Jeff Borzello, Pittsburgh News

PITT’S DIXON BASKING IN GOLD

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Most of the time, a coach not getting on the recruiting trail until mid-July is a negative.

However, for Jamie Dixon, it was the best thing that could happen.

The Pittsburgh head coach arrived at the Nike Peach Jam in South Carolina on Tuesday, coming from New Zealand, where he won the Gold Medal at the U-19 World Championships.

The U.S. team defeated Greece, 88-80, on Sunday night, as Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor scored 18 points. The team also featured Gordon Heyward and Shelvin Mack of Butler, Washington State’s Klay Thompson and Pittsburgh guard Ashton Gibbs.

The United States went 9-0, winning its games by an average of 22.2 points per game.

Dixon said it was a great feeling to win the Gold for the U.S.

“As we got more and more involved, from practice to traveling to selecting the team, I realized how important it was to represent the country,” Dixon said. “It grew in magnitude [as the event went on].”

The balanced attack of the U-19 team is similar to what will Dixon will encounter next season with Pitt, who lose four starters, including draft picks DeJuan Blair and Sam Young.

Dixon said coaching in the summer got him excited for the college basketball season.

“When you get in a competitive situation like that, it really gets you thinking about preparing for next year,” he said. “You start looking at things for next year.”

The Panthers return starting guard Jermaine Dixon, as well as role players Bradley Wanamaker and Gilbert Brown. Dixon also brings in an outstanding recruiting class, led by five-star forward Dante Taylor.

However, the key player next season for Pittsburgh will be sophomore Ashton Gibbs, who will step into the point guard position vacated by Levance Fields. Fortunately, Gibbs prepared for next season playing over in New Zealand for the championship-winning national team.

“It was a great month for him,” Dixon said. “It was good for him as a player and as a leader. He was our point guard; every minute he was out there, he was our point guard. It was something he needed and benefitted from.”

Although Dixon might not win another championship next April with Pittsburgh, there is no doubt that this month will be a great memory and growing moment for him.

Now, all he has to do is catch up on two weeks of missed recruiting time and rebuild the Panthers in the fall.

So much for basking in glory