Jermaine Dixon and former Pitt teammate Levance Fields communicate on an almost daily basis, even though Fields is half a world away in Russia playing basketball professionally. Those conversations will come in handy over the next few days because no one knows better than Fields how difficult it is to come back from a foot injury.

After missing most of the past six months with a fractured bone in his right foot, Dixon played for the first time this season in Tuesday's 74-64 loss to Indiana in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Dixon played 13 minutes but did not score against the Hoosiers.

Fields, who fractured the same bone in his foot, also had a rough time in his first game back two seasons ago. After missing 12 games in 2007, Fields returned against Marquette and went 1 for 7 from the field and scored four points in a 72-54 loss. Pitt would go on to lose its next two games after Marquette before winning six of its next seven, including four consecutive games, to claim the Big East tournament championship.

It was not until the Big East tournament that Fields began to resemble the player he was before the injury. The good news for Dixon is that he has three more non-conference games and almost three full weeks to acclimate himself before Big East Conference play begins Dec. 28.

Dixon, a 6-foot-2 senior from Baltimore, was cleared to fully participate in practice Friday and went through two practices before playing against the Hoosiers.

"You just have to put him out there," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "He's obviously not ready. He doesn't look like the same kid. But we knew that going in. We've just got to play through it and let him find a way. He's practiced two days. But he battled, and he will be right. We want it to happen as quick as possible, but it will happen in time."

Jermaine Dixon was 0 for 2 from the field, had three turnovers and three fouls against Indiana. His quick first step that made him a dangerous penetrating player last season was not there and his reflexes on defense were a bit slow.

"It felt good, but I was timid out there because of my foot," he said.

Dixon reported no pain, only frustration at his performance and that of his team in the loss to the rebuilding Hoosiers. He was most frustrated by his inability to take his defender off the dribble.

"I didn't have the lift I wanted when I was driving," he said. "I wasn't getting high enough. I was just timid out there because of it."

Dixon is Pitt's only returning starter from the team that won 31 games and advanced to the Elite Eight last season. He has been described as the team's emotional leader who also possesses the offensive and defensive ability to make a difference on a team that was struggling without him.

Even though he did not play up to his standard, his presence on the court was a welcome sight for his teammates, who missed his steadying hand and leadership in the first eight games.

"He's going to make a difference," sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs said. "He's a great defensive player. Once he gets his feet under him, he'll get back into the groove and be fine."

Dixon is the first of two veteran players to be infused into a depleted lineup. In two more weeks, junior forward Gilbert Brown will be eligible to return after serving an academic suspension. He will miss Saturday's game against Kent State and the following week's game against Mount St. Mary's, but he will return for the Dec. 22 game against Ohio University.

Pitt lost for the second time in two weeks Tuesday and will face the unfamiliar circumstance of overcoming some early season adversity.

"We lost some guys and we also have some guys out," Jamie Dixon said. "That adds to it. But those aren't excuses. No matter who we have, we have to play better than what we played [Tuesday night]. I don't buy that. We've played better than this and we should have played better."

Jermaine Dixon is hoping he soon will play better, too, but he acknowledged he does not know how long that will take.

"I hope it doesn't take too long," he said. "The only way I can get into playing shape is to play."

"He's obviously not ready. He doesn't look like the same kid. But we knew that going in. We've just got to play through it and let him find a way."

-- Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, on Jermaine Dixon's return to the lineup

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