Preseason Tournaments Mean Preseason Babbling

-- I'm not sold on Gonzaga despite its 82-74 upset of North Carolina last night. Derek Raivio reminded me of me in high school -- made terrible decisions, took awful shots and almost cost his team the game on several occasions. Still, it was a showing of how to beat North Carolina and gave Gonzaga a big win to start the post-Adam Morrison era.

-- Props to Geoff Dutelle, who mentioned the possibility of Kansas beating Florida and Pitt becoming No. 1 in the nation as a result of UNC and Florida losing. I'll have to see it before I believe it -- Florida is too dominant and the media's darling. UNC might stay ahead of Pitt for the same reason that Florida will be in top 5 regardless of record -- everybody at ESPN loves them.

-- Georgia Tech looked great all week until last night's loss to UCLA. But I don't think the Yellow Jackets should be disappointed with their performance -- their youth and talent really showed this week. UCLA is great on D and one of my favorites for a(nother) big tournament run.

-- Providence beat Boston College last night, prompting several thoughts in my head. Aside from the immediate "Holy crap, Providence is great!" moment, I also realized that Boston College stinks. Every year we have this discussion and every year I'm right -- the Eagles are always overrated and you can always count on them to underachieve.

-- A win against a ranked opponent usually gets you in or close to the top 25 right? Not when your Providence and have a 2-1 record. The only loss? To Brown. Yep, the Brown Bears of the mid-level mediocre variety in the Ivy League.

-- Can't wait for Florida-Kansas Friday night. Tip is set for 11 p.m. ET -- 9 p.m. where I am in the mountains. Should be a good one. Can't really give you a prediction, but I'm leaning heavily toward Florida.

Have a good Thanksgiving everybody.

Pitt Announces 06-07 Recruiting Class

http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111606aaa.html

-- Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon clearly wanted to add size to replace departing post players Aaron Gray, Levon Kendall and Doyle Hudson. DaJuan Blair is the marquee player in the class, possibly someone Pitt will need to contribute right away. The biggest void will be left in rebounding. Pitt can replace the offense of Gray and defense of Kendall, but the combined rebounding force will be sorely missed. Pitt's looking at Ty Biggs and Sam Young as its returning frontcourt players, so Blair might have to come in and back them up as soon as he gets here.

-- Two others add to Blair's presence in the post -- Cassin Diggs, a juco transfer, and Gary McGhee. Don't be fooled by the story above -- just because McGhee was contacted by Florida doesn't necessarily mean he was at the top of the Gators' list.

Diggs is 6-10, 270. That is not a small guy. He might be more of a Hudson-style of center; in other words, he's a project with only two years of eligibility. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise me.

McGhee is 6-10, 245. These are big dudes. They need one of them to make an impact with Blair, otherwise, the depth in the frontcourt, like I mentioned above, will be lacking.

-- If frontcourt depth becomes a problem next year, look for the guardplay to increase in importance next off-season. Every guard on the team, except for Antonio Graves, returns next year. And Dixon is hoping that Gilbert Brown will be ready to help next year. At 6-6, Brown could be a quality fifth option off the bench after Fields, Ramon, Cook and Benjamin.

6-7 wing forward Darnell Dodson will be a welcomed addition to the Panthers. With such good length and size for a wing player, Dodson adds an interesting aspect to Pitt, both offensively and defensively. Time will tell if he is ready right away (My guess is that he won't be). He is a good shooter and keeps defenders guessing.

6-4 Bradley Wanamaker from Philly also joins the class. He has a nice touch from the outside and might be surprisingly good for Pitt down the line. He played well at his summer camps and earned some higher recognition after being put in the "unknown" category prior to the camps.

-- I don't think Dodson and Wanamaker will be huge impact players their freshman year, but that's OK, because Fields, Ramon, Cook, Benjamin and Brown will all be back next year to handle most of the duty. Wanamaker and Dodson can learn and get a season under their belts before the mass exodus leaves Pitt with Fields, Brown, Wanamaker and Dodson (and maybe some stud freshmen guards) in 2008-2009.

-- Make sure to listen to my play-by-play broadcast tonight (Friday) at 5 p.m. of the Pitt-Northeastern game. Catch it streaming at www.wpts.org/live. I might actually get to put a digital file of it on here sometime after the game -- we'll see. But listen tonight, starting with the pregame show at 4:30, and then at 4:55 with my man Matt Carulli and me. It'll be the best college radio sports broadcast ever. Take it easy.

College Ball is Here

Well, the first results are in, and the early-going exposed Kansas and North Carolina as, at the least, still far from the well-oiled machines they will be in January.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20061115_ORAL@KS
-- Oral Roberts over Kansas, 78-71? Don't give me the "Parity, parity, parity!" argument. This is a classic example of an overrated team underestimating its opponent. It's not parity -- it's a parody of the No. 3 ranking. It's a joke. And frankly, that should drop the Jayhawks into the double-digit rankings until they win a game that matters. Sure, they're talented. So is every team in the NFL, but it takes certain teams with the ability to play together that separates them. Talent gets rankings, athleticism wins a few games but teamwork takes titles.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20061115_WINTHR@NC
-- UNC is legit. This was a case of a strong, lesser-conference team putting in a tough, gritty performance. UNC will be fine. This was UNC's chance to incorporate the youngsters and see how they fit. They will keep rolling.

-- I think Kansas' loss should propel Pitt to No. 3 in the rankings in both polls.

-- Read my last post for the previews of this weekend's trio of games for Pitt. Make sure you listen to me at www.wpts.org/live if you aren't in the crowd at the games. I'll be doing the Northeastern-Pitt game.

Take it easy, folks.

Pitt Basketball Preview (Delaware State, Northeastern, UMass and Oakland (Mich.)

OK, Pitt has four games this week -- all at home -- against Delaware State (tonight at 7:30), Northeastern (Friday at 5), UMass (Saturday at 5) and Oakland (Mich.) (Sunday at 5). These games can possibly deceive us. At least Delaware State and UMass might.

Let's get right to it. I'll let you know what to look for in each game and how the Panthers can beat that particular opponent.

Delaware State is on the rise out of the MEAC, after getting into the NCAA tourney two seasons ago and making the second round of the NIT last year.

Jahsha Bluntt is a stud on the wing for the Hornets. He was the best player in the MEAC last year, and at 6-6, will probably be guarded by Mike Cook, Antonio Graves, Sam Young and Keith Benjamin. He's a sharpshooter and doesn't mind getting physical underneath if he has to.

At the point, Delaware State should be sturdy with 6-0 senior Darrin Shine. He doesn't turn the ball over and has a knack for finding his scorers. He will be a tough in-between cover for Levance Fields and Ronald Ramon.

6-9 center Aaron Fleetwood will be tough underneath for Aaron Gray. He's not going to drop 20 points on you. Hell, he won't drop 10. But he will challenge Gray's shots, block a few and clog the paint on driving Panthers. If he stays out of foul trouble, he might be able to minimize Gray's impact.

Don't count the Hornets as terrible. They are a formidable group of scrappy players. They have a slick scorer, a strong point, athletic big man and a couple of solid, smaller forwards. Still, the size and speed of Pitt will be too much. Pitt by 20.

Northeastern is missing its surprisingly successful coach Ron Everhart, who is now at Duquesne (how's that going, coach?). They are also without Jose Juan Barea and Shawn James, who helped the Huskies ride into fourth place in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Now the Huskies will rely on 6-9, 220 forward Bennet Davis. Davis brings tenacity and defense, but like Fleetwood from Delaware State, he lacks some major offensive skills. And that will be problematic.

6-3 guard Bobby Kelly will be relied on from the guard position. His shooting is lights out, but he can't create his own shot. Still, he plays hard and looks ready to take over the reigns in the wake of Barea's departure.

Northeastern doesn't have the horses to run with Pitt. Inside, Pitt will dominate the glass and score plenty of points in the paint. Outside, the pressure defense will be too much for the mediocre guardplay of Kelly and Adrian Martinez. Sure, they're seniors, but those two can't handle the wave of talent at both guard positions for the Panthers. Pitt by 30.

UMass comes in ready to turn back the clocks to the 90s. The Minutemen are stacked underneath with Rashaun Freeman, Stephane Lasme and Gary Forbes. Coach Travis Ford, the guy with the mustache on Kentucky at the turn of the 90s, has the Minutemen back on the map and in the hunt for the A-10 title. He'll have them ready for this game.

Freeman is the force for UMass. He can score, bang, rebound and defend with the best of 'em. He might give Gray fits. With Lasme coming in on weakside help, Gray might have a tough day. Throw in athletic Forbes and 6-6 up-and-comer Brandon Thomas, and UMass is just as deep as Pitt in the frontcourt.

The advantage for Pitt comes in the backcourt, where Tiki Mayben and Chris Lowe will do most of the ball-handling and penetration. Pitt should overwhelm them with Fields, Graves, Ramon and Benjamin. Cook will have his hands full with Forbes and Thomas on the wing, so he'll need the guards to handle things.

This is no snoozer. Pitt will probably win by 7 to 12 points, but UMass is not going to lie down and die. There will be a physical game inside and if the Panthers find Gray and Kendall in foul trouble, they'll need huge games from Ty Biggs and Sam Young.

Oakland (Mich.) is the easiest game of the four this week. They lost Calvin Wooten who was expected to be their go-to guy this year for academic reasons.

Vova Severovas and Rick Billings will be forced to carry the load for this club. That's like asking your grandma to lift 250 pounds -- it ain't happenin'. They don't have the guys to guard Gray and they don't have the guards to get the ball up the floor.

Pitt will demolish Oakland (Mich.). Call it a 35-point win for the Panthers.

Hope this is helpful for you guys going to the games. I'll be there Friday through Sunday. See you then.

West Point, East Hartford, Rhode Island and more

I'm going to do three things.

1) I'm going to rip off Bill Simmons and give you my running diary of my ride from Pittsburgh to Rhode Island with Ken.
2) Then I'll give you the rundown of the UConn-Pitt football game on Saturday and the Western Michigan-Pitt basketball game Sunday. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at both contests.
3) Then I'll rip off my favorite sportswriter, Bill Reynolds, and hit you with some bullet points to end things.

To the ripping off!
4:55 (Anywhere, Pa.) -- After purchasing delicious wintergreen Skoal to pack a sweet lip, Larry the Cable Guy nearly kills Ken and me with his Ford F-150 in the Sheetz parking lot. And yes, he ain't got no boundaries -- he don't compromise.

5:19 (Anywhere, Pa.) -- At this point, all of Pennsylvania looks the same. Although, when doesn't all of Pennsylvania look the same? I suppose that applies to every state in the country. The conversation shifts to the subtle differences between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre -- it's gonna be a long ride. Ken mentions the critical point that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Airport is in neither Scranton nor Wilkes-Barre, but it's actually in the neutral town of Avoca, Pa. Go figure.

5:20 (Just east of No-One-Knows-This-Place-Exists, Pa.) -- Rick Santorum Sign #5. This is awkward. And mildly hilarious.

5:25 (Apparently somewhere in the Chesepeake Bay Watershed) -- Well, I'm glad to finally be in the Chesepeake Bay Watershed. I guess that means...what? Is this Cal Ripken, Jr. Country?

5:25 (Central Pa.) -- Murphy Lee's "What Tha Hook Gon' Be?" plays. Ken responds to this line -- "I'm basically comin' from nothin' to somethin'/when I say nothin' meanin' pockets full of lint and buttons" -- with a classic, "Man, that really is nothin'."

5:30 (Can't Cars Drive Any Faster, Pa.?) -- Highest point east of the Mississippi River on I-80. Stop the presses!

5:32 (Do These People Have Computers, Pa.?) -- Conversation hits the K-Fed and Britney controversy. Ken enters the No-Spin Zone and kicks it like Tae Bo -- "K-Fed's really going for the jugular!" Typing can't capture the excitement in his voice when he said that.

6:02 (Snowshoe, Pa.) -- Ken's 8-year-old girl bladder forces rest stop #6. Snowshoe, Pa.'s 2002 George Carlin Look-A-Like Contest winner holds the door into the building for me. Should I ask him for his autograph? Where the hell is Snowshoe, Pa.?

6:38 (Loganton, Pa.) -- We just called our friend Alex -- we have to know where Cracker Barrel is.

7:21 (Bloomsburg, Pa.) -- Two NASCAR, two guns rights and two Rick Santorum stickers must mean it's Cracker Barrel time. One word: Delicious. More on this later.

7:55 (Bloomsburg, Pa.) -- Thirty-four minutes and 25 pounds of chicken'n'dumplings later, we hit the road full. When God created food, his first creation was Cracker Barrel's cornbread.

8:45 (Scranton, Pa.) -- We're stopped at Uni-Mart in Scranton, Pa. No sign of Steve Carell yet, but there is a sweet economically-downtrodden city in our sights!

9:56 (Port Jervis, N.Y.) -- Bambi still hasn't found his mom. I've seen her at least 8 times...she really shouldn't sleep on the highway shoulder like that...

11:05 (the New York-Connecticut border) -- Ray Romano impression #29...yep, still funny.

11:35 (Danbury, Conn.) -- Debate ensues about whether or not the guy in the Danbury, Conn. rest stop was, in fact, an angel.

So I might as well talk about the three entries I've written for Rhode Island on Friday...

12:36 (Warwick, R.I.) -- Yep, still downtrodden!

12:42 (Warwick, R.I.) -- Chin-straps and 37 pounds of gel for everyone! Hey, they even have the sweet fades with the pencil-thin sideburns. Sweet 'burns, Enzo.

12:58 (Providence, R.I.) -- Horrible Driving Manuever #236. There's a reason Rhode Island is regularly rated the worst driving state in the country. We've only been awake in Rhode Island for three hours, and we've almost been killed twice.

Needless to say, we made it back safely. Kudos to Jonathan and Amy Greer for their hospitality.

And now, the Bill Reynolds ripping off!

-- Dave Wannstedt is in major trouble. His honeymoon with Pitt ended as UConn's quarterback D.J. Hernandez waltzed untouched into the Panther end zone on a 2-point conversion to beat Pitt, 46-45 in double overtime.

-- Or did it end when we blew the 14-point fourth-quarter lead?

-- Or did it end as Notre Dame murdered Pitt at Heinz Field in Wannstedt's debut?

-- I'll go with the last option. It's been downhill since the guy came here.

-- I can't talk about Pitt football without mentioning how sad it is to watch them. It's like watching baby sea turtles trying to crawl their way into the ocean only to be miserably pecked apart by seagulls. It's always such an arduous trek in that sand.

-- Pitt basketball is for real. They are better than any team the school has ever put out before...ever. Carl Krauser is a welcomed departure in my mind.

-- Aaron Gray might be the goofiest kid in college basketball.

-- Levance Fields has to be the most talkative player in the country. And he doesn't hold back either. It's nice sitting courtside, you hear things you normally wouldn't from the press box.

-- Nothing was sweeter than watching Jamie Dixon and his team win on an emotional high. It speaks to the team's relationship with Jamie if they want to win that badly at the Maggie Dixon Classic.

-- This team has potential to make the Final Four. Go ahead, roll your eyes. Tell me I'm too optimistic. Tell me that they don't have Carl Krauser anymore. Tell me they can't break the curse. But believe it or not, this offense is revamped and at a much higher octane than any other team in the past. They can score from anywhere, with anyone, at any time. They can run and gun or they can slow it down and bang inside. If you don't believe me, just wait. When they are cutting down the nets and heading to Atlanta for the Final Four with a regional title under their belts, we'll see who's laughing.

-- West Point, N.Y., is a beautiful Hudson Valley town. And the Hudson Valley is incredibly aesthetic.

-- I don't what's more exciting: Waiting to hear what Dave Wannstedt could possibly say after his team choked against one of the worst teams in the Big East, or wondering what delicious contraptions the media relations folks at any location will muster up. I'll go with a tie -- I love a coach on the hot seat...but I also love a delicious chicken parm.

-- George W. Bush is going to have a rough two years.

-- After everyone on ESPN jumped on the Arizona bandwagon, effectively sweeping Pitt under the contention rug, the Wildcats lost to Virginia to start their season. Sean Singletary and a new arena made all the difference for the Cavaliers. But still, Virginia? Call me in March when yet another overrated Arizona team is bounced out after one weekend.

-- I've heard enough about Florida. Let's see who wins Nov. 25 when Kansas and Florida meet in Vegas. I'll catch that tip at 9 p.m. because I'll be in that Mountain Time Zone. You guys back east can see it at 11 p.m. Watch it -- it's worth staying up.

-- I want to see Borat.

-- That's it for this guy. See you guys soon. And as always, check www.pittnews.com and www.wpts.org/live for me.

Here is my broadcasting schedule:
Mondays at 9 a.m.
Wednesday Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Pitt women's basketball vs. California (Pa.)
Friday Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. Pitt men's basketball vs. Northeastern

Click on that WPTS-Pittsburgh link and you'll hear me.

Take it easy, folks.