The Eastern 8 for which the Panthers were a member for a minute has become the A-10 which is a good basketball conference of its own (and yes Penn State did take a dip in those waters before the big dogs came calling from the Big 10) but is nowhere near the level of the Big East.  And it does not have the lucrative TV deal this incredible new league has already rangled from the World Wide Leader.  Of course this meant the Big East would be jumping into the football pool and soon made it clear they were diving into the deep water with their other additions in Miami, West Virginia and next year the rumor is the Big Daddy of them all is coming this way in none other than then Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  It is yet to be seen however if the Golden Domers are going to share any of that huge TV money they are getting for football every Saturday on a major network as they say or if they are just joining for basketball.  These guys are more Indy than a Seattle band in the 80’s but even the Irish can see the writing on the wall for conference affiliation at least in hoops and there is no way they are going to join a mid-major. As for the Panthers they get the benefit of competing at this higher level and all of the schwag that comes with that and perhaps that will be the impetus for this basketball program to put together the kind of roster and program this city deserves to be amongst the elite again.  After all this is the city of champions isn’t it? 

Carlson realized his day had come and left as unceremoniously as a legend could last year (JoePa heard that and just said hold my beer) after a rather pedestrian first year in this brave new conference.  He hands over the reins to young Jamie Dixon who walks and breaths defense.  This is a far cry from Carlson but in the tough Big East and with the talent this team has accumulated (which means nowhere near the elite of this league) to keep up with the Joneses’ you better have an angle.  And Dixon’s angle will be tough, hard-nosed defense with big, thick bodies banging everything that moves.  Will this work?  We shall see but one thing is for sure these blue collar fans are going to love every minute of it.  Well, that is if they win and if last year is any indication there is some hope because after all the Panthers sophomore class is one of the best this program has ever had or at least since Hyatt walked the hallowed grounds of the Pitt Pavilion.     

Dixon will bring in his brand of basketball for sure and that means many of the carryovers will be challenged for jobs.  Foremost of these will be senior Don Hennon who is not exactly known for his defense.  Hennon is an offensive weapon for sure but as 5 foot 8 will be hard pressed to stay in the mix in this physically demanding league especially as a two guard. Hennon had a legendary prep career just down the road in Wampum (population 717 which is also the home of legendary baseball player Dick Allen who by the way should be in the Hall of Fame) leading this small town to an undefeated and championship season.  Hennon has got a great jump shot and loves the new three point line but must be is most adept using his skills and girth to get inside with the big boys.  The stocky Hennon will start the year at the point guard as he has for the last three years and the kid can run a team with his fierce desire to succeed.  This kid might not be Dwayne Washington on the playground talent spectrum but he can play and to the faithful Panther fans he is every bit as popular as the Pearl. Yes, Dixon will be moving this team in a different direction but unless he wants a revolt in the new Petersen Events Center he better make room for Hennon.    

Hennon might be the heart of this team but it’s best player no doubt is junior swing man Billy Knight.  Knight is the complete package on the wing.  He can score any which way that you want and is terrific on the boards.  Knight is the most complete player on the team and really has no weakness to his game.  He is without question the go to guy for the Panthers was second in the Big East in scoring in his first season at this level at almost 19 a game after some had questioned whether this kid could transport his game up to this new level of competition. Well, he showed the world that he can and will compete with anyone.  He almost for sure will take a bit of a dip in scoring with Dixon at the help but Knight will get his buckets inside or out.  Knight, like Hennon, is not exactly the greatest defender on the planet but there is no way anointed one is not going to be on the court for 30 plus minutes a game.  The only question is whether he is playing the three or the two.  Knight has been a three for most of his career but has the skill set to handle the two with a fine all-around perimeter game. There is no doubt he is athletic enough to go toe to toe with any wing in the country, just ask the great David Thompson of North Carolina State?  The two had an epic showdown last February and Knight was the one who came out standing on his own two feet.  Of course that was after the ‘Skywalker’ fell about four feet to the ground after trying to fly over Knight for a board and landed not so gently on his back.  These two will meet again this year hopefully!  Of course both of those cats were playing the three last year and rumors are both will be switching to the two in today’s brave new world of more athleticism. No matter where he plays Knight will continue to be the main man in Steel Town as he is without question the best player on this team and the man the others rely on to take the big shot and make the big play no matter what the situation.  

Beyond those two the rest of the upperclassmen are up a creek without a paddle.  The transition for many of these players to this higher level of basketball plus the advent of last year’s superb recruiting class led to the slow trickle of minutes for these games.  For instance post players Bobby Lazor, John Riser, Ed Pavlick and Don Virostek started out last year in the rotation up front.  By the year’s end they were primarily role players (at best) and they really have no need to need to wear sunglasses this year.  The problem with this entire group was a lack of height as none of these seniors to be go over 6’6 (Lazor who does have an outside chance of playing) and the rest of this quartet is 6’4 and under.  Dixon has made it a point to go and get some big bodies with his recruits as there is no way you are going to compete with the Georgetown and St. John’s of this conference with undersized post players no matter how tough they are.  One senior who has a good chance of getting some minutes is Julius Pegues, a 6’3 stud from Tulsa Oklahoma.  Pegues was the first African-American player here and had to walk on after he was denied access to Oklahoma Universities due to his color. Pegues came to Pittsburgh to get a degree in engineering and basketball is a just a ways to a mean for this trail blazer. Pegues showed rather quickly when he came here however that he is damn good at this game as he can flat fly and has got some serious minutes here averaging almost 15 points a game as a sophomore. He was pushed out of his starting role last year but still played well and will not be denied as his journey from Tulsa can attest.  After all he comes from a town that saw racism at its ugliest level.  The tragedies that are the ‘Black Wall Street Massacres’ might not have been taught in your school but Pegues grew up learning about what actually happened that evil day in the not so long ago American Past.  Pegues wants to go back home and do his part in making sure that we never forget about what happened that day but first he has a job to do for the Panthers and that includes winning back his small forward position especially since Knight will be possibly moving to the two guard this year.  Speaking of having other priorities fellow senior to be Brian Generalovich will be competing with the likes of Gary Burley and Randy Holloway for playing time on at defensive tackle on coach Johnny Majors team.  Generalovich’s better sport is basketball as he led Farrell High School and controversial but legendary Eddie McCluskey (Pennsylvania seems to breed psycho coaches) to back to back state championships and has had a successful career for Carlson. Generalalovich is no dummy however and can see where his bread could be buttered and though he will play this year that will not be until after football season is over in December (or perhaps January for the extremely talented Panthers football team-as a matter of fact the reason Generalovich is trying out for DT is because it is the weakest position on a stacked roster as he is better suited for offensive tackle but no way he beats out Mark May or Bill Fralic-after all he doesn’t want to pull a Jimbo as in Covert and not getting any PT).

As for the carryover guards there is a group that will be competing for minutes.  Seniors Clarence Burch and Calvin Sheffield are solid players who will give Dixon some options.  Burch is more of an offensive player but can swing between two guards.  Sheffield is more athletic and is also a combo guard and has a real shot at minutes and possibly even starting if the cards fall right.  Both have had huge roles in the past and are solid performers.  Big time recruit Curtis Aiken fro Buffalo barely played last year behind Hennon and company but has nice range on his shot.  This lefty lets it fly but is not a true point guard and like all of the rest the question will be his defense.  Dixon has brought in a slew of quick guards that play his style and will defend so if this group of upperclassmen want to keep minutes they better guard someone.  The good thing for them is that none of the incoming freshmen are big time recruits but the bad thing is that is just theway Dixon likes them.

Now for that incredible group of sophomores to be who showed that all of the hype was not propaganda or non-melodic music for the trouble youth.  Superior recruiter Roy Chipman brought in the goods last year with a group of recruits as good as any in this league and that is saying something.  Foremost of these is a trio of big men who took the Steel City by storm and sent the upperclassmen to the pine.  Sam Clancy, Charles Smith and Jerome Lane bring the kind of talent inside this program has lacked for far too long.  The breakout player of this group was the biggest as Charles Smith jumped into the fray which is the Big East and quickly established himself as an juggernaut in this league.  Smith is a true offensive star.  He has all the skills to dominate wherever Dixon decides to put him.  For his first season he played mainly center as Carlson did not have any other options and the 6’10 wunderkid from Bridgeport Connecticut was by far the best choice.  A fine inside scorer with low post moves. Smith can also hit mid-range jump shots.  He is not much of a board man and sometimes that hurt his rep in the Steel City.  Of course with his two sophomore to be sidekicks next to him that is not a huge issue here.  He does block shots though but this does get him in foul trouble much too often.  Of course trying to guard the Ewings of the world will do that to you.  Smith has a bright future in Steeltown and beyond and perhaps center is not what he is best suited for but wherever he plays this kid has the basketball DNA and will be a stud. 

Smith was damn lucky he did not have to go it alone in the first year in this brutal conference.  He had the luxury of two of the baddest first year paint practitioners in the country.  Jerome Lane is one of the best board men in the country but likens himself as the next Magic and thus longs to be a point guard.  He came out of High School as a top recruit after playing guard in Akron.  Carlson promised him a shot at guard knowing he was going to be his rebounding machine.  Jerome does love to eat almost as much as he loves to pass and this 170 pound kid soon turned into a 240 pound beast on the boards soon after he hit the Steel Town. Carlson appeased him in practice and for some reason the big guy thought he actually had a chance of playing point especially with the uncertainly of that position going into the season. Lane did get a shot a couple of times and was not half bad until the press came and about five turnovers (and we are not talking apple) later the experiment was over.  Cooler heads prevailed as Carlson needed this guy down low with his incredible board work but he was pushed hard to keep his playing time as he does have a tendency to not quite work hard enough in practice and he does love them doughnuts!   Clancy does not have that issue.  He loves the pain of the battle and will stay in the Gym all day long!  Clancy is a huge six foot seven who carries a solid 250 on his frame and might even be a better rebounder than Lane.  Neither one has range outside the key but they are both dominant inside the paint with their super physicality and toughness.  Clancy, like Generalovich, is tough enough to make the Panther football team (his future might be on the gridiron) but his love is basketball and he easily won the starting job as the year progressed over Lane.  Perhaps the biggest recruit Dixon is bringing in is also a big time beast in the middle as hometown kid DuJuan Blair will definitely be in the fray.  This 6’7 255 pound freshman is almost a clone of Lane and Clancy so you know Dixon will be playing a couple of these guys together at times.  That might be a small lineup in height but nobody is going to be asking where the beef is with this group.  No matter who Dixon puts on the court at the four the Panthers are in good hands and most of the basketballs caroming off the rims this year will also be in those hands.  

Sophomore Clyde Vaughan and Junior Larry Harris had another battle for playing time next to Knight on the wing.  Vaughan won the battle as he is a bit more physical and does have some range with his jump shot.  He, like Knight, are not true two guards and have some issues keeping up with quicker shooters at that position and in the day of the three that could be an issue.  Dixon preaches pressure defense on the perimeter with great weak side help from the monsters he has recruited (have we mentioned yet that the new coach is bringing in three seven foot freshemen this season).  Harris is similar but not quite as physical and his minutes might be dwindling.  Neither is going to quick enough in today’s Big East and Dixon has a slew of much more athletic wings biting at the bit to get in.  Foremost of these is Sam Young from Maryland who has the size at 6’8 and game to really be special here. This should be interesting as the year progresses as Vaughn is one heck of an offensive weapon and has the kind of will and toughness Dixon loves. Now if he learns to play defense the way Dixon wants it done the job is his. 

Coach Jamie Dixon has a very big task in front of him in the Steel City.  It is never easy replacing a legend but to change the entire style of basketball means implementing things most of the carryovers are not used to.  Legendary Coach Doc Carlson taught an upscale style of basketball that was highly successful including a national championship.  That was a long time ago and the game has changed and now that this program enters the Big East (for whatever reason) and the fact they are building a new state of the art arena this team has to compete now.  Last year was a big step in the right direction as Carlson and his recruiting guru (Roy Chipman who left right after he was skipped over for the head job) did not leave the cupboard empty.  A fine sophomore class awaits but these kids will have to learn to play Dixon’s style which for a few them should not be too hard but for a few others might not go so well.  Dixon’s style is defense, defense and defense and no matter how good you are offensively if you don’t play hard-nosed defense you won’t play much. Of course the three best players coming back Mr’s Smith, Knight and Hennon are not exactly known for their defense so this should be an interesting first go round for Dixon.  The blue collar fans of this Three Rivered City will love his style of basketball but if he benches any of those three studs the Steel Curtain would not be able to hold back the masses revolting at the gates of the beautiful new Petersen Events Center.