The news of Nasir Robinson's injury was a familiar sight. We all know that Robinson was injured last week and the same thing happened last year when he went down just before the season with a torn meniscus.
The prognosis is a little better this time around - he's only expected to miss three-four weeks ... last year it was three to six. Looking for a bright spot? Nas didn't come close to missing those six weeks and returned after being out only three, just in time for the big matchup against Maryland at Madison Square Garden. Hopefully he'll be on the fast track to return again.
The four-week timeline puts Robinson right around Pitt's opener against Albany, so it's likely that he doesn't miss any games.
But if he can't play in the first couple of games or the injury takes longer to heal than expected, then what?
For one, Talib Zanna will get another chance to prove himself - and by prove himself, I mean put up big numbers against weak non-conference opponents. After starting out hot last year, Zanna cooled off considerably and by the time the season ended, he was virtually a non-factor before exiting the season with a freak injury. It's not necessarily that Zanna was bad - it's easy to forget he was only a redshirt freshman and after he started so well, Pitt fans probably expected too much too soon. Zanna can still be a good player and will see more time in the beginning of the season with Nas' injury.
We could also see more of Khem Birch than we would have had Robinson been healthy. Birch was bound to play, but he might be on an even faster path to significant playing time with the injury. Similarly, any minutes that Birch was due to play at center could evaporate. That would then force Malcolm Gilbert into the role as the sole backup behind Dante Taylor there.
Either way you look at it, Pitt shouldn't be hurt by the injury. The team's first true test shouldn't come until that December 3rd matchup against Tennessee (though a late November game at Penn could be interesting) and Nas is expected back well in advance of that game.