Big East Impact On The NBA Draft

While Pitt didn't have any draftees in the 2010 NBA Draft, there was plenty of news regarding Big East prospects:

Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks of West Virginia slipped into the 2nd round.  Butler was a senior and his injury undoubtedly hurt him.  However, Ebanks was a sophomore and his relatively modest 2009-10 numbers (12 points / 8 rebounds per game) likely helped contribute to his slide.  He could have opted to come back and work on his game and this decision could hurt him as he fell out of first-round guaranteed money.

Another player who might have been better served by waiting an extra year was Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson, who also fell to the second round being drafted by the Indiana Pacers at 40th overall.  After the draft, Lance had all the right things to say:

"It is great to have Indiana pick me up," said Stephenson, who worked out for 10 teams including Indiana. "I think I fit in great. Danny Granger is a great player and they got players that are good so I am going to try and fit in and try to be a team player."

Stephenson was also fairly confident in his abilities after working out with the Knicks, who passed him over with consecutive picks at #38 and #39, opting for a pair of seniors (one of which was Syracuse guard Andy Rautins) instead:

"It would be better for the Knicks in a lot of ways," Stephenson said. "I would draw a lot more people to the games."

I'm not going to go as far as say that these were major gaffes after DeJuan Blair and Sam Young both proved productive players can come out of the second round.  But you better be sure you can stick as a second round player.  DeJuan Blair simply outworks everyone else, but neither Ebanks or Stephenson appear to have that trait.  Neither was dominant in college and it's safe to say that one or both might have a hard time sticking.

Next up in the "Step Right Up To Your NBA Future" Challenge is DePaul junior Mac Koshwal.  Koshwal left school early for a chance at the NBA, but even with a legitimate NBA body at 6'10" / 250 pounds and solid Big East stats (16 points/10 rebounds per game), he couldn't even crack the draft and was not selected.

Tricky game this NBA Draft stuff is.  Some players have legitimate reasons for leaving.  As a 22-year old junior, Koshwal was getting up in age and maybe he figured it was now or never.  Still, to me, you've got to be absolutely sure that if you're not selected in the first-round, you can make it as a legitimate second rounder.  This doesn't apply to players who don't figure to be NBA players and simply want to go play overseas or in a pro league for money.  But guys like Koshwal and Stephenson don't fall into that group.  Hopefully they make it and go on to long careers.

Still, the Big East had plenty of representation in the draft.  First-rounders included top ten picks Wes Johnson and Greg Monroe as well as late rounders Dominique Jones and Lazar Haywood.  In addition to Stephenson, Ebanks, Butler, and Rautins, Luke Harangody, Hamady Ndiaye, and Stanley Robinson were all taken in the second round.  11 NBA Draft picks in one season ain't bad.

NBA Draft Parallel Universe

Last year, Pitt watched DeJuan Blair and Sam Young go from projected first-round NBA picks to slipping into the second round.  Tonight, it was WVU's turn as Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks fell to nearly the middle of the second round.

Watching the draft tonight, I couldn't help but notice the similarities:

1. All four players were/are projected as NBA forwards
2. All four were projected to go higher (at least Butler was before his injury)
3. One player from each team had injury concerns
4. One player from each team was a sophomore and the other was a senior
5. Both players from each team were drafted back to back

It's really unbelievable if you think about it.

Both Young and Blair had fairly successful first seasons in the NBA.  I don't know if Butler and Ebanks will duplicate that success, but it's fair to say they probably could have gone higher.

In other conference news regarding early entrants, Lance Stephenson also saw himself slip into the 2nd round and Mac Koshwal and Samardo Samuels weren't drafted at all. Ouch.

Jermaine Dixon Update

It's been widely assumed that Pitt will not miss a beat next year with the departure of Jermaine Dixon, likely its best defensive player.  That's yet to be determined, but is there an NBA career in his future? The chances are probably against him and he likely won't be drafted. But he's at least getting into pre-draft workouts - starting with one for the Milwaukee Bucks:

Babbitt was in Milwaukee on Thursday to work out along with Pittsburgh's Jermaine Dixon, Hawaii's Roderick Flemings, Milwaukee's Ricky Franklin, St. John's Anthony Mason Jr., and Michigan State's Raymar Morgan.

He might not get selected, but I could see him getting into someone's camp after the draft. My guess is that he'll be overseas or possibly sneak onto an NBDL team.  Dixon said he needs to work on his long-range shots and passing the most and also commented on his workout for the Bucks' website afterwards:

It was good. It was something like I expected. You have to be in shape when you go into these workouts, but it went well. This was my first one, getting my feet up under me and getting ready for the next ones that I have.”

The Rookie Wall caught up with Dixon lately.  Among other things, he discusses working on his point guard skills, already switching agents, and planning on working out for Denver and some other teams.  I was a bit shocked to find him discussing how the system negatively hurt his numbers:

TRW: Do you think that playing in the Pitt system hurt your ability to score more points and shine individually as a player, or did it not really affect you?

JD: Yea, you know, Coach Dixon’s system is a grind it out defense and slow it down on the offensive end, and that’s not the way I play. So, I wasn’t able to do a lot of the things that I’m capable of and I guess you could say my numbers weren’t great. Coach Dixon is about winning and even though I wasn’t able to do the things that I know I was capable of doing, I just wanted to win. It kind of took away from it, but my ultimate goal was winning.

While I think he has a point to a degree, he still had more than his fair share of opportunities.  Despite not being a player known for his offensive abilities, he still averaged more than ten shots per game - the only Pitt player to do that besides Ashton Gibbs.  He also didn't make the most of those shots, shooting under 39% from the field and just over 20% from three-point land. 

The system may have hurt him slightly, but Pitt also focuses on taking good shots and being patient on offense.  So that should, in theory, lead to better shots.  I would also argue that he transferred to Pitt, already knowing their style of play.  But to his credit, he said it was all about winning and he certainly helped Pitt do that.

His defensive ability should give him a look this summer in someone's camp.

NBA Early Entrants Announced

As I mentioned before, there is a lot of basketball talent leaving the Big East this year. In addition to all the seniors, there are several players potentially leaving early.

So far, players on the NBA's early entrant list include:

Devin Ebanks (WVU)
Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)
Wesley Johnson (Syracuse)
Dominique Jones (South Florida)
Mac Koshwal (DePaul)
Greg Monroe (Georgetown)
Herb Pope (Seton Hall)
Jeff Robinson (Seton Hall)
Samardo Samuels (Louisville)
Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati)

You can see the whole list here.

This list looks pretty much what I would expect it to look like. But for the life of me, I don't know why Jeff Robinson would be on it. A 6'6" junior averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds? I must be missing something. I'm guessing he really wanted to play for the recently departed Bobby Gonzalez and maybe just wants to test the waters to see if he can impress someone enough.

Even Mark Blount thinks this sounds fishy.

Players have until June 14th to pull out of the draft, which happens ten days later. The wildly popular site NBADraft.net only has five of those players in their most recent mock draft as of today - Ebanks, Monroe, Stephenson, Johnson, and Jones - and they were all in the first round. So I'm guessing they expect the others to drop out.

I Give Up

So today started out normal enough. Dave Wannstedt's contract was extended, which means next to nothing.

Then there was the news that former Pitt recruit Herb Pope is going to the NBA early. Well, at least in the NBA Draft.

And then things got, well, weird. I was listening to The Fan today and heard Jamie Dixon coming on. That's when all hell broke loose. If you've not yet heard the interview, you can check it out here. The weird part came when Dixon was asked if he would even be the coach NEXT YEAR. I'm thinking this was a slam dunk 'yes', but then came the awkward laugh, the dancing around, and certainly anything but a yes. Downright scary. I can see him not committing to the long-term. Given his history, I didn't expect that. But to not be able to commit to next year? That's a little alarming.

Another telling fact was when asked if he met with Oregon representatives, not only did he not didn't deny it, he didn't even address it. Hmm, strike two.

Still, I fully expect Jamie Dixon to return next season. I'm leaning this way for a number of reasons:

1. Pitt has a good team coming back next year and an even better one coming the year after. Recruiting has gotten better and better and Pitt has exceeded the 'team' label and become a program. Something that should be able to be sustained as long as Pitt sticks to the same system and avoids thinks like violations.

2. Dixon has stated over and over that he genuinely likes the area and that his family likes it here. Don't know how true this is, but you've got to think it's at least partially true since he brings it up so often.

3. Dixon can establish a true legacy here at Pitt by sticking around for many years. That type of thing is rare in coaching.

4. The whole Big East thing will loom large until the Big Ten figures out its situation. But for the time being, Dixon has the luxury of playing in the best conference in the country. In a sport like football that doesn't have a playoff, playing in the toughest conference may be a hinderance. One loss can ruin your season. But in basketball, it prepares you for the tournament and assists greatly in recruiting.

5. Going to Oregon would mean he would have to face Ben Howland twice a year. For the life of me, I don't understand why this should matter to Dixon. And despite his insistence that he doesn't want to do that, I don't think it would stand in the way of getting a job he really wants. Still, he HAS mentioned it and assuming he's not lying, should favor Pitt.

6. He passed on the Arizona job when it was open. That school has much more prestige than Oregon and I don't understand why he would not take that job then turn around and take an inferior one.

Look, I don't think it's a guarantee that Dixon will be around long-term. He's never said that this was where he wanted to be for good, and even if he had, things can change. But simply put, I don't see him leaving this year.

But I'll say this and it's meant as no slight to him. The fact that his name is continually brought up means something very important to me. It means that other schools have reason to believe, (for whatever the reason), that he is 'available.' Until he repeatedly comes out and says he wants to be at Pitt for the long haul, this type of stuff will continue to happen. Do I want Dixon to stay? Of course I do. I think he's one of the best coaches in the country. He proved he can win with limited talent and as more starts to come in, look out. I think Pitt is a budding program that can turn into a UCONN in the near future (5-10 years down the road).

That said.

I'm also getting sick of this annual dance we seem to have with him. He never comes flat out to deny any job. I understand he's doing that to avoid the same fate Ben Howland did with fans here. But, really, you can't turn down ANY job publicly? I really believe that most of this is just posturing for more money (and even in the case of potentially playing a factor on if Pitt would ever leave the Big East, a certain degree of power), but the University has done right by him in my eyes. First, there was the 2006 extension that significantly increased his salary after he was mentioned as a possible Arizona State candidate. Then there was the 2008 increase that bumped him up over his then $1.3 million salary.

The Chicago Tribune reports that his salary is currently $1.5 million. Dixon is a great coach, but still one without even a Final Four appearance. Oregon could throw Nike money at him, but you've got to think Pitt would at the very least offer a raise to try to get closer. John Calipari leads the list and there are only three guys at $3 million and over. If Oregon came in with $3 million, I've got to think Pitt will try to get to at least $2 million. I really think Oregon would need to make him one of the top 1-2 highest paid coaches in the NCAA to get him.

Dixon's salary has risen considerably over the past few years, as well it should have. But at what point does Pitt finally say 'enough is enough?' I don't fault Dixon necessarily for this. He's playing the game he needs to play to a degree. But I really wonder when Pitt will finally say 'no' to him without seeing a significant boost to the program's postseason success. As mentioned, Dixon has zero Final Fours, let alone championships, to his name. Certainly not a fireable offense, but his salary is well in line with someone of his accomplishments so far.

I'd be surprised if he goes, but this story seems like it will be around until Oregon fills its position.

Non-Rutgers Stuff

Lots of links appropriately titled.

Tickets to the Pitt/Duquesne basketball game on December 2nd are on sale this Friday. Or, if like me, you're on Ticketmaster's mailing list, you had the opportunity to get them on a pre-sale today. Like I said earlier, I actually would have preferred this game to be played at Duquesne again. The last game was unbelievably cool with the small-gym atmosphere. But this is a good opportunity for basketball fans who normally have a hard time getting to see Pitt to go to a game. Tickets are also affordable - I think some were in the $10-$15 range.

As you've probably heard by now, the Pitt/South Florida homecoming game is at noon. Yuck. Way to ruin homecoming weekend for out of town fans (which I am not), Pitt. Many people in from out of town will probably be having a long night Friday night. Bad move if it could have been avoided.

More bowl propoganda. I hope I'm not the only one not buying this nonsense about the Big East having a solid bowl lineup. At least the commish is happy:

"We are very pleased to continue our relationship with the Meineke Car Care Bowl," Marinatto said.

"The people at Raycom Sports have always put on a first-class event and the Big East is proud to be a partner. Our schools and their fans have had great experiences in Charlotte."

Yeah, because being in Charlotte, in December, for a bad bowl is what the fans want. What a load of crap. I remember this one time, in Charlotte...

Seems to me that the PG is a tad early for a basketball preview, but what the heck.

Speaking of previews, here's another one from ESPN.com for Insider subscribers.

The opener is just one month away...

Meanwhile, the women's team is hosting a Basketball 101 event complete with a tour, drills, food, and a silent auction. Looks like reservations may be required.

And in the NBA, DeJuan Blair leads ALL rookies in scoring with 17.7 ppg. Sam Young is fifth. Overrated stick figure Hasheem Thabeet? 4.2 ppg.

Draft Day Disappointments

Okay, so here's the deal.

I'm more sorry for Sam Young than I am DeJuan Blair. Okay, so maybe sorry's not the right word, but I can't think of a better one.

Sam worked hard for four years and really improved every year. He could have listened to people who told him he was good enough to leave a year early, but didn't. Could have believed the hype, but didn't. He stayed focused, determined to make himself better. Unfortunately, things didn't break his way - despite improving his shot significantly this year. Man, I would have hated to see where he would have landed had he left early...he may not even have been picked or been looking at a Mark Blount type situation.

Meanwhile, DeJuan Blair steamrolled through this past season...on a whirlwind journey that seemed to only pick up speed every day. He went from being told he'd be hard pressed to play in the NBA to being told he'd have a good chance at being a lottery pick. Shortly after the season, he declared he'd had enough and claimed he'd read up on the internet boards that he was a possible lottery choice (though I think he may have later said he was joking) and without even waiting, signed a rep immediately - ending his eligibility. It's like Jeff Goldblum said in the Jurassic Park movie - he was so occupied with wondering if he could that he didn't stop to think if he 'should.'

Look, I won't deny anyone the opportunity to go early if you think you're a guaranteed lock to be a first-round pick. But Blair didn't even wait - had he, he might have seen he was slipping on some of those draft boards he claimed he was monitoring. The argument was never that he shouldn't go - it was that he should wait and decide LATER if he should go.

I wish both the best of luck - I just think Blair may have been a bit hasty with this one.

A Slimmer Version

Word out of the NBA Draft camps is that DeJuan Blair has shed 30 pounds.

Thanks to the regimented workout schedule and a strict diet, Blair sweated away more than 30 pounds. His new and improved body (he now weighs in at 275 pounds) and his impressive workouts for NBA scouts have solidified his position as a first-round selection in the NBA draft June 25, and he is on the cusp of being a lottery pick.

Blair has rocketed up draft boards after spending a month in Florida, where he proved that he can be disciplined with his diet and demonstrated a tremendous desire to compete.

"It's been all work down here," Blair said by telephone from Florida this week. "There were days when I didn't want to get up, but I had to. I had to grind it out. It's all paying off. I hope to be in the lottery and do something people told me I couldn't do."

According to the article from Fitipaldo in the PG, Blair has hopes of landing in the lottery. Right now, it seems like a mystery where he'll end up. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go anywhere from the end of the lottery to the end of the first round.

Young Injured at Draft Workout

Sam Young got a little banged up in a workout for the Toronto Raptors.

Young, who is preparing for the June 25 NBA Draft, required a brief visit to a Toronto hospital but is expected to return to workouts later this week.

He was hurt while being tested for his vertical leap. He twisted his body as he leapt, and a screw on the vertical-leap pole pierced his left arm. Rather than risk tearing any muscle, the Raptors personnel removed the screw from the pole, left it in Young's arm and took him to the hospital to have it dislodged.

That sounds kind of painful, but it doesn't seem as if the injury is too serious. To me, the ironic part was Sam getting hurt on the vertical leap...if there's anything that he excels at, that's it.

NBA Draft Notes

With the NBA Draft coming up (okay, so it's still about two months away), I've made the rounds to dig up some stuff:

Andy Katz asked NBA Draft decision-makers some questions including who could bring some good value at the end of the first round. Sam Young's name was frequently heard.

The most popular answers to the question of which player will be a high-value late-first-round pick were Louisville senior Terrence Williams and Pitt senior Sam Young. Both players proved to be leaders this past season and could have made a claim to Big East Player of the Year, an honor shared by Young's teammate, sophomore DeJuan Blair, and Thabeet.

Meanwhile, in an earlier article, he lists Blair's decision to leave early as questionable:

DeJuan Blair, So., Pitt: Blair will go in the first round, but the questions about how much he can play above the rim will dog him in the spring. If he can be like Glen "Big Baby" Davis, then he won't disappoint. But Davis went in the second round and had to prove his value. Blair probably won't drop that far, but he may be in a similar situation wherever he lands.

If he really thinks Blair will go in the first round, not sure how questionable move it was, unless you subscribe to the theory that he could have moved up to the lottery next year.

Here's one mock draft that still has Blair and Young going in the first round.

In another, DeJuan Blair is curiously picked to join Aaron Gray and a million other big men in Chicago as the 12th overall pick.

More you say? Another has both Young and Blair in the top 25.

I saved the best for last - HoopsHype has BOTH Young and Blair going to the Chicago Bulls. With Gray, they'd have a trio of Panthers.

Should He Stay or Should He Go

That's the question that's being asked more and more in the media regarding DeJuan Blair possibly jumping to the NBA after this season. Ron Cook of the PG was the latest to bring it up:

But now? After Blair took another step toward the Big East player of the year award with a 20-point, 18-rebound performance in No. 4 Pitt's 80-61 victory against DePaul last night at the Petersen Events Center? After he again showed why he belongs on the short list of national player of the year candidates?

The question is very thinkable.

Clearly, Blair will have a big decision to make after the season.

Blair is kind of stuck and Bob Smizik brings up a good point about his stock, possibly not rising much further:

That’s hard to ignore, and people who are suggesting Blair do that so he can improve his game and possibly climb to a lottery-pick level after his junior or senior season are missing a major point.

That is not going to happen.

Blair is a 6-foot-7 power player, and, as such, a tweener, even with his abnormal reach. He’s too small to dominate at center and not skilled or quick enough to handle small forward in the NBA. He’s likely a power forward, but an undersized one who would probably never be a great scorer.

Here's an early mock draft with him going at #23 should he declare. I think an extra year would probably help him, but if he's a guaranteed first-rounder, you can't fault him for leaving. Frankly, I disagree with Smizik on this one, however. Plenty of players with DeJuan's problem of being undersized have been lottery players (i.e. see Robert Tractor Traylor as the #6 overall pick in the 1998 draft).

To me, Blair's stock could definitely improve from a 20ish type pick to a lottery pick with another strong year. Should he come back, he'd have to be a favorite (if Blake Griffin leaves, possibly THE favorite) for National Player of the Year. And if Pitt is unable to win a championship this year, you'd have to think he'd relish the opportunity of being THE guy to do it.

I'm selfish as I'd like to see him stick around. Then again, if they win the national championship, I don't think people would care much if he left.