Analyzing the Steelers draft.

--  Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia - The Steelers addressed adding a solid impact player on defense. The

defensive side of the ball is still effective for the Black and Gold, but it is not getting any younger. Jones adds a dynamic player that will help bring youth to the position. A Linebacker unit of Timmons, Woodley, Jones, and perhaps Foote could be a force next season.. Jones had some injuries in his career, even some career threatening ones. He has always been a highly regarded player, and his season at Georgia even had him being projected as a top 10 talent. His combine workouts caused some doubts, but I firmly believe he was the best player available to the Steelers. This team needed to address plenty of holes, but getting Jones was a big one. With James Harrison moving on, the Steelers needed this type of guy. Jones should start right away, and it gives the Steelers a type of player that they can build a defense around.

-- Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State - The Steelers lost Rashard Mendenhall, and Jonathon Dwyer and Isaac Redman do not appear to be the every down type of option. Le'Veon Bell has the typical Pittsburgh running back build. He is strong, physical, not outwardly fast, but quick enough. Bell is a workhorse, and in an era where you need more than one running back, he seems like a guy that could carry the load on his own. Obviously that will not happen, but examining his numbers at Michigan State, Bell carried the ball an astounding 382 times last season, which led the nation in carries. Bell was effective, and has surprising athleticism with the hurdles in his highlight reels. Perhaps Bell's best asset is his pass catching ability on third down. Bell has caught 67 passes in the past two seasons. He may not have been the back most were expecting, but with a young blossoming offensive line, this style could fit in with what the Steelers are looking to do.

-- Markus Wheaton WR Oregon State - After losing Mike Wallace to free agency, the Steelers needed to address the receiver position. With Antonio Brown being the firm number one option,

Emmanuel Sanders back for another season, and veterans Plaxico Burress and Jericho Cotchery in the fold, Pittsburgh needed an athlete to stretch the field. Wheaton is very fast vertically, and he could be the new Mike Wallace to the offense. While Wallace's hands came into question last season, his deep threat still provided a threat and opened it up for guys like Heath Miller and Antonio Brown. That is what Wheaton will likely do. He turned in a very productive season for Oregon State last season, and essentially can do almost identical things Wallace did. He will see the filed early on, and the Steelers certainly addressed that need.

-- Shamarko Thomas S Syracuse - A very good pick for the fourth round, and if he was any bigger, the guy would have been a second day pick. Thomas can lay down some big time hits, and should give the secondary some much needed athleticism.  With the injury prone Polamalu these days, Thomas should be on the field quite a bit. I have seen some Bob Sanders comparisons out there, and I can see why. Very physical and he is always around the ball. The theme of this draft screams "getting back to Steeler football" and that is a good thing.


--Landry Jones QB Oklahoma - I think it was important for the Steelers to draft a quarterback in this draft. They now have Bruce Gradkowski to be the main backup, as Batch and Leftwhich are

likely done in the Pittsburgh. Still, Pittsburgh needed a young arm to come in and at least grow in the system. Gradkowski is just a plug, but having a guy like Jones can be valuable, though. As you can see, Kevin Kolbs and Matt Flynns can bring you a solid return. Also, with Ben being Ben, Jones will get an opportunity throughout the years because of Roethlisberger's injuries. He has a good pedigree, and he finished his career as the Big 12's all time leading passer. His junior season was a big success, and was considered a top 2-3 round player. His senior season did not go as well, but his talent is there.

-- Terry Hawthorne CB Illinois - At this point, looking for starters is unrealistic. Hawthorne had a productive career at Illinois, and figures to be a 3rd or 4th type corner. He will see some time on special teams, and with injuries, he can work his way on the field. Corner is a tough position to predict sometimes. Hawthorne could be a starter down the line if he adjusts well to the league, but as of now, he is merely a special teamer/backup.


-- Justin Brown WR Oklahoma - The Steelers having already added Wheaton, figured they needed to bring in one more guy. I am fine with that. Sanders does not figure to be a long term guy, and this is a position where you can come from anywhere and make an impact. Antonio Brown will enter 2013 as the top option at receiver, being a former sixth round pick. Brown has some size and potential, and will be there to push veterans Burress and Cotchery.

-- Vince Williams LB Florida State - Williams is a born leader from all reports I have heard, and should come in and give great effort. He is not all that fast or athletic, but he knows how to play. The Steelers needed to add physicality and toughness in this draft, Williams helps in those departments.

-- Nick Williams DT Samford - Williams is a big guy, and could be a hidden gem coming from a small school. He is a perfect fit for an end in a 3-4 alignment, and those guys are not always easy to find. Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward have been alright, but have not lived up to their potential. Maybe Williams can at least play in some situations.

Roster spots galore for 2013-14 Pitt basketball.

                       Pitt is in a very peculiar position. They return three starters from a 24 win tournament team, and that is usually a sign of good things to come. Now, set in the strangeness. Pitt lost two midseason transfers, a postseason transfer in Trey Zeigler, and an early NBA departure in Steven Adams. Add those losses with the graduation of Tray Woodall and Dante Taylor, the Panthers only have seven returning scholarships players for 2013-14. That is quite a roster turnover. Jamie Dixon has only three commitments to date, thus leaving three spots unused.

                 Pitt has talent, and there is no doubt about that. They still have some glaring holes, and  some noticeable weaknesses. Dixon currently sits without a true Center, and realistically only two true post players in all for next season. Pitt is also weak in the outside shooting department with Durand Johnson as the only true threat from the perimeter. This should certainly create some doubt for Panther fans. It is unfamiliar territory, especially with the transition to the ACC.

 
                      Jamie Dixon has been hitting the transfer and Junior College trail pretty hard, considering most High School prospects have decided on their college future. The Panthers need size and shooting. Pitt has been linked to Junior College Center, Joe Uchebo. Also, NYC guard, Jon Severe listed Pitt is his lists of finalists. Tulane transfer, Josh Davis, has been linked with many big programs, and Pitt is one of them. Still, its hard to imagine Pitt ending up with all three of them, if any at all. Pitt has enough pieces to compete in the ACC, and believe it or not, only a guy or two away from being a top 25 caliber team. There will be some new names at the Pete next season, and it could be for the better or worse depending on who they get.

Third annual insanely too early college basketball top 25.

1. Kentucky- It has to be Kentucky, right? The Wildcats welcome six of the nation's top 20 high school seniors. Andrew and Aaron Harrison become one of the nation's best backcourts instantly.  Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, and Marcus Lee will look to fill the void left by Nerlens Noel. Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress are returning to make it a star studded team with some experience. The Wildcats are easily the odds on favorites to win it all, and its pretty remarkable they can go from bounced in the first round of the NIT to preseason number one. If anyone could swing that, it would be John Calipari. 

2. Duke - I really like what Duke has lined up for next season. Quinn Cook returns as a solid, veteran point guard. Rasheed Sulaimon returns from a good freshman campaign and can be one of the best guards in the ACC.  From there, Duke welcomes Jabari Parker in to the fold. Parker is arguably the nation's top recruit, and at 6-8 can be a very difficult player to defend. Rodney Hood comes in as a very talented transfer from Mississippi State. Having the benefit of practicing with team this season, Hood should hit the ground running. Duke has tons of depth and talent, and with Coach K, the final four never seems too far away.

3. Michigan State- Assuming Adreian Payne and Gary Harris stick around, the Spartans will be returning just about everyone from last season's sweet 16 team. Keith Appling and Gary Harris were the top two scorers from last season in the backcourt. Brandon Dawson proved to be a good small forward, and Adreian Payne emerged as a top player. Coach Izzo has a ton of depth with this squad, and they should be the frontrunners of the Big Ten.

4. Marquette - The Golden Eagles have plenty coming back from an Elite Eight team, and they have an outstanding recruiting class. It does not seem right that a Buzz Williams team has this kind of preseason recognition, but they won't be  sneaking up anyone this season. Vander Blue(assuming he withdraws his name) will be back to lead the guard oriented attack. Devante Gardner emerged as a serious threat down low, and he also will be back. Jamil Wilson and Juan Anderson are two very good wings as well. Marquette will welcome prize recruit, 6-4 shooting guard JaJuan Johnson along with solid in-state recruits, Duane Wilson and Deonte Burton.

5. North Carolina - UNC still has one big piece that could return, and if James McAdoo decides to stay, the Tar Heels will be in good shape. They should be in good shape either way.  PJ Hairton is an excellent start to the team. He should be one of the top scorers in the ACC. His running mate is no slouch either in Reggie Bullock(if he withdraws). Marcus Paige returns after a strong freshman season at point guard. Along with a solid cast of role players, UNC has the talent to be a top tier team. Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks are two freshmen that should see minutes in the post, and Nate Britt will be a good backup to Paige.

6.  Arizona - Sean Miller will have a very talented group this season, and could make some serious noise in the postseason. The touted 2012 recruiting class did not come in and dominate right away, but the talent is still there. Kaleb Tarczewski should develop into a top flight big man. Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett will battle for minutes at the four, but the two sophomores should be improved. Miller was able to snag Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Aaron Gordon as five star small forwards in the recruiting cycle. Duquesne transfer, TJ McConnell will come in and be able to compete for a wide open point guard position and team up with Nick Johnson in the backcourt.

7. Louisville - The defending national champions will have some noticeable pieces missing going into next season, but should have enough to remain a final four contender. Russ Smith still being on the fence makes a difference. Chane Behannan and Wayne Blackshear are both back at the forward spots, along with sophomore, Montrezl Harrell there for depth. Luke Hancock had an excellent tournament run, and he will be one of the go to guys this season. Peyton Siva will be missed, but Terry Rozier should step right in and play. The lack of a Center is a big concern, but they still have enough athletes at the forward spots to contend.

8. Ohio State - The Buckeyes lose leading scorer, Deshaun Thomas, but bring back everything else. Aaron Craft is one of the best point guards in the country, and could be walking into his best offensive season yet. Lanzelle Smith should develop into a top scoring threat. LaQuentin Ross will need to step up his scoring this season. The Buckeyes need to offset the scoring loss of Thomas, and find a reliable big man, but they do have good guards and wings. Marc Loving is a true freshman that could contribute early in the post.

9. Connecticut - After a season on probation, the Huskies should climb back into the national scene. UConn played well throughout the season, and Kevin Ollie appears to be the right guy to uphold the strong tradition for the Huskies. Shabazz Napier is going to be a senior point guard that has a national championship under his belt, so you have to like his experience. Ryan Boatright and Omar Calhoun are excellent off ball scoring options, and should really form a lethal backcourt. DeAndre Daniels proved to be a good forward. UConn also has experienced role guys like Niels Giffey, Tyler Olander, and Enosch Wolf.

10. Memphis - Memphis has ao wealth of talent returning, and another wave coming in. The backcourt trio of Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford, and Geron Johnson is outstanding. Shaq Goodwin will be the most experienced big man in the rotation, and he stands to improve heading into his sophomore season. The talent coming in for the Tigers will help make this a championship contender. Austin Nichols is the most highly touted of the bunch, and he should play immediately. Kuran Iverson and Nick King are two wings that should also see early time. Memphis does lack that force in the paint, but they are easily one of the most athletic teams in the college game.

April 8 Top Ten Pirate Prospects.

1. Gerrit Cole AAA Indianapolis RHP 22 years old. 

I think its pretty clear across the board that Gerrit Cole is the Pirates' top prospect. After a very solid
Spring, Cole let it be known throughout the organization that he can probably pitch in the big leagues this season. Whether it be for financial reasons or legitimate pitching concerns, he started the season at AAA.  I have no problem with it, because they did not have to rush him right away. The pitching has not played a huge role in the early season woes, its an offensive struggle currently. He will come up at some point this season, and he very well could take the league by storm. He has that kind of talent. He had a shaky first start this season, but by no means should it be alarming. It is too early for that.

2. Jameson Taillon AA Altoona RHP 21 years old.

Jameson Taillon is almost at that same level as Gerrit Cole. He possesses that electric front end of the rotation type of arm. He is an exciting prospect in his own right, and he should be at AAA by the season's end. Taillon could see Pittsburgh next season, but I do not mind easing these guys along. Other teams have rushed their guys, and they spend a few seasons bouncing around before they are full time major leaguers. Taillon is very young, but loaded with upside. He pitched very well in his first start in Altoona by allowing no runs, walking one, and striking out four in five innings of work.

 

3. Gregory Polanco A Bradenten OF 21 years old.

Polanco has outstanding upside, and can make some serious moves in the coming years within the organization. As we all well know, Andrew McCutchen is the only sure thing in the current Pirate outfield, and with an average cast of AA and AAA outfielders, Polanco will begin to stick out even more. He stole 40 bases last season, while also batting .325. He has some of the ability that makes you want to say "five tool" player. He could find his way in Altoona by the end of the season, but will spend the majority at Bradenten, unless he goes on an exceptional streak.

4. Alan Hanson A Bradenton SS 20 years old.

Hansen really emerged as a solid infield prospect last season. You would be able to find him among many of the top 100 prospect list out there. As most young shortstops do, he is not there 100% defensively. The athleticism and bat are noticeable. He is smallish, and you could see at second base at some point, but as of now he remains the top shortstop in the system. He had an outstanding first half last season with West Virginia, but cooled off considerably in the later parts of the season. Still, he has the tools, and he is so young.  I assume he moves along slowly, but could still be knocking on the major league door when he is 23, assuming he continues to progress.

5. Luis Heredia A Jamestown RHP 18 years old.

Without a doubt the most intriguing prospect in the system. He was a major coup for the international
staff, and one of the more higher profile signings the organization has ever had. He was signed at 16, with a 95 MPH fast ball and a 6-5 build. The potential was, and very much still is right there. He had  a very good campaign with short season, State College last year. That was going up against mainly college players in the equivalent as his senior year of high school. So yeah, he is ahead of the curve. It may be a while until he gets to PNC Park, but he will be one of the more highly anticipated minor leagues Pittsburgh has ever seen.

 

6. Josh Bell A West Virginia OF 20 years old.

Bell was a first round talent that fell into the Pirates lap a few years back. He was over slotted for his services, but it could prove to be a wise move for the organization. At 6-4, he has the potential to reaqlly be a solid corner outfielder down the line. An injury held him out most of last season, so he will be in low A West Virginia again. If he can adjust, and show what he needs to, he should be in Bradenton soon enough.

7. Barrett Barnes OF 21 years old.

Barnes was essentially the top draft pick of last year with Mark Appel going back to school. Barnes had an injury last season, but was playing well up until then. He has good speed, and could be a nice defensive outfielder down the road. I'm not sold on his hitting ability just yet, but that's what the minors are supposed to teach these guys.

8. Alex Dickerson AA Altoona 1B 22 years old.

Dickerson was a fairly high pick, and came as a pretty well polished hitter. He is not the greatest first baseman, but he holds his own. Dickerson is one of the few position players in AAA or AA that has legitimate prospect status. He's already started out well in Altoona, and could find himself in Indy if he stays productive. 

9. Wyatt Mathisen A West Virginia C 19 years old.

Wyatt Mathisen may not be the greatest prospect just yet, but I can see him turning into one. First of all, the flop of Tony Sanchez puts the position at a premium within the organization. Mathisen has good athleticism and a good enough bat to be drafted in the second round last year. At 19, he will be playing in low A ball as an everyday Catcher. If he proves he can hit, his value will go up immensely.

10. Clay Holmes A West Virginia RHP 20 years old.

 

Holmes had a good run in short season last year. I do not put him in the class with Cole, Taillon, Heredia because he does not appear to be that overpowering 1-2 guy in the rotation. Sounds like he relies on being more of a groundball type of pitcher. He had a bad start to this season, but he should work his way out of it.

STOP freaking out.

                       Perception wise, yeah this was a bad day for sure if you are a Pitt fan. Still, the Pitt fan in us all makes things worse than they typically are. Hell yeah Pitt has had some unfortunate luck over the past few years, but Pitt fans love the "woe as me" card a little too much. I will address each situation that has happened recently, and try to put a positive spin on all things, or for the very least, a realistic one. 

Jamie Dixon signed to a ten year extension.

This one is a little ridiculous. The guy is a good coach. Is the postseason success there, yet? Not enitrely. Pitt has had some good teams, and they have been close in the past. For whatever reason, Pitt fans or whoever follows the team somehow had high expectations for this past Pitt team. Case in point, how many tweets did you see, "Dixon can't win in the postseason" "Same old Pitt"  "They lost in the first round, AGAIN?" and so on and so forth.  FACTS

- This Pitt team was not very good.

-They lost in a 8-9 game, not a 3-14.

Yet, people still found a way to criticize Pitt for losing.  I agree, the way the lost was inexcusable, but losing in general was not.  Legitimately, what made Pitt good?  They had a lot of average players, and they had a lot of guys waiting for their potential to be reached. Dixon was able to gut out 12 conference wins with that unit. After the debacle in 2012, I would say that is pretty good improvment.

       Enough on my little skit on why the 2013 Pitt team was average. Jamie Dixon usually gets the most of his teams. He is a very good coach, for coaching minimal talent. Seriously, the guy earned a one seed with Nasir Robinson, Gary McGhee, and Brad Wannamaker in his starting lineup. Forgive me formyth you hear about Dixon is that his system is not recruit friendly, and it can not win.  NONSENSE.  It most certainly can win. Look at the Elite 8 team. It had two NBA second round picks, and it was one stop away from the Final Four. You see, talent is the issue, NOT the system, and not the coaching.

saying, but that is a damn good job.  Another

          To be successful, Dixon needs to find a lot of guys that fit his system, but also 2-3 guys that can flat out play. He needs to take more chances with high profile guys, and sacrifice some defense for some scoring.  Again, I must stress, it is not the system, it is who is in it.  Pitt was very limited this past season.  I think they have some pieces moving forward, but they need more athletes.

Rushel Shell Leaving.

Rushel Shell was the best High School running back from Pennsylvania since LeSean McCoy. It was absolutely a big coup to land him for Pitt. He could have gone anywhere, yet chose to stay close to

home. I'm sure the family aspect had to play a role, but he could have stayed up North and gone to another school. He took on being the hometown star role, and that is not always the easiest thing to do.  By the sounds of it, Paul Chryst did not lay things out easy for Rushel Shell. He challenged him to work harder and called him out when he did not. (At least that is the perception out there) Shell was the star player at Hopewell High, he could run over any kid in Pennsylvania, but college is a different game. He needed to work harder. Plain and Simple.

The leaving aspect makes very little sense. He was the guy at Pitt. Paul Chryst knows a thing or two about churning out good running backs, and Shell was playing in an offense built for him.  He was also close to his daughters. In terms of a better situation, there was not one. Playing time, level of competion, being the featured guy, and close to family. He really had everything going for him.  The relationship between him and the coaching staff must have been real shaky.  From player accounts, they seem caught off guard too. The really weird thing, Shell has been a good ambassador for the school the past few months. He helped recruit Tyler Boyd, and was putting in good words with plenty of top notch

guys. It is a very curious decision, but sometimes 19 year olds make those. The thing with Shell, if he was a problem in the locker room, than you will not miss him as much. I will take the team over one guy. He could have hurt, more than he helped.

The Pitt side of things, they lose a stud running back. That is the bad news. The good news is that they have some capable guys that can step in. They even better news, running backs are not terribly hard to find. Chryst made some guys out of nothing, Pitt turned Dion Lewis into a star as well. It can be done. Pitt also gets in even better standing with Shai McKenzie.  McKenzie is Pitt's top 2014 target on offense, and he is a fan of Pitt. He is being recruited by everyone, but states playing time is key. Shell will not be blocking his way now. At that same time, Shell can bad mouth Pitt to recruits, but that seems very far fetched.

Trey Zeigler Transferring. 

Hardly big news. Zeigler struggled mightly coming to Pitt from Central Michigan. Zeigler was supposed to come in and start, yet lost his job to James Robinson.  He also got a DUI, and saw his playing time dwindle down the stretch. It was clear he did not fit in here, and it was apparent he was not quite good enough to play at the highest levels of Division One. It hurts depth wise, but Zeigler would have had to make significant strides to become a high impact player.

Steven Adams Declaring for the NBA.

This just came at a very bad time. The news of the two transfers just had the fan base that loves to pity itself all fired up as it was. This was just a bad day for him to declare, but I am glad he just got it out of the way.  This is bad for Pitt, because they lose a very talented guy. This is not like Shell selfishly bailing on his team, Adams is going to the NBA. You know, something that happens ALL the time?  Adams was an orphan on the streets of New Zealand to being a first round pick, are some dumb Pitt fans really going to criticize that?  Please.  I understand he said he was going to stay, but you should

know never listen to a 19 year old. Hell, if it were between another year of school or the NBA and a seven figure paycheck, how many people would really stay amateur?

On the outside, this is good for Pitt perception. Dixon will get his first, first round draft pick while at Pitt.  That looks good to recruits, and it can get them in the door for a higher caliber of player. Adams just did not seem ready, and it threw people off. And again, the timing just seemed like another punch in the face. It may be the best option for Steve, and even if it isn't, I hope it works for him. The guy has unlimited potential. Pitt does need to replace him, and they actually have three other scholarships open. They appear to be in the works for a JUCO Center, a couple of shooting guards, and some other prospects.  The roster will be filled, and life will move on.