Don’t think I forgot about our Pitt Blather bracket poll. With Florida winning last night’s National Championship game (ughhh…would’ve rather seen the Buckeyes win), our final results have become…well, they’ve become finalized.

This year’s winner is Jamie H. Woo!

Second place goes to JoePa’s Assassin, who is also up for the “bracket name of the year” award.

And rounding out the top five (actually it’s six) are Send it In Jerome, steeltrace, PITT fan (now that’s a clever name!), and Lee in State College.

Congrats to Jamie H. and the rest of our top five. I wish I had some sort of prize for you.

I’m out of here for Spring Break, back next Monday in time for the Pirates’ home opener. Hopefully by the time I’m back, Billy Donovan and John Beilien (but especially Donovan) make their decisions so I won’t need to hear any more about it.

The games have gotten underway. A couple hours or so until tip. I’m not ready to start the open thread, but here are just a few more stories — quick hitter — to read if you need to pass the time.

Seth Davis at SI.com went with UCLA. I’m not shocked. Look, Pitt hasn’t won in this round. It’s a generally safe bet to go with that trend. Add in that it’s against UCLA, and there is no reason for most pundits to pick Pitt.

The whole getting past the Sweet 16 issue.

UCLA will try to get Aaron Afflalo going early. He’s struggled lately, but isn’t concerned. Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News, however, is.

Oh, you bet it’s missing. It’s missing almost three-fourths of the time lately. A 39.5 percent 3-point shooter heading into the final weekend of the regular season, he is at 27.6 percent over the past five games. He does not look as confident in his shot, and this has had a devastating effect on the Bruins’ offense. They had a 3-2 record in that stretch, and, perhaps even more foreboding, averaged 59.4 points.

The Bruins’ attack depends on Afflalo being a force. The Bruins are not making it out of California if he struggles in these next two games. Presuming there are two more games. It’ll be hard for UCLA to beat Pittsburgh without a significant Afflalo contribution.

It would be nice to keep him down and struggling.

Some are disappointed with the second year output of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.
Washington Post story on Dixon-Howland.

Nebraska (and former Pitt) AD Steve Pederson will be pulling for Pitt and recalls the recruiting of Jamie Dixon to come on as an assistant.

Former Stanford and Golden State Warrior HC Mike Montgomery picks UCLA for the game (shocking, I know).

The question is, can you get it all worked out in four days of preparation? If people don’t have the skills to make those kinds of plays against a defense as intense as UCLA’s, you’re not going to learn it in a week.

Now, I would guess that same game plan is also what Pitt runs. I think the key for UCLA is Collison. He creates off the dribble. If Pitt controls Collison, and Afflalo and Shipp don’t have good games, then UCLA is in trouble. They’re not going to score enough points to win.

But I’m going to pick UCLA because, if nothing else, they might do what they do better. Also, the Bruins are at home, so to speak. Every UCLA alum I know is trying to get tickets.

No kidding. It’s in the state and under 350 miles from LA.

A friend of mine, Tim Z. (who sometimes comments here), submitted an interesting question to the Post-Gazette basketball Q&A and ended up getting it printed on page two of Sunday’s sports section.

Q: If the Penguins get a new arena here in Pittsburgh, assuming it reaches the seating requirement, would Pitt be able to play NCAA tournament games there? I believe Duquesne would have to be the host, but is it possible?

Tim Z., Pittsburgh

FITTIPALDO: Pitt played at Mellon Arena in 2002 when Duquesne was the host school, so I believe it could happen again that way. Of course, Pitt would have to finish as a high enough seed for the NCAA selection committee to award Pitt with two games so close to home.

I didn’t go when it was previously hosted here but I’d do everything in my power to get to it if they played here in the future (meaning 2010 and beyond).

Speaking of tourney games in the city, I went to three of the four women’s NCAA tourney games yesterday and had a good deal of fun with the exception of suffering North Carolina trample over Prairie View. Nice win for Pitt over James Madison late last night. I’ll be there tomorrow night when Pitt plays #1 seed Tennessee. Fans did a great job of supporting the team and I expect it to continue.

Andy Lee could continue his career at Heinz Field with the Steelers.

The Steelers have signed free agent punter Andy Lee to an offer sheet, agent Eddie Edwards confirmed today.

Lee, who played collegiately at Pitt, was a sixth-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 2004. Last season he averaged 44.8 yards per punt (gross) to rank sixth in the NFC and seventh in the NFL.

First off, I’m not fully sure what an offer sheet is. Pro sports financial type terms confuse me. I can barely explain Restricted Free Agency so “offer sheet” is way out of my range. Thankfully none of that has infiltrated college athletics.

Lee’s average is fairly better than what the Steelers have seen from Chris Gardocki. Gardocki has never had a punt blocked in his career but I might be able to pull that off too if I didn’t spend time trying to actually get a good punt off. I wouldn’t mind seeing Lee compete for the job in training camp against Gardocki and Mike Barr who probably should have got the punting spot in 2006.

As soon as I saw this I figured I’d pass it along. I doubt there’s any better way to start your morning.

Thursday, March 1st – 10pm
Peter’s Pub (116 Oakland Ave.)
21+ over, $3 Cover***
LADIES NIGHT - $1 drinks All Night***
EVERYONE- $5 Bud Light Pitchers

With Performances by…The Sole Vibe
Da Button Pusha
Solid Ground Entertainment
Pitt Basketball Star, Keith “KB” Benjamin
…additional Music by WPTS 92.1fm DJ Karazmatik

That’s Keith Benjamin — oops, I mean “KB” — performing live tonight. Tonight!

Somebody definitely needs to file a report from tonight’s “show”.

(Hat tip: Mondesi’s House)

(Honestly, if you go, please send something to dennis.pittblather@gmail.com afterwards.)

A nasty paper cut is going to make typing this take twice as long as it should, but the news of celebrity sightings at the Pete have to be mentioned. Monday’s game saw Dallas Mavericks owner and possible Pens/Pirates owner (we all know this’ll never happen) sitting court side. Word has it he might actually be interested in purchasing Pitt and maybe even moving the school to Dallas.

New Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was also there Monday, following Bill Cowher’s steps in attending. Other notable people who have been to the Pete in the last 5 years: Jeff Reed, Jerome Bettis (to support ND mostly), Franco Harris, Mel Blount, Mark Malone, Kordell Stewart, Joey Porter, Hines Ward, Marc Bulger, Dave Littlefield, the late Mayor Bob O’Connor, current Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Gov. Ed Rendell, gubernatorial candidate and ex-Steeler Lynn Swann, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, Pirates CEO Kevin McClatchy and Alex Trebek.

Then we get this quote from Jeff Long.

As Pitt athletic director Jeff Long said of his facility, “It has become the place to be in the cold, winter months in Pittsburgh.”

Pitt basketball might be the place for the stars but for most regular people it’s hard to get a ticket. The hottest ticket in town might be a Pitt game if you like to make a donation on top of your season ticket expenses (or if you’re a celebrity) but to be honest, most people would rather go to a Penguins game than try to find a way into the Pete. With the student rush tickets for Pens games (generally a very good ticket for only $20), more people would say the Igloo is the place to be.

That’s not a big deal though. It’s the fact that Pitt is willing to screw “real” fans who actually care about weather they win or lose in order to bring in big names who don’t really care about the game.

Looking at the actual product on the court though…

I think this is where we miss Krauser. Not his skill set (Fields has filled in much better than most would have ever guessed) but the actual kind of person he was. Monday night, Louisville was able to get pumped up for that game. You can go ahead and say the Cards needed it but it’s not like Pitt has already clinched the Big East regular season title and can afford to lose the rest of their games. Krauser would have been able to bring some life to a team last night that was dead.

Perhaps it’s that Levance feels too young to step up and be vocal. Maybe he’s just naturally not a loud guy. The fact is we really don’t have anyone who can get the emotions going before and during the game.

The outcome may never be in doubt, but the game could be tougher than expected against the Robert Morris Colonials.

Coach Mark Schmidt’s Colonials are 4-0 and return an experienced team for the game against Pitt.

“I’m glad that Robert Morris is so good this year,” Dixon said. “They’re 4-0, and we’re familiar with their guys, and it’s great to see Mark doing so well and to see them playing so well this early in the season.

“They have two road wins, and I don’t think anybody in the country has two road wins at this point in the year, so to do that is very impressive. And when you look at their guys, it’s amazing how much they’ve improved.”

Pitt has beaten RMU all 25 previous times. The players are more familiar with one another than ever thanks to playing in the Pittsburgh summer league this past season.

The Colonials are led by Senior Forward A.J. Jackson, who has been the NEC player of the week for the second straight week. The two road wins came at Marshall and Maine.

The game is going to be shown locally on FSN-Pittsburgh, ESPN Regional and FullCourt subscription tomorrow at 7:30. Game Notes (PDF).

It’s active in Oakland. The Pitt stores are busy. I’m just getting this out at Panera to relax for a few minutes. Maybe walk around and soak things in for a bit. I love this campus.

There’s a defiinite buzz right now. People are trying to get things done. Clear the decks as it were, to free up the day for football.
It’s an absolutely gorgeous day. Almost makes me wish the game was at noon. Ah, it should still be a nice evening. Perfect day for football. Any and all talk about the game can go here.

A couple pieces on some verbals for Pitt’s 2007 recruiting class.

When you are a WPIAL football player who is headed to Pitt, often, the focus is on you.

That is where Thomas Jefferson senior Dom DeCicco is right now.

DeCicco has given a verbal commitment to coach Dave Wannstedt’s program and the ongoing renewal of Panthers football.

That said, DeCicco, 6 feet 3, 205 pounds, knows that the focus is on him this season when he lines up at quarterback, returns kicks, plays a little receiver and also defensive back for the Jaguars.

“You kind of feel like you have to show what you can do all the time,” DeCicco said. “You know that there are a lot of local Pitt fans interested in what you are doing and how you are playing. I think it is a little bit of you having to show those Pitt fans that you deserved the scholarship that coach Wannstedt gave you.”

DeCicco has been living up to the hype as the best player on the top ranked team in the WPIAL Class AAA rankings and the PIAA. Tomorrow, Thomas Jefferson plays Keystone Oaks. A team with two other players who have verballed to Pitt, Chris Jacobson and Myles Caragein.

By now, just about everyone who follows high school and college football closely is familiar with Chris Jacobson.

They know that he attends Keystone Oaks High School, that he gave a verbal commitment to Pitt earlier this year before other colleges could even sniff him out, and that the 6-foot-3, 290-pound guard has been invited to the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

…

Four hundred of the game’s best high school players were nominated to play, including Keystone Oaks’ Myles Caragein. It was announced on Friday prior to KO’s game with Elizabeth Forward that Jacobson had been invited; Caragein still has a shot, according to Kamberis.

You can put absolutely no stock in this. Just a gut feeling that could be totally wrong, but I think Pitt should be getting some more recruiting announcements in the next week or so.

Okay, folks. Tomorrow I’m heading to Pittsburgh for the FanFest. Just look for the short, bald guy lugging a laptop and a camera. I’m sure I’ll stand out.

I’m hoping to get in early. Maybe get to the campus if I have time. I plan to stay overnight then leave some time in the late morning for a special trip down to Morgantown.

I need to find some places with free wi-fi, so I can squeeze in a little blogging when time permits. Specifically on the North Side, South Side and in Oakland. I know the Beehive offers it on the South Side. In Oakland there’s Panera and I think Kiva Han. I just like to have options. Anyone know of some other places?

Also, if I end up with a late start, I may just go straight to the North Side and avoid the later traffic issues. So if there’s anyplaces on the North Side with free wi-fi let me know. Right now, it seems the city is blanketed by a pay-to-use company. Admittedly I’m tempted to pay the $5 just so I can have a beer and post at Penn Brewery before fan fest.