title game last year … to having Pittsburgh against either Washington State or Mississippi State this year. Anchoring the Newark event with a highly ranked Big East team was a smart move … but it’s sorely lacking in a real challenger for the Panthers.
Projected winner: Pitt, in a cakewalk.
No pressure.
Finally, NBE Basketball Report ranks the PGs in the Big East and puts Levance Fields at #3.
Typical NYC point guard with toughness and flair. Questions about his foot does temper some of his senior season expectations.
It really does seem like Field’s foot has become Pitt’s version of Beanie Wells’ toe.
