ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has reported that SEVERAL teams have asked about trading for Garrett Jones. I know the question you are asking yourself right now is why? But a better question is why have the Pirates decided that Garrett Jones is untradeable? He's Garrett Jones, he hits pretty good against right-handers (career .275/.354/.483) but he's horrible against lefties and he's a butcher in the field, at any position. Now maybe that doesn't matter in a movie like Moneyball, but Brad Pitt's never seen Jones try to play first base, he's worse than the guy from Parks and Rec.
Some people are less than excited at the prospect of A.J. Burnett coming to the Pirates, they point to his 5.15 ERA. He plays in the AL East, nobody's tearing it up pitching in that divison. Now the NL Central without Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder is the division you want to be pitching in, his ERA will drop into the 3's real quick. Plus PNC Park is the ideal park for Burnett to pitch in.
Does Ashton Gibbs have the worst body language of any Pitt basketball player you've ever seen? Gibbs played better and smarter as a freshman than he's playing this season. Tray Woodall has been great since his return, he's obviously the guy that makes the Panthers offense go but he still makes three to four just insanely egregious tunovers a game. He needs to cut them out of his game before next season, he may be better without Gibbs. Unlike Gibbs, Woodall could actually be the Big East Player of the Year next season. Speaking of next season, when Steven Adams arrives in Oakland, this is the strategy Jamie Dixon should employ: 2-3 zone with Adams in the middle and Dante Taylor and Talib Zanna flanking him. Try getting any kind of easy inside basket against them, it's exactly what Syracuse does when they get a slew of big guys (like this season). But it will never happen, Dixon will rotate Taylor and Adams at the 5 spot, and you'll never see them on the court at the same time.
Daniel Dudley hosts Saturday and Sunday 10am-1pm, check out the guest lineups:
Saturday
11a- Ray Mernagh of NBEBasketball.com on Pitt, Big East and College hoops-
11:30a- Brian Metzer-covers Pens for XM Home Ice and Kukla's Korner- @Brian_Metzer on twitter
12noon-Marcel Mutoni of SlamOnline.com on NBA Hoops @marcel_mutoni on twitter
12:30-Brian McElhinny of Raise the Jolly Roger- on twitter @rtjr
Sunday
10:30a-Michael Grau
11a-Matt Steinbrink-covers Pitt Hoops for PantherLair.com
11:30a- Tony Dobies of BlueGoldNews.com on WVU hoops and football @DOBIEST on twitter
12:30- RMU Hoops Writer Paul Schofield of the Trib