Just in case there's still any question why Sean Miller expressed no interest in the Pitt job Tuesday, there's some pretty good insight from his dad in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
John Miller told his hometown newspaper that it was "too big a gap" for Sean to take the job, after all the investment in recruiting and otherwise that he's done at Arizona.
"He has everything you need,β the elder Miller said. βHis recruiting right now, he's got a guy coming from New York. He's got a guy coming from Atlanta. He's got a guy coming from New York City. He's got a guy coming from Finland, and he's working on two more right now.
βAre you going to get a guy from the West Coast to come to Pitt? I don't think so. Arizona? Texas? You almost have to stay in the East. If you add up all the schools in the East, it's incredible what you have to do to get that guy. It's hard.β
As did Sean in his statement, John Miller also complimented Jamie Dixon -- possibly in part to illustrate just how difficult the Pitt job is, recruiting and competing against legendary ACC coaches.
βThe guy that was there (Dixon), he's been winning 25 games a year," John Miller told the Tribune-Review. "He's done an unbelievable job. But, yet, they've been trying to get him out of there for four, five years. If you're the new guy coming in, I think you'd better look at that.β
ICYMI, Greg Hansen made similar pointsΒ in his column today,Β noting that "the path to paradise is much shorter from Tucson than it is from Pittsburgh."
BTW, Archie Miller apparently isn't going to Pitt, either...
There's a few things in this USA Basketball feature on Josh Jackson that might be of hope to Arizona:
-- After spending this season in Northern California, Jackson noted that he "hated the cold" in his native Michigan.
-- Jackson downplayed the meaning of UA and Michigan State's early losses in the NCAA tournament, saying he knew regular-season upsets meant it was "going to be a pretty ugly year."
-- Jackson also said he wants to be "under a coach who is going to push me and not just kiss my butt because I am who I am or they want me so bad." (Kaleb Tarczewski would probably attest to that not happening at Arizona.)
Jackson (Prolific Prep) and Rawle Alkins (Word of God) will play in the Grind Session National Championship this weekend, though they are on different sides of the bracket.
Word of God will open against Dusan Ristic's old team, Sunrise Christian, on Thursday while Prolific received a first-round bye and won't play until Friday.
FWIW, Miller's speculated departure led to speculation thatΒ Jackson would end up at Michigan State while Deadspin pointed out the differing stories out there.
Then again, all that buzz was nothing compared to the 2011 frenzy created by Miller's mutual interest in Maryland.
Savon Goodman is transferring out of ASU.
UNLV interim coach Todd Simon was named head coach at Southern Utah.
Dixon says he went "from a great place to a great place."
A guest blogger in the Seattle Times makes an argument for Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray to stay put.
Andrew Andrews departs but he won't be forgotten in the Huskies' record books.
Oregon did a little laundry while stopping over at home during what will be its fourth straight week on the road, dating back to regular-season finales in Los Angeles.
Ex-Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins is reportedly heading to Central Florida.
Oregon State is looking at giving Wayne Tinkle some more money.
Three losses to Oregon were among the lows in a Utah season that also included a lot of highs.
Former Stanford and Cal coach Mike Montgomery will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
