Welcome back to In The Pitt, PantherLair.com’s new weekly discourse featuring a roundup of everything that’s happened in the past week, with insight and inside information thrown in for good measure.
September 19, 2008
Top of The Pitt
The big story in Pitt athletics this week - with all due respect to the newest hoops commit, which we’ll get to shortly - is tomorrow’s game against Iowa.
Just how big is tomorrow’s showdown? Well, I’ll leave the quantification to our Friday Guest, who addresses that topic directly, but I will say this:
I don’t think the players are being melodramatic when they say that it’s a statement game.
Bill Stull used that phrase last week and he reiterated it once again this week, and most of the players have backed him on it. This is a big game for these players, this team, this coaching staff, and this program.
At this point I was planning to launch into a line of thought about how, in the grand scheme of things, this game doesn’t carry the weight that 7 of the next 9 games will have. But here’s the problem:
There are multiple “grand schemes of things.”
In one sense, you can make the point that Pitt has yet to play a conference game, and since in-conference performance will probably have more bearing on who wins the conference and plays in the BCS game, those games inevitably carry more weight.
In that “grand scheme of things,” this game’s significance is considerably lighter.
But there’s another way of looking at this game, and it has to do with perception. And right now, the biggest issues within the Pitt football program are wholly due to perception.
Throughout the off-season, the athletic department worked to create the perception that Pitt is a football team (and program) on the way up. The victory over West Virginia and the emergence of LeSean McCoy provided ample firepower to create an image of the Panthers as a team that was very much ready to take the next step toward national prominence.
Upon this perception, many things were built, most notably an aura of hype and expectations aimed almost exclusively at selling tickets to Heinz Field. The efforts were more or less successful, with 45,000-plus (a respectable number for Pitt-Bowling Green) attending the season opener. But for the perception to become reality and, in effect, perpetuate itself to future seasons, Pitt needed to have a good 2008 campaign. The Panthers could not finish below .500. The Panthers could not get blown out at home.
But the unthinkable happened. The unimaginable happened. The “not-even-considered-as-a-possibility” happened.
Pitt lost to Bowling Green.
And as the crowd of 45,000-plus filed out of Heinz Field before the final whistle blew, the perception, the hype, and the expectations all went with it.
Even worse than the loss itself was the way it happened, with the oft-told punts and lay-ups for field goals, and as time ran out on the game, those vacant yellow seats were filled with an uneasy sensation of “here we go again.”
Just like that, the perception had changed from promise to let-down, and an uninspiring 27-16 win over Buffalo the next week did little to assuage the concerns of the fans.
But it’s not just about fan perception. In fact, fan perception might even be secondary to the perceptions of the players.
In the aftermath of the Buffalo win, Dave Wannstedt commented on a difference between his players’ attitudes at halftime of the Bowling Green game and their attitudes at halftime of the Buffalo win.
This quote is from the Buffalo post-game:
"Probably the most encouraging thing to me was our attitude at halftime as compared to last week at halftime, when we had a lead and everybody thought that the world was coming to an end and it did."
The scenario Wannstedt was referring to had Pitt leading Bowling Green 17-14 at halftime before being outscored 13-0 over the final two quarters. In the subsequent game, Pitt went into halftime with just a 10-9 lead over Buffalo, but the Panthers held a decided 17-7 advantage in the second half.
The difference?
According to Wannstedt, it was the players’ focus and their resolve to fight for 60 minutes.
Maybe.
Or, maybe the players “thought that the world was coming to an end” at halftime of the Bowling Green game (Wannstedt also said that the players had a look in their eye that seemed to question how the game was so close) because of the way the first half ended. Without over-stating a series that has already been over-dissected, the Pitt offense laid up for a field goal to take a three-point lead into halftime despite having 20-plus seconds deep in Bowling Green territory. Pitt never took a shot at the end zone in the series, and as the players jogged to the lockerroom after Conor Lee’s field goal, a chorus of boos rained down upon them.
So maybe it wasn’t a question of focus and resolve. Maybe the players had a look of doomsday desperation because, between the passive football philosophy and the vocal disdain from the home crowd, their energy was sapped.
Now, what changed in the Buffalo game, when Pitt’s halftime lead was far slimmer than it was against Bowling Green? The Panthers went into the lockerroom with momentum.
Pitt scored a field goal with 2:42 left in the second quarter to go up 10-6, but Buffalo answered back with a field goal drive of its own. The Panthers took the ball at their own 19 with 32 seconds remaining. On first down, LeSean McCoy rushed for 9 yards, and the gain seemed to imbue the players with some enthusiasm. Even the unnecessary 20 seconds that elapsed between the first-down snap and the eventual timeout prior to second down didn’t kill the energy, and the players and fans got even more riled up with McCoy took the next handoff 14 yards for a first down at Pitt’s 42.
The offensive players hustled to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with three seconds left. No one really believed that Pitt could get a touchdown out of the final play, but they tried, and even though Bill Stull’s pass was intercepted, the spark of life shown by the offense led to a fair amount of cheers as the Panthers headed for the tunnel.
And what happened when the team returned to the field for the second half? The offense scored on its first trip down the field en route to a 27-16 victory.
Could those 23 yards McCoy gained have sparked that much of a change in the players?
Yes, I do believe that’s exactly what happened, and that brings me back to the Iowa game.
The Pitt players need this win to get some momentum. Regardless of the outcome of the Buffalo game, I don’t think that created much momentum. But an effective win against Iowa - a strong, decisive, aggressive win against Iowa - can put this team in a good mindset to go to Syracuse, where Pitt should win rather handily. And an impressive win over Iowa followed by an expectedly-dominating win over Syracuse can set the team up very nicely for the all-important Thursday night game at South Florida the following week.
I generally don’t like broad statements and declarations, but I really believe that Pitt’s momentum for the rest of the season can be set in the right direction by Saturday’s game against Iowa. The players need to perceive themselves as a team that will attack opponents.
That’s what’s at stake in this game, and that’s the statement that can be made with a win.
The new Panther
The Pitt basketball team added a third name to its 2009 commitment list on Tuesday when Missouri City (TX) Hightower power forward J.J. Richardson picked the Panthers. Richardson, 6’7” 235, chose Pitt over a slew of mid-to-high-level offers, including scholarships from Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Tulsa, UTEP, Utah State, Wichita State, and more.
Richardson arrived on the scene in July at the Denton Reebok Great American Shootout at the University of North Texas, where he showed himself to be a force down low and on the glass.
After that, he finished out the month of July with several more strong performances in various AAU tournaments, and by early August he had a number of offers to his name. Pitt was among those offers, and he said that he definitely planned to visit the Panthers. At the time, TexasHoops.com said the following about Richardson:
“J.J. is a good paint player with a strong body. He moves well to the ball and has a soft touch inside 10 feet. He has good hands and uses body well.”
With the school year starting, Richardson set a visit to Pitt for the weekend of the Pitt football team’s game against Buffalo. At the time Richardson spoke highly of the Pitt coaching staff, and it was clear that his final decision would come down to Pitt and Oklahoma State.
After the visit to Pitt, Richardson had this to say:
“The visit went real good. Everything is real nice out there and there is a lot to offer in such a big conference. The coaches were great, and meeting the players showed me how down to earth they are as a team. The players were real comfortable to be around.
"I had a chance to see them practice and see the facilities which are unreal. Sometime this week, (head) coach (Jamie)Dixion will come by for a home visit."
The in-home visit came earlier this week, and that was when Richardson made his decision.
“I committed to Pittsburgh," said Richardson via text message. "The coaching staff and the players are really close and like a big family."
PantherLair.com’s Tony Greco caught up with Rick Nelson, Richardson’s AAU coach. Nelson said that Richardson made the decision that was right for him.
“J.J. was really impressed with the campus. He felt the family environment. That's one of the things we teach with our program, the family. The (Pitt) players brought him in, and made him feel part of the family. He was excited about everyone he came in contact with. He felt the hospitality. He felt everyone was genuine.”
So what kind of player is Pitt getting in Richardson?
Upon reporting his commitment, TexasHoops.com gave this scouting report:
“J.J. had an excellent summer as he played with relentless energy while he attacked the offensive boards. He has a nose for the ball off the boards, works hard for 2nd and 3rd shots and never gives up on an offensive possession. He is basically a paint scorer who gets his points right around the rim, makes strong moves off the low block and runs the floor hard. He is a solid defender, challenges shots and has a good basketball build.”
Rivals.com National Basketball Recruiting Senior Writer Justin Young offered the following:
“J.J. Richardson gives the Panthers some good 'ole Texas hustle. He's a blue-collar guy that plays with high-energy and grit down low. There isn't a lot of flash to him. His game is pretty nuts and bolts.”
At an AAU tournament in Houston this summer, Richardson 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Nelson spoke highly about the player’s rebounding ability and want-to.
Overall, that seems to be the book on Richardson: Hard-working. Tough-nosed. A real guts-and-grind kind of player. And, perhaps most important of all, a rebounder. From the sounds of things, Richardson has some holes in the way his offensive game will translate to college, but really, is there any other coach you would want to develop a player like Richardson other than Jamie Dixon?
I think Pitt found another quality role player for the Panthers’ system.
Not done yet
With Richardson on board, Dixon and company have three commitments for 2009 (plus re-enrollee Durand Scott is reportedly taking an official visit to Pitt this weekend as well.
Those recruits will be joined by current 2009 commits Lamar Patterson (6’5” 220 SF), who are also expected to be in town this weekend.
Football’s up-and-comers
Flipping back to the ball with two pointed ends, the Pitt football team is expected to host a handful of top prospects from the class of 2010 for the Iowa game tomorrow. Chief among the guests will be Sto-Rox standouts Kyle Baublitz.
As far as we can tell, Jones and Carswell are the only two of those five that have offers, but we expect those other three to pick up offers over the next few months. At this point, Pitt has offered Jones, Carswell, Fox Chapel offensive lineman Mike Hull from the class of 2010, but there are plenty more names who are on the list to receive offers sooner rather than later.
The good thing for Pitt is that there appear to be at least a handful of top juniors that should be relative shoo-ins for the Panthers. Jones and Carswell will be heavily recruited, but early indications are that they are Pitt’s to lose. Dieffenbach is the son of Pitt tennis coach George Dieffenbach, and he is also coached at Fox Chapel by former Pitt assistant Bryan Deal, so that should favor the Panthers as well.
After a relatively down year for quarterbacks in Pennsylvania, 2010 looks like a rebound class at signal-caller. Jones is already a name on the rise, and eastern Pa. quarterbacks Je’Ron Stokes, and the younger Stokes already claims an offer from the Volunteers.
We’ll be all over the class of 2010 in the next few weeks, particularly during that 16-day layoff between the South Florida and Navy games.
Under the lights
By popular demand we re-started the weekly Prospects Play Under the Lightshttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=996&CID=850610 feature, documenting the performances of Pitt’s commits and recruits. So far, Paul Jones has been one of the highlights, completing 39 of 57 pass attempts (68.4%) for 740 yards, 9 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Naples (FL) running back Carlos Hyde, an Ohio State-committed fullback. Pratt is a prospect to keep an eye on, and we’ll touch on that in the Recruiting Roundup.
Of the Pitt commits, Nyshier Oliver, but Adams and the St. Joe’s defense held him to just 32 yards on 9 carries. When it was all said and done, Adams came away with 7 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.
Maryland safety Carl Fleming has also been very good so far this season. When his Franklin team lost 42-7 in the season opener two weeks ago, Fleming was the lone bright spot, rushing for 90 yards and 1 touchdown on 12 carries. But Fleming was back on the field this past Monday to make up a game that was rained out from the previous Friday, and it’s safe to say that Franklin wouldn’t have won without him, as Fleming scored on a 15-yard touchdown run with :36 left on the clock to give Franklin a 43-40 advantage and the victory. Fleming finished with 174 yards and 3 touchdowns (scoring runs of 15, 25, and 67 yards) on 20 carries. Not too shabby.
Another recruit to keep an eye on throughout the season is Fox Chapel running back Montay Green. As a freshman in 2007, Green rushed for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns on 54 carries despite missing much of the season. Through three games in 2008, the 6’1” 220-pound sophomore has carried 51 times for 302 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he figures to become a pretty highly-recruited prospect over the next year. You have to figure that having former Pitt assistant Bryan Deal as the head coach at Fox Chapel will help the Panthers’ cause in this one.
Recruiting roundup
A few items to touch on around the recruiting world:
- For now, it looks like the Pitt staff is in a holding pattern with recruits in the class of 2009. The Panthers have 11 commitments in a class that could eventually extend to as many as 21, but the coaching staff seems to be taking a “wait and see” approach at this point for a number of reasons. For starters, I’ve gotten the impression that they like how they’ve addressed certain positions with the first 11 commits, particularly the two running backs, the three offensive linemen, and the three defensive linemen. So the urgency of getting top players at a specific positions isn’t really present right now.
Additionally, and this is somewhat connected to the first point, they’re not really in a position right now where they feel like they have to push for commitments. Historically, not much happens this time of year; that is to say, in-season commitments are a rarity. Pitt has had some over the past three years, but not many, and 2008 is shaping up the same way.
Another reason they’re playing it slow right now is that there seems to be a lot of players they’re evaluating. I have a feeling that over the next two months or so we could see a decent number of new offers go out to prospects who have stepped up in their senior seasons.
- Of course, this weekend was shaping up to have some interesting recruiting stuff to watch, as we expected had some other things come up, so neither is coming in. Instead, we expect the aforementioned 2010 prospects, as well as most of the local 2009 commits and a number of 2009 recruits to be on hand at Heinz Field. Stay tuned to Pantherlair.com throughout the day Saturday and into Sunday for names, photos, and reports on who shows up.
- That being said, there are a few guys to keep an eye on. Earlier I mentioned Greg Pratt, and he’s an interesting prospect. Pitt has two running back commits in Ray Graham - both of whom should make for colorful Prospects Play Under the Lights reports, since both are expected to have big seasons - but the word is they’ll take one more, and Pratt could very well be the guy. He’s got a handful of BCS offers, and a big senior season could increase that number, but it doesn’t seem like the Florida schools are after him, and that’s always the first step in recruiting a Sunshine State prospect.
Pratt told us earlier this week that he plans to take an official visit to Pitt later this fall, and the Pitt coaches will be attending his game the night after the Panthers play South Florida, so the lines of communication appear to be open and positive. Pratt definitely likes Pitt, and he looks like he’s a top candidate for the third running back spot in this class.
- Another main focus in the 2009 recruiting is Beaver Falls receiver he’s looking to make his decision in the near future, and that decision will likely come down to Pitt, Michigan, and Penn State. The signs seem to indicate that Pitt is the team to beat for this one, but we’ll see how things play out.
- I think Pitt is still in the mix for the Hoboken duo, defensive end he’s considering Pitt for one of his official visits.
Originally I thought that both Holmes and Nunez were Maryland’s to lose, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. And as long as Pitt gets an official visit, anything can happen.
- A week ago it looked like the odd connection between Midwest City (OK) safety “right there with [Oklahoma State, his top school]”. So I guess there’s still a chance there.
- Another top safety prospect Pitt fans should keep an eye on is Irvington (NJ) super-athlete his most recent article, when he says "I haven't quite narrowed my list or thought about official visits” - but I’ve always heard that he and Jeff Hafley have a pretty strong relationship, so I think Pitt’s going to be part of it.
For context, Evans led Irvington to a 34-14 win over Union in the season opener last weekend with 148 yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 carries. One of his touchdown runs was for 66 yards, and he also threw for a 15-yard touchdown (he lines up at quarterback for Irvington).
Predictions
Before we go, I suppose we should do the old prediction thread thing again. Truth be told, I don’t think this Iowa team is all that great. If nothing else, I think they’re very beatable. Pitt’s definitely got the talent to beat a team like Iowa.
However, history has shown us that this is the kind of game that Pitt - under Dave Wannstedt - has usually lost. But because I think there’s still a chance for this season, I’m going to go with the home team at least one more time.
Pitt 25, Iowa 13
Add your prediction to the bottom of this thread.
Thanks for joining this week’s edition of In The Pitt. As always, feel free to e-mail chrispeak1@comcast.net with any suggestions, feedback, or other input.[/URL]
September 19, 2008
Top of The Pitt
The big story in Pitt athletics this week - with all due respect to the newest hoops commit, which we’ll get to shortly - is tomorrow’s game against Iowa.
Just how big is tomorrow’s showdown? Well, I’ll leave the quantification to our Friday Guest, who addresses that topic directly, but I will say this:
I don’t think the players are being melodramatic when they say that it’s a statement game.
Bill Stull used that phrase last week and he reiterated it once again this week, and most of the players have backed him on it. This is a big game for these players, this team, this coaching staff, and this program.
At this point I was planning to launch into a line of thought about how, in the grand scheme of things, this game doesn’t carry the weight that 7 of the next 9 games will have. But here’s the problem:
There are multiple “grand schemes of things.”
In one sense, you can make the point that Pitt has yet to play a conference game, and since in-conference performance will probably have more bearing on who wins the conference and plays in the BCS game, those games inevitably carry more weight.
In that “grand scheme of things,” this game’s significance is considerably lighter.
But there’s another way of looking at this game, and it has to do with perception. And right now, the biggest issues within the Pitt football program are wholly due to perception.
Throughout the off-season, the athletic department worked to create the perception that Pitt is a football team (and program) on the way up. The victory over West Virginia and the emergence of LeSean McCoy provided ample firepower to create an image of the Panthers as a team that was very much ready to take the next step toward national prominence.
Upon this perception, many things were built, most notably an aura of hype and expectations aimed almost exclusively at selling tickets to Heinz Field. The efforts were more or less successful, with 45,000-plus (a respectable number for Pitt-Bowling Green) attending the season opener. But for the perception to become reality and, in effect, perpetuate itself to future seasons, Pitt needed to have a good 2008 campaign. The Panthers could not finish below .500. The Panthers could not get blown out at home.
But the unthinkable happened. The unimaginable happened. The “not-even-considered-as-a-possibility” happened.
Pitt lost to Bowling Green.
And as the crowd of 45,000-plus filed out of Heinz Field before the final whistle blew, the perception, the hype, and the expectations all went with it.
Even worse than the loss itself was the way it happened, with the oft-told punts and lay-ups for field goals, and as time ran out on the game, those vacant yellow seats were filled with an uneasy sensation of “here we go again.”
Just like that, the perception had changed from promise to let-down, and an uninspiring 27-16 win over Buffalo the next week did little to assuage the concerns of the fans.
But it’s not just about fan perception. In fact, fan perception might even be secondary to the perceptions of the players.
In the aftermath of the Buffalo win, Dave Wannstedt commented on a difference between his players’ attitudes at halftime of the Bowling Green game and their attitudes at halftime of the Buffalo win.
This quote is from the Buffalo post-game:
"Probably the most encouraging thing to me was our attitude at halftime as compared to last week at halftime, when we had a lead and everybody thought that the world was coming to an end and it did."
The scenario Wannstedt was referring to had Pitt leading Bowling Green 17-14 at halftime before being outscored 13-0 over the final two quarters. In the subsequent game, Pitt went into halftime with just a 10-9 lead over Buffalo, but the Panthers held a decided 17-7 advantage in the second half.
The difference?
According to Wannstedt, it was the players’ focus and their resolve to fight for 60 minutes.
Maybe.
Or, maybe the players “thought that the world was coming to an end” at halftime of the Bowling Green game (Wannstedt also said that the players had a look in their eye that seemed to question how the game was so close) because of the way the first half ended. Without over-stating a series that has already been over-dissected, the Pitt offense laid up for a field goal to take a three-point lead into halftime despite having 20-plus seconds deep in Bowling Green territory. Pitt never took a shot at the end zone in the series, and as the players jogged to the lockerroom after Conor Lee’s field goal, a chorus of boos rained down upon them.
So maybe it wasn’t a question of focus and resolve. Maybe the players had a look of doomsday desperation because, between the passive football philosophy and the vocal disdain from the home crowd, their energy was sapped.
Now, what changed in the Buffalo game, when Pitt’s halftime lead was far slimmer than it was against Bowling Green? The Panthers went into the lockerroom with momentum.
Pitt scored a field goal with 2:42 left in the second quarter to go up 10-6, but Buffalo answered back with a field goal drive of its own. The Panthers took the ball at their own 19 with 32 seconds remaining. On first down, LeSean McCoy rushed for 9 yards, and the gain seemed to imbue the players with some enthusiasm. Even the unnecessary 20 seconds that elapsed between the first-down snap and the eventual timeout prior to second down didn’t kill the energy, and the players and fans got even more riled up with McCoy took the next handoff 14 yards for a first down at Pitt’s 42.
The offensive players hustled to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with three seconds left. No one really believed that Pitt could get a touchdown out of the final play, but they tried, and even though Bill Stull’s pass was intercepted, the spark of life shown by the offense led to a fair amount of cheers as the Panthers headed for the tunnel.
And what happened when the team returned to the field for the second half? The offense scored on its first trip down the field en route to a 27-16 victory.
Could those 23 yards McCoy gained have sparked that much of a change in the players?
Yes, I do believe that’s exactly what happened, and that brings me back to the Iowa game.
The Pitt players need this win to get some momentum. Regardless of the outcome of the Buffalo game, I don’t think that created much momentum. But an effective win against Iowa - a strong, decisive, aggressive win against Iowa - can put this team in a good mindset to go to Syracuse, where Pitt should win rather handily. And an impressive win over Iowa followed by an expectedly-dominating win over Syracuse can set the team up very nicely for the all-important Thursday night game at South Florida the following week.
I generally don’t like broad statements and declarations, but I really believe that Pitt’s momentum for the rest of the season can be set in the right direction by Saturday’s game against Iowa. The players need to perceive themselves as a team that will attack opponents.
That’s what’s at stake in this game, and that’s the statement that can be made with a win.
The new Panther
The Pitt basketball team added a third name to its 2009 commitment list on Tuesday when Missouri City (TX) Hightower power forward J.J. Richardson picked the Panthers. Richardson, 6’7” 235, chose Pitt over a slew of mid-to-high-level offers, including scholarships from Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Tulsa, UTEP, Utah State, Wichita State, and more.
Richardson arrived on the scene in July at the Denton Reebok Great American Shootout at the University of North Texas, where he showed himself to be a force down low and on the glass.
After that, he finished out the month of July with several more strong performances in various AAU tournaments, and by early August he had a number of offers to his name. Pitt was among those offers, and he said that he definitely planned to visit the Panthers. At the time, TexasHoops.com said the following about Richardson:
“J.J. is a good paint player with a strong body. He moves well to the ball and has a soft touch inside 10 feet. He has good hands and uses body well.”
With the school year starting, Richardson set a visit to Pitt for the weekend of the Pitt football team’s game against Buffalo. At the time Richardson spoke highly of the Pitt coaching staff, and it was clear that his final decision would come down to Pitt and Oklahoma State.
After the visit to Pitt, Richardson had this to say:
“The visit went real good. Everything is real nice out there and there is a lot to offer in such a big conference. The coaches were great, and meeting the players showed me how down to earth they are as a team. The players were real comfortable to be around.
"I had a chance to see them practice and see the facilities which are unreal. Sometime this week, (head) coach (Jamie)Dixion will come by for a home visit."
The in-home visit came earlier this week, and that was when Richardson made his decision.
“I committed to Pittsburgh," said Richardson via text message. "The coaching staff and the players are really close and like a big family."
PantherLair.com’s Tony Greco caught up with Rick Nelson, Richardson’s AAU coach. Nelson said that Richardson made the decision that was right for him.
“J.J. was really impressed with the campus. He felt the family environment. That's one of the things we teach with our program, the family. The (Pitt) players brought him in, and made him feel part of the family. He was excited about everyone he came in contact with. He felt the hospitality. He felt everyone was genuine.”
So what kind of player is Pitt getting in Richardson?
Upon reporting his commitment, TexasHoops.com gave this scouting report:
“J.J. had an excellent summer as he played with relentless energy while he attacked the offensive boards. He has a nose for the ball off the boards, works hard for 2nd and 3rd shots and never gives up on an offensive possession. He is basically a paint scorer who gets his points right around the rim, makes strong moves off the low block and runs the floor hard. He is a solid defender, challenges shots and has a good basketball build.”
Rivals.com National Basketball Recruiting Senior Writer Justin Young offered the following:
“J.J. Richardson gives the Panthers some good 'ole Texas hustle. He's a blue-collar guy that plays with high-energy and grit down low. There isn't a lot of flash to him. His game is pretty nuts and bolts.”
At an AAU tournament in Houston this summer, Richardson 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Nelson spoke highly about the player’s rebounding ability and want-to.
Overall, that seems to be the book on Richardson: Hard-working. Tough-nosed. A real guts-and-grind kind of player. And, perhaps most important of all, a rebounder. From the sounds of things, Richardson has some holes in the way his offensive game will translate to college, but really, is there any other coach you would want to develop a player like Richardson other than Jamie Dixon?
I think Pitt found another quality role player for the Panthers’ system.
Not done yet
With Richardson on board, Dixon and company have three commitments for 2009 (plus re-enrollee Durand Scott is reportedly taking an official visit to Pitt this weekend as well.
Those recruits will be joined by current 2009 commits Lamar Patterson (6’5” 220 SF), who are also expected to be in town this weekend.
Football’s up-and-comers
Flipping back to the ball with two pointed ends, the Pitt football team is expected to host a handful of top prospects from the class of 2010 for the Iowa game tomorrow. Chief among the guests will be Sto-Rox standouts Kyle Baublitz.
As far as we can tell, Jones and Carswell are the only two of those five that have offers, but we expect those other three to pick up offers over the next few months. At this point, Pitt has offered Jones, Carswell, Fox Chapel offensive lineman Mike Hull from the class of 2010, but there are plenty more names who are on the list to receive offers sooner rather than later.
The good thing for Pitt is that there appear to be at least a handful of top juniors that should be relative shoo-ins for the Panthers. Jones and Carswell will be heavily recruited, but early indications are that they are Pitt’s to lose. Dieffenbach is the son of Pitt tennis coach George Dieffenbach, and he is also coached at Fox Chapel by former Pitt assistant Bryan Deal, so that should favor the Panthers as well.
After a relatively down year for quarterbacks in Pennsylvania, 2010 looks like a rebound class at signal-caller. Jones is already a name on the rise, and eastern Pa. quarterbacks Je’Ron Stokes, and the younger Stokes already claims an offer from the Volunteers.
We’ll be all over the class of 2010 in the next few weeks, particularly during that 16-day layoff between the South Florida and Navy games.
Under the lights
By popular demand we re-started the weekly Prospects Play Under the Lightshttp://pittsburgh.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=996&CID=850610 feature, documenting the performances of Pitt’s commits and recruits. So far, Paul Jones has been one of the highlights, completing 39 of 57 pass attempts (68.4%) for 740 yards, 9 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Naples (FL) running back Carlos Hyde, an Ohio State-committed fullback. Pratt is a prospect to keep an eye on, and we’ll touch on that in the Recruiting Roundup.
Of the Pitt commits, Nyshier Oliver, but Adams and the St. Joe’s defense held him to just 32 yards on 9 carries. When it was all said and done, Adams came away with 7 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.
Maryland safety Carl Fleming has also been very good so far this season. When his Franklin team lost 42-7 in the season opener two weeks ago, Fleming was the lone bright spot, rushing for 90 yards and 1 touchdown on 12 carries. But Fleming was back on the field this past Monday to make up a game that was rained out from the previous Friday, and it’s safe to say that Franklin wouldn’t have won without him, as Fleming scored on a 15-yard touchdown run with :36 left on the clock to give Franklin a 43-40 advantage and the victory. Fleming finished with 174 yards and 3 touchdowns (scoring runs of 15, 25, and 67 yards) on 20 carries. Not too shabby.
Another recruit to keep an eye on throughout the season is Fox Chapel running back Montay Green. As a freshman in 2007, Green rushed for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns on 54 carries despite missing much of the season. Through three games in 2008, the 6’1” 220-pound sophomore has carried 51 times for 302 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he figures to become a pretty highly-recruited prospect over the next year. You have to figure that having former Pitt assistant Bryan Deal as the head coach at Fox Chapel will help the Panthers’ cause in this one.
Recruiting roundup
A few items to touch on around the recruiting world:
- For now, it looks like the Pitt staff is in a holding pattern with recruits in the class of 2009. The Panthers have 11 commitments in a class that could eventually extend to as many as 21, but the coaching staff seems to be taking a “wait and see” approach at this point for a number of reasons. For starters, I’ve gotten the impression that they like how they’ve addressed certain positions with the first 11 commits, particularly the two running backs, the three offensive linemen, and the three defensive linemen. So the urgency of getting top players at a specific positions isn’t really present right now.
Additionally, and this is somewhat connected to the first point, they’re not really in a position right now where they feel like they have to push for commitments. Historically, not much happens this time of year; that is to say, in-season commitments are a rarity. Pitt has had some over the past three years, but not many, and 2008 is shaping up the same way.
Another reason they’re playing it slow right now is that there seems to be a lot of players they’re evaluating. I have a feeling that over the next two months or so we could see a decent number of new offers go out to prospects who have stepped up in their senior seasons.
- Of course, this weekend was shaping up to have some interesting recruiting stuff to watch, as we expected had some other things come up, so neither is coming in. Instead, we expect the aforementioned 2010 prospects, as well as most of the local 2009 commits and a number of 2009 recruits to be on hand at Heinz Field. Stay tuned to Pantherlair.com throughout the day Saturday and into Sunday for names, photos, and reports on who shows up.
- That being said, there are a few guys to keep an eye on. Earlier I mentioned Greg Pratt, and he’s an interesting prospect. Pitt has two running back commits in Ray Graham - both of whom should make for colorful Prospects Play Under the Lights reports, since both are expected to have big seasons - but the word is they’ll take one more, and Pratt could very well be the guy. He’s got a handful of BCS offers, and a big senior season could increase that number, but it doesn’t seem like the Florida schools are after him, and that’s always the first step in recruiting a Sunshine State prospect.
Pratt told us earlier this week that he plans to take an official visit to Pitt later this fall, and the Pitt coaches will be attending his game the night after the Panthers play South Florida, so the lines of communication appear to be open and positive. Pratt definitely likes Pitt, and he looks like he’s a top candidate for the third running back spot in this class.
- Another main focus in the 2009 recruiting is Beaver Falls receiver he’s looking to make his decision in the near future, and that decision will likely come down to Pitt, Michigan, and Penn State. The signs seem to indicate that Pitt is the team to beat for this one, but we’ll see how things play out.
- I think Pitt is still in the mix for the Hoboken duo, defensive end he’s considering Pitt for one of his official visits.
Originally I thought that both Holmes and Nunez were Maryland’s to lose, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. And as long as Pitt gets an official visit, anything can happen.
- A week ago it looked like the odd connection between Midwest City (OK) safety “right there with [Oklahoma State, his top school]”. So I guess there’s still a chance there.
- Another top safety prospect Pitt fans should keep an eye on is Irvington (NJ) super-athlete his most recent article, when he says "I haven't quite narrowed my list or thought about official visits” - but I’ve always heard that he and Jeff Hafley have a pretty strong relationship, so I think Pitt’s going to be part of it.
For context, Evans led Irvington to a 34-14 win over Union in the season opener last weekend with 148 yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 carries. One of his touchdown runs was for 66 yards, and he also threw for a 15-yard touchdown (he lines up at quarterback for Irvington).
Predictions
Before we go, I suppose we should do the old prediction thread thing again. Truth be told, I don’t think this Iowa team is all that great. If nothing else, I think they’re very beatable. Pitt’s definitely got the talent to beat a team like Iowa.
However, history has shown us that this is the kind of game that Pitt - under Dave Wannstedt - has usually lost. But because I think there’s still a chance for this season, I’m going to go with the home team at least one more time.
Pitt 25, Iowa 13
Add your prediction to the bottom of this thread.
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