DeJuan Blair was named a first-team All-American, and he was one of two Big East players of… DeJuan Blair was named a first-team All-American, and he was one of two Big East players of the year. Indeed, the only title Blair can no longer claim is that of a Pitt basketball player.

Blair announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, he announced that he had signed a marketing and advertising contract that immediately ends all future eligibility to play college basketball. At this point for Blair, it’s the NBA or bust.

Some Pitt basketball fans feel understandably upset about his move. Blair was the most promising player on Pitt’s basketball team in decades — the last time Pitt had a first-team All-American player, it was Don Hennon in 1958. And it’s undeniable that Blair’s presence on the team was a huge factor in the program’s successes during the last two years.

Given that, Blair’s decision to go professional might sting a little. And there are arguments against it: If he chose to stay, he would have had another year to build as a player and potentially enter the Draft with higher stock, not to mention getting another year of college under his belt.

But Blair might have said it best himself in yesterday’s press conference: ‘I had a heck of an individual year, just like we had a heck of a team year. I got All-American. I got Big East player of the year. I was first-team everything. When you have a year like that, then you don’t need to come back.’

Really, all Blair is trying to do is make the best decision for himself, and according to him, he has already reached his highest potential playing college basketball. There’s no reason for him to wait around for another year and try to carry the basketball team without Sam Young and Levance Fields. And while he would certainly help the program, if his personal interests lie outside Pitt basketball, it’s his own prerogative to choose where he wants to play.

Blair’s case is a lot like that of another Pitt athlete who left early to pursue a professional career. LeSean McCoy left Pitt in his sophomore year as one of the top prospects in the nation and the cornerstone of the football team’s offensive lineup. But whereas McCoy was also trying to avoid the possibility of re-injuring the ankle he broke in high school, Blair is simply making a business decision.

Frankly, we’d love it if he had chosen to stay and play for Pitt another year. Blair’s presence on the court was overwhelming, and his personality off the court was enchanting. It would have been good to keep him in Pittsburgh and build his own skills as well as our basketball program, but it obviously was not to be.

We can’t blame Blair for making the choice that he did — the vast majority of people would probably make the same decision. And while it’s a shame to lose a player as good as Blair, we can at least feel proud to claim him as one of our own.

‘