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.