Blair’s announcement expected today at 4 p.m.

At this point, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. With the way DeJuan Blair played this… At this point, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. With the way DeJuan Blair played this season against some of the nation’s best big-men, there wasn’t a question that he’d test the NBA waters and at least go through the beginning processes of the NBA Draft. Blair is expected to announce his declaration for the NBA Draft today at a 4 p.m. press conference at the Petersen Events Center. As of right now, none of the rankings or projections matter. Pitt forward Chris Taft was considered a first-round talent after his sophomore season, but dropped to the second round after struggling during workouts. So for Blair, the scenario can be similar. If Blair does well in camp, he’ll likely earn a spot somewhere in the first round. But if he doesn’t do well, he could bounce back to the second round. That’s why, as long as Blair doesn’t hire an agent, he’ll be in good shape. Young, Fields decline invite Seniors Sam Young and Levance Fields declined invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which began on Wednesday and runs through Saturday. Young, who led Pitt in scoring last season, chose not to play because, according to Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, he feels like he’s in good enough Draft position that he can skip it and focus on camps in May. Fields declined, still being hampered by a sore groin. Young looked into turning professional after last season, but opted to come back to Pitt to finish his college eligibility. Like Blair, his NBA camp workouts will be key in projecting where he’ll be picked. But according to Dixon, he has much better chances now than he did last season. ‘Where he’s positioned now and where he was last year, that’s an unbelievable jump,’ said Dixon. ‘He’s jumped dramatically from at this point last year. Just going from feedback, his NCAA Tournament play has been solidification.’ Dixon said he gets his Draft info from NBA personnel, but wouldn’t give specifics on what exactly he’s heard. He did say that as far as Young goes, age [Young will be 24 by Draft-day] is likely the biggest worry among scouts. Still, Dixon said Young can overcome it. ‘I think his improvement over four years, and even this past year through this year, I think that even makes age less of a factor,’ he said.