SDWC: Ray, is Dayton as good as their record, or have they had a lot of patsies so far?

Ray Fittipaldo: Dayton is very good. The Flyers, who almost cracked the Associated Press poll this week, likely will win the Atlantic 10 Conference. They already won at Louisville. This game will be at a sold-out University of Dayton Arena, so that will be another advantage. I expect a very close game.

SDWC: Do you think Blair will have issues with foul trouble once the rough and tumble Big East season starts?

Ray Fittipaldo: Most post players get into foul trouble in a few games throughout the course of the season. If you remember, Aaron Gray was in foul trouble quite a bit during his two years as a starter. The key is learning how to play without your best post player in the game. Once it happens, guys like Tyrell Biggs and maybe Cassin Diggs will have to step up and play bigger roles than they're playing now.

thenewestquip: Does Brown start? Or split time w/ Benjamin?

Ray Fittipaldo: Jamie Dixon will address the media for the first time since Pitt's Christmas break later on this afternoon and I would imagine that will be one of the first questions asked. Knowing Dixon, I am guessing he will go with the senior. Benjamin has played small forward before and should get first crack at it. But I know Dixon also liked what Brown was doing as Mike Cook's backup through the first 11 games. Brown has a huge upside. Either way, both of their minutes will increase significantly. Both were playing around 15 minutes a game and I would think that would go up to around 25 per game now that Cook is ot for the season.

montee: Any chance we can get Ramon tasered to improve his game?

Ray Fittipaldo: Ramon has not played very well thus far. I'm not sure how much of that has to do with his injury problems that caused him to miss a lot of practice during the preseason. He had groin and ankle injuries. I know the ankle injury lingered into the season. Ramon is Pitt's only consistent outside shooter, so he needs to round his game into form. Dixon used him off the bench last season and Ramon was very effective. He does not seem to be as effective as a starter for whatever reason. He seems to be having a hard time getting open for shots. Maybe teams are paying more attention to him. Maybe he's just having an off year. I do know thAT Pitt will need him playing at a higher level if the Panthers hope to make a deep NCAA tournament run.

montee: Any chance we can get Ramon tasered to improve his game?

Ray Fittipaldo: Ramon has not played very well thus far. I'm not sure how much of that has to do with his injury problems that caused him to miss a lot of practice during the preseason. He had groin and ankle injuries. I know the ankle injury lingered into the season. Ramon is Pitt's only consistent outside shooter, so he needs to round his game into form. Dixon used him off the bench last season and Ramon was very effective. He does not seem to be as effective as a starte for whatever reason. He seems to be having a hard time getting open for shots. Maybe teams are paying more attention to him. Maybe he's just having an off year. I do know thAT Pitt will need him playing at a higher level if the Panthers hope to make a deep NCAA tournament run.

SDWC: Were you surprised at the result of the Georgetown-Memphis game?

Ray Fittipaldo: Not really. Memphis was the higher ranked team and the Tigers had the home-court advantage.

thenewestquip: The corollary then being that Wanamaker gets off the bench?

Ray Fittipaldo: Wanamaker is going to have to play more, but Dixon might be able to get away with playing him for only 5 or 7 minutes a game. Benjamin can start at small forward and then move to shooting guard when Ramon needs a blow. Brown would come in as the reserve small forward as he has all season.

PittAlum1973: A national sportswriter recently opined that having Tom Herrion on Dixon's staff will set the Panthers on the path to the Final Four. Your thoughts?

Ray Fittipaldo: Herrion was a successful head coach at the College of Charleston for a few years before he was forced out in a power struggle. He has some nice experience and is known as a solid recruiter. Whether he is the missing link, I don't know. Pitt's had plenty of good assistant coaches over the years and the Panthers didn't get to the Final Four. It will be up to the players.

mazpitt: Will we see Pitt go to a (relatively) bigger lineup with Blair-Biggs-Young on the floor at the same time to compensate for the loss of Cook?

Ray Fittipaldo: I think you'll see all sorts of combinations now that Cook is out for the season. The one you mentioned is a possibility, but I think Dixon will look for Benjamin and Brown to fill in at Cook's spot and go from there. I think you'll see more of Biggs when Blair and/or Young is in foul trouble. Young has finally found his niche at power forward. I don expect Dixon will mess around with him at small forward unless absolutely necessary.

thenewestquip: Jamie Dixon certainly seems to be shaping up as a pretty terrific coach, as well as a terrific guy. However his tendency to favor seniors over more talented underclass, seems to in fact have a negative effect on that senior. John DeGroat and Levon Kendall come to mind, they received an enormous amount of criticism and scrutiny. One wonders if this will become the case with Ramon this season. That would certainly be a shame as he's been an important player during the last four years.

Ray Fittipaldo: Ramon is a much better player than DeGroat. Kendall was a serviceable player as a starter. It certainly looks like Sam Young could have given Pitt more of a boost than Kendall, but Dixon always said Kendall did all of the little things well. Ramon is not receiving much criticism yet because the Panthers are undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the country. Even if Dixon did want to switch things up and have Ramon come off the bench I don't think he can. He would have to start Benjamin at shooting guard and Brown at small forward and I don't think he'll do that. Ramon is not playing great, but it's not like he's playing bad.

mazpitt: Which of Diggs and McGhee can we reasonably expect to get a meaningful contribution from in conference play?

Ray Fittipaldo: Neither. But if you had a gun to my head, Diggs. But only because he's older.

Ray Fittipaldo: thanks for all the great questions this week. We'll do it again next week as the Panthers get ready for their Big East opener against Villanova.