You know, when you aren’t on the bubble and you aren’t on the top 4 seed lines, this seems like a whole lot of standing around for nothing. All the talking heads on CBS and ESPN. Along with the punditry online and in print are focused on the #1 seeds and the last 4 in (along with last 4 out and 4 more after that for good measure).

Pitt falls into neither of those places. Pitt will be seeded somewhere in the #5 to #7 range. The seeding will have to take into account the seeding of Big East teams placed ahead of Pitt.

Louisville is expected to be a #1 seed. Georgetown, a #2 or #3. Syracuse a #3 or #4. Marquette will be somewhere in the #4 or #5. Notre Dame is probably a #5 or #6. (Villanova and Cinci will likely be anywhere from #9 to #11)

Where they get seeded and what bracket they get placed will have a significant impact on Pitt’s seeding. Protected seeds — the first 4 lines — will keep conference foes from facing each other in the opening weekend.

So, for example, say the committee made a Pitt a #5 seed but Pitt got placed in the same region as #4 seed Marquette. If the committee could not make it work to switch them to another region, they could drop Pitt down to the #6 seed so that they avoid any potential 1st weekend meeting.

Needless to say, seeding after first few spots is more of a point of pride than true relevance. Match-ups become much more important. Who you face and potentially face in each round makes a bigger difference.

The selection show starts at 6pm on CBS. The babbling and endless analysis goes on through tomorrow.

More like the after-affects and details of expansiopocolypse.

How badly did the Big 10 want the Baltimore/DC market for the Big Ten Network Maryland? Enough to sweeten the pot for Maryland by subsidizing their looming jump in travel costs.

Since financial details of the agreement are kept private — the amount of the subsidy is not publicly available. But the amount is in the range of $20 million to $30 million, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Maryland got the subsidy after assessing the travel-cost implications of leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference, its home for 60 years.

The cost of sending its teams halfway across the country — as far away as Lincoln, Neb. (1,201 miles), and Iowa City, Iowa (905 miles) — was projected by the school to approximately double its travel budget.

Wow. Jim Delany really wanted to get back at John Swofford for the Notre Dame arrangement. That is a hell of a deal. It isn’t clear if it will be a lump sum or an annual subsidy.

(more…)

Since everyone is still bummed about yesterday’s loss, here’s a distraction.

For the most part, I haven’t given much thought to our erstwhile Backyard Brawl brethren. Still certain stories catch the eye.

Turns out those travel burdens in the Big 12 are as onerous as expected. If not more so. To the point where the Big 12 may have to help.

West Virginia University’s athletic department and the Big 12 Conference have agreed to attempt to make some travel changes to accommodate the problems the Mountaineers faced during their first season in the league.

Athletic Director Oliver Luck says the league offered no guarantees because “scheduling is always a challenge” but the league has agreed to attempt to make life on the road easier in a number of areas when it can.

WVU geographically is out of place in the Big 12, with every trip not only being of 1,700 miles round trip or more but fighting a time zone change which costs them an hour returning to Morgantown.

Football did not present as much of a problem as basketball, with weekly trips and mostly weekend games, but, according to Luck, the league was agreeable to trying to arrange it so the Mountaineers do not have to travel on back-to-back weeks for conference games during the season.

The Big 12 has to be as helpful as possible to the Hoopies. Oh, they aren’t going anywhere, but if the Big 12 ever hopes to snag a school from the ACC — as WV message boarders often predict to be imminent — then they need to make it appear as if the travel problems are not insurmountable and screwing teams in the Eastern timezone that happen to be over 1700 miles from the rest of the conference members.

(more…)

I sat down to watch the game around 10 pm last night. It’s been that kind of a week. So I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Where to begin.

First, it has to be recognized just how on James Southerland was in this game. Perfect from outside. Yes, the defense — especially in the first half — was a step slow. But he was knocking everything down regardless. He was 6-9 the day before against Seton Hall. It was infectious. Syracuse finished the game shooting 12-19 on 3s. Everywhere else they were 10-28.

The three point shooting made the difference, that could not quite be overcome. The effects of the double-bye were once more readily apparent in the first half. Pitt was just not as ready at the start of the game. Syracuse had more energy. They were getting rebounds and extra chances. They outrebounded Pitt 18-14 in the first half. Something that might be simply explained as having more chances at defensive rebounds since Pitt shot  35% to their 53%. That wasn’t it.

(more…)

This week has sucked. Some poor planning on my part has me working late every day this week. So on one of the best weeks in terms of number of games and quality, I’ve largely missed them.

That also will happen with the 2pm meeting at the Garden between Pitt and Syracuse. I have the DVR set, but that means cutting off from media from that time forward.

Unlike the last meeting James Southerland is playing. Syracuse has a game under their belt. They strarted slowly in the first half before overwhelming Seton Hall yesterday.

Hopefully everyone on the team is feeling healthier and mostly recovered from their ailments.

So far it’s all been chalk. No shocks. Small struggles, but nothing unusual. Which seems unusual.

Unfortunately I am time-crunched. Link time.

Pitt feeling confident coming into the final BET. At least based on the regular season results, they should be.

No one should know what to expect from this team, though.

Syracuse is feeling their own level of confidence for this game after James Southerland snapped out of his slump against Seton Hall.

(more…)

I’ve tried to ignore it since midseason, because it is rather silly. Still, the storyline is getting a little more play so I guess it’s time to write a bit about the idea that Coach Jamie Dixon would take the USC job.

Is it possible?

Well, sure, most things are possible. But it isn’t very probable.

Last week. Last week — mind you — Jeff Goodman at CBS Sports wrote about USC talking to Syracuse’s coach-in-waiting Mike Hopkins. In writing up the potential of Hopkins, Goodman noted who the guy USC AD Pat Haden had at the top of his list.

The hip pick is Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon returning to the West Coast (that’s where he’s from). The 47-year-old Dixon is set to go to his ninth NCAA tournament in 10 seasons since taking over for Howland. It could happen, but Dixon has had other opportunities to leave — including one before Kevin O’Neill took the USC job three years ago — and has spurned them all. The USC program is in a better place now, and Pittsburgh is headed into a stacked ACC, so it makes more sense for him to head west now than it did a few years back. However, the question becomes his buyout and whether he’d actually pull the trigger when the time comes to make a decision.

Dixon, from what I’m told, sits atop Haden’s list.

The themes are all hit. Heading to a new conference. The ACC is stacked. He’s from the west coast. USC isn’t quite the dumpster fire it was three years ago. The one thing it doesn’t try to claim: that Dixon wants to take the USC job.

(more…)

Waaaayyyyy back in July, it seemed Pitt was going to take a commit from Jamel Artis. A long wingman out of Baltimore. 3-star but with potential and scouting reports that suggested he was the kind of player who Coach Jamie Dixon has developed in the past.

Then Pitt got the commit from Mike Young to go with Josh Newkirk, and it seemed Pitt backed off. No extra scholarships and all. Artis never verbaled, but also didn’t commit anywhere else. There seemed to be a lot of interest and desire from Artis, but Pitt seemed to be holding back. Even after two more scholarships opened up with transfers.

Then yesterday things changed. Maybe.

(more…)

It shouldn’t be a surprise. As soon as the Big East remaindermen leaked that they would let Notre Dame join the ACC for the 2013 season with Pitt and Syracuse for as little as $2.5 million. But in the impeccable timing of the Big East, they are going to approve that the Domers are free — right before the start of the Big East Tournament.

Notre Dame’s basketball teams will play in the ACC next year, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The Big East presidents will vote on the issue Tuesday morning, and an announcement is expected sometime after their conference call ends.

“It’s everyone’s intention that this will happen tomorrow,” said the source.

Way to lock in the direction of the conversation. Look, I know it is hard to generate enthusiasm for the first two games of USF-Seton Hall and DePaul-Rutgers, but this isn’t the way to do it.

About the only way I can figure the America 12/Remaining Big East is doing, is that they are fully committing to the “this is a sad week for college basketball with the demise of the Big East as we knew it because the Big East Tournament will never be the same again” storyline. Trying to poison the well for the basketball only Big East’s future BET.

Last Big East regular season game. Forever. Considering Pitt doesn’t do much in the way of Chicagoland recruiting, there’s not going to be much of an interest in future scheduling with DePaul. After a brief glimmer of hope at not finishing in dead last in the Big East, they are right there for a 5th straight year.

Clemson just hasn’t been the same since Oliver Purnell left for DePaul. I would wonder if Purnell looks at the fact that he’s won 6 Big East games in three years at DePaul, and has a bit of remorse. But then I remember that he’s getting $4 million a year for 4 years (or is it 5?), guaranteed. He made the money grab and damn the losing.

DePaul is a team that wants to score and tries to pressure and trap on defense to create turnovers. They do score well, but not exactly efficiently. It makes their defense that much worse since pressure defense depends on scoring to give them a chance to set things up.

When they don’t score, or teams break the pressure it can get really ugly as we saw in the January blowout where Pitt won by 38. That game was one of only three all year where DePaul didn’t crack 60 points (Louisville and Gardner-Webb were the others).

(more…)

The Big East Tournament is next week. For the last time.

Don’t care who has the name. Don’t care if it’s still at MSG. It won’t be the Big East Tournament any longer.

Pitt was picked for 6th in the Big East while Syracuse and ND were picked for 2d and 3d respectively.

Pitt is sitting in a 3-way tie for 4th in the Big East with Notre Dame and Syracuse.

All three teams play on Saturday on the road — and very conveniently arranged for viewing pleasure.

Syracuse at Georgetown at Noon (ESPN)

Pitt at DePaul at 2pm (ESPN Regional/Big East syndication)

Notre Dame at Louisville (CBS)

(more…)

Some spring practices thoughts to discuss while reports slowly trickle in…

Scholarships: We have to pare down the scholarship roster by five spots before May so who’s on the chopping block?  Here are the redshirt seniors who are eligible for walking papers: Gordon, Lippert, King, Hollins, Rackard, Tinker, Barthelemy, Ezell, Schlieper, Banks, Yoklic, Des Brown, Hendricks, Savage, Street and Mason.

Right off the bat you look at who has contributed in the past but, more importantly, what they will contribute in the future. With that I’ll list Emanuel Rackard who is a LB, DL Jack Lippert who gave his all but is expendable, DB E.J. Banks transferred in two years ago but really hasn’t played much, LS Kevin Barthelemy is our long snapper but we have a walk-on long snapper on the roster also.

That is four right there and Dan Mason has been through severe injuries and trips to the doghouse with his second career suspension happening as we speak.  Of course Mason has contributed early on and in the recent past before he lacerated his kidney, surprising me as I didn’t think he’d play well again after his initial knee injury.  He’s a fan favorite for sure but one has to wonder if the staff doesn’t look at him and see an opening.

That’s speculative of course but those open scholarships have to come from somewhere.  There most probably are a couple of transfers to happen after the spring practices every year.  However, PITT doesn’t force players out until they have had their chance at a four year degree – even though scholarships are awarded on a yearly renewal basis.

Wannstedt was a good one for sitting kids down and explaining the facts of their PITT football lives to the marginal players.  He got the players into a good spot to be if they wanted to continue playing college ball on a different level.  You’ll remember that Mark Myers transferred right before training camp of last year.  He actually waited a bit which was strange in my opinion.

(more…)

First day of practice out of the way. First open session with the media for a few weeks. If you expected anything concrete, you are delusional.

Spring practice is the ultimate mirage. The illusion of football, especially for the starved fans. On the bright side, it’s about a month of fluffy content that isn’t centered on the decisionmaking process of 16-17 year-old boys.

It’s been two months since the last time they played. Motivation, conditioning, recovery from injury or just the season as a whole will vary. A kid who redshirted last year is more energized and has a lot less to recover from during the down time than the junior who went through all 13 games.

What we see. What we think we know. Don’t get caught up in the little stuff. This is broader picture. Who has recovered from what injury, or how much longer will they need. A rough outline of the depth chart. To whom the coaches will need to send a message about the summer conditioning and fall training camp. Who they need to ride herd on to stay up on their academic obligations, so there won’t be a real problem come the fall.

(more…)

With more than 15 seconds left, Villanova still had a chance to avoid overtime and grab the win. They were bringing the ball up-court looking to score (or more likely, draw a foul call from King Karl Hess). Ryan Arcidiacono had killed Pitt all game was bringing the ball up court. Pitt’s defense was solid — but just as important — Villanova didn’t do a good job of executing an attempt at a pick-and-roll (click the link, more explanation, pictures and video to explain). Poor spacing, clogged lanes and good defense led to Arcidiacono having no one to dish the ball to. Instead he had to run into Dante Taylor and hope for a foul call — that even Karl Hess couldn’t make at that point. The ball went out of bounds off of Tayler

Nova still got the ball back with a little more than 3 seconds left. Villanova called a timeout. Jay Wright diagramed up their play.

(more…)

Spring practice starts today. Coach Chryst is already speaking with the media. I’m sure he’ll be his usual loquacious and charming self. Guy just doesn’t know when to stop talking. Look at these rambling answers.

Where do you think you guys will make the most progress this year? Or where would you like to see the most progress?

PC: Everywhere, seriously, we need to. The only consistent thing for us last was we were consistently inconsistent. We need to make strides and grow across the board. There’s not two or three things you can say, ‘Well, if we got this squared away we’d be that much better.’ In every area we have to get better.

Not sure what he means by “everywhere.” I only saw issues at QB, O-line, linebackers, special teams and D-line last year. I mean, sure there’s only one returning starter for the receiving corps. A new kicker will have to be found. Someone has to replace Holley at safety. But, um, I feel real good about the cornerbacks, running back and punter.

(more…)