PrimeTime: Hi Ray, what's the chance Pitt Lands Cheek tomorrow, I am hearing 50-50 now?

Ray Fittipaldo: I read one report where he had narrowed his choices to Kansas and Villanova. I guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow, but right now it does not look like he will be coming to PItt.

jiggaman: If Pitt misses out on Cheek, I hear a lot of people saying no problem we will get Deandre Kane, like they are close in talent levels. Its not close. Cheek is an NBA-type talent. We cannot say the same about Kane. We cannot keep missing out on these kids if we are gonna get past the Sweet 16 and make a run to the Final 4. What are your thoughts?

Ray Fittipaldo: You say Pitt can't keep missing out on these types of kids. They have one of these types of kids coming in next season in Dante Taylor. If Pitt had landed Cheek Dixon would have had one of the top recruiting classes in the country. I don't know that you need two or three superstars to get you to a Final Four. There have been plenty of teams in the past that have gotten there without a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans. Who else was on the Marquette team beside DeWayne Wade? Who else was on the Syracuse team beside Carmelo Anthony?

PRIMETIME: Ray, how many games do you think Pitt will lose in Big East play this year? I am thinking 4-5 -- is that too much to expect?

Ray Fittipaldo: I was thinking the winner of the conference could be 13-5 this season. It's going to be really competitive. A team like Connecticut could get hot and go 15-3 or 14-4, but it's going to be very difficult for teams because everyone will be beating everyone up. It's going to be a lot of fun to cover.

PRIMETIME: Ray, whats your opinion on Blair, this year plus 1 more before he leaves for the nba? And like myself do you think that he is under-rated? I think he is one of the top 10 players in the Big East.

Ray Fittipaldo: Just my gut feeling, but I don't think he goes to the NBA after this season, maybe not even after next season. He is a ferocious offensive rebounder, but his post game could use some polish. That being said, he is one of the top players in the conference in my opinion. After almost every game, the opposing coach will comment on how they were worried more about Blair hurting them than Sam Young. I think that speaks to his ability to change games with his offensive rebounding.

DejuanGrizzlyBlair: Ray, Gilbert Brown has looked pretty solid since coming back from his stress fracture. Do you know if he is playing at 100% yet? If not, where do you think he is 80%?

Ray Fittipaldo: I talked to Gilbert last week and he said he was close to 100 percent. He said he still had some soreness after games, but the foot did not bother him during games. Once he regains his timing and conditioning, he'll be a big contributor to the team. Jamie Dixon said yesterday that the week between games helped players such as Brown, Fields and Jermaine Dixon because they're all working their way back from injuries. Jermaine has been dealing with a pulled groin in case you did not know.

NasirTheJunkYardDog: Ray, how has finals week affected the Panthers so far? Are they practicing with "skeleton" crews due to guys having to take care of their school work?

Ray Fittipaldo: Jamie Dixon is always concerned that finals week is a distraction for the team, but he seemed pretty upbeat yesterday about the work they had done in practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They did mostly conditioning work. They practiced this morning at 9:30 because a bunch of players had finals. It's not an ideal situation for coaches, but there's a reason a team like UMBC is on the schedule Saturday.

NasirTheJunkYardDog: Who is the older gentleman with the white hair that sits next to Bill Hillgrove during the games? I know to one side of Bill is Dick Groat -- I mean the guy that sits to the other side of Bill.

Ray Fittipaldo: His name is Gopper (real name Al Goppman and he keep track of statistics during the games, kind of like a spotter. He'll pass notes to Hillgrove during the broadcast and Hillgrove will relay the information to listeners.

DejuanGrizzlyBlair: Hi Ray, thanks for taking the time to chat with PittNation. What are your thoughts on Brad Wanamaker's improvement? Things seem to be slowing down a bit for him and as a result his game is starting to round into form. Your thoughts?

Ray Fittipaldo: I'm writing a story on Brad that will be in the paper tomorrow. He is not putting up big scoring numbers and his turnovers continue to be a problem, but he has gained the confidence of Jamie Dixon with the other facets of his game. Dixon has played him more in recent games than Ashton Gibbs. He played 25 minutes against Vermont and acquitted himself very well. His defense has improved and his shot is much better than last season. He shot something like 16.7 percent from 3-point range last season. This season he has made 4 of 7 shots from behind the 3-point line. He had that deer in the headlights look on many occasions last season. I don't see that anymore. He is more comfortable in his role. That's the major reason. He played out of position at point guard last season. Now he's mostly playing his natural position, shooting guard. If he can cut down on his turnovers, he can play a bigger role on the team.

DejuanGrizzlyBlair: Ray, did you hear about Eric Devendorf? Just disgusting! I'm so glad that above all else Pitt has quality people that also happen to be talented basketball players.

Ray Fittipaldo: Jamie Dixon has done a tremendous job of recruiting good citizens as well as good basketball players. But this type of thing can happen to any program. In fact, it happened to Pitt a few years ago with Yuri Demetris.

NasirTheJunkYardDog: Ray, Has Dwight Miller been able to practice with the team? I know he had to sit out with his foot injury and was just curious if he was back to playing regularly with the team.

Ray Fittipaldo: Yes, he has been practicing with the team. The bruised heel forced him to miss a large portion of the early practice sessions in October. He is going to redshirt, which is a good idea. The Panthers have plenty of power forwards with Biggs, Young and Nasir Robinson.

Primetime: Do you think that Sam the Man Young has improved enough to carry Pitt to a Final 4 this year?

Ray Fittipaldo: Well, it looks like the burden will be on Young's shoulders. He is taking 25 percent of the team's shots. Jamie Dixon said that is by design. I mentioned to Dick Groat after one game that Pitt will be in trouble if Sam ever gets in a slump. Groat answered that the great ones never get in prolonged slumps. It will be interesting to see if the shot distribution remains the same once Big East play begins. I would imagine the good coaches in the conference will force the ball into the hands of Blair and Fields and the other players on the floor. Someone other than Young will have to make some big shots for this team to go deep into the tournament.

big_dancing: Ray, when will the Panthers start concentrating on the big dance instead of the Big East tourny?

Ray Fittipaldo: The Big East is so important to these players because so many of them are from New York that I don't ever envision a time where they'll completely blow it off. But I do get the sense in talking to the players this season that advancing deep into the NCAA tournament is what they're working toward. I wrote a story back in October where Young and Fields and Blair spoke to the importance of the program taking the step past the Sweet 16.

Primetime: Ray, out of all the new guys this year, what one or two do you think will help the most or make a difference?

Ray Fittipaldo: That's hard to say at this point. I guess I'd have to say Jermaine because he is a starter and will have more opportunities than the others. One guy to keep an eye on is Ashton Gibbs. He has been up and down so far, but Jamie Dixon does not have a team stocked with 3-point shooters and Gibbs might be needed to bust a zone or two before it's all said and done.

DejuanGrizzlyBlair: I noticed Pitt's football team will be entertaining a number or recruits this weekend. I assume they will probably go to the UMBC game. I know you don't have the football beat, but do you think the Oakland Zoo has the ability to influence potential football recruits?

Ray Fittipaldo: No they don't. They make their signs and do a good job of providing an exciting atmosphere for the fans, but these high school football players are going to go where they feel most comfortable with the coach and where they can get the most playing time.

DejuanGrizzlyBlair: Ray, I've read a lot about Tom Droney from Sewickley Academy over the past few months. Have you heard anything as to when he may make a verbal commitment to a school? Also, do you think he is a Top-100 type player?

Ray Fittipaldo: That would be a better question for our high school writers, Mike White and Colin Dunlap. I have never seen the kid play. I heard Duke was recruiting him hard and then backed off after they signed another guard a while back. It's nice that Western Pennsylvania is starting to produce some players who are considered top 100 guys.

Primetime: Ray, I know its early, but what is your prediction for the rest of the year? Do they get over the so called hump this year and get past the Sweet 16? I think they do, too much talent on this team not to.

Ray Fittipaldo: I think the Panthers will be in the thick of the Big East title hunt all season. And I think they'll at least get to the Sweet 16. Ask me again in February or March and I'll have a better idea as to whether they can get to an Elite Eight or a Final Four.

Ray Fittipaldo: Thanks for all the great questions this week. We'll do it again next week. Same time.