From the desk of Jim Snyder
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Housekeeping
Chris Peak has updated the Future Schedules. We have a new format which we are hoping is easier to update going forward. You can find Pitt’s future football schedules under Quick Links. Keep in mind the ESPN networks owns the rights to all Big East home games so dates and times are never firm until ESPN has signed off on them.
Hoops talk
Tony Greco, Pete Madia and I were all in Madison Square Garden to see Pitt beat Duke. The wife and I took a few extra days to tour New York City. The Big Apple always put you on sensory overload and particularly at Christmas time.
Levance Fields and DeJuan Blair were not the only ones to put on a show that night in Madison Square Garden. They had a group of young teens who played drums at halftime. I believe they were called the Sounds of Thunder. They were outstanding with a flair for the dramatic. They were a nice appetizer for what came later.
The knee injury has ended Mike Cook’s season and probably his career at Pitt. Mike started 48 games for Pitt. The Panthers were 40-8 during the span.They surely will miss his experience the balance of this season. Last year Mike averaged 10.5 points per game and he was averaging 10.4 per game this year.
One of our readers suggested losing Mike’s experience might cost the Panthers a game or two this year but the experience the youngsters gain might help them win a game or two next year. It is probably a fair assessment.
The Panthers could still be a year away from peaking. Levance Fields, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair form the core of this year’s team and they should all be back next year. Any experience gained by Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker this year should really pay off next season.
Some of our readers have questioned if Mike Cook would get a medical redshirt. I guess it is theoretically possible but not unlikely on many fronts. You can read more about Cook’s redshirt possibilities in Chris Peak’s post on the Center Court at the Pete message board.
After the game I reported Coach Dixon was talking to his mother about options for Mike. On reflection I think he was talking about travel plans for the holidays. Most Pitt players returned home for Christmas. The question might have been should Mike go back to Pittsburgh for further evaluation or return to his home in Philadelphia.
The Panthers still have one big non-conference hurdle to get past. The trip to Dayton this Saturday night has the makings of a trap game. Pitt is coming off an emotional high with the win over Duke. They are also coming off a Christmas break and they will have a new starter(Gilbert Brown)in their lineup.
The Flyers (10-1) will be playing in front of a crowd of 13,000 who would like nothing better than to see their home team knock off the nationally-ranked Panthers. The Flyers have won nine in a row including a road win over Louisville. They are sitting just outside the Top 25 so a win could mean a national ranking for the Flyers.
This is the final game in a five-game stretch of non-conference games that all were potential pitfalls. It has not been easy. Pitt hung on to beat Washington on the road after a basket was waived off at the buzzer. The Duke win required a dramatic three-point shot in overtime. Finishing this five-game stretch with a road win over Dayton (10-1) could be big come NCAA selection time.
All you need to know about Ohio State
Former Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee returned to Ohio State this past year. Gee makes $1.0+ million while the football and basketball coach are both paid approximately $2.5 million.
The Ohio State University has the largest athletic budget in the country with a budget of approximately $102 million. Gee was quoted this past week as saying the big difference between the two schools is that at Vanderbilt the athletic director reported to him.
Expanding the Big East
Over the past few years I have wondered all over the place on Big East expansion and/or reorganization. Central Florida may slowly be positioning itself as a viable candidate. UCF has grown to the point where it now has 49,000 students. It also located in a top 20 television market.
Central Florida recently built an on campus football stadium and basketball arena. Central Florida will host Connecticut tonight in their new 10,000 seat basketball arena.
There are a couple of problems with them joining. It appears South Florida will fight them the same way Virginia blocked Virginia Tech from joining the ACC for many years.
You also still have the problem of Mike Tranghese and his staff in Providence trying to keep the basketball only schools in the mix.
New AD at Nebraska
Nebraska gave Steve Pederson at new five-year deal this past summer. The football team struggled this fall and former head coach Tom Osborne started a power play which forced Steve out. The next thing you knew Osborne was named the interim AD and now has been made the athletic director for at least the next two years. Hmmm!
U.S. Army All-American game
As reported earlier Rivals.com has a new multi-year agreement with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The game will be played next Saturday (Jan 5th at Noon on NBC) but practice sessions start today in San Antonio. Rivals.com will have analysts and photographers reporting to you each day.
There are a number of players that should be of interest to Pitt fans or to fans of Pennsylvania football. Some of those scheduled to play include: Jonathan Baldwin (Aliquippa), Lucas Nix (Thomas Jefferson), Shayne Hale (Gateway), Brandon Beal (Bethlehem Liberty) and Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette).
In addition there are several other players that Pitt has recruited along the way that are currently committed to other schools. Quarterback Star Jackson (Alabama), defensive tackle Reggie Ellis (Illinois), offensive lineman J.B. Shugarts (Ohio State) and offensive lineman Josh Jenkins (West Virginia).
Josh Jenkins had committed to West Virginia but with Rich Rodriguez now coaching at Michigan has opened up his recruitment. We have asked Tony and the Rivals analysts to speak to him in San Antonio.
Gateway’s Terry Smith is scheduled to coach the East team.
Tony Greco is in the process of making arrangements to travel to San Antonio but will not arrive until late next week.
Recruiting recap
Pitt has fourteen (14) verbal commitments. They are holding one slot for Gateway’s Shane Hale who will announce at the U.S. Army All-American game at the end of next week. They are also holding one slot for defensive back Jarred Holley. If they land these two they will have 16 commitments and will have swept the three H’s.
Pitt would also like to land a tight end. Earlier week we ran articles on Mike Cruz. Today we will have one on Justin Virbitsky. Pitt has been recruiting Virbitsky, Cruz and Central’s Quentin Williams. It is a good bet that Pitt will land at least one from this group although the odds on landing Williams are still slim.
Assuming they land Virbitsky and/or Cruz that would bring you to 17 commitments. Beyond that it might be more a matter of how many scholarships can the staff clear. There still is a group out there which could easily fill the remaining slots if there are any. It would not shock me if Pitt lands both Virbitsky and Cruz.
When West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez decided to skip town to go to Michigan one of our readers asked if Pitt would be interested in any of their recruits. My knee jerk reaction was I did not see many likely candidates. However, offensive lineman Josh Jenkins recently decomitted from West Virginia to check his options. He is from the state of West Virginia so I assumed this one might be tough to pull out of the state. Pitt has contacted him as have other schools. At this time it looks like Ohio State may lead but I am not sure you can tell much until West Virginia has a coach in place. In addition we have been in a Dead Period so coaches have had limited contact. Again Josh Jenkins will be at the U.S. Army All-American game next week and we have asked the Rivals analysts and Tony to keep an eye on him.
Pitt will entertain a group of recruits the weekend of January 11th. The Pitt basketball team will play Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon that weekend. In addition to prospects like Justin Virbitsky they will also have several players that have already committed like quarterback Zack Stoudt. We will keep updating the official list throughout next two weeks. You can find it under the pull down tab under FB Recruiting.
The War Room is targeted towards our premium customers. We ask that all information reported in the War Room MUST stay right here! That’s the way this deal works. When this information is repeated outside of the Between Fifth and Forbes forum it only cheapens the price of yours and every other die-hard who have purchased premium services. The War Room is one of our more popular features...thank you all for keeping the information on this board.
Helpful hints
The Pantherlair gives you the ability to read the message boards by thread view or topic view. If you would like to change your settings please go to User Options in the gold border in any message board. Once you have given them your password go to Message Board Options. Select the way you want to view the message boards and then hit submit. It is your choice.
Housekeeping
Chris Peak has updated the Future Schedules. We have a new format which we are hoping is easier to update going forward. You can find Pitt’s future football schedules under Quick Links. Keep in mind the ESPN networks owns the rights to all Big East home games so dates and times are never firm until ESPN has signed off on them.
Hoops talk
Tony Greco, Pete Madia and I were all in Madison Square Garden to see Pitt beat Duke. The wife and I took a few extra days to tour New York City. The Big Apple always put you on sensory overload and particularly at Christmas time.
Levance Fields and DeJuan Blair were not the only ones to put on a show that night in Madison Square Garden. They had a group of young teens who played drums at halftime. I believe they were called the Sounds of Thunder. They were outstanding with a flair for the dramatic. They were a nice appetizer for what came later.
The knee injury has ended Mike Cook’s season and probably his career at Pitt. Mike started 48 games for Pitt. The Panthers were 40-8 during the span.They surely will miss his experience the balance of this season. Last year Mike averaged 10.5 points per game and he was averaging 10.4 per game this year.
One of our readers suggested losing Mike’s experience might cost the Panthers a game or two this year but the experience the youngsters gain might help them win a game or two next year. It is probably a fair assessment.
The Panthers could still be a year away from peaking. Levance Fields, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair form the core of this year’s team and they should all be back next year. Any experience gained by Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker this year should really pay off next season.
Some of our readers have questioned if Mike Cook would get a medical redshirt. I guess it is theoretically possible but not unlikely on many fronts. You can read more about Cook’s redshirt possibilities in Chris Peak’s post on the Center Court at the Pete message board.
After the game I reported Coach Dixon was talking to his mother about options for Mike. On reflection I think he was talking about travel plans for the holidays. Most Pitt players returned home for Christmas. The question might have been should Mike go back to Pittsburgh for further evaluation or return to his home in Philadelphia.
The Panthers still have one big non-conference hurdle to get past. The trip to Dayton this Saturday night has the makings of a trap game. Pitt is coming off an emotional high with the win over Duke. They are also coming off a Christmas break and they will have a new starter(Gilbert Brown)in their lineup.
The Flyers (10-1) will be playing in front of a crowd of 13,000 who would like nothing better than to see their home team knock off the nationally-ranked Panthers. The Flyers have won nine in a row including a road win over Louisville. They are sitting just outside the Top 25 so a win could mean a national ranking for the Flyers.
This is the final game in a five-game stretch of non-conference games that all were potential pitfalls. It has not been easy. Pitt hung on to beat Washington on the road after a basket was waived off at the buzzer. The Duke win required a dramatic three-point shot in overtime. Finishing this five-game stretch with a road win over Dayton (10-1) could be big come NCAA selection time.
All you need to know about Ohio State
Former Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee returned to Ohio State this past year. Gee makes $1.0+ million while the football and basketball coach are both paid approximately $2.5 million.
The Ohio State University has the largest athletic budget in the country with a budget of approximately $102 million. Gee was quoted this past week as saying the big difference between the two schools is that at Vanderbilt the athletic director reported to him.
Expanding the Big East
Over the past few years I have wondered all over the place on Big East expansion and/or reorganization. Central Florida may slowly be positioning itself as a viable candidate. UCF has grown to the point where it now has 49,000 students. It also located in a top 20 television market.
Central Florida recently built an on campus football stadium and basketball arena. Central Florida will host Connecticut tonight in their new 10,000 seat basketball arena.
There are a couple of problems with them joining. It appears South Florida will fight them the same way Virginia blocked Virginia Tech from joining the ACC for many years.
You also still have the problem of Mike Tranghese and his staff in Providence trying to keep the basketball only schools in the mix.
New AD at Nebraska
Nebraska gave Steve Pederson at new five-year deal this past summer. The football team struggled this fall and former head coach Tom Osborne started a power play which forced Steve out. The next thing you knew Osborne was named the interim AD and now has been made the athletic director for at least the next two years. Hmmm!
U.S. Army All-American game
As reported earlier Rivals.com has a new multi-year agreement with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The game will be played next Saturday (Jan 5th at Noon on NBC) but practice sessions start today in San Antonio. Rivals.com will have analysts and photographers reporting to you each day.
There are a number of players that should be of interest to Pitt fans or to fans of Pennsylvania football. Some of those scheduled to play include: Jonathan Baldwin (Aliquippa), Lucas Nix (Thomas Jefferson), Shayne Hale (Gateway), Brandon Beal (Bethlehem Liberty) and Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette).
In addition there are several other players that Pitt has recruited along the way that are currently committed to other schools. Quarterback Star Jackson (Alabama), defensive tackle Reggie Ellis (Illinois), offensive lineman J.B. Shugarts (Ohio State) and offensive lineman Josh Jenkins (West Virginia).
Josh Jenkins had committed to West Virginia but with Rich Rodriguez now coaching at Michigan has opened up his recruitment. We have asked Tony and the Rivals analysts to speak to him in San Antonio.
Gateway’s Terry Smith is scheduled to coach the East team.
Tony Greco is in the process of making arrangements to travel to San Antonio but will not arrive until late next week.
Recruiting recap
Pitt has fourteen (14) verbal commitments. They are holding one slot for Gateway’s Shane Hale who will announce at the U.S. Army All-American game at the end of next week. They are also holding one slot for defensive back Jarred Holley. If they land these two they will have 16 commitments and will have swept the three H’s.
Pitt would also like to land a tight end. Earlier week we ran articles on Mike Cruz. Today we will have one on Justin Virbitsky. Pitt has been recruiting Virbitsky, Cruz and Central’s Quentin Williams. It is a good bet that Pitt will land at least one from this group although the odds on landing Williams are still slim.
Assuming they land Virbitsky and/or Cruz that would bring you to 17 commitments. Beyond that it might be more a matter of how many scholarships can the staff clear. There still is a group out there which could easily fill the remaining slots if there are any. It would not shock me if Pitt lands both Virbitsky and Cruz.
When West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez decided to skip town to go to Michigan one of our readers asked if Pitt would be interested in any of their recruits. My knee jerk reaction was I did not see many likely candidates. However, offensive lineman Josh Jenkins recently decomitted from West Virginia to check his options. He is from the state of West Virginia so I assumed this one might be tough to pull out of the state. Pitt has contacted him as have other schools. At this time it looks like Ohio State may lead but I am not sure you can tell much until West Virginia has a coach in place. In addition we have been in a Dead Period so coaches have had limited contact. Again Josh Jenkins will be at the U.S. Army All-American game next week and we have asked the Rivals analysts and Tony to keep an eye on him.
Pitt will entertain a group of recruits the weekend of January 11th. The Pitt basketball team will play Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon that weekend. In addition to prospects like Justin Virbitsky they will also have several players that have already committed like quarterback Zack Stoudt. We will keep updating the official list throughout next two weeks. You can find it under the pull down tab under FB Recruiting.
The War Room is targeted towards our premium customers. We ask that all information reported in the War Room MUST stay right here! That’s the way this deal works. When this information is repeated outside of the Between Fifth and Forbes forum it only cheapens the price of yours and every other die-hard who have purchased premium services. The War Room is one of our more popular features...thank you all for keeping the information on this board.
