Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has kept Pitt among the top teams in the Big East without recruiting McDonald's All-American type players to stock his roster.

Pitt's ability to develop into a national championship contender, it has often been theorized, depended upon the addition of a top-flight recruit with the star power to push the Panthers to greater heights.

Dixon could now have that player in highly rated power forward Dante Taylor.

Taylor, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound senior from National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Md., gave Dixon a verbal commitment yesterday and is expected to sign a binding letter of intent during the fall signing period in November.

Taylor is considered Pitt's top recruit in at least two decades. He was rated the No. 23 player in the country by Rivals.com in their most recent rankings, and that was before an outstanding summer season with his AAU team. He could be a top 15 recruit by the fall and is in contention to become a McDonald's All-American.

Pitt has not had a McDonald's All-American since Brian Shorter and Bobby Martin in 1987.

Taylor chose Pitt over Kansas and Memphis, the two teams that competed for the national championship in April, as well as Connecticut, Syracuse and Villanova.

"I decided on Pitt because I felt like it was a good fit for me," Taylor said. "I like the way they push the ball. They have some great guards. I like the way they use their [forwards and centers]."

Taylor said he has known since early in the spring that he would be attending Pitt, but said he used the summer to make sure his choice was the right one. Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion recruited Taylor, who said Pitt's early interest was rewarded.

"They were there from Day 1, when I was a nobody," Taylor said. "They were always there. I liked that."

Taylor is from White Plains, N.Y., but has played at National Christian Academy since his freshman season. National Christian Academy coach Trevor Brown said Taylor has come a long way in the past four years.

"He's developed quite a bit from the first time he stepped in our gym," Brown said. "He was 6-5, overweight and couldn't make a layup. But he always played with a lot of intensity and played hard. We knew as coaches that if we worked with him we had something."

Taylor will compete next season to fill the vacancy at power forward left by senior Sam Young, who will graduate after the upcoming season.

If Taylor continues on his current upward trend, he could become someone who is considered by the NBA after his freshman or sophomore season. Dixon has always said he is willing to recruit those types of players and while he has been close to landing a few the past couple of years, Taylor is the first.

"It's a good fit for him," Brown said. "He likes their style of play. They try to feed their post guys. A lot of the other schools he was looking at don't use their big guys the way Pitt does."

Taylor is the second high school player to give Pitt a verbal commitment for the Class of 2009. Lamar Patterson, a 6-5 guard from Lancaster's McCaskey High, gave his verbal commitment in December. He is currently rated the No. 58 player in the country, according to Rivals.com.