PittFanDave: Ray, what player do you feel is most crucial to Pitt's success this season and why?

Ray Fittipaldo: At this point I would have to say Gilbert Brown because the Panthers are thin at the forward positions. When Brown returns he gives Jamie Dixon some nice options. Brown has versatility and can play three positions, including power forward. And in case you haven't noticed, Dixon needs depth there. When Nasir Robinson was out after getting knocked in the teeth last night against Wichita State, freshman Lamar Patterson was playing power forward. Brown makes this team much more versatile and much better when he returns.

dj_doug: Do you see Gary McGee turning into another Aaron Grey or Darin Morningstar surprise reclamation project? So far, he has played pretty well.

Ray Fittipaldo: McGhee has played OK, but I do not see him turning into another Aaron Gray. He does not possess the hands of Gray and does not appear to have a great knack for grabbing rebounds. He gets some, but he is far from a prolific rebounder. I think by the middle of the season McGhee is playing 15-18 minutes and Dante Taylor is playing 22-25 minutes at center. They're doing the right thing by breaking Taylor in slowly. He needs some seasoning and McGhee is playing well enough now that they're not getting hurt.

dj_doug: Travon W looks like the real deal. And Dante T comes in with a great resume. Out of the younger players, who do you see "stepping it up" in the coming weeks? Lamar, J.J., Nasir, etc.?

Ray Fittipaldo: Woodall is playing for his future, so it was nice to see him have a good game against Wichita State. When Jermaine Dixon comes back someone in the backcourt is going to be getting fewer minutes. It won't be Ashton Gibbs, who is the team's leading scorer and best outside shooter. So it's between Woodall and senior transfer Chase Adams who kind of get left short on minutes in the rotation. I've been impressed with Robinson and Patterson as well. If Robinson can cut down on the turnovers and play a little more within himself he can really be outstanding. Taylor has been really good at times and kind of absent at other times. I'd like to see him be more consistent and show off a little more of his offensive game. He went scoreless against Wichita State. Pitt will need him to play well tonight against Texas and its star center Dexter Pittman.

Eric_Mobley_is_a_God: Jamie Dixon really knows how to coach. How much do you think the team has improved since the first game of the season?

Ray Fittipaldo: There was lots of room for improvement after the Wofford game, so I would say they've improved tremendously since then. They were lucky to get the victory in that game after falling behind by 13 points in the second half. They got some big plays at the end when they needed them. The offense has improved and the rebounding has been stressed more. They'll need both of those aspects going well tonight if they're going to have a chance to knock off the No. 3 Longhorns.

Nasir_The_Junkyard_Dog: Thank you for doing the chat! Do you feel that Nasir "The Junkyard Dog" Robinson is the Glue Guy for this team? Given his ability to stuff the stat-sheet and do the little things needed to win games, I say yes.

Ray Fittipaldo: I've been a big fan of Robinson ever since he arrived. He is 6 feet 5 and playing power forward in the Big East. He's not your typical power forward, but he finds ways to contribute. As I stated earlier, if he cuts down on the turnovers and plays smarter he can be a big part of this team. Sometimes he tries to do too much. Playing within yourself comes with experience and he's still only a sophomore learning as he goes.

Eric_Mobley_is_a_God: So what is the deal with Gil Brown's and Dixon's number being taken by other players? Will they have different numbers once they start playing?

Ray Fittipaldo: I answered this question over on PG Plus. It's only $36 a year to sign up and you gets lots of insight and analysis on topics such as yours...Brown always wanted No. 5, but he could not have it because Tyrell Biggs had it when Brown got to Pitt. Once Biggs left, Brown requested the number change. Jermaine Dixon also changed his number. You can look at the whole musical numbers thing on my blog on PG Plus.

Nasir_The_Junkyard_Dog: Given that Texas has a deep bench and likes to use it, do you think we will see more of a 9th and 10th man in the rotation tonight? Obviously the candidates for those minutes would be Miller, Zanna, and/or Richardson.

Ray Fittipaldo: I really don't see that. If Zanna and Richardson and Miller were ready to play they would have been getting more minutes against the likes of Binghamton and Eastern Kentucky. It's not exactly an ideal situation to throw them into the fire against a team like Texas. I think you'll see a rotation similar to the one you saw last night against Wichita State.

Nasir_The_Junkyard_Dog: From what you have seen/heard, how is the chemistry on this year's squad? They seem to get along well on the court. I'm curious if that's true and also if they are a group that spends time together off of the court.

Ray Fittipaldo: Chemistry is great when you're winning and lousy when you're losing. This group does hang out a lot with each other off the court, but that's not necessarily translate into success. Sam Young was a loner and only had one really good friend on the team last season -- Levance Fields. But that didn't seem to prevent the team to reaching great heights. Talents always wins out over chemistry.

Nasir_The_Junkyard_Dog: Is it fair to assume that Texas will have many thousands of fans at tonight's game?

Ray Fittipaldo: Certainly more than Pitt. I would say Pitt maybe had 50-100 fans in the building last night. Texas fans will outnumber them by a lot, so it will be another road-like atmosphere for the Panthers. They neutralized Wichita State's fan advantage by getting off to a good start and never trailing in the game. It would be a good idea to get off to another good start tonight for similar reasons.

CVille_Pat: Is tonight's game on TV?

Ray Fittipaldo: It's on ESPN2 at 10:00 p.m.

Nasir_The_Junkyard_Dog: When our full roster comes back (Dixon and Brown return), do you think the frontcourt will consist of Gary and Dante at Center and Nasir and Gilbert at the 4? Also, if this scenario plays out, who becomes the 5th frontcourt guy? Miller, Zanna, or Richardson?

Ray Fittipaldo: I do think you will see at Brown at power forward out of necessity, but he is versatile and can play small forward when Robinson is in the game. At this point, I'm not willing to say Miller, Zanna or Richardson is going to be a big part of the rotation once Brown gets back. None of three are a big part of the rotation now, so I don't see how that changes once you add two players.

dj_doug: I would have loved to see last year's team play Texas tonight. But it will be interesting to see how these young lads do. Does Pitt have any chance? How big of an upset would it be for Pitt to win?

Ray Fittipaldo: I haven't seen a point spread just yet, but I'm guessing it will be 10 or 11. It would be a pretty big upset considering how young and inexperienced Pitt is. I think Dante Taylor needs to have a big game for Pitt to have a chance. This is a game where the frontcourt might be featured a little more on both sides. Taylor is Pitt's best frontcourt player, so he has to come through and play well. I think Pitt probably loses by 8 or 10 points, but I do think the Panthers keep it close for a while.

dj_doug: When do you think we will see Dante Taylor unleashed? So far, he has been rather tame. It it the team scheme or is he just getting used to college ball?

Ray Fittipaldo: He still needs some seasoning at the offensive end. He is still learning how to get open on the blocks. He is really good in transition, but teams have done a good job of limiting Pitt's transition offense through four games, so that part of his game has yet to come to the surface. Taylor will be a much different player two months from now. I would preach patience. He is only a freshman.

Eric_Mobley_is_a_God: What is your prediction for tonight's game? Do the Panthers have a shot?

Ray Fittipaldo: My prediction: Texas 75, Pitt 67. Pitt has solid on defense through four games, but the Panthers haven't seen a team close to Texas yet. This will be a good measuring stick type of game for this young Pitt squad.

dj_doug: Can we ban ESPN showing Scottie Reynolds beat us last year in the Elite 8? I still flip flop between him and Francisco Cabrera as the Burgh's worst enemy in the past 20 years.

Ray Fittipaldo: How about Dennis Gibson knocking down that pass in the end zone i the '94 AFC championship game. Or David Volek beating Tom Barrasso in Game 7 of the second round of the '93 playoffs to deny the Penguins a third consecutive Stanely Cup. Cabrera was bad, but Volek was just as bad or even worse. Reynolds? That shot ended the game, but it's not like Pitt was winning at the time. Even if he misses, Pitt still needed to win that game in overtime and I'm not sure they would have done that.

Ray Fittipaldo: Thanks for all the great questions this week. Have a nice Thanksgiving. We'll see you next week for the chat before the City Game, the final college basketball game at Mellon Arena.

Check out Ray Fittipaldo's Pitt B-Ball blog and Paul Zeise's Pitt Stop videos about football exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.