If you don’t want any basketball notes at this point, then stop and skip to the football posts. News must be noted.

With the demise of the old Big East, the new Big East cutting a deal with Fox and the American not having much in the way of marquee basketball names after UConn and Cinci; well the ACC is now taking over the spot on Big Mondays on ESPN.

ESPN has released the Big Monday schedule. The bad news is that Pitt only puts in one appearance. The good news, not only is it a home game but it is the big one: Duke-Pitt on January 27. UNC and Virginia (??) have 3 appearances. Duke, Syracuse, Maryland and ND get two. Pitt and FSU each with one shot.

(more…)

The NBA Draft was more than a little unpredictable this year. Starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers picking Anthony Bennett out of UNLV (my pick would have been Georgetown’s Otto Porter). That set off a lot of changes up and down the draft. Plenty of trades. But at the number 12 spot, Oklahoma stood pat and took Steven Adams as many expected.

Adams, the 7-foot center who spent one season at Pitt after emigrating from New Zealand, is the fifth Pitt player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft and the first since Vonteego Cummings in 1999. The other Panthers taken in round one were Charles Smith and Jerome Lane in 1988 and Eric Mobley in 1994. He is the first Pitt freshman to be selected in the first round.

Adams is the fifth player coached by Jamie Dixon to be selected in the draft, following DeJuan Blair and Sam Young (second round in 2009), Aaron Gray (second round in 2007) and Chris Taft (second round in 2005).

Selfishly, I would have loved for Adams to stay at Pitt another year. Yes, he would have further developed, but I’m not convinced that he would have gone much higher in the draft in 2014. (Not to mention the possibility of injuries.)

Not because of how he would be used at Pitt. Or as some want to believe that Dixon would waste him. It’s simply the numbers.

The 2014 draft already looks loaded. It will have players like Andrew Wiggins, Marcus Smart, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson, James McAdoo, the usual slew of one-and-dones from Kentucky, Euro players we know nothing about, and plenty of others. 2014 is shaping up to be one of those high talent draft years.

(more…)

Apparently the tryout with the Baltimore Ravens didn’t work out for Tino Sunseri. That won’t deter him from following his dream. Even it it takes him to the Great White North. Cue it up:

Can’t believe there was never an actual video made.

Sunseri is trying to make the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. Credit for noting this to Cardiac Hill.

(more…)

Don’t forget, today is National Networking Day for Pitt. Hopefully you have something happening in your area. Unfortunately, nothing here in the Cleveland area. If you are involved, feel free to leave specific info about your city’s event in the comments below.

Jester Weah has wheels.

With graduation from Madison (Wis.) Memorial High School and his first class at Pitt awaiting come June, Weah will try to make Wisconsin track and field history Friday and Saturday at the state championships at Wisconsin-Lacrosse University. He is the No. 1 seed in the 100-meter run and No. 3 in the 200, with school-record times of 10.59 and 21.94 seconds — in his first full year of running track.

“That’s crazy to think about,” Weah said.

He’s 6-3, 190 pounds and can run like that. Can’t say he doesn’t have the raw tools. It would be nice in a few years to have Wisconsin fans wondering how they missed a kid in their own town.

(more…)

Darrell Strong:

I told my mother 7yrs ago I would come back and get my degree prior to leaving school early to chase… instagram.com/p/YqEbMnGMIK/

— Darrell Strong (@DarrellStrong82) April 28, 2013

Congratulations.

Lets go pitt!!!! instagram.com/p/YqQ7gGGMNL/

— Darrell Strong (@DarrellStrong82) April 28, 2013

Over the years I’ve made no secret of my love of good beer. Along with bourbon, Scotch, and assorted other spirits. This past summer, after years of whining about wanting to do it, I finally started doing some homebrewing. I’m enjoying it, and now engaging in the predictable lament of not having enough time to do it as often as I would like. Brewing has a fair amount of gap. Time to idly daydream while waiting for the next step. There’s plenty of time to fantasize about doing it fulltime. Trying to make a living at it. Even the crappiest homebrewer has those daydreams.

One of the readers — usd121 — is actually living that dream. He is the head brewer at Voodoo Brewery in Meadville, PA.

Curt is debuting his first beer on Thursday. It is an IPA named HTP.

For those that can’t figure out the acronym, that’s Hail To Pitt.

(more…)

Here’s something to note. Jerry McCullough, who came to Pitt during the downside of the Paul Evans era, is now coaching high school prep basketball in Massachusetts. He seems to be making an impact.

MacDuffie may not have that same pedigree, but second-year coach Jerry McCullough believes the Mustangs can compete now for Class AA hardware.

“I do — that’s why we play,” McCullough said with a chuckle. “Realistically, it’s going to be very challenging for us to do that. We want to improve and grow with the school.”

McCullough, who played under Paul Evans at the University of Pittsburgh before a professional career in the U.S. and Europe, brought the Granby school to the Class D championship game in his first season.

MacDuffie entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and was unbeaten against Class D opponents before falling to Hoosac in the final.

Now the Mustangs are making the jump from NEPSAC’s lowest division to its second highest. Only Class AAA is higher, with schools like Brewster Academy, New Hampton Prep, Northfield Mt. Hermon and St. Thomas More, programs that churn out Division I recruits on a yearly basis.

McCullough was playing in Italy, as recently as 2009 (he’s even got a small entry on the Italian Wikipedia). He seems to have made a quick adjustment from the end of his playing career.

McCullough has had an influx of potential Division I level players who want to play for him, which necessitated the jump in divisions. We may be reading more about his program and his players in the coming months or years.

Good lawyer, probably a bit of overdoing it on the number of charges, and a clean past help.

Back in May, Carl Krauser had a bit of trouble with the police. You may recall the laundry list of charges: escape, carrying a loaded weapon, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, public drunkenness and driving with a suspended license.

The escape, public drunkenness and driving with a suspended license charges were all dropped. That left the drug and weapon charges. The outcome? Two years of ARD.

Krauser, 31, of New York City, was approved for the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program Tuesday by Judge Kim Tesla. If participants successfully complete ARD, they can petition court officials to have their record expunged.

Court records show that Krauser will be on ARD for two years on charges of having firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

As a first time offender, he was eligible for the program. That strikes me as a pretty good lawyer to be able to get him ARD when it involves an unlicensed, loaded firearm.

Obviously a huge burden off of Krauser. He had to give up his passport while the case was pending. That meant no way for him to sign an overseas contract with his legal status up in the air. Now, he can return to playing professional basketball in Europe or Asia.

So it can be a felony to pull a fire alarm when there is no emergency in New York? Good to know. Dion Lewis found that out by actions.

While staying at the Albany Hampton Inn, Dion and his brother Lamar went out for a good Saturday night, returning around 4 am Sunday. Unfortunately Lewis either left his key card in the room or lost it at one of Abany’s many hotspots. This left the Lewis boys stuck outside their hotel. Not even able to get into the lobby. Apparently they eventually got in and then…

Either Dion or Lamar Lewis then pulled the hotel’s fire alarm, waking dozens of patrons and prompting emergency crews to visit the hotel, police said.

Both brothers were charged with falsely reporting a fire, a felony, and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

The felony is a class E felony. New York’s lowest grade of felony. Still that allows the story to be “Eagles and former Pitt player charged with felony!!!”

Extra kicker, part of why Lewis was in town was to speak to the Troy Boys and Girls Club, “where he was expected to talk to roughly 100 kids about ‘the value of working to the best of their abilities both on and off the playing field.’ ” Needless to say, the event was canceled.

(more…)

Not good. Not good at all Carl Krauser.

One of the leading scorers in University of Pittsburgh basketball history is facing multiple charges for attempting to run from a police drunken-driving checkpoint in Beaver Falls.

Carl Isaac Krauser, 30, of 1744 Watson Ave., New York City, was charged by Beaver Falls police with escape, carrying a loaded weapon, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, public drunkenness and driving with a suspended license.

Playing at Pitt from 2002 through 2006, Krauser was the first player in program history to finish his career with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds.

Krauser was detained by police manning a drunken-driving checkpoint at 10:15 p.m. Friday on Seventh Avenue in Beaver Falls, according to the report.

As officers checked his license, Krauser stepped from his car and began to run, police said. He was located by police moments later in the Save-A-Lot parking lot, 400 Ninth Ave.

As he was being placed in a patrol car, a plastic bag containing marijuana fell from Krauser’s pant leg, police said. A second bag was found in a pants pocket.

As they prepared to tow Krauser’s car, police said they found a loaded gun under the front passenger seat.

A breath test showed Krauser’s blood-alcohol level was 0.067 percent, according to police.

That is a fail on just so many levels. One bad decision after another.

If you are a senior who goes undrafted by the NBA, the odds are stacked heavily against making it. Maybe there’s a chance in the summer leagues, but more likely you would find yourself either playing in the NBDL trying to get a crack. Maybe scoring the occasional 10-day contract because injuries have piled up to such a degree at the parent club that they need a body, or the team is trying so hard to tank they bring up guys who they figure can’t compete.

The smart play is to immediately look to the overseas leagues to start making money. Earn a good living for a while playing the game you love. You can earn a much better rate of pay, and one would like to hope start saving some to plan for the future. Trying to crack the NBA is more dream.

You do it, because when you were a kid playing. Whether in high school, college or even on the street; you dreamed of suiting up for your team in the NBA. To play on what is the biggest stage. Where everyone could see you play. Even if you are on the fringe of the NBA, making the leauge minimum as opposed to a bigger deal you could get in Europe or Russia.

Brad Wanamaker knows getting to the NBA is not as likely, but he’s going to stick with the poor pay of the NBDL a while longer.

Wanamaker knows sooner or later that he’ll have to make a decision on whether to chase the money or the dream of playing in the NBA.

“I’m only 22, and I feel like I have a lot of basketball ahead of me,” Wanamaker said. “I have a lot of time to make money. Right now, I’m still chasing my dream.”

He even left playing overseas to join the NBDL Austin Toros after the lockout ended for this year.

(more…)

I’m not sure there was any other Pitt player from this present era more suited to play, live and enjoy life in Europe.

Apparently the NBDL Canton Charge likes guys with ties to Pitt. Tyrell Biggs is on the squad. As is one-time Pitt player who transferred to UMass, Dante Milligan. (Sidenote, Luke Harangody has also been sent down to Canton.) In addition, this year’s squad features Antonio Graves.

Graves had actually carved out a nice career in Europe, until suffering a wrist injury and a botched rehab following surgery in Turkey. Another surgery later, he is back to trying to earn a living in basketball.

“They were really patient with me. I was in a cast for four or five months. I was in a cast for a month while I was on the roster.”

Graves sat out the first 10 games of the Charge’s 50-game season. League rules prohibit teams from carrying more than 10 players on the roster and there is no injury list. The organization thought highly enough of Graves to essentially play a man down for the season’s first month.

“We were confident in the type of player he was and what he could add to our team,” said 35-year-old Charge head coach Alex Jensen, a former Utah standout who served on Rick Majerus’ Saint Louis University coaching staff before joining the Charge in October. “When I first started here, I wanted to look down the road rather than just in the immediate future. We’re glad we kept him.”

Graves was a solid player for Pitt. Complete glue guy who played great defense by the end of his four years at Pitt.

This is the second challenge from Volvo for the Biggest Fan in the Big East. I got a lot of great feedback when I posed the topic last week. The losses of so many old haunts had me step out on the porch and pour one out for the collective losses. The Decade, Calicos, Zelda’s, CJ’s, Thirsty’s, Upstage, Electric Banana, Syria Mosque, Graffiti, and so many  others — all gone.

When my wife and I were still dating, we took a trip to Pittsburgh for a weekend. A friend was graduating from law school, and there was already plenty of reminiscing happening with my friends. As we were driving around on the second day there, I was pointing out another place — along with an anecdote of why I mentioned it — she asked me, “Why do all of these stories start with, ‘One night we were so…’?”

“Um, just the good ones,” was the only response I could offer.

And she still married me.

Here’s the question as a refresher.

Pick 5 or more things that you have to do when you return to you’re Alma Mater (places to see, best bars, best food, cool places on campus etc.).

The trick is “have” to do versus time to do. There’s only so many places you can go to have a bite or get a drink in a day — or even two. Still, when I have a chance to be in Oakland for a little while there are certain things I feel that must be done or that I get ticked that I missed a chance to do.

(more…)

The Pitt alumni in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area have established a new Pitt Club, and are trying to get the word out. They have a Facebook page and Twitter account.

This Saturday, they are holding a gathering to watch the game.

Since the game is a nooner on the East Coast, the event kicks off at 10am:

Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill
2516 South Stemmons Freeway
NEC Hwy 121 & I-35E
Lewisville, Texas 75067

If you are down there, definitely drop in. Frustrating season, to be sure, but if the liveblogs have taught me anything. It’s that misery loves company.