Jamie Dixon Completes Top 10 2012 Class
By Matt Shetler
So much for the old theory that Pitt and Jamie Dixon continue to win despite top end talent not wanting to play in Pittsburgh.
With the recent signings of both center Steven Adams and guard James Robinson, who are both players are expected to enroll at Pitt next summer, Dixon has his best recruiting class as the head man of the Panthers, possibly the best class in Pitt history.
According to the recruiting rankings, the class is considered one of the top 10 classes in the country. CBSSports.com ranks the class fifth and ESPNU and Rivals.com ranks its eighth.
A year after current forward Khem Birch became the highest ranked Pitt recruit in history, Adams easily takes that honor. A 7-foot, 240-pounder from New Zealand, Adams is a consensus top 10 recruit and plays for the New Zealand national team.
Adams verbally committed to Pitt when he was 16 and the fact that Dixon once played professionally in New Zealand may have helped out with the recruitment as Ray Fittipaldo explains in his latest column for the Post Gazette.
Adams, ranked as the No. 4 college prospect by Rivals.com, has the whole package off athleticism and a great skill set. He’s a scorer and a rebounder and could only be at Pitt for one season before declaring for the NBA draft as NBAdraft.net has him projected as the No. 2 pick already in the 2013 Draft.
Robinson, a 6-3, 190-pound point guard, is ranked 49th by ESPNU, 56th by Rivals.com and 94th by Scout.com. He’s a three-year starter at DeMatha Catholic in Maryland and has led his team to 90 victories and three city league championships.
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