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April 6, 2012

Clearing Links for 4/6

Filed under: ACC,Basketball,Conference,Recruiting — Chas @ 12:44 pm

Things starting to accumulate. Oh, how I’ll wish for such a problem by mid-May.

Um, wow. Love to know the story behind this photo.

Let’s see, Savon Goodman still hasn’t made a decision but if you are a glass half-full person, you will like this from HoopScoop:

When I told our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin that I was going to put a gun to his head and he had to be right, he finally put it on the line and predicted that 6’6 Savon Goodman from Philadelphia (Constitution) PA will pick the University of Pittsburgh over schools like Missouri, St. John’s, UCLA, Kentucky, Connecticut, Kansas, and Temple.

For  what it is worth. Oh, and Savon Goodman was named to USA Basketball’s U17 team.

Things proceeding apace for Pitt and Cuse heading to the ACC in 2013. Everyone is attending meetings.

 Pitt and Syracuse representatives won’t be at the Big East meetings, but they will be at the ACC meetings in May. The respective coaches will be at the ACC meetings, too.

When will the two schools join the ACC? “Hopefully, we’ll get everything worked out here soon,” Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said. “Their league is reconfigured and ready to move, and when you get to that point where everybody is on the next page, everybody should move on.”

Pederson wouldn’t commit to the fall of 2013, but that seems to be the goal. The ACC is ready to receive Pitt and Syracuse, and the Big East is ready to move on with its new members.

No sense at being at the Big East meetings. Pitt and Cuse don’t get votes on the league, and they would probably have to have left the room when it came to topics such as media rights and strategic plans. No votes in the ACC yet, but at least they will know what’s coming.

 

Not that Pitt fans aren’t already eager to get Steven Adams into the Blue and Gold, but SI.com named him the high school player of the week. Here’s the video.

Should be interesting.

Just a hell of a story about Billy Hahn. He used to the be LaSalle head coach until the rape scandal. Warning: Bob Huggins comes across as a decent human being.

Bobby Petrino, the wanderlust (now with so many other meanings) Arkansas head football coach, may be fired or may not be fired for his indiscretions with a 25-year old, ex-volleyball player, turned Arkansas athletic department employee, then recently hired by Petrino to work in the football portion.

To be clear, Petrino is most certainly not the only coach in America who has stepped out on his wife. The affair isn’t the reason Long placed Petrino on paid administrative leave Thursday night.

This is why. It appears the highest-paid state employee in Arkansas hired his mistress to a department job. Later, he lied to his boss, in turn allowing the department to release the lie and appear — at least for a moment — complicit in the cover-up. (Which it was not.)

Now, Long must review the situation and weigh that information against this information: Petrino is 21-5 over the past two seasons, and the 2012 team appears to be better than the 2010 or 2011 teams.

“I’m at the beginning of the review,” Long said. “I don’t know what I’m going to find.”

Even if that is all he finds, Long probably has enough to fire Petrino. Petrino’s contract is pretty clear on this, forbidding the coach from “engaging in conduct, as solely determined by the University, which is clearly contrary to the character and responsibilities of a person occupying the position of Head Football Coach or which negatively or adversely affects the reputation of the University or UAF’s athletics programs in any way.” In legal parlance, “review” could mean “meeting with the general counsel to make sure we’re allowed to can this guy without paying him.” After all, what manager can trust an employee who would lie to his face and put the entire organization at risk?

But there is that 21-5 record in two seasons.

Remember, this is Arkansas. A place where fans used FOIAs to get Houston Nutt’s cell phone records to try and prove he was having an affair with a local TV reporter (he wasn’t) in an effort to get him fired. The problem is, Petrino is winning big. So you now have those same fanatical Arkansas fans arguing that this is a private matter between Petrino, his wife and 4 children, and the woman (and her fiance).

In Alabama in 1998, Mike DuBose lied about his affair with his secretary. He kept his job, and Alabama fired the woman (and later had to cut her a six-figure check). Times have changed, so I’m not sure Arkansas can get away with that.

I’ll say it now: It has always been Todd Graham’s dream job to coach Arkansas in the SEC.

Duquesne still doesn’t have a replacement for Ron Everhart. Keith Dambrot at Akron wouldn’t touch it.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said that Dambrot was offered a “considerable financial package” to join the Atlantic 10 school, but the coach is unmoved.

“I’m a Zip,” he told the Beacon Journal Thursday morning. Beyond that he wouldn’t discuss the length of any contract offer or what it was worth.

A recent report out of Pittsburgh said that Duquesne offered a salary that at least doubled his salary. Dambrot makes more than $300,000 with incentives at UA.

Why would Dambrot turn down a salary of more than $600,000?

Because it is a coaching graveyard! Beware Orlando Antigua! BEWARE!

Unrelated. My wife came home from a board meeting at our son’s preschool in September and told me I was now the new Treasurer. This is what I’ve been dealing with since the start of 2012 when I finally got a hold of the books from the former president.





A relative of Danny Greene?

Comment by steve1 04.06.12 @ 1:37 pm

What a worst case scenario for Petrino. At least his wife knows now

Comment by Timmeh 04.06.12 @ 1:42 pm

Man Savon Goodman would be huge. He would go a long way to filling the Khem Birch void. If we get him and Zeigler for next year we will be back

Comment by Tony C 04.06.12 @ 2:21 pm

That would be a ridiculous team. Zeigler would start immediately. Woodall, Zeigler, Patterson, Zanna and Adams with a great 9-deep from Robinson, Moore, Goodman and Taylor. Then a few guys who could play with Wright, J. Johnson and D. Johnson. This is assuming we let Chris Jones walk

Comment by Tony C 04.06.12 @ 2:34 pm

Oh yeah and I forgot to include Gilbert

Comment by Tony C 04.06.12 @ 2:36 pm

As much as i would like both zeigler and goodman, i doubt jamie dixon is going to take 2 more. Ive been mulling over in ny head whether id rather have zeigler or goodman, and at this point i think id rather get savon. Zanna is the closest thing to a 4 as pitt currently has and even though goodman wouldnt be a 4 by most teams standards, he fits the pitt pf mold. 6’6″, very athletic, strong, physical, good rebounder, can handle pass, and from what ive read, he tries to dunk everything. Hes a streaky shooter… Remind you of anyone? Sam young to a tee. If he comes to pitt he would actually get some pt next year, just because of the lack of another pitt-4 on the roster. Not only that, but getting goodman would add to the overall talent and athleticism to the team.

Comment by Pk 04.06.12 @ 5:54 pm

After the SI story I think Pitt will get the notice now for 2012-2013. I have seen enough videos to know, as a basketball player, that Adams is the most dominating player of 2012.

The nice thing about the SI report it helps ease my concerns about Steve stepping up immediately to the big stage. It does not however ease my fears about Jamie and his obsessive conservative approach to talented atheletes. Will he start Adams (he is a fool if he does not)will he restrict his game by not letting use his full array of skills, being an offensive force facing the basket and shooting the jump shot.

He will make mistakes but these mistakes will be erased by the things he can do that no onther 7′ college player can do. Jamie please let him play.

Also the only true PG on the team is Robinson. Play him early and ofen. Like Adams let him make mistakes. If you play Woodall at PG Pitt will waste the inside stregth it now has.

Woodall is a potential danger because of Dixon penchant toward favortism with his anontonned guards each year. Gibbs this year, Fields keeping us out of the final four, Krasuer playing one on five. Each of these guards of moderate talent were told it was “their team” and each was each did not know how to spell team; including Woodall.

Robinson was the 2G at DeMatha since his sophmore year oftten the high scorer on a team with 2 other 4 and 5 star players. For the good of the team he move to PG this year so a 5 star sophmore couuld start. His ballhandling, passing skills, and court sense allowed him to easily make the transition and be ranked the number 5 PG in the country for 2012. Of course there are no guarentees but from simply a temperment stand point I would prefer Robinson to Woodall at the point.

Comment by drw 04.06.12 @ 9:16 pm

Duquesne can be brought back if you have the right coach all schools can look at butler
with the right coach and 1 great player and 4 good players you can turn any school around.
it may only last for 4 or 5 years but it can be done that is the nice thing abought BB you dont need 80 good players just a few
but it would have to be a special coach for most coachs it would be a grave yard.

Comment by Frankcan 04.06.12 @ 9:37 pm

Apparently James Robinson is DRW’s new Mark Myers – the only reason Woodall will start is because of favoritism. Sound familiar anyone??

Oh, and my goodness, saying that Levance couldn’t spell team is just ridiculous. Check out his assist to turnover ratio and then try to support that statement. Please get a clue before your next post. PLEASE!

Comment by Gopitt33 04.06.12 @ 10:12 pm

Frank, It may POSSIBLE to bring Duquesne back, but it’s highly unlikely. The Duquesne job has been a carreer ender for a lot of coaches. A guy would have to have a lot of confidence in himself to take the job.

Comment by Justinian 04.06.12 @ 10:33 pm

Justinian it has been a carreer ender this is true
just saying that schools can be brought back with right coach little schools win big from time to time with right coach
all it takes is one great player and a special coach to bring teams like the dukes back.
will they get that coach not mutch chance but it can be done it has been done at outher schools.

Comment by Frankcan 04.06.12 @ 11:42 pm

Drw, give me one example where an older guy played when a better, younger player sat behind them? There are none.

Comment by Pk 04.06.12 @ 11:46 pm

If you’re going to bring up assist to turnover ratio
Then how does one tout Woodall for next year. Give me a break, he had the worst turnover to assist ratio of any PG in the Howland/Dixon era. Btw his ratio was barely 2 to 1. That stinks !

Comment by Emel 04.07.12 @ 1:23 am

Sam Young was younger and better than Levon Kendall, hands down and he sat alot his first two years. Off the top of my head.

Comment by Emel 04.07.12 @ 1:24 am

Finally if you have a chance to get both Goodman & Zeigler you most certainly take them. They are both Top 50 type players. That is a no brainer.

Comment by Emel 04.07.12 @ 1:26 am

For the record it was Joe Avezzano
RIP Joe, you were one of the great ones.

Avezzano graduated from Jackson High School in Miami, Florida, in 1961.[2] He played college football at Florida State University, where he was a center. He was drafted and played professionally in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots in 1966. Avezzano wore #50 and played in three regular season games for the Patriots during the 1966 AFL Season. He was also on the 1967 preseason roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, wearing #50.
[edit]Coaching career

Avezzano began his coaching career at Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, and then coached at Florida State, his alma mater, in 1968 and at Iowa State University from 1969 to 1972 under head coach Johnny Majors. He followed Majors to the University of Pittsburgh, where he was offensive line coach from 1973 to 1976, helping the 1976 Panthers to the national championship. Avezzano went with Majors to the University of Tennessee in 1977, where he was the offensive coordinator for three seasons in the SEC.

Comment by Emel 04.07.12 @ 1:36 am

Maybe petrino can become CEO of Highmark…hire your scooby snack, have a taste now and then, run off for a long lunch or maybe a tryst in the executive lounge…great for morale.. NO ONE ever knows these things are going on especially those closest to you.

I am telling you right here and right now….Las Vegas….want to act like a 20 year old and get away with it??? Las Vegas, maybe Montreal or Toronto, but what in the world happens to middle age men…when their weenie shrinks, their brains move to the little head below the belt….

Duquesne is in trouble…..so too Amadio

Comment by sfpitt 04.07.12 @ 8:09 am

Not sure I would classify the Sam Young-Levon Kendall as “hands down”. Young was clearly the better player by the time he left, hands down. But not so sure about the freshman & sophomore years.

Young really struggled his sophomore year and could barely run and jump in some games because of his knees. He really struggled to master the 4 position because he was more of 3 skill set but failed miserably every time they tried him to play facing the bucket…

Although Kendall was maddening at times, he did exactly what Dixon wanted from his 4 position. If Sam Young didn’t totally excel at the 3 his junior and senior year this argument would have died long ago…

Comment by Bowling Green Panther 04.07.12 @ 8:37 am

Agreed Bowling Green. Sam had problems putting the ball on the deck his freshman and sophomore years. Kendall, while his skills were more limited than Sam’s, was the more polished player at the time.

Comment by ECH 04.07.12 @ 8:48 am

Goodman sounds more Nas than Sam Young. I’m not sold yet.

Comment by Tossing Thabeets 04.07.12 @ 9:31 am

sfpitt:

Age does strange things to us but at least you have to admit Petrino has good taste in blonds.

Behavior patterns in people don’t change much over the long haul, Petrino probably was doing this for a very long time throughout his entire career with various partners.

One last thing I’m 53 and my weenie hasn’t shrunk and my brain is still in tact because marriage with 4 kids gives you a perspective on life and keeps your behavior in line, I guess it’s called responsibility and maturity.

Comment by Jim from Dallas 04.07.12 @ 9:40 am

Emel, Woodall is not as bad as his numbers indicate. I’m not saying he’s CP3 but it was a combo of his injury, lack of other playmakers and bad decisions (practice time?). He’ll be much improved next year. People forget how good he was looking at the beginning of the season – Pitt as a team looked awful but Woodall was the one shining light. He came back to a dysfunctional team that had all but given up. His return sparked this team the rest of the season. They may not have played well but you can’t say they quit. Based on what was happening before Woodall came back, I think that renewed passion to play with pride rests solely on his shoulders. The only other PG who had to handle as much of a load as Woodall during the Howland/Dixon era was Krauser and, not surprisingly, he didn’t have a much better assist to TO ratio – but he’s still one of my favorites over the last decade. A PG without other playmakers is going to have a lower ratio. Add in injuries and missed practice time and those bad numbers will be inflated even more. Robinson’s the future but lets ease him in there like Fields was able to do.

Comment by Tossing Thabeets 04.07.12 @ 9:54 am

Chas, just back in town, check is in the mail. Ever hear that one before??? LOL It is.

Comment by Dan 04.07.12 @ 10:31 am

Tossing thabeets, i agree with you about woodall and robinson. Im expecting robinson to get decent playing time because hes mentally and physically ready and he has the intangibles that you want in a pg, but with a healthy woodall and more talent/experience around him, hell do a lot better. Yes, hes still going to make “who were you passing to?” plays but not nearly as many or as often.

Comment by Pk 04.07.12 @ 10:48 am

Pk, hope your right, but I’m not sure how you’ve determined that Robinson is mentally and physically ready. All this talk of Robinson brings to mind the beauty of back-up quarterbacks.

Comment by marcus of schaumburg 04.07.12 @ 11:24 am

Hes been a starting at dematha, a high school power since he was a freshman and, if you havnt seen him on video, hes one of the most physically mature point guards youre going to see out of high school

Comment by Pk 04.07.12 @ 11:39 am

Robinson’s the real deal and a true PG plus he’s a winner and that’s what drives him more than anything.

Comment by Tossing Thabeets 04.07.12 @ 11:53 am

Chas.. No one commented on your last link!

Your wife either

1. Thinks your honest, or

2. Hopes you’re smarter!!

🙂

Comment by CompLit 04.07.12 @ 12:27 pm

Let’s wait until we see Robinson play against big-time comp to decide how ready he is. We specifically need to see if he’s quick enough to deal with Big East defenders. From the clips I’ve seen, he’s got a solid body but isn’t a thoroughbred athlete, so I’m hoping his bulk and court knowledge and handle make up for that, because watching Woodall play PG at this level is something none of us should ever have been subjected to……

I’d be psyched to add Zeigler; he sounds like he fits the Pitt mold in terms of all around play. Goodman’s an unknown quantity.

I just can’t get excited about Adams. How much do I care about a kid who will be in Pittsburgh A TOTAL of about 9-10 months?

Comment by hugh green 04.07.12 @ 1:18 pm

Hugh green, well, based on the fact that pitts never had a 7′ world-class athlete who can post, shoot, pass, block shots, run the floor and will likely dictate pitts sucess next year, you should be very excited

Comment by Pk 04.07.12 @ 2:06 pm

Oh, and hes a dominant rebounder

Comment by Pk 04.07.12 @ 2:07 pm

Assist-TO ratio’s a good stats but don’t tell the whole story. Everything on offense was down this year, so the “assist” part of the equation is going to be a little skewed against Woodall. That said, he needs ot make HUGE improvements in that department. I suppose it is not out of the question that he loses his starting job if he does not improve and Robinson shows he’s clearly better. But that is a long shot.

Btw, Emel, Young’s problem wasnt that he had less skill than Kendall (he obviously had more), but that he didn’t get it. He was out of place on offense, tried to hard and or made bad choices (see JJ Moore) and he was out of place on defense. Say what you will about Kendall but he knew his assignments and was a ‘glue guy’. The rotation that year made total sense (though i’ll give you that i think Young maybe could have played more — but again if he hadn’t he may not have developed the obsessive drive that defined his career and turned him into an NBA player…)

Comment by PantherP 04.07.12 @ 2:16 pm

Connecticut did not meet academic requirements
NCAA says no postseason next year
i would think Omar Calhoun would be back on the recruiting board fair game . any one hear any thing
he had not signed a loi that i know just had a virbel with them.

Comment by Frankcan 04.07.12 @ 4:08 pm

@hughgreen the UK fans seem to get excited about the 9-10 month stay of their players. That’s what it takes to win. You need NBA talent to win a national title

Comment by Tony C 04.07.12 @ 4:26 pm

Frank, i thought he signed. Even if he did, id imagine he could get a release. I doubt this 1 year ban will deter him from going to uconn, though

Comment by Pk 04.07.12 @ 6:00 pm

Woodall’s A/T ratio is better than Brandin Knight’s career ratio and WAAAAAY better than Carl Krauser’s. Fields’ is negligibly better. Where are you guys getting your stats?

Comment by Chris 04.07.12 @ 6:14 pm

Zeigler transfer “official.” Hopefully he works on his 28% 3 point shooting and 49% free throw shooting while sitting out next year.

Comment by Chris 04.07.12 @ 6:18 pm

So if he’s not eligible immediately, will he count against the scholarship limit for two years or three?

Comment by marcus of schaumburg 04.07.12 @ 6:58 pm

Chris, the comment about Fields was in response to DRW saying he was selfish and cost us the Final 4. He A/T ratio was 2.9 for his career and 3.8 for his senior season, and 6/0 in the E8 game. I don’t see those stats as representative of a player who can’t “spell team” – DRW’s words.

I also agree that he had much better players around him (which is why I cut Tray some slack this year and Carl also), but Levance also was able to get his teammates the ball in position to score and hit a ton of big shots in his career.

Comment by Gopitt33 04.07.12 @ 8:35 pm

I don’t get that commment about Fields costing Pitt Final Four. It was transfer J Dixon that cost us. I can understand the confusion if you’re an old guy.

Comment by Old School Panther 04.08.12 @ 5:33 pm

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