Big East spring breakout players

Source: Big East Football Blog

Let's put one final bow on the spring with a look at five top breakout players. JaQuez Jenkins, safety, USF. With starting strong safety Jon Lejiste out for the spring because of injury, Jenkins made his presence immediately felt in the defensive backfield and had one of the best springs of anybody on the Bulls roster. Jenkins was everywhere, making big plays and hard hits. His emergence gives USF a nice problem to have once Lejiste returns in the fall.

Pitt offers Connecticut quarterback - Pittsburgh [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Q&A With Pitt's Lucas Nix

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

SB Nation's Oakland Raiders blog, Silver and Black Pride, has a Q&A up with recent undrafted free agent, Lucas Nix. He answered some questions after a practice as part of the Raiders' rookie mini camp.

Nix, was expected to be taken in the draft, but that didn't happen. Naturally he was asked about it, but didn't give away much in his response.

Via Silver and Black Pride:

Q: You were projected a mid-round draft pick or better but had knee

Baseball. Panthers Conclude Regular Season With Series Against Louisville

Source: Pitt Official Site

The Pitt baseball team wraps up regular season play with three home games against Louisville, beginning Thursday at Charles L. Cost Field. The teams will finish the BIG EAST series with games on Friday and Saturday.

Pitt's Ashton Gibbs Participating In New Jersey Nets' NBA Draft Combine

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

Last week it was the Los Angeles Lakers giving Ashton Gibbs a look. Next up for the former Pitt guard? The New Jersey Nets.

Gibbs will be participating in the Nets' NBA Draft Combine this weekend. The team will host four groups of players over Saturday and Sunday mornings spaced about an hour and a half apart, so they're not terribly long workouts. Further, each group has 11 players so the Nets aren't getting a great look at any of these guys.

Other players in

ACC Football schedule format released

Source: Cardiac Hill by oaklandzoo12

ACC Football schedule format released

When Pitt joins the ACC next season, they (and the other Coastal schools), will host 4 conference games for all odd-numbered years and get 5 home ACC games for even years. The Atlantic schools will have the reverse of that.

Big East mailblog

Source: Big East Football Blog

Welcome to your mid-week Big East mailblog. Let's get to some questions. Andrew in New York writes: Hi Andrea, Regarding the move by Gov. Dan Malloy - his peace plea to BC may also be due to UConn's interest in joining the Hockey East (as the 12th member after they recently added Notre Dame), with an invite possibly coming in June. Naturally, another block by BC would be a giant blow to the schools repairing relations and would also further prevent UConn from any ties with ND, who could be looking for a home in the ACC (with rivals Cuse, BC and Miami and where they would likely have the best shot at going 12-0 in football) if the BE collapses.

Tino Sunseri Gets Starting Nod; Sun Also Rises

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

This was about the worst kept secret, but Paul Chryst has officially named Tino Sunseri as his starter. For those holding out hope that Chad Voytik would come in and impress so much this fall that he might be considered (which was always a pipe dream), Chryst appears to have shut down that notion.

In speaking this week, Chryst says Sunseri is his man:

"The biggest thing for quarterbacking is being able to do it and doing it on a consistent level," Chryst said. "That’s your normal progression. He clearly was

“1,2,3,4,5 – Go!” ?

Source: Pitts Blather by Reed

Now that Paul Chryst has made the decision as to who is nominal starting QB is going to be in this season and I say nominal only because we still have Voytik coming in, lets look at one major thing that needs to happen for Sunseri to be able to play better football this year than last.
Bottom line: Sunseri has to take three less sacks per game for PITT to be successful this season.

 
On the face of that remark it looks pretty ridiculous; “three less sacks per game”, hell most teams didn’t give up three sacks per game. The bold truth is that we gave up five (4.92) per game and 64 total sacks, which turns my stomach just to type that.

 
But I think we’ll be better in that area this season for sure. Graham’s “One, two, three, Go!” passing offense had our OL trying to aggressively attack the DL they were going to block in pass protection and it didn’t work out.

 
Look, in 2010 Sunseri was sacked 23 times total for less than two per game. Guys, that is 43 less sacks on the year. It almost literally can be any worse this year.

 
That wasn’t because that OL was light years better in 2010 than last year, they had much the same personnel for the first half of the year. In 2010 we had Pinkston, Jacobson, Karabin, Gaskins Nix and Cruz at TE. In 2011 we had Hollins, Jacobson, Turnley, Nix Gaskins and Graham at TE.

 
Give the edge to 2010 but factor is the change in the offensive system when thinking about 2011′s lineup. In 2011 we gave up 21 sacks in September alone! That was with Nix and Jacobson in the lineup.
The major difference between the sack totals of the two years was because Sunseri was 100 times more comfortable in the pocket and the gameplan allowed him to use that comfort to complete the passes he was asked to do in 2010. Last year the opposite was true.

 
Which resulted in Sunseri tending to hold the ball too long and taking sacks. We know he wasn’t to blame for every ill with this issue. The receivers in the new system have to shoulder some also.

 
We have heard from some WRs about the confusion created by the staff’s offensive approach. Confusion creates hesitations, indecision and inconsistency. When the receiver is slow off the line, varies where he makes his break and is not prepared to make the catch immediately after he comes out of his break, Sunseri was forced to wait and hold the ball until he was certain where the receiver was going. This added time resulted in pass protection breaking down and sacks.

 
This season, with a normal 5-7 step drop the OL automatically will backup and form a pocket for Sunseri. That will give him an extra second or two and greatly lessen the immediate pressure he felt last season.

Not only all of the above but those five sacks a game were moral killers for not only the offensive lineman but for the whole offense. You could see the tenor of the offense’s attitude change after the first couple sacks of the games. It was like “here we go again.” Change that and it pays dividends in all aspects of the offense.

 
OL coach Hueber has a full month to get our OL ready for this change and these kids were recruited to play that way. Chryst has named Sunseri the starter specifically to be able to allow QB coach Bollinger to get Sunseri ready to be on the same page and working with the OL as QB1 during the whole of training camp. There will be no one taking 1st string snaps away from him so the more work he gets with the OL the better.

 
This change in offense isn’t going to be a magic bullet that will make our offense start scoring 40+ points per game and turn Sunseri into a passing machine. Nothing in the world can make that happen. But IMO it will have a positive effect of Sunseri so that he can get back into a comfort zone like he had in 2010 and allow him to be more consistent and effective both in-game and throughout the season.

 

 

Big East chat canceled

Source: Big East Football Blog

Our regularly scheduled Big East chat for this afternoon has been canceled, as I head home from the ACC spring meetings. As always, you can send in your questions to the mailbag, with posts set for this afternoon and Friday. The Big East chat is scheduled to return next Thursday, May 24, after I return from the Big East spring meetings. Hope to see you after an eventful two weeks!

Pitt checks in on Wisconsin WR - Pittsburgh [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Big East lunchtime links

Source: Big East Football Blog

So I don't think Pitt fans are too happy about the Sunseri news. Understatement? Cincinnati linebacker JK Schaffer was tabbed Mr. Bearcat, the first student-athlete in the last 20 years to win the award. UConn is the first to offer prep quarterback Richard Lagow of Plano, Texas. A look at Kentucky vs. Louisville financially. Here is a Pitt preview. Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti is flattered, but he isn't thinking about becoming the next Big East commissioner.

Here's a peek at the Big East's top newcomers (Yahoo! Sports)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAB

A transfer student headed to Marquette can be expected to make the biggest splash in his first season at his new school. But some freshmen will make an impact, too.

Increased Transparency To Preclude Insanity

Source: Pitts Blather by Chas

Something amazing has happened in the last week. Whether it is part of a fundamental change in college athletics, or a response driven by self-interest I am stunned and thrilled. No, I’m not talking about the playoff plans for college football. I’m talking about the discussion of the revised ACC contract.

Since the new contract has been announced last week, it has been subject to debate, argument and especially the frustrations of Florida State fans with the ACC. There was the typical denial from the FSU athletic department that really didn’t say anything. What followed was where it got interesting. FSU fan anger exploded, and the chairman of the FSU Board of Trustees spouted off without really knowing the facts to further fan the flames..

The usual way these things are done are through anonymous sources explaining details of the contract to provide more context. You would have the backtracking and damage control by and for the name person spouting off. And at first that happened — see the part about explaining that all the conference media contracts are backloaded.

Yet that did little to quell things. In fact, it seemed that nothing was making a difference. Cue the change in tactics to direct dealings.

The President of Florida State directly responded to much of the debate regarding changing conferences. Lining up behind staying with the ACC. He didn’t deflect or just brush it off as just the internet and message boards. He’s not getting on twitter and debating fans. He’s paying attention and showing that he is hearing the issues.

Then, yesterday, ESPN did something they never do. They set out to try and explain the contract beyond simply a press release with the happy spin.

First, a rights fee payment schedule that escalates in amount over the term is a commonplace provision in major college conference deals. This arrangement is not unique to the ACC. The pre-existing agreement between ESPN and the ACC (that carried through 2023) had an escalating rights fee schedule and the deal we announced last week contains a similar schedule. There is nothing unusual about how ESPN is paying the ACC over the life of this deal. It’s the industry standard.

It may be “industry standard,” but how many outside the industry knew that fact before this week?

Secondly, the additions of Pittsburgh and Syracuse as ACC members triggered a composition clause in the existing agreement. This clause is designed to allow for both partners to address the value of the conference taking into account the change in membership. There was no specific valuation formula based on total number of schools or on a per school basis. It is not an “out clause” nor does it trigger a complete renegotiation of the entire agreement. Again, conference composition clauses are standard in our industry and are part of every ESPN college rights agreement.

[Emphasis added.]

This is vital, and significant. A lot of the ranting about the new deal seemed to be based on the belief that the ACC could renegotiate the entire deal as if it was back on the open market. To some degree, I would say the valuation given for the addition of Pitt and Cuse plus the increased inventory was pegged closer to present market value, but this was never a renegotiation.

The other big reason for the anger is the fact that the ACC got their initial deal done before the Pac-12 and Big 12 really got the giant jump in money. Here’s a look at FSU fans mostly expressing relief and pleasant surprise at how good a deal the conference got when the deal was announced in 2010. It looked like a pretty good deal at the time.

Lastly, the term “third-tier rights” means different things in different conference agreements. In the new ACC extension (as was the case in the original 2011-2023 agreement), ESPN retains exclusive rights to all football and men’s basketball games. Additionally, ESPN retains the first selection rights to women’s basketball and all other ACC sports such as baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, etc. Whatever is not selected for coverage and distribution by ESPN from these sports is retained by the member institutions.

Here’s the double-edged sword to that. Nothing upsets out-of-state (or market) fans more than not even being able to watch even the crappiest game on ESPN3.com. To have that, ESPN has to have all the rights

The view of 3d tier rights has become so skewed all because of the Longhorn Network. ESPN isn’t paying Texas $15 million a year for one football games and a few bad basketball games. They are paying that in no small part to keep the Big 12 intact, and because the Texas brand is strong enough to try this experiment.

This was a big shift by ESPN. To come out and directly talk about the deal itself. They don’t do that.

I know that it could simply be that ESPN felt it was in their overall best interest. More expansiopocolypse is not what ESPN wants. They definitely want FSU in the ACC, and don’t want to have to do yet another “composition clause” discussion with the Big 12 because the membership changed.

It is still a welcome change of tactics. One where they actually provide information and some effort at context.

Pitt Football Questions Heading Into 2012 ... Continued

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

Pitt Football Questions Heading Into 2012 ... Continued

Earlier we had a post briefly mentioning some of Pitt's questions heading into the 2012 season. But over at SB Nation Pittsburgh, I took a deeper look at them and added a few. Be sure to head over and take a look.

Chryst names Tino Sunseri the starter

Source: The Pitt Script Blog

This really shouldn't be surprising (via ESPN Big East blog):

Chryst said Tuesday during the ACC spring meetings, "He was the best quarterback we had out of spring. That's why he's the starter."

"The biggest thing for quarterbacking is being able to do it and doing it on a consistent level," Chryst said. "That’s your normal progression. He clearly was the best this spring that we had. You’re aware of the history but it doesn’t really matter for us. What do you have right now? It’s our job to coach them and how can you help everyone get better? He’s got a great opportunity. He has played in a lot of games, he does have experience. He’s got room to grow. If he chooses to grow, and I know it’s easier for us to say last year or two years before that doesn’t matter. It matters in the sense that you should learn from all of it, positive or negative. But it doesn’t matter going forward.

"Right now, if you were to say who gives you the best chance to have success, it would be him. So coach the heck out of him."

Yes, Tino was bad last season. I don't think that's debatable - poor offensive line and all. But honestly, who's going to beat him out? Both Mark Myers and Trey Anderson were all but begged to take the job away from him last season and neither could do it. Anthony Gonzalez has been moved from quarterback to just about every position out there. Chad Voytik? Only a very select few freshmen quarterbacks are able to come in and play after just one summer and I just don't see Voytik being ready right now.

The fact of it is that Pitt's quarterback situation is not ideal. Blame that on the instability. Blame it on the failure of Wannstedt to recruit better options (although his second half recruiting haul of Sunseri-Myers-Gonzolaz-Nova is pretty solid). Blame it on whatever you want, but the options right now are very limited. And three coaching staffs have all evaluated what they had and concluded Sunseri is the best option.

Chryst's job is to win games now. Tino Sunseri very well likely gives this team the best chance to win games in 2012. And that's why he's the starter.

Should USF build an on-campus stadium?

Source: Big East Football Blog

USF coach Skip Holtz set the conversation on building an on-campus stadium off and rolling last year when he said in a national interview he would be in favor of one if done the right way. Since then, Bulls fans have waited in anticipation to see if anything would actually happen. Athletic director Doug Woolard was recently asked the same question in an interview with WUSF-TV after renovations to the basketball arena were completed. This is what he said: "It's something I know are in some long-range plans.

Pitt offers New Jersey athlete - Pittsburgh [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Questions For Pitt Football Heading Into 2012

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

Andrea Adelson at ESPN looks into questions and answers for Pitt football heading into 2012. Hard to disagree with any of the questions (Ray Graham's return from injury, new defensive line, and, of course, Tino Sunseri's ability to be better).

She limited the questions to only three, but I'd add a couple more.

I still find Pitt's running back situation to be fascinating. With Graham, big-time freshman recruit Rushel Shell, and the emergence of Isaac Bennett in spring ball, what will Pitt do with all of those guys? I've

Chryst names Tino Sunseri the starter

Source: The Pitt Script Blog

This really shouldn't be surprising (via ESPN Big East blog):

Chryst said Tuesday during the ACC spring meetings, "He was the best quarterback we had out of spring. That's why he's the starter."

"The biggest thing for quarterbacking is being able to do it and doing it on a consistent level," Chryst said. "That’s your normal progression. He clearly was the best this spring that we had. You’re aware of the history but it doesn’t really matter for us. What do you have right now? It’s our job to coach them and how can you help everyone get better? He’s got a great opportunity. He has played in a lot of games, he does have experience. He’s got room to grow. If he chooses to grow, and I know it’s easier for us to say last year or two years before that doesn’t matter. It matters in the sense that you should learn from all of it, positive or negative. But it doesn’t matter going forward.

"Right now, if you were to say who gives you the best chance to have success, it would be him. So coach the heck out of him."

Yes, Tino was bad last season. I don't think that's debatable - poor offensive line and all. But honestly, who's going to beat him out? Both Mark Myers and Trey Anderson were all but begged to take the job away from him last season and neither could do it. Anthony Gonzalez has been moved from quarterback to just about every position out there. Chad Voytik? Only a very select few freshmen quarterbacks are able to come in and play after just one summer and I just don't see Voytik being ready right now.

The fact of it is that Pitt's quarterback situation is not ideal. Blame that on the instability. Blame it on the failure of Wannstedt to recruit better options (although his second half recruiting haul of Sunseri-Myers-Gonzolaz-Nova is pretty solid). Blame it on whatever you want, but the options right now are very limited. And three coaching staffs have all evaluated what they had and concluded Sunseri is the best option.

Chryst's job is to win games now. Tino Sunseri very well likely gives this team the best chance to win games in 2012. And that's why he's the starter.

Pittsburgh Football: Which Former Player Will Have the Best Rookie NFL Season

Source: Bleacher Report NCAAF

The Pittsburgh Panthers did not have a single player taken in the 2012 NFL draft.

That's really got to hurt, for a school that produced NFL sensation, Larry Fitzgerald.

Out of the nine Pitt players, there was not a single one that caught the eye of any of the 32 NFL teams.  Since then, several players have signed free-agent contracts:

• Offensive lineman Lucas Nix with the Oakland Raiders.
• Linebacker Greg Williams with the Houston Texans.
• Defensive back Antwuan Reed with the Cleveland Browns
• Linebacker Max Gruder with the Atlanta Falcons.
• Defensive back Buddy Jackson with the Indianapolis Colts.
• Defensive lineman Chas Alecxih with the Miami Dolphins

Now if none of these players were considered to be in the top 253 players then it is difficult to imagine any of them becoming a starter immediately.

It's going to be the little things.

A role on the special teams unit is more likely at this point in these players' careers.

While some of these players don't have the athleticism to play on special teams or to get real opportunities in their unit, this player will rise above the rest.

Begin Slideshow

Former Pitt guard Krauser arrested

Source: Post-Gazette

Former Pitt guard Carl Krauser was arrested Friday in Beaver Falls after police said he fled a DUI checkpoint.

Baseball: Pitt fails to seize opportunity to move up Big East standings

Source: The Pitt News by Sports Desk

The Pitt baseball team wasted a good opportunity last weekend to jump up the Big East standings and increase its chances of qualifying for the eight-team Big East Tournament.
Heading into their weekend series at Seton Hall, the Panthers sat one game behind Villanova for the crucial eighth-place spot in the Big East standings.
The Wildcats dropped two out of three games in their weekend series with Cincinnati, giving Pitt the chance to gain ground on Villanova.
The Panthers (26-24, 9-15 Big East) were unable to vault the Wildcats in the standings as Pitt also lost two out of its three games.
Pitt 7, Seton Hall 4
The weekend series started on Friday for the Panthers in South Orange, N.J., and Pitt picked up a big win to start the series.
An exciting first inning set the tone for Pitt as the team scored six runs on six hits.
After singling to right field, sophomore outfielder Stephen Vranka scored when senior first baseman Rick Devereaux doubled.
Freshman outfielder Boo Vazquez and junior third baseman Sam Parente then reached base to load them for sophomore outfielder Casey Roche, who tripled home all three Panthers.
Roche scored on the next at-bat when freshman catcher Elvin Soto hit a double, and sophomore shortstop Derik Wilson added another extra-base hit for Pitt with a double of his own that scored Soto for the sixth run of the inning.
With an early, big lead, senior pitcher Matt Iannazzo headed to the mound.
The Panthers got another run in the second inning when Parente scored an unearned run after a Pirates fielding error.
“The seven runs allows you to relax,” Iannazzo said, “but you have to pitch like it’s 1-0.”
Iannazzo pitched five scoreless innings before allowing three runs on three hits in the sixth inning. He continued until one out remained in the ninth inning before Pitt manager Joe Jordano pulled him in favor of Joe Harvey, who got the last out for the Panthers.
“It was a solid series for me,” Iannazzo said. “I threw well and saved our bullpen for the doubleheader.”
Seton Hall 4, Pitt 1
On Saturday, Pitt played a doubleheader against Seton Hall. In the second game of the series, the Panthers hoped to continue producing the offense that led them to Friday’s big win.
Despite picking up 10 hits, Pitt couldn’t replicate Friday’s performance, as it struggled to string the hits together in the same inning and dropped game two of the three-game set.
Seton Hall scored its first run off Pitt sophomore right-hander Ethan Mildren in the fourth inning.
Two innings later, the Pirates had a four-hit inning that produced two runs and gave them a 3-0 lead. Jordano then pulled Mildren, who finished with five strikeouts and zero walks in six innings of work.
The Panthers finally got their first run in the eighth inning when Parente singled in junior John Peluso, but Seton Hall quickly restored its three-run lead by scoring off sophomore pitcher J.R. Leonardi in the eighth inning.
Pitt attempted a comeback in the ninth when Vazquez, Evan Oswald and Ronald Sucre all recorded singles. But with the bases loaded, Vranka grounded into a game-ending double play that killed the potential rally.
Seton Hall 4, Pitt 3
The final game of the series had sophomore right-hander Matt Wotherspoon on the mound as the Panthers searched for a key win.
Seton Hall took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Pitt tied the game up in its half of the second when Soto singled in Roche.
The Pirates quickly regained their advantage when they scored another run in the bottom of the second, and the game didn’t produce any more runs until the eighth inning.
After striking out 10 batters, Jordano pulled Wotherspoon after he walked a batter.Jordano called on freshman closer Tanner Wilt, who struggled to finish the inning. The freshman gave up two hits that allowed the Pirates to take a commanding 4-1 lead.
Fighting for their playoff lives, the Panthers tried to fight back in the ninth inning.
Roche came through with a double that drove in sophomore Mike Douglas, who was running for Parente. Vazquez then scored Roche with another double to bring the score to 4-3.
“Both games finished with solid comeback attempts,” Devereaux said. “We just didn’t get the job done.”
With Vazquez on second base and only one out, Pitt failed to drive in the tying run, losing the game and the series.
“It was two tough ball games,” Jordano said of the doubleheader. “Both Seton Hall pitchers did a very nice job, as did ours. I thought Mildren did a solid job for us, and I thought Wotherspoon did a great job, as well.”
The Panthers finished the weekend one game back from Villanova in ninth place — the same standing they held going into the Seton Hall series.
Devereaux believes the Panthers still have a legitimate shot to qualify for the Big East Tournament.
“With Villanova doing what they did last weekend, it gives us a chance this weekend to still get in the tournament,” he said. “We can only control what we do and will be focused on winning our series against Louisville.”
But being behind Villanova by one game, Pitt doesn’t control its own destiny when it hosts the Cardinals in the vital season-ending series this weekend.
“It’s all coming down to this weekend,” Roche said. “Obviously, we’ll be checking on what Villanova is doing, but our main concern is winning one game at a time.”

Basketball: Future Panthers participate in high school charity event

Source: The Pitt News by Sports Desk

A pair of future Pitt basketball players joined some of college basketball’s brightest upcoming talents a few weeks ago to showcase their abilities for charity.
Chris Jones, who will be a freshman guard on the Pitt men’s team next season, showed off his skills on the court during the Mary Kline Classic on May 5, while 6-foot-11 Marvadene “Bubbles” Anderson, the most prominent member of the women’s team’s incoming recruiting class, judged the event’s dunk contest.
“I felt good out there playing with all these guys,” Jones said after the game. “It’s a very fun event to be a part of.”
The Mary Kline Classic — now in its second year of play — is an annual event hosted by high school basketball recruiting guru Alex Kline at the Pennington School in central New Jersey.
Kline, who lost his mother, Mary, to brain cancer when he was in elementary school, invited some of the most talented high school stars on the east coast to the event.
The event sends 100 percent of its proceeds to the American Cancer Society for brain tumor research.
“It makes it even better to come out here and play for a cause like this,” Jones said.
Jones, who scored 1,319 career points at Teaneck High School, signed his National Letter of Intent for Pitt in mid-April.
The 6-foot-5 guard was a New Jersey First Team All-State selection his senior season, during which he averaged 21.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
The new recruit said Pitt’s basketball tradition and his relationship with the current coaches were the key factors that led him to commit to the school.
“I want to be a part of Pitt’s great history,” Jones said. “Jamie Dixon is a nice man, a great coach. I also have a great relationship with [assistant coach] Brandin Knight and the rest of the coaching staff.”
Kline expressed optimism about Jones’ potential impact at Pitt.
“Chris is an extremely versatile player who will play both the [shooting guard] and [small forward] in college,” Kline said. “He is not going to see the floor early, but will make a great four-year player who will make a major impact in his junior and senior seasons at Pitt.”
Jones participated on the red senior team in the Mary Kline Classic — an event that included an underclassmen game and a senior game, along with skills, 3-point and dunk competitions.
“The Kline Classic was a great talent showcase, with some of the best high school players in the country,” said Ali Aneizi, a Pitt sophomore who attended the event. “The fact that Chris Jones was invited and played well shows that he can compete at Pitt’s level.”
Also representing Pitt at the event was Anderson, an 18-year-old native Jamaican who is considered to be the tallest teenage girl in the world.
She made her appearance as a featured judge in the dunk competition and generously gave most dunks a perfect 10 score.
Anderson, who averaged 23 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game at Rutgers Prep and has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” will hope to help rebuild a Pitt women’s basketball program that went winless in Big East play last season.
Along with Pitt’s 6-foot-11 men’s basketball center Malcolm Gilbert, who was watching his brother Marcus at the event, Anderson towered over much of the sell-out crowd.
“Bubbles could be the tallest defender Malcolm Gilbert has to practice against at Pitt,” Aneizi said, joking about the height of the pair of players.
This was the second consecutive year that two future Panthers participated in the Classic.
In 2011, Pitt recruits Khem Birch and John Johnson put up double-digit points in the event’s first year.
The second annual Mary Kline Classic raised a total of more than $20,000 for cancer research — an amount that nearly tripled last year’s total.
Kline said that he plans on moving the event to a bigger venue next year in the hope of attracting more donations for cancer research, as well as even better basketball talent.
“Next year’s event will feature an even more stacked lineup in the senior and underclassmen games,” Kline said, “including what we hope to be the No. 1 and No. 2 rising juniors in the country.”

Wilson: Bayern Munich, Chelsea square off in UEFA Champions League Final

Source: The Pitt News by Sports Desk

The favorites may not have made it to Saturday’s Union of European Football Associations Champions League Final, the most important match in European professional club soccer, but that doesn’t mean the match lacks appeal for the neutral fan.
The Champions League tournament, which pits the best European soccer clubs against each other, is rivaled only by The World Cup in terms of prestige. And the storylines leading up to this year’s deciding match between Bayern Munich (Germany) and Chelsea (England) make this set to be one of the most intriguing finals ever.
Although it’s common for Americans to call the Champions League Final the “Super Bowl” of soccer, the final’s worldwide viewership routinely dwarfs that of the football competition. The Super Bowl is more like the Champions League Final of American football.
For casual fans that haven’t followed the season — or soccer in general — thus far, here’s a rundown of the two clubs set to compete on Saturday.
Chelsea
The Blues have gone through nine managers since Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich took over as club owner in 2003.
This year’s new manager, André Villas-Boas, was an assistant at the club from 2004-2007, but that familiarity didn’t spare him from the wrath of the Russian. Villas-Boas was fired in March with Chelsea struggling in the Champions League and sitting at a disappointing fifth place in the English Premier League standings.
But interim manager Roberto Di Matteo has turned things around for Chelsea. He led the club to victory in England’s biggest club competition, the FA Cup, and now he hopes to win his second trophy as the Blues’ manager after just two months in charge.
To make it to the Champions League Final, Chelsea upset defending champion Barcelona, a team widely seen as the best ever for its sustained dominance over the past four seasons.
But the Blues aren’t happy simply to be in the final — they want to win it.
Since Abramovich’s takeover in 2003, Chelsea has won the Premier League three times and the FA Cup four times. All of this success, however, means little to Chelsea’s Russian owner, who continues to send the crystal-clear message that he will not accept anything less than Champions League titles.
After finishing sixth in this season’s Premier League, a defeat would also mean Chelsea would fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League for the first time in a decade. Only the top four teams in the Premier League standings qualify for Europe’s premier club competition each year.
It is safe to assume that if Di Matteo can’t guide the Blues to their first European crown, he too won’t return next season.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich is the most successful club in Germany’s history, having won the Bundesliga title 22 times and the Champions League four times.
Munich returns to the final after losing it to Inter Milan two years ago.
Die Roten, which means “The Reds” in German, finished second in the Bundesliga this season, securing Champions League qualification for next year.
But Bayern Munich enters the final on a sour note after an embarrassing 5-2 recent defeat in the German Cup Final to Borussia Dortmund.
Like Chelsea, Bayern Munich also upset one of Spain’s powerful clubs on the way to the final.
The German club beat Real Madrid, winners of this season’s Spanish league, in tie-breaking penalty kicks during the dramatic semifinal.
This Saturday, the Germans will become just the fourth team — and the first since 1984 — to play a Champions League Final in their home stadium, the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Historically, “home teams” are 2-1 in Champions League Finals, with the lone loss coming on penalty kicks, so this record bodes well for Bayern supporters.
With the club functioning as Germany’s predominant professional team, many players also play on the German national team. Joachim Löw, the manager of Team Germany, has voiced concern over the effects that a loss in the final might have on the eight Bayern players who will play for Germany in the European Championships beginning in June.
If there wasn’t enough riding on the match for both Chelsea and Bayern Munich, another English team — Tottenham Hotspur — will also be watching the match intently.
A Chelsea triumph means the Blues will qualify for next season’s Champions League — and Tottenham, a team that finished in the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot of the Premier League, will lose its place in the lucrative tournament.
Therefore, Tottenham’s players and fans will be huge Bayern Munich supporters this Saturday, because a Chelsea win would send Tottenham down to Europe’s secondary club competition, the Europa League, next season.
The Europa League is soccer’s equivalent to the NIT in college basketball: It has some good teams that just missed out on the big tournament, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that the glory — and more importantly, the money — is lacking. It’s a fate I would never wish on anyone, which is why I’ll be rooting for the Blues to lose.
But if Chelsea somehow does win, I know how to comfort Tottenham.
At least there is no soccer equivalent to the CBI.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Chelsea

Basketball odds and ends

Source: The Pitt Script Blog

A few random basketball links to clear before they get buried:

• I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. Steven Adams is adjusting to life of an American college basketball star (via The Post Game):

"Ever since I've been here, it's just been media, rah rah, media; I'm still getting used to it," he said. "At first I was real nervous, mumbling; I didn't know what to say. I never thought it would be like this. It's crazy."

Participating in events like the Jordan Brand Classic, an annual high school all-star game now in its 11th season, has helped Adams acclimate to the culture here and even learn to enjoy it.

"It can be quite fun," he said, "but sometimes I think it's too much attention for people my age. We're still high school players."

• Probably not going to happen, but let's speculate anyway. When Seth Greenberg got canned at Virginia Tech, his recruiting class left with him. Four-star power forward Montrezl Harrell signed his letter of intent but is asking for a release. The Washington Post speculates that Pitt is one potential landing spot. But there is absolutely no chance of Virginia Tech releasing him and allowing him to sign with an ACC team. Not going to happen. Even with the fresh media turd left by Bo Ryan.
• Jamie Dixon making himself at home. Jamie Dixon and Jim Boeheim are at this week's ACC meetings in Florida. No word yet on whether Dixon will save someone from a wrecked car or hand-deliver the conference's next expansion target. Stay tuned.
  
• At least someone will play Indiana. The ACC/B1G match-ups were released yesterday and as expected, they're pretty awesome. Tuesday, November 27 features UNC at Indiana and NC State at Michigan. Wednesday will have Ohio State at Duke, Virginia at Wisconsin and Michigan State at Miami. Not too shabby.
• At some point, Pitt becomes Villanova. Pitt has offered 2013 point guard Jaren Sina. Sina committed to Alabama last year before opening up his recruitment. Even with James Robinson, Pitt will need another point guard after Woodall graduates. The rest of the roster consists of combo guards and shooters. Here are some highlights from the Lebron Skills Academy.
• ZOMG! NUMBERS! Steven Adams will wear 13, James Robinson 0, Chris Jones 12, Zeigler 23. Plan your lives accordingly.
• Bringing the shirt-and-tie to Morgantown. Former Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart is joining Bob Huggins in Morgantown. Meh. I've never been an Everhart fan and his recruiting was always below par at Duquesne. (h/t Mike Twomey for the joke)
  
• Back to Jersey. Ashton Gibbs' brother, Sterling, is transferring from Texas to Seton Hall. He'll have to sit out 2012-13, so Pitt will likely never have to face him. FYI - there's a third Gibbs brother who is in the recruiting class of 2016 and is expected to be a high-major recruit.
• Mike Brey's plan to play five starters with an average age of 27 is foiled. Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis was denied a sixth year of eligibility after playing in just two games last season before tearing his ACL. The reason being that he was suspended for playing in a non-sanctioned exhibition game the summer of his sophomore year. By all accounts, it was similar to Pittsburgh's Greentree league, but without the NCAA's blessing. Keep being awesome and non-arbitrary, NCAA. In happier news for the Irish, Scott Martin was granted his sixth year.  So there's that.
  

The curious case of Savon Goodman

Source: The Pitt Script Blog

Even with two graduation seniors, Jamie Dixon was able to add four incoming players for next season. One of the extra scholarships came from Khem Birch, the other from little-used guard Isaiah Epps. So it would seem that Pitt's done recruiting for the season. But the recruiting saga of 2012 Philadelphia forward Savon Goodman just won't end.

The one time Villanova commit was at Pitt this weekend for an official visit (via Adam Zagoria):

Uncommitted 2012 wing Savon Goodman took an official visit to Pittsburgh this past weekend, his high school coach, Rob Moore, confirmed to SNY.tv.

Goodman was not immediately available for comment but Moore said the visit went well.

Of course, it seems that Mr. Goodman could be bound for prep school instead of a high-major program. And that seems to be the most likely option. Goodman is a great prospect, but he isn't the type of elite talent that can wait this long and expect to be able just commit somewhere.

And further, it's unclear whether Pitt would force out another player at this late date to make room. While it's a bit unseemly, I'd be ok with that. With Jones, Robinson and Zeigler all coming in this season, I have a tough time seeing where the minutes come from for both John Johnson and Cam Wright. And with a seemingly huge hole at power forward, Goodman would seem like a no-brainer to come in and play meaningful minutes behind Talib Zanna.

So while it seems unlikely that Savon Goodman will be gracing the floor of the Pete next season, you can bet Pitt will be all over him for 2013.

Catching up with Chris Jones, courtesy of Josh Verlin

Source: The Pitt Script Blog

Josh Verlin covers the Philadelphia basketball scene for the website Philahoops.com. Recently, he caught up incoming Pitt Panther Chris Jones and the two discussed his game, Jamie Dixon and his recruitment.

<<------------------------->>

Though the Pittsburgh Panthers are coming off their worst season in seven years, there are plenty of reasons for hope on the horizon.

One big reason is the incoming freshman class, a consensus top-15 group due mostly to the presence of 7-foot New Zealander Steven Adams, who many believe could have been a first-round NBA draft selection as early as this year.

After Adams and point guard James Robinson, a consensus top-60 recruit out of basketball powerhouse DeMatha (Md.), had both committed by September of 2011, it seemed the Panthers had found their two-man class to replace graduating seniors Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson.

The surprise transfer of Khem Birch meant a third scholarship was open to add to that stellar 2012 class, and that was all the opportunity that Teaneck (N.J.)’s Chris Jones needed.

After drawing mostly mid-major interest through his junior year, the 6-foot-5 wing’s impressive senior season earned Jones a scholarship offer from Jamie Dixon and Teaneck’s all-time leading scorer was headed for the Big East.

“Early on, he got a lot of interest from Atlantic 10 and Colonial conference and places like that, but I knew he was much better than that,” Teaneck head coach Jerome Smart told the Pitt Script Blog by phone on Thursday. “It was kind of, just wait it out and at the end of the year you’ll get the love that you’re supposed to get, if you have the season that I feel you’re supposed to have, which is what he did.”

“Pittsburgh actually got in a little bit late but I decided to go there because of the winning history they have at Pittsburgh,” Jones told the Pitt Script Blog at this weekend’s Mary Kline Classic. “Coach Dixon’s a great coach and he’s really known for developing players and I had a good relationship with coach Brandon Knight.”

Jones led Teaneck to a 31-1 record in his senior season, earning first-team all-state honors in averaging 21.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game to finish his career with over 1300 points.

That rebounding number is particularly impressive because, according to Smart, Jones averaged just 4.5 per game in 2010-11.

“He’s gotten much bigger, much stronger, much more physical and offensively he’s gotten much more aggressive even though he takes things in stride,” the second-year coach said.

“I’m really excited to start getting down to Pitt,” Jones said. “I’m starting to work out and everything so I’m really excited to get down there.”

Regarding his fellow incoming freshmen, Jones said he’d played against Robinson and called the point guard “tough” and “strong,” though he admitted he hadn’t yet seen Adams play.

Though the athletic guard/forward described himself as being an “above-average” shooter and an “average” handler, he did say he had plenty to continue working on in his game.

“My defense, getting faster, getting stronger; my jump shot,” he listed as areas he’s working on before college. “I’m looking to work on anything...my handle also.”

Jones could find himself initially fighting minutes for behinds behind juniors Lamar Patterson and J.J. Moore, sophomore Cameron Wright and redshirt freshman Durand Johnson, all of whom are capable of playing the G/F role.

Still, even if Jones ends up taking a redshirt, it doesn't seem like he’s the type to mope about needing to wait his turn to play.

“I said time and time again...speaking to our younger kids, you don’t have to look anywhere else for how you should conduct yourself on and off the court, it’s in front of you every day,” Smart said about his star. “You could always count on him to be there for workouts, he was a leader all the time in the weightroom, on and off the court, in the classroom, walking around the building, he was like the perfect person to carry the flag.

He continued: “A lot of times you take over a program and it’s a mess. I was fortunate enough to have a guy who was like a poster child for what you want your player to be.”

If he keeps working like he has been over the last two years, maybe the least-heralded of Pitt’s 2012 class could end up being the diamond in the rough.

<<----------------->>

Thanks a lot, Josh!

Josh Verlin is a staff writer for Philahoops.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jmverlin.

Pitt Panthers Football: Paul Chryst Tabs Tino Sunseri as Starting Quarterback

Source: Bleacher Report NCAAF

To the surprise of absolutely no one, new Pitt head coach Paul Chryst is sticking with veteran Tino Sunseri as the team's starting quarterback going into fall practice.

Chryst said Tuesday during the ACC spring meetings, "He was the best quarterback we had out of spring. That's why he's the starter."

After a brutal 2011 season in which he never really grasped the "low-octane" offense of former head coach Todd Graham, Sunseri gets a fresh start in 2012 under his third offense in as many years.

Sunseri threw for 2,616 yards and only 10 touchdowns in 2011, and also threw 11 interceptions while getting sacked an NCAA-leading 61 times. Despite the lack of production, there really wasn't much competition for the job this spring, as Sunseri's only competition was Mark Myers and Trey Anderson.

The move by Chryst is the right one.

A first-year head coach needs a veteran signal-caller, and while Sunseri will never be confused with a Heisman Trophy contender, he did show some ability in 2010 by throwing 16 touchdowns to only nine interceptions under former coach Dave Wannstedt.

Sunseri was not a good fit for Graham's spread attack, but his primary problem through two years as a starter has been overall inconsistent play.

He can make a couple of good throws on one drive, then leave you scratching your head the next.

Pitt fans may not be happy seeing Sunseri under center for a third-straight season, but given the current roster he's the only real option Chryst has.

That could change when heralded freshman Chad Voytik arrives for fall practice, and it will be interesting to see how much Voytik is worked in initially as Chryst has yet to name a backup.

The chance of Voytik being named the starter for the opener is slim, but if the freshman has a good camp it wouldn't surprise me to see him worked in early.

As for now though, it's another year of Sunseri under center for the Panthers. Hopefully for their sake he can bounce back and be a somewhat productive quarterback.

Read more Pitt Football news on BleacherReport.com

Sunseri It Is! Let the Riots Begin!

Source: Pitts Blather by Reed

Does this actually surprise anyone?  Really?

ESPN has a short interview with Paul Chryst today where he state that Tino Sunseri will be the staring QB for the Panthers going into the 2012 season.

We here at the Blather have been trying to get you guys to prepare yourselves for this announcement for sometime.  It wasn’t a hard call for Chryst to make.

It makes sense also as much as we may not want it to. Here is a rather telling point and one that some fans just refused to believe:

He clearly was the best this spring that we had. You’re aware of the history but it doesn’t really matter for us. Then here is this zinger. “You’re aware of the history but it doesn’t really matter for us. What do you have right now? It’s our job to coach them and how can you help everyone get better? He’s got a great opportunity. He has played in a lot of games, he does have experience. He’s got room to grow. If he chooses to grow, and I know it’s easier for us to say last year or two years before that doesn’t matter. It matters in the sense that you should learn from all of it, positive or negative. But it doesn’t matter going forward. 

Look, let’s be brutally honest here and stop bullshitting around. We have no decent QB on the roster but Tino Sunseri and he’s suspect as hell. If anyone harbors any hope for any of the other four QBs, lets add Gonzalez just for more psychic pain, just let go of it now while you still have some sanity…

“Chryst said nobody grabbed the backup quarterback job. As for what he anticipates for Chad Voytik once the four-star prospect arrives this summer, Chryst said, “First he’s got to get here. Then we’ve got to see how he picks up things. I anticipate him getting work. Legitimately getting work and then we’ll see.”

Got that?  No – Body – Grabbed – the – Backup – Job.  Not third year QB Mark Myers, not Shorty Anderson and not Smoke Gonzales.  It is a ship of fools we have here, step right up!

So what we have left is a longshort miracle that may or may not be happenning in training camp with Chad voytik.  But here’s a bit of advice.  Don’t back the wrong horse…

“Coming around the clubhouse turn!  It’s “Tino Time” with the big lead and… hold on!  Here comes the Tennessee stud closing fast!!!   It’s a horse race again folks, anything can happen….!”

… in our dreams.

Pitt, Syracuse take places at ACC meetings

Source: Big East Football Blog

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Pitt and Syracuse are caught in a bit of no man's land right now. With one foot out of the Big East door and one foot in the ACC door, the two schools had their representatives at the ACC spring meetings this week. It may seem strange or awkward, but the programs are persona non grata at the Big East, after announcing their defections last September. They will not be at the Big East spring meetings next week, and are trying to move forward with their eyes to the ACC future.

Baseball. Pitt Baseball Wins Eighth Straight Over Youngstown State

Source: Pitt Official Site

Alex Caravella won his fourth consecutive start, going six innings in Pitt's 5-2 win at Youngstown State on Tuesday. The Panthers have won four straight games against non-conference opponents.

Attending Bill O'Brien's Pittsburgh Visit - The Penn State Coach Talked Pitt, Recruiting, And More

Source: Cardiac Hill by mikeo90

New Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien made his first visit to Pittsburgh Monday night, as the Penn State Coaches Caravan bus rolled into town. I had an opportunity to attend the event, at downtown's Omni William Penn, and listen to O'Brien speak on a variety of college football matters, including everyone's favorite topic - the revival of Pitt/Penn State. When asked about resuming the Pennsylvania Classic, O'Brien, who has previously voiced support for the game, affirmed his desire to play Pitt annually, while recognizing the possible limitations

Big East spending, revenue figures

Source: Big East Football Blog

USA Today has come out with its thorough annual study into expenses and revenues at every single Division I public school, and the results are not all that surprising. Only 22 schools among all Division I public schools operate in the black, generating enough revenue to cover all athletics expenses. UConn and Louisville are the only two Big East schools that fit that category among the six public league schools that provided information to the news organization.

Chryst says Tino Sunseri is his starter

Source: Big East Football Blog

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Pitt coach Paul Chryst came right out and said what had become obvious this spring -- Tino Sunseri is his starting quarterback going into fall practice. Chryst said Tuesday during the ACC spring meetings, "He was the best quarterback we had out of spring. That's why he's the starter." Sunseri had been competing with Mark Myers and Trey Anderson for the starting job after a pretty brutal 2011 season. The truth is that Sunseri was not really a match for the spread offense under former coach Todd Graham.

Jamie Dixon And NABC Talk College Basketball Transfers

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

Interesting note here that Jamie Dixon and the National Association of Basketball Coaches met last Thursday to discuss transfer situations. In a nutshell, the transfer situation in the sport is just short of a mess. The rules aren't consistent enough and players are probably punished a bit too much in many cases.

I understand the gist of the rule and without any type of penalty, players would be jumping from team to team far more often. But in a kid like Trey Zeigler's case, where his father was fired, a kid should probably be able to play right away without

Soto says Pitt visit felt like home - Pittsburgh [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Dixon and Pitt keeping an eye on Pa. wing - Pittsburgh [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAB

Entering the Hall: Art Monk

Source: Big East Football Blog

Before he became one of the most successful wide receivers in NFL history, Art Monk was a collegiate running back. Monk, who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday, looked like he might follow in the footsteps of great Syracuse running backs like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. He rushed for more than 560 yards as a sophomore and a junior. But Monk eventually proved even more valuable as a receiver, where he became an All-American as a senior in 1979.

Basketball odds and ends

Source: The Pitt Script Blog

A few random basketball links to clear before they get buried:

• I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. Steven Adams is adjusting to life of an American college basketball star (via The Post Game):

"Ever since I've been here, it's just been media, rah rah, media; I'm still getting used to it," he said. "At first I was real nervous, mumbling; I didn't know what to say. I never thought it would be like this. It's crazy."

Participating in events like the Jordan Brand Classic, an annual high school all-star game now in its 11th season, has helped Adams acclimate to the culture here and even learn to enjoy it.

"It can be quite fun," he said, "but sometimes I think it's too much attention for people my age. We're still high school players."

• Probably not going to happen, but let's speculate anyway. When Seth Greenberg got canned at Virginia Tech, his recruiting class left with him. Four-star power forward Montrezl Harrell signed his letter of intent but is asking for a release. The Washington Post speculates that Pitt is one potential landing spot. But there is absolutely no chance of Virginia Tech releasing him and allowing him to sign with an ACC team. Not going to happen. Even with the fresh media turd left by Bo Ryan.
• Jamie Dixon making himself at home. Jamie Dixon and Jim Boeheim are at this week's ACC meetings in Florida. No word yet on whether Dixon will save someone from a wrecked car or hand-deliver the conference's next expansion target. Stay tuned.
  
• At least someone will play Indiana. The ACC/B1G match-ups were released yesterday and as expected, they're pretty awesome. Tuesday, November 27 features UNC at Indiana and NC State at Michigan. Wednesday will have Ohio State at Duke, Virginia at Wisconsin and Michigan State at Miami. Not too shabby.
• At some point, Pitt becomes Villanova. Pitt has offered 2013 point guard Jaren Sina. Sina committed to Alabama last year before opening up his recruitment. Even with James Robinson, Pitt will need another point guard after Woodall graduates. The rest of the roster consists of combo guards and shooters. Here are some highlights from the Lebron Skills Academy.
• ZOMG! NUMBERS! Steven Adams will wear 13, James Robinson 0, Chris Jones 12, Zeigler 23. Plan your lives accordingly.
• Bringing the shirt-and-tie to Morgantown. Former Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart is joining Bob Huggins in Morgantown. Meh. I've never been an Everhart fan and his recruiting was always below par at Duquesne. (h/t Mike Twomey for the joke)
  
• Back to Jersey. Ashton Gibbs' brother, Sterling, is transferring from Texas to Seton Hall. He'll have to sit out 2012-13, so Pitt will likely never have to face him. FYI - there's a third Gibbs brother who is in the recruiting class of 2016 and is expected to be a high-major recruit.
• Mike Brey's plan to play five starters with an average age of 27 is foiled. Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis was denied a sixth year of eligibility after playing in just two games last season before tearing his ACL. The reason being that he was suspended for playing in a non-sanctioned exhibition game the summer of his sophomore year. By all accounts, it was similar to Pittsburgh's Greentree league, but without the NCAA's blessing. Keep being awesome and non-arbitrary, NCAA. In happier news for the Irish, Scott Martin was granted his sixth year.  So there's that.
  

Annnnddd Pitt-Penn St. Recedes to Wishful Thinking

Source: Pitts Blather by Chas

I hope you are not surprised by this predictable outcome. New PSU Head Coach Bill O’Brien generated plenty of pixels of media coverage and cheers from the Penn State base at saying he wants to restart the tradition and play Pitt annually. As I wrote a little over a week ago, I didn’t see it likely to occur. And that was even without taking into account the Pac-12-Big 10 deal to have annual games between the conferences that will be home-and-away. Effectively giving every Big 10 a quality non-con game every year to to with 8 conference games.

That leaves only 3 non-con games left. And we know from past Paterno deflections, Penn State needs to have 2 guarantee home games every year. Soooo… Gentlemen. Start. Your. Hedging.

Penn State has four non-conference games, and O’Brien says he’d like to play a neutral site game (The Meadowlands and Washington, D.C., are possibilities) to begin the season against a traditional or new rival (such as Alabama or Notre Dame). Moreover, in 2017, the Big Ten and Pac-12 are expected to begin an annual non-conference game between the conferences, further crowding the schedule.

That leaves two non-conference games remaining, and both of those must be moneymakers for the health of the program. In other words, they must be guarantee games against teams that can’t expect a return game.

“We’ll see what happens,” O’Brien said Monday. “I’d like to find a way to make it all work out.”

O’Brien has spoken at length since arriving at Penn State about the desire to play Pitt annually, but admitted Monday it may not happen because of logistics.

O’Brien is overpromising on the schedule, because PSU fans are tired of a non-con schedule that might have one good team every other year at home and at least patsies. That’s not changing too radically.

The teams may play periodically, but it won’t be on an annual basis. Now if the basketball teams want to start back up with things that would be a good start.

Big East lunchtime links

Source: Big East Football Blog

Serving up your links. ... Cincinnati was the only Big East team to finish in the top 25 in the ESPN "College GameDay" contest. Former UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway will take over at Hofstra. Without Howard Schnellenberger, the College Football Hall of Fame class lacks fire. Video: former Louisville defensive end Greg Scruggs doesn't like the term "turf toe." Pitt's lawsuit against the Big East will most likely benefit the Panthers.

Pitt's Blue-Gold Game Attendance Disappointing By Comparison

Source: Cardiac Hill by CardiacHill

We knew Pitt's Blug-Gold game attendance wasn't very good. But how did it rank in comparison to other programs around the country.

Um, pretty bad.

Most of the BCS-conference schools in Division I offered attendance figures for their spring game and Pitt ranked 49th out of 60 teams with an estimated attendance of about 4,600 people.

I broke the whole Blue-Gold game thing down before and the bottom line is that the inability to draw even 5,000 fans during a time of year when many fans are football starved is an utter embarrassment. When I gave some

The Trickle Down Effect of Expansiopocolypse

Source: Pitts Blather by Chas

A little further down the food chain of college athletics, there is plenty of conference realignment happenings that I’ve ignored. With Temple re-joining the Big East, but this time as a full member, the A-10 had a need. They called Butler up from the Horizon League and VCU from the CAA.

Meanwhile C-USA is seeing UCF, SMU, Houston and Memphis coming to the Big East so they need anyone new blood. They pulled Charlotte and their soon-to-be-minted-in-2013 football program from the A-10, and are trying to get Old Dominion from the CAA. ODU, though, is taking a page from Mizzou and may not decide until the end of June.

That leaves an opening in the Horizon and maybe two spots in the CAA.  So, who is under consideration for membership in both conferences? How about Robert Morris?

The Horizon would seem like more of a natural fit with geography. It has Cleveland State, Youngstown St., Detroit and Wright St. within 5 hour bus trips. The problem is that RMU plays football, and the Horizon has no home for football. That’s where the CAA comes into play.

But there is still a problem.

The league is a good basketball league (although not nearly as good without VCU and ODU) with a roster of academic institutions with which the Robert Morris hierarchy would dearly like to be associated. RMU basketball has made the NCAA, NIT and CIT tournaments in recent seasons and the football team was in the NCAA playoffs two seasons ago.

Seems like a perfect fit. But the issue is money, and Robert Morris would need to spend some more should the Colonials want to move into the Colonial. According to the website Basketball State, Robert Morris spent $1.164 million on its basketball program in 2011. That would rank ninth of the 10 remaining schools in the Horizon and last of the 11 remaining schools in the Colonial. Of course, that also ranks 10th of the 12 schools in the NEC.

RMU president Gregory Dell’Omo is an ardent supporter of athletics as a major piece of the academic experience. There’s a new football stadium and some far-off plans for a new convocation center, which would house the basketball teams.

But he would need to authorize an increase in athletic spending by at least $7 million per year to be competitive with the Colonial schools (according to Basketball State).

Not sure where they could get another $7 million for athletics. Their enrollment –  undergrad and grad — is only around 5000. So there is no way to bleed it from the students with activity fees.  It seems that it would be a little too soon for RMU to make that big a leap. Yet, if the opportunity presents itself, maybe they figure they may never get a better chance to move up this far this fast.

 

Carl Krauser arrested on multiple charges

Source: Cardiac Hill by oaklandzoo12

Carl Krauser arrested on multiple charges

Krauser attempted to run from a sobriety checkpoint despite not being over the legal limit. Probably was because he had marijuana on him, other drug paraphernalia, a suspended license, and a loaded weapon.

Place face in palm.

Big East schools making academic gains

Source: Big East Football Blog

Every once in a while, it is important to remember that there is a reason players at every single university in America are called student-athletes. Because, you know, they are on campus to get that all-important degree. While everybody is familiar with what football players do on Saturday, every athlete you root for has an overloaded schedule filled with classes, study hall, home work, practice and film study. So I felt it is important to recognize two Big East schools that have made some serious strides with their academic reputations this last semester.

Not the Way to Return to Pittsburgh

Source: Pitts Blather by Chas

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.