KevanBarlow_-_The_Shuttle: How would you say Ramon has played since taking over the PG duties? Even though a lot of people seem to bash him, he's playing out of position and is getting quite a few assists. His scoring has gone down because he can't create his own shot, but I think Benjamin and Brown have more than picked up the scoring slack and I think it's important for Pitt to continue to look to Ramon for guidance more than points. Do you think that's accurate?

Paul Zeise: Well first -- this is Paul Zeise as our esteemed Pitt basketball guy Ray Fittipaldo is still flying the friendly skies trying to get back from Tampa. As for Ramon, he's done fine given the circumstances. I think the end of the Villanova game was exactly the situation Pitt will miss Levance Fields -- he's Mr. clutch, he has no fear to be the guy to take the big shot and he seems to make big play after big play when this team needs a lift. But in the short term, Ramon will do fine. I really don't think Pitt will lose nearly as many games as some people seem to think because they still have a lot of good players.

BB_nut: With the way McGhee played last night, do you think JD will use him more?

Paul Zeise: Well I just walked out of Dixon's news conference and a big part of his message was exactly that -- that he wants to get McGhee a lot of minutes and more importantly, he wanted to going into last night's game -- not just because of the foul trouble to Blair -- because he thinks he has earned it and he can help the Panthers under the basket.

KevanBarlow_-_The_Shuttle: I'm sure many will think that we've found the backup to Blair this year in McGhee. But while he looked great and really kept us alive in the first half, all of his shots were essentially layups and he was able to get to the basket as mentioned by the South Florida coach in part due to the fact they didn't even mention him in their game plan. My question is have you seen him play in practice at all? Does he seem to have progressed a lot since the beginning of the year or can his success last night be attributed to being in the right place at the right time on the court last night? Biggs still seems to miss a lot of layups and it doesn't look like Dixon trusts Diggs, so I think we really need McGhee to step up if he's capable.

Paul Zeise: Jamie Dixon's practices are closed to the media, so while I can speak to you about the progress of football players by observing practice, nobody really knows what goes on at practice other than relying on what the coaches and players tell you when it comes to the basketball team. The thing is -- I don't think anybody thinks it would be a good thing for McGhee to have to play 35 minutes or maybe even 25 on a consistent basis, but those things you talked about in short spurts to spell Blair are what you are looking for -- someone who can step in and give your team a chance to survive while the starter is out.

BB_nut: Biggs seems to be going more inside this year. Has he realized this is where he can make the most impact?

Paul Zeise: You'd think so but I am wondering why it took so long. He was a frustrating player to watch the past few years just because he seemed to be a big guy trying to play a small forward and he just doesn't have the skill level for that. Around the basket, rebounding, defending, just providing a physical presence with a little bit of his shooter's touch mixed in -- that's where he can help this team the most.

BB_nut: DeJaun looks like a star in the making, but at times he throws up a wild shot, like last night.

Paul Zeise: OK -- sorry about that I got bounced off the internet by Pitt's wireless system but I am back ... Now, onto DeJuan -- yes, sometimes he looks like he thinks he is still running up and down the court in a 30-point blowout of Carrick but he is young, he is full of energy and he enjoys the game. Jamie Dixon is always there to sort of bring him back to earth when he throws a silly pass or takes a bad shot and as he matures, those things will start to happen less and less. He is a great kid and he'll be a tremendous player for a long tie.

bigben007: Will Pitt still make the NCAA tournament?

Paul Zeise: OK -- this wireless system at the Petersen Center is kicking me off every several minutes so I will have to cut this chat short and you can catch up with Ray next week. To answer the question -- Pitt is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament -- no question in my mind. For one thing -- the Big East is not that strong this year -- I mean, the difference between Georgetown and say the tenth best team in the league is not that much -- really. I don't see a great team in this league and I don't see any team Pitt can't beat at home -- including Georgetown -- despite the injuries. So even if Pitt loses some games they normally wouldn't --- they'll still finish no worse than 11-7 in the conference and it wouldn't shock me if they were 12-6 or even better. Pitt is good and they'll be fine. They might not get past the Sweet 16 again unless Fields comes back and is completely healthy -- but I can't see them falling that far to fall out of the tournament

bigben007: Will LaVance Fields be back in time for the tournament?

Paul Zeise: It seems like it -- the X-rays say his bone is healing well and he is going to push his way back into the lineup. I think he'll still be out for a while, but I'll be shocked if he isn't back for the home stretch and postseason.

Scuba_Steve: Does Sam Young have a future in the NBA?

Paul Zeise: Borderline right now -- he needs to really work on his handle. The thing is -- he is 6-foot-6 and if he can't handle the ball better and develop a more consistent jumper -- though his range is greatly improved -- he'll struggle to stand out because athletic guys who are 6-foot-6 that don't have guard skills are easy to find and NBA scouts consider them to be a dime a dozen. Now, if he can become a better ballhandler, he'll be in a different category.

jp: Dejuan Blair once again got into early foul trouble and spent most of the first half on the bench, is this a case of him being too undisciplined or is it just early season enthusiasm that will be corrected?

Paul Zeise: The guy has only played 15 career games, can we wait until he gets to 25 before we start picking apart his game? Seriously, though, he'll mature and he'll develop into a more disciplined player and he won't make these little mistakes.

jp: How bad are Ramon's injuries and to what extent can those be blamed for some of his bad turnovers?

Paul Zeise: He can play with them, he has some limitations in terms of his shooting -- he has a partially dislocated shoulder for goodness sakes -- but I don't think that has much to do with turning the ball over. I think one of the things is -- he is handling the ball a lot more now, that's all and that's why he is making a few more turnovers.

jp: Do you think having so many typical bench players getting lots of minutes in the end will help steel Pitt for the Big East tourney and help create better players in the coming years?

Paul Zeise: Absolutely, I think getting reserves big minutes does one major thing -- it develops quality depth. That's one thing we'll see next year with the football team at some positions and I think there will be some benefits for the long term of Pitt's program. But depth is sometimes a little overrated come tournament time because if you look at the box scores, most teams shorten their benches and their stars and top players play the bulk of the minutes.

Paul Zeise: OK guys, thanks for the questions and join in with Ray next week to digest the Seton Hall and Georgetown games and preview the Cincy game.