Truth & Rumors > NCAAB

Pitt lands top-flight commitment

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06:30 AM ET 07.15 | Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has kept Pitt among the top teams in the Big East without recruiting McDonald's All-American type players to stock his roster. Pitt's ability to develop into a national championship contender, it has often been theorized, depended upon the addition of a top-flight recruit with the star power to push the Panthers to greater heights. Dixon could now have that player in highly rated power forward Dante Taylor. Taylor, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound senior from National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Md., gave Dixon a verbal commitment yesterday and is expected to sign a binding letter of intent during the fall signing period in November. Taylor is considered Pitt's top recruit in at least two decades. He was rated the No. 23 player in the country by Rivals.com in their most recent rankings, and that was before an outstanding summer season with his AAU team. He could be a top 15 recruit by the fall and is in contention to become a McDonald's All-American. Taylor chose Pitt over Kansas and Memphis, the two teams that competed for the national championship in April, as well as Connecticut, Syracuse and Villanova.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jamie Dixon, Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Jamie Dixon, Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
July 15, 2008  09:14 AM ET

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has kept Pitt among the top teams in the Big East without recruiting McDonald's All-American type players to stock his roster.


Yes because you can look at Duke and see all the championships they have over the past 10 years with 7 and 8 of the McNuggets on the team.

July 15, 2008  09:30 AM ET

Awesome!

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July 15, 2008  10:29 AM ET

6-9, 230....can this kid even run the floor???

July 15, 2008  10:30 AM ET

Dixon and Pitt MUST have thrown some cash and chicks at this kid to get him over Kansas and Memphis.

July 15, 2008  11:53 AM ET

Another Maryland kid goes elsewhere. I'm not a Terrapin fan but if I was, I would have to question the effectiveness of Gary Williams.
J. HOVA: ES MUY BIEN | 07/15/08, 09:40 AM
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Actually. he is a New York kid going to basketball factory in Christian academy.. His star has risen risen fast in the last year. He went from being a very good prospect to top prospect. Pitt had been on him early and hard.

Perhaps Pitt DOESN'T throw the chicks and the cash like some of the other programs....that is why they have been unable to land this type player til now.

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July 15, 2008  01:07 PM ET

Taylor, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound senior from National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Md.,

That's alot of weight to chug up and down the floor.

July 15, 2008  01:09 PM ET

Cash and Chicks in Pittsburgh? hahahahahaha

July 15, 2008  02:08 PM ET

Cash and Chicks in Pittsburgh? hahahahahaha

mmorty03 | 07/15/08, 01:09 PM
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True. My bad.

July 15, 2008  03:17 PM ET

Let's give Dixon some credit. He may be the best recruiter in college basketball. He doesn't have the name (UNC, Kansas, UCLA) or the location (Florida, Arizona, USC) to draw talent to his school. He does have this unbelievable ability to get kids to come to a cold, small city and play top tier Big East b-ball. There have been way too many McDonald's all americans who have never made it at the college level, they are irrelevant. I think Dixon knows true talent by know.

July 15, 2008  05:30 PM ET

When I saw the headline, I knew you'd have a comment about Gary's inability to get Maryland kids, J HOV. You do have a point.

July 15, 2008  06:37 PM ET

230 is a lot of weight??? At 6 foot 9, he is very, very skinny if he only weighs 230.

July 15, 2008  08:53 PM ET

as long as he doesn't come with an all-american ego i'll be psyched...pitt has a good thing going with the true team first play, especially again recently after Krauser left so it'll be interesting to see what happens with a "star" in the mix

July 15, 2008  09:26 PM ET

Pitt plays well in the BIG EAST, but always falls on their face in the NCAA tourney...hardly what you call a "national championship contender".

July 15, 2008  09:27 PM ET

Pitt plays well in the regular season but ALWAYS falls on its face in the NCAA tourney....hardly what you would call "a national championship contender", more like a pretender.

July 15, 2008  09:35 PM ET

"He may be the best recruiter in college basketball"? Seriously? He's not even the best recriuter in a 100-mile radius. Bob Huggins is Dixon's daddy. I think Dixon's a fine coach but let's not get carried away...

July 15, 2008  09:36 PM ET

"He may be the best recruiter in college basketball"? Seriously? He's not even the best recriuter in a 100-mile radius. Bob Huggins is Dixon's daddy. I think Dixon's a fine coach but let's not get carried away...

July 16, 2008  12:54 AM ET

Actually...assistant Tom Herrion should get the credit. He is the one that has been recruiting Taylor from the start. A big reason why Dixon hired him was his ties to the DC/Baltimore areas.

DiamondDave is right. Huggins has a better track record for getting some pretty good talent....and he did lure in Ebanks to WVU.

 
July 16, 2008  02:46 AM ET

T&R is contractually obligated to show the coaches LOSING IT in 80%+ of the photos.

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