NEW YORK -- There was a time when the Big East Conference was known for producing the best centers in the country. But when the NBA started plucking centers from the high school ranks, the Big East and every other conference saw the level of play among centers drop off.

That will not be the case this season. Because of the rule change that does not allow players to go straight from high school to the NBA, the Big East has cornered the market on the top centers in Division I.

Pitt senior Aaron Gray is the Big East preseason player of the year. Other strong centers in the league are Roy Hibbert of Georgetown, David Padgett and Terrance Farley of Louisville and Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3, 265-pound true freshman at Connecticut who is expected to start.

"One of the things that Big East has this year that few others conferences have is they have dominating centers," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "In college basketball, that's something that just hasn't been there. Now you have Georgetown with a dominating center, you have Pitt with a dominating center. You have Connecticut with a dominating center. When we get healthy you have a couple of dominating centers."

Pitino said the number of quality centers in the conference will help the Big East in the NCAA tournament. He said the tournament has been guard-dominated in the past, but that could change.

"Now with the new rules we have some of the big men in the country and that's going to make a difference," he said "It's going to be difficult for teams."

Gray, 7 feet and 265 pounds, is looking forward to knocking heads with the likes of Hibbert, Thabeet, Padgett and Farley.

"It's another challenge in this great conference on a personal level," he said. "I'll be facing guys who are 7-2, 7-3. I look forward to it. It's more motivation for me. I have to make sure I'm ready."

On the mend

Pitt has been bitten by the injury bug this preseason. Freshman guard Gilbert Brown was diagnosed with mononucleosis 10 days ago and has yet to take part in a practice. Sophomore point guard Levance Fields is hampered by a groin injury and senior guard Antonio Graves (back) and sophomore forward Sam Young (knee) have minor injuries.

Graves said the practices have been extremely competitive.

"Guys are still competing and fighting for positions," he said. "Practice is very competitive, very physical. We've had a couple of injuries. It's been a battle. It will make us a better team."

Brown, a consensus top-50 recruit, is to be reexamined today. He just started doing some light running on the treadmill earlier in the week and could be out for a while.

"It'll change some things if he's not ready to go," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said.

Mountaineers looking up

West Virginia, after winning 46 games and playing in the NCAA tournament the past two seasons, is not expected to remain one of the top teams in the conference. The Mountaineers were picked to finish 12th in a poll of the league's head coaches.

"After we went to the Elite Eight [in 2005], we saw that our system could work," WVU coach John Beilein said. "We have recruited to our system. It has a chance to work this year. I hope our fans allow this team to grow up. That other team had time to grow up. They had years to grow up. Now we're in a similar situation."