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Q: Are Pitt's problems related to the fact that the Panthers play to the level of their competition? Or is it a lack of preparation for the opponent? How can Pitt lose games against teams like West Virginia, Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's and then beat Connecticut and Syracuse on the road?
Paul Sylba of Oakmont
FITTIPALDO: Pitt is the Jekyll and Hyde team of this college basketball season, Paul. There is no way of explaining why this team plays poorly against mediocre teams and great against good teams. Pitt has had a couple of bad losses this season, but I would not put Villanova and Georgetown in the category of a bad loss. Both schools are likely to make it to the NCAA tournament. And as much as people want to think losing at West Virginia is a bad loss, the Mountaineers are a rival, beat a couple of ranked teams during the non-conference schedule, and with Wednesday's win at the Petersen Events Center, is in contention for an NCAA at-large berth. Still, Pitt should not lose to the Mountaineers at home. Your point is well taken. In years past, Pitt did not lose games to the Bucknells and West Virginias of the world. I don't know if it's good news or bad news, but Pitt probably will not face another bad team the rest of the season. The final three games are against Connecticut, Boston College and Notre Dame. We'll then find out what this team is made of.
Q: Can you please explain to me how Pitt can lose to West Virginia twice in a season? This is the most frustrating Pitt team I've seen in a while.
Bob from South Fayette
FITTIPALDO: I don't have a good explanation, Bob, other than Kevin Pittsnogle is a Panther killer. He scored 49 points in the two games. If he doesn't have the games of his life against Pitt, the Panthers win both games. I'm sure it is frustrating watching this team. There has been no semblance of consistency all season. They look like world beaters one game and then the next game they look like a bunch of underachievers. There isn't anyone out there, including Jamie Dixon, who can tell you how this team is going to respond in the last three games. Your guess is as good as mine and probably Dixon's.
Q: Is Pitt a lock for the NCAA tournament right now? If not, what does Pitt's record have to be to guarantee a bid? Also, do you know when the Big East will release the 2005-06 schedule. I'm anxious to see if the Panthers will play out here in Chicago or Milwaukee next year.
Matt Bachovchin of Naperville, Ill.
FITTIPALDO: Pitt is 18-6 overall and 8-5 in the Big East. I do not think Pitt is guaranteed an NCAA tournament berth at this point. If they lose their final three games, they would be 8-8 and .500 teams don't often get at-large bids. I think Pitt has to win one of their final three games to get in. With Connecticut, Boston College and Notre Dame on the horizon, things could get very interesting. As for next season's schedule, the Big East releases that in August or September.
Q: Everyone loves a deep bench, but is it becoming counterproductive for Jamie Dixon to use Keith Benjamin for a minute here and John DeGroat a minute there and Mark McCarroll for some duration depending on how he rolled out of bed that morning? The team seems to lose momentum with all of these quick substitutions. Is Dixon trying to figure out who has the hot hand or is this part of the plan to get everyone ready come tournament time?
Jeff Young of Squirrel Hill
FITTIPALDO: I think you answered your own question there, Jeff. It's both. Even though it might seem counterproductive, there have been times this season when Benjamin has given him something off the bench, most notably the game against Syracuse when he scored 10 points. He also had that big block late in the Villanova game. McCarroll was useful against Notre Dame when Dixon decided to bench Taft. These guys aren't going to go off and score 20 points for you, but it's a good idea to have them ready. Injuries and foul trouble are always factors in the postseason, so you never know when you're going to have to call on a reserve for some quality minutes.
Q: Ever since the second half of the loss at St. John's when Levon Kendall was inserted into the startling lineup I have been watching him closely. I firmly believe he is bringing Pitt intangibles that Jaron Brown provided the Panthers in previous years. He is always making those extra hustle plays and a key rebound or a key shot when it matters. Do you agree that giving him significant minutes in the lineup has been a key to Pitt's success over the past month?
Ryan Tomsheck of York, Pa.
FITTIPALDO: Kendall has been a pleasant surprise for the coaches. Dixon has spoken highly of his defensive ability. He didn't think Kendall would be as dependable on defense as he has been. If you look at how Pitt was doing before the move and after, you certainly have to give Kendall some of the credit for what has transpired. He is a guy who sets screens and does all of the little things that go unnoticed. He's not Jaron Brown, but he's proving to be more than a capable player.
Q: If a team finishes in the top five in the Big East does that team get a bye during the tournament, or do you have to be the first- and second-place team to get a bye?
Jimmy Janis of Pittsburgh
FITTIPALDO: Because St. John's is not allowed to participate in the Big East tournament this season five teams will receive a first-round bye. Three games will take place on Wednesday - No. 6 vs. No. 11, No. 7 vs. No. 10 and No. 8 vs. No. 9. On the second day of the tournament, No. 4 plays No. 5 and the three winners from the first day play the top three seeds.
Q: Is Chris Taft turning pro? I have heard he is. I think he would be better off if he stayed one more year to increase his stock. Also, is Chevy Troutman going to the NFL? I think he would make a great tight end. If Taft goes pro and with Troutman graduating, can Pitt still be a powerhouse?
Rob Fisher of Coatesville, Pa.
FITTIPALDO: Taft has not said much on the subject recently. He indicated before the season started that he was not going to talk about the NBA until after the season ended. That's a good approach. If he wants to go to the NBA, from all accounts, he will have that opportunity. He has lots of potential, and that's what the NBA is looking for. NFL personnel people have made it known that Troutman is someone who might be able to make the transition to football from basketball like Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez, but those opportunities will not come until after Pitt's season ends. Pitt has a nice recruiting class coming in with a couple of highly touted forwards set to play, but there's going to be a transition period if Taft leaves. You can't expect freshmen to come in and be dominant right away.
Q: Everyone loves to say how Chevon Troutman would make a great tight end. However, he is 6 feet 7 and is bigger than Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. So what are Troutman's chances of making it in the NBA. He's clearly big enough and seems to handle the ball well enough to be a small forward.
Chris from Bethel Park
FITTIPALDO: Troutman is 6-7, but I've stood next to him and I don't know if it's a legit 6-7. Even if he is 6-7, I'm not sure he handles the ball well enough or shoots well enough to be a small forward in the NBA. And he's not big enough to be a power forward. He seems to be a tweener for the next level. I haven't heard much chatter about Troutman and the NBA, to tell you the truth.
Q: I checked the won-loss records for Pitt and Duke since the 2001-02 season - three full seasons, plus this season. If my numbers are correct, Pitt has one of the best records of any Division I team in this period. Most folks down in ACC land are unaware of this. Has this stat been mentioned?
Dan from Oil City
FITTIPALDO: Pitt's sports information department has trumpeted Pitt's status as one of the country's top programs in its game notes for the last year or two. According to the game notes from Wednesday, Duke is 108-21, Gonzaga is 102-20 and then Pitt is third with a 106-22 record. It's a nice accomplishment, but Pitt's soft non-conference schedule probably has something to do with this nugget of information not getting more attention.
Q: The loss against Villanova reminds me of why Pitt will not make it past the Sweet 16. Granted, Pitt's outside shooting and defense was terrible, but in the end, the other team had a scorer and Pitt did not. Pitt has a nice young nucleus of talent, they work well as a team, but as the past three years has shown, this does not get you past the Sweet 16. The most promise of anyone on this team is Keith Benjamin. To get to the Final Four, you need someone to step up and drive to the hoop and pull out and hit the jumper with the game on the line, a la Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony. Villanova has such a player in Allan Ray. Pitt does not have an answer. I cannot remember when Pitt had that type of player. I see them making it to the Sweet 16 again, and when their defense fails, lose to a team with another scorer. Sorry, Carl Krauser, but as much as you want the ball at the end of a game, you are not the answer. I would rather see a play run for Troutman. So Ray, do you agree that unless Pitt gets a fortunate break in the Sweet 16, it will be another early exit?
Jason Hidek of Cleveland
FITTIPALDO: Your point is looking golden after Pitt failed to make a hoop in the final 7:27 of the loss to West Virginia, Jason. Pitt had a chance to win every one of its third-round NCAA games the past three years, but I don't think you can make a blanket statement and say that they were all a result of Pitt not having that so-called go-to scorer. Matchups are such a big part of the NCAA tournament. I just think Marquette and Wade, now an NBA all-star, and Oklahoma State were bad matchups for Pitt. There's not way of explaining Kent State. Pitt was the better team and played a bad game. Yes, it would be nice to have a player such as Wade, Anthony or even Ray, but Pitt has not had that type of player. Few teams out there do. Pitt's best chance to advance past the Sweet 16 this season is for Krauser, Troutman and Taft to perform consistently. Come to think of it, that trio had better get it going, or this team isn't going to the NCAA tournament.
Q: Do you think Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin should be getting more minutes than Antonio Graves? Graves is careless with the basketball and takes bad shots at times.
Bob from Jefferson Hills
FITTIPALDO: Ramon is already averaging 26 minutes a game, so I don't know how much more he is going to play. Dixon struggled with Graves' playing time about a month ago. He slashed his minutes severely and played Benjamin more. But he eventually went back to Graves, who has responded nicely. If Graves struggles the next few games, you could see more of Benjamin, but I think Graves is more of a known quantity. And at this point of the season, I think Dixon is looking for known quantities.
Q: If I was still living in Pittsburgh, I would have tickets to the football and basketball games. Like my friends, I would be paying the $1,000 donation fee for football tickets. I would have bought season tickets for basketball games. I think it's very wrong what they are doing with the tickets next season. I have been to games where there were more fans from the visiting team. Is Pitt making a big mistake? Many fans have been through thick and thin with this team, a lot of thin for a long time. Pittsburgh is not growing. Talking to friends of mine in the city they are mad and talking about giving up their tickets. Pitt is in my will. I would like to think everything isn't about the money. But maybe I am an old fool. Your comments please.
Ron Covato of Florida.
FITTIPALDO: Time will tell how this plays out for Pitt. I know you're not the only person who is unhappy with the new plan. I'm sure Pitt studied this matter for a long time and decided this was the best course of action. The athletic department needs to raise more money if it wants to be competitive in football and basketball. This is one way of doing it. Fans like you will decide whether Pitt did the right thing. Money talks. If enough fans say no to the new plan, Pitt's administrators will be forced to acknowledge it was a mistake.
NOTE: Last week, Adam Webber of Canton, Ohio asked about Ricky Greer. Pitt athletic trainer Tony Salesi reports that Greer is playing professionally in England and doing well.
