It's quite possible that the Pitt Panthers will receive more media attention than they have the past four days in the wake of beating No. 1 Connecticut. Of course, that likely would come only if they win the first four games of the NCAA tournament and advance to their first Final Four since 1941.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and sophomore center DeJuan Blair were media darlings, doing national television and radio appearances as well as local broadcasts while the rest of the team had plenty of time to listen to the pundits pronounce that the Panthers were now national championship favorites.

Foreseeing the distractions, Dixon spoke to the team minutes after the victory against the top-ranked Huskies and warned the players of the perils ahead if they believe the hype.

"We addressed things right after the game," Dixon said. "People are going to tell you how good you are. People tend to overreact to one game. We're pretty level-headed. One game doesn't change you. We need to do a lot of things better and they understand that."

No. 4 Pitt (24-2, 11-2) will get back to the business of playing basketball tonight when the Panthers play host to DePaul (8-18, 0-13) at Petersen Events Center. Making things even more challenging as the Panthers try to refocus is the fact that DePaul is still looking for its first Big East win of the season.

The Blue Demons not only are losing, but they're also doing so convincingly, like no other team in recent Big East history. They have lost their past six games by an average of almost 25 points per game and are coming off a 99-54 loss at Louisville.

Talk about a trap game. Not many teams in major-college basketball get to play the No. 1 team in the country and perhaps the worst team among the major conferences in the same week.

The Panthers maintain they are not ripe for a letdown.

"We're not that kind of team," senior point guard Levance Fields said. "We don't get too high on wins or get too low on losses. We've had big wins this year after wins and losses. This team doesn't waver. We just come out and play the next game."

Junior guard Jermaine Dixon gave a simple explanation for not overlooking the Blue Demons.

"We're playing for the No. 1 spot," he said. "We're tying to win the Big East. You have to win all of the games in conference. DePaul is a team in our conference, and they're in our way. So we're going to be ready for them."

Pitt traveled to DePaul and handed the Blue Demons a 23-point loss on their home floor Feb. 7. But the Blue Demons actually led for most of the first half in that game before a late run gave the Panthers the lead at halftime.

Jermaine Dixon said the Panthers learned a valuable lesson. "We can't take anyone lightly," he said. "You have to play hard. No matter who they are, they're going to come out hard and play you. We're at the top of the country. Everyone is going to give us their best shot."

Pitt is tied for second in the conference standings with Marquette and Louisville, a half game behind Connecticut. The Panthers have hopes of winning the Big East regular-season championship and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

"DePaul played us tough in the first half the last time," Jermaine Dixon said. "We know they'll come out and play hard even though they're at the bottom of the conference. We still prepare for them like we prepare for any other team."

Matchup: No. 4 Pitt (24-2, 11-2 Big East) vs. DePaul (8-18, 0-13), 7 p.m. today, Petersen Events Center.

TV/Radio/Internet: FSN Pittsburgh, WWSW-FM (94.5), WBGG-AM (970), www.pittsburghpanthers.com.

Pitt: Coming off 76-68 win at No. 1 Connecticut. ... Beat DePaul, 92-69, Feb.7 in Rosemont, Ill. ... Sophomore C DeJuan Blair had 22 points and 23 rebounds against Connecticut, the second time he posted at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a six-game span. ... Senior F Sam Young scored 25 points, his third 20 points or more game in the past five.

DePaul: Coming off a 99-54 loss at Louisville. ... Average margin of defeat in past six games is 24.5 points. ... Led by Dar Tucker (18.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg). ... Last in conference in 3-point shooting, making only 27.2 percent of their 3-point attempts.

Hidden stat: DePaul last played a game decided by single digits Jan. 24 at Marquette, a 79-70 loss.