INDIANAPOLIS — Calijah Kancey has heard all of it earlier than. If it wasn’t as he was popping out of Northwestern Excessive in Miami, it’s now as he’s popping out of Pitt.

You already know, the discuss that he’s manner too brief, too undersized to play defensive deal with within the NFL. He doesn’t see it that manner, in fact. Nevertheless it’s by no means been about proving anybody fallacious.

“I simply kinda show myself proper,” Kancey stated Tuesday on the NFL Mix. “I don’t play to show anybody else fallacious; I simply show myself proper.”

As Pitt’s first unanimous All-American since a bit of defensive lineman named Aaron Donald in 2013, he’s completed all of it on the collegiate stage. He’s proved he’s adequate. And he will not be trying to show anybody else fallacious, however the NFL has taken discover.

Calijah Kancey (8) – October 30, 2021 David Hague/PSN

The NFL draft analysts have taken discover, too, constantly mocking him as a primary spherical choice — ranked at a near-consensus Prime-50 recruit within the 2023 NFL Draft.

As he stood at a podium deep contained in the Indiana Conference Heart Tuesday, with dozens and dozens of reporters clamoring for his consideration, he confronted the group from atop the stage. He was the tallest within the room for a time. However even then, he’s by no means been one to draw back from his stature.

“That’s all the time at the back of my head,” Kancey stated. “I do know that I’m a smaller man, and I gotta include it. I can’t excessive step.”

Kancey watches a participant like Donald, in fact, however he spends time watching movie on guys like Falcons lineman Jarrett Grady, Eagles lineman Javon Hargrave and Jets lineman Quinnen Williams. It’s necessary to see how those that preceded him have gotten to the place they’re as we speak.

“I believe these guys simply paved the best way for smaller defensive tackles, and so they simply confirmed folks why smaller defensive tackles can play on the subsequent stage,” Kancey stated. “Lots of velocity, quickness, approach, and a whole lot of good block shedding and aggressiveness.”

As an undersized defensive lineman, Kancey is aware of he gained’t be capable of depend on brute power to bull-rush opposing offensive linemen. He’s properly conscious he isn’t afforded the chance to be complacent in neglecting his craft. So, in fact, he’s by no means allowed himself to get complacent throughout his journey to the highest.

It helps to have a defensive position coach like Charlie Partridge, who will choose up the telephone to offer recommendation if Kancey calls at any hour of the day, nevertheless it’s been a whole lot of laborious work. He’s fast off the road, and he makes use of that to his benefit and finds a option to get as little as he can — a smaller stature isn’t all the time an obstacle when attacking offensive linemen.

“Simply taking part in with nice leverage,” Kancey stated. “As a defensive deal with, decrease man wins. You simply gotta play with nice leverage, nice approach. With me being undersized, I can’t afford to have unhealthy approach.”

Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (8) September 1, 2022 David Hague PSN

Kancey has been coaching on the Frisco Texas Sports activities Academy recently, specializing in getting his shoulder proper after a minor surgical procedure following Pitt’s season, and after he was cleared three weeks, he was proper again to his coaching routine.

He will get an opportunity to indicate off the fruits of labor this week in Indianapolis, hitting the sector at Lucas Oil Stadium for all kinds of measurements and drills. And if there’s one space he’s particularly excited to showcase, it’s his velocity.

“I’ll shock everybody at my 40,” Kancey stated. “Keep tuned.”

It’s early within the week, with workforce conferences starting simply Tuesday morning, however he’s held formal conferences with plenty of NFL groups — too many to maintain observe of off the highest of his head. These conferences will solely proceed to stack up because the week progresses.

It’s an necessary week for Kancey, particularly with regards to formally measuring in and really getting onto the sector, however he’s been supported all the manner by his previous and current Pitt teammates.

Sep 26, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Malik Cunningham (3) runs the ball as Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (8) chases through the fourth quarter at Heinz Area. Pittsburgh gained 23-20. Necessary Credit score: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports activities

Kancey is rooming with Habakkuk Baldonado in Indianapolis, getting the prospect to spend a while collectively after a number of months aside, and he’s heard from teammates like Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver, Jaylen Twyman, Dane Jackson and Damar Hamlin. And Kenny Pickett, in fact.

“Kenny’s all the time supporting his Pitt guys, man,” Kancey stated. “A terrific chief, an excellent captain, he despatched me a textual content and informed me good luck. And I respect that from Kenny.”

Pittsburgh is a metropolis that Kancey has grown to like throughout his time as a Panther, appreciating the real connections he’s solid, the good folks and perhaps the even higher meals. He even wanted to offer the lads’s basketball workforce a shoutout — because the Panthers put together for a two-game stretch to clinch an ACC title.

“I’ve been watching,” Kancey stated. “They’ve been exhibiting out, man. I’ve been turnt watching them.

“I believe Pitt’s doing an excellent factor. I wanna give a particular shoutout to Pitt males’s basketball. All of them stayed down, and now it’s all exhibiting. They’re making it occur.”

Pitt basketball is trying to make it occur in South Bend Tuesday evening, and Kancey himself is making it occur in Indianapolis. He simply needs to be constant, take day-after-day simply one by one and present he’s an NFL defensive lineman. Not as a result of he needs to show anybody fallacious, in fact, however as a result of he believes in himself.

“My taking part in weight was 275 kilos,” Kancey stated. “I’m weighing 280 kilos proper now, and I’m wanting good.”

Kahliel Spear and Enoch Cheeks have been the guiding pressure for RMU basketball on each ends of the ground all through the 2022-23 season and the Horizon League has taken discover. 

Earlier than the primary spherical of the Horizon League Event Tuesday night time, Spear and Cheeks had been honored by the convention for his or her sustained performances. Spear was named All-League Second Workforce and Cheeks was chosen All-League Third Workforce. Detroit Mercy grad scholar and NCAA three-point report holder Antoine Davis was named Horizon League Participant of the 12 months for the second-consecutive yr.

Spear averaged 15.7 factors, 8.2 rebounds, shot 51% from the ground, and totaled 41 blocks whereas beginning all 31 video games for head coach Andy Toole. RMU’s most emotional and vocal chief on the ground and contained in the locker room, Spear performed over 1,000 minutes and added 59 assists throughout his further yr of eligibility. His 8.2 rebounds are tied for fourth within the Horizon League and pairs with Cheeks within the high three of blocked photographs. Spear ranks second in blocks per sport (1.3) – behind Milwaukee’s Ahmad Rand (2.2) – and Cheeks (1.2) is straight behind Spear in a tie for third.

A 3-year contributor and the groups main scorer (16), Cheeks shot 46% total and 37% from behind the arc. He shot 76-of-94 (80.9%) from the free-throw line, grabbed a median of 4.5 rebounds, dished out 99 assists, and recorded a team-best 55 steals, the fourth most in Horizon League play. Cheeks and Spear because the ninth and tenth highest scorers within the convention. 

The Colonials closed the common season on a low notice after successful its earlier 4 video games and upsetting Milwaukee by 20 and Youngstown State by 19 factors on their house flooring. RMU fell to IUPUI 81-75 in Indianapolis Thursday night time because the Jaguars (5-26, 2-18) gained solely their second convention sport. The defeat bumped RMU from the sixth to seventh seed within the convention event and units up a first-round rematch on the UPMC Occasions Heart on Tuesday.

For those who’ve adopted my twitter account over the previous couple of months, you may need detected an obsession I’ve, and it offers with the seeding of the NCAA Basketball Match.

My concern and obsession cope with the components and elements that these ‘knowledgeable bracketologists’ use to find out their seedings for March Insanity.

Some will say, “Who cares, it’s no huge deal. These guys aren’t on the NCAA committee and gained’t be making the seeds on Choice Sunday.” Whereas that’s technically true, the fact is that the brackets which can be revealed by the committee usually occasions mirror what’s been forecasted for weeks.

The unhappy and unlucky fact is that, the times of realizing who a event staff is by merely taking a look at their resume, their non-conference schedule, convention report and head-to-head matchups are lengthy gone. Now it’s all about metrics, offensive and defensive effectivity, margin of victory and the place shops just like the NET and KenPom have you ever slotted.

One among, if not the largest sufferer of this new means of figuring out who an NCAA Match staff is the Pitt Panthers.

The truth that they’re universally considered as an 8, 9 or 10 seed is a whole joke and calls into query this whole course of.

In regular occasions, any staff that’s main the ACC with a 14-4 report and 21 wins general isn’t on the bubble. As an alternative, they might be considered as a No. 3 seed, on the very least a No. 4 seed. However these aren’t regular occasions, these are the NET and KenPom occasions. By the way in which, solely No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 UCLA have extra convention wins than Pitt.

However the Panthers are on the bubble.

LOL.

To borrow a phrase from the good Chuck Noll, this new March Insanity system’s issues are many and they’re nice.

I might make this column 4,000 phrases however I’ll spare you that and simply say that certainly one of, if not the largest drawback that presently exists is the random and subjective willpower of power of convention.

As a result of everybody in school basketball has decided that the gathering of groups in Huge 12 are the best group ever assembled, no staff ever will get penalized for dropping and just about each sport is a Quad One win. If a staff loses, it’s excused as a result of it was a Huge 12 loss. All I’ll say in regards to the Huge 12 is they’d higher get no less than two, if not three, groups within the Last 4 to dwell as much as all of the reward they’re receiving.

However, as a result of the nationwide specialists say the ACC is rubbish this season, it’s unattainable to do something spectacular through the convention season. The ACC would clearly be considered in a different way if Coach Okay was nonetheless on the sidelines and North Carolina wasn’t having a down 12 months.

I might go on and on, nevertheless it wouldn’t shock me if a number of ACC groups (Duke, Miami, North Carolina, Pitt) make a pleasant run within the NCAA Match.

Pitt’s potential run might get comprised in the event that they’re unfairly positioned as a No. 8 or No. 9 seed, due to probably enjoying the No. 1 seed within the Second Spherical.

As of this morning, Jeff Capel’s staff is No. 52 within the newest NET Rankings, which is simply thoughts boggling.

Listed here are a number of the largest errors that I presently see with the present NET Rankings.

*All of the Mountain West Convention groups, besides San Diego St., which can be forward of Pitt. The NET loves the Mountain West and for no good cause as a result of their non-conference resume is non-existent. The 2 most overrated of those groups are Nevada and Boise State. If the ACC’s groups have been to play the Mountain West Convention groups in a midseason event, the ACC would dominate, however not in accordance with the computer systems.

CURRENT MWC NET RANKINGS

New Mexico, No. 48
Utah State, No. 32
Nevada, No. 30
Boise State, No. 29
San Diego St., No. 15

*Pitt is No. 52 however Oral Roberts is No. 44, Liberty is No. 41, North Texas is No. 51 and Florida Atlantic is No. 19. I’m attempting to maintain from laughing too onerous.

*Oklahoma State is No. 46 however is 16-13 and misplaced to each significant non-conference opponent, corresponding to UConn, Virginia Tech, Central Florida and Southern Illinois.

*I might carry up West Virginia and their 16-13 general and 5-11 convention report, which is subsequent to final place, however I gained’t. They’re nonetheless being mentioned as a result of they’re No. 27 within the NET and play within the “best convention ever assembled”.

*Rutgers is No. 35 however is 17-11 and has non-conference losses to Temple, Miami, Seton Corridor and unhealthy losses to Ohio State and Michigan.

*Regardless of main the ACC, Pitt trails North Carolina within the NET though they beat them twice and UNC is barely 1-9 in opposition to Quad One opponents. The Panthers path NC State regardless of main them by three video games within the convention and beating them on the highway. They usually additionally path Miami regardless of beating them head-to head. Wanting on the Canes, their solely two significant non-conference wins have been in opposition to Rutgers and Windfall.

CURRENT ACC NET RANKINGS

Pitt, No. 52
North Carolina, No. 47
NC State, No. 42
Miami, No. 34
Virginia, No. 28
Duke, No. 25

Hey, I get it, issues change and most occasions it’s for the higher however that’s not the case right here. Metrics ought to have some position however not as a lot as presently exists.

If the outdated style eye check and customary sense elements have been used, Pitt can be a No. 3 seed as an alternative of nonetheless battling to get in.

The excellent news is that for the primary time in seven years, the Pitt Basketball staff and followers are having March Insanity dialog which is healthier than the choice.