Ray Fittipaldo:Welcome to the Pitt basketball chat. I hope everyone has recovered from Friday night and caught up on their sleep. Go ahead with your questions.

bubs: Ray: was that the best basketball game you've ever covered? Bar none ...

Ray Fittipaldo: It was close. The Elite Eight game against Villanova last season was pretty good, too. And I covered two of the Pitt-Connecticut Big East title games. And the Pitt-Connecticut game last year at the Pete was special. But yes, the WVU game was extraordinary. So many momentum swing, so many clutch plays, a great comeback. I'd have to say it is just because it is the most recent, but I have been lucky enough to see my share in my seven seasons as Pitt's beat writer.

Guest: What, if anything, can we take away from this 3 OT thriller - did Pitt win this game or did West Virginia lose it?

Ray Fittipaldo: Similar to the Louisville game. WVU had to open the door and Pitt had to step through. Amazingly, both things happened again for the Panthers, who are cultivating this never-say-die attitude this season. The most amazing thing about this comeback was that Pitt erased a seven-point deficit in about 20 seconds. The Panthers needed 50 seconds to erase a five-point deficit against Louisville. Just a great comeback.

italfreak32: Would it be fair to suggest that, for whatever Pitt's weaknesses in their top 5, their depth was largely responsible for their ability to outlast WVU and is an underrated asset of this team?

Ray Fittipaldo: Pitt's bench has been there some games and absent in others. Clearly, it was an advantage in the WVU game. Pitt's bench outscored WVU's, 34-7. I can recall some games during Pitt's slide when the bench was almost non-existent. I am thinking of the Seton Hall game in Newark specifically. It looks like Jame Dixon can go to JJ Richardson more often now. And it looks like Tra Woodall might be close to getting back on the right track. And we all know Gil Brown is capable of being a starter. So yes, things are looking up for the bench, but I would like to see more consistency.

Bob L: What do you see as the root of our rebounding issues?

Ray Fittipaldo: For starters, your starting power forward is 6 feet 5. And your backup power forward is 6-6 and has shown no inclination to want to rebound consistently. Gary McGhee is an OK rebounder, but he does not have the best pair of hands and many get away from him. When Pitt was out-rebounding teams earlier in the season perhaps it was due to the competition more than this team's rebounding prowess. Now that the Panthers are facing Big East teams night in and night out those weaknesses are starting to show a little more. Jamie Dixon was quite frustrated after the WVU game in terms of the rebounding. He said it was their focus all week and they still couldn't rebound the way they wanted to. I'm not sure what else can be done.

GoPitt: What was up with the one referee in the Pitt vs WVU game? Has he ever refereed a Big East Game before? He was calling fouls and violations left and right on both teams. Did you think it was ridiculous?

Ray Fittipaldo: The officials certainly were not afraid to blow the whistle in that game. Three Pitt players fouled out and I believe two West Virginia players also did. Perhaps they were instructed to call the game close because of what happened in Morgantown the week before. But yes, the whistles did slow the game down early on. But heck, that game was so great by the end that I didn't even think about it until you asked the question.

Mike Donovan: Looks like the NCAA first round sites aren't close to a lot of top schools. I'd put Syracuse into Buffalo as a no-brainer and maybe Villanova to Providence as no other team is close and Kansas to Oklhoma City might work but there are no real draws near New Orleans (weak SEC), San Jose (weak Pac-10), Jacksonville (ACC territory but not really), Milwaukee (Big 10 Ohio State) and Spokane (of which Gonzaga should not but likely will benefit). How can this situation hurt or benefit the 2010 Panthers in seeding and first-round site selection by the committee?

Ray Fittipaldo: Ideally, Pitt can earn a top four seed in which case it would be placed in Buffalo in all likelihood. If not, Pitt fans will have to travel some considerable distances to watch this team. I just hope I don't have to go to Spokane again. I was there to cover the Pitt women a couple of years ago and it was quite forgettable. The weather was horrible and there wasn't much to do.

PittFanDave: Obviously the WV game was a great resume builder for the tournament, but the real value of that game was having our young players involved at the end of a crucial game. The young players really stepped up!!

Ray Fittipaldo: Very true. Pitt won that game without two of its best players on the floor at the end. Jermaine Dixon and Brad Wanamaker both fouled out. Players such as Tra Woodall played huge roles in that game. I thought JJ Richardson gave some great minutes again. It's becoming more and more obvious that he can help this team more than Dante Taylor right now.

GoPitt: Ray, I dont think Pitt won the game against WVU on talent, I think they won it with will and determination. WVU's lineup is huge and it seems like a bad matchup to me as Pitt cannot rebound very well against them.

Ray Fittipaldo: WVU is a very bad matchup for Pitt. I think 9 times out of 10 WVU will beat Pitt this season. But Pitt found that magic one time on a Friday night Pitt fans will remember for a long time.

Bob L: Did you see any flaws in Nova last night, or was that just an inspired UCONN performance?

Ray Fittipaldo: Probably more of an inspired performance from a Connecticut team with its backs up against the wall. But Villanova did not play well in its previous game against Providence and needed a late spurt to win that game. Connecticut was able to hold Scottie Reynolds in check in the second half of that game, which was the difference. If Pitt can hold Reynolds in check I think the Panthers will have a shot because the game is at home. But I also think that loss to Connecticut will make the Wildcats focus more on this game. Villanova has not lost consecutive games for almost two years. That will be a tough game for the Panthers.

chicago_pitt_fan: Did anything change in the way Pitt rebounded down the stretch or do you think wvu got tired? i mean, at one point we were minus 16 or so in rebounding, but finished only minus 6 or so I think ...

Ray Fittipaldo: The biggest change was Pitt finally solved WVU's man-to-man defense with drives to the basket which forced Bob Huggins to play a 1-3-1 zone. It's harder for defenses to rebound out of zones because it's tough to pick up players to box out. As a result, Pitt was able to grab some offensive rebounds and get some second possessions. That was not happening when WVU played its man-to-man. So the secret is getting WVU out of man-to-man. That's easier said than done because the Mountaineers have an athletic team, but give Pitt credit for finally doing it late in that game. It was a huge factor in Pitt winning.

butters: No more Red Shirt Diaries blog?

Ray Fittipaldo: Not sure. I only blog at PG Plus. It's a great bargain, $36 a year to read insider information about Pitt, the Penguins and of course the Steelers.

GoPitt: Why is Dante Taylor so lackadaisical? Even if he is supposedly playing out of position, the rules dont change. The ball needs to go in the hoop and if not, you need to battle for the rebound. If he is in a battle for a loose ball, he loses the battle every time even against guards. JJ Richardson at least battles for rebounds and tries out there.

Ray Fittipaldo: I don't know if it's laziness as much as he is weak. It is quite obvious that the first time he ever saw a weight room was when he set foot on Pitt's campus. That's so odd for athletes nowadays who are introduced to the benefits of weight training earlier and earlier. He needs a full offseason in the weight room before he can help this team.

bigcntry7879: Would the slow development of Dante Taylor been as big of a story 10-15 years ago in your opinion? Has the explosion of the internet with all the outlets for fans to voice their opinion changed how we view these 18-20 year olds athletes?

Ray Fittipaldo: Probably some. But there were newspapers around 20 years ago to write about this stuff. And I'm pretty sure if Brian Shorter and Bobby Martin struggled as much as Dante that the subject would have been covered. Just not covered as much I suppose.

GoPitt: What do you think Pitt's final Big East Record will be? Do they have to get to 10 wins to be assured of a bid?

Ray Fittipaldo: Yes, I've said all along that I thought 10 was the magic number. There are six games left with some pretty stiff competition in the near future. I'll say the Panthers finish 10-8, but a lot of it depends on whether Luke Harangody is ready to play by the time the Panthers visit ND next week. 11-7 is not out of the question, nor is 12-6 with a big finish.

PittFan86: What chances do you give Pitt against Villanova. It looked like Villanova did not respond well to UCONN physical play. Do you think Pitt can out muscle them and slow down the pace of the game like UCONN?

Ray Fittipaldo: UConn loves to play up-tempo so I'm not sure how much they were slowing the game down. Didn't they score 84 points? Pitt wants to be physical with every team so that will not change just because Villanova is the opponent. And Villanova is not a soft team. The Widlcats out-rebounded Pitt in the Elite Eight games last season. They have plenty of toughness to matchup with Pitt in that regard.

Tiger Paul: Bigger idiot- Me for selling my tickets to the WVU game( but watched the entire game on TV) or those who left early and had to listen to it on the radio?

Ray Fittipaldo: Equal. I had one of those when I was a kid. I went to the game when Mike Schmidt hit his 500th home run and left in the seventh inning. He hit the home run right where we were sitting. My dad loved to beat the traffic. We listened to the game on the way home and saw the highlights when we got home.

pittfan08: Ray, what's your take on the proposed NCAA tournament expansion?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don't like it. It's such a special even the way it is. There is nothing wrong with it so I'm not sure why people are looking at expansion. Actually, I do know why. Money. But my opinion is that it would cheapen what it means to make the tournament. Pitt has one of the longest NCAA streaks going in the country so maybe it's underappreciated here, but it is difficult to make the tournament year after year after year. Just look at North Carolina and Connecticut as examples.

PittFan86: Dante Taylor still looks engaged on the sidelines. He seems to not be taking his loss of minutes badly. Any insight?

Ray Fittipaldo: Yes, he is still into the game. He is very much a team player from everything I have seen and witnessed.

GoPitt: What types of teams do you think could cause Pitt problems in the NCAA Tournament?

Ray Fittipaldo: Long and athletic teams such as WVU. Teams with a dominant center. Teams with a shut down defender who can lock up Ashton Gibbs.

PrimetimePrimus: Would you say that the greatest error in judgment made by Jamie Dixon would be his failure to realize the full potential of Keith Benjamin prior to his senior year?

Ray Fittipaldo: No. Keith was a solid player as a senior, but it's not he was all-Big East as a senior and made Dixon look bad. He had a nice career, but it's hard to say Dixon did not use him properly in the three years prior.

Mike Donovan: Big East Tourney may be only shot for lots of presumptively goods teams to make NCAAs. do the coaches regret the added teams and added games this may require for a Cinderella like S Florida, Seton Hall or similar team to make it as a non at-large entry binto NCAAs?

Ray Fittipaldo: From what I understand the coaches wanted to have every team at the tornament because they felt like it was the right thing to do. They wanted every team in the conference to get that experience. So no, I don't think they regret it. Maybe all a team like USF has to do now is win three games to earn an at-large instead of winning it. If you're on the bubble you may not have to win it all, just win your share and make an impression on the committee.

ChadVarga: What is up with Gibbs lately at the free throw line? He was automatic for weeks. Do you think it is just the law of averages at work?

Ray Fittipaldo: He's still above 90 percent I believe, which is an excellent percentage. But yes, it is a little alarming with the season coming to a close. You want your best free throw shooter to be on entering the postseason. On the positive side, he did make those two late in the third OT to seal the game. And he wanted the ball in that situation, grabbing it out of the hands of Gary McGhee, who shoots about 50 percent. He's a confident kid and craves pressure situations.

NJ - Joe: I know lots has been said about Taylor, but I agree, he is out of shape. He is slow and lacks quickness and needs to get stronger. So, I see heavy dose of conditioning with weights and SAQ in the offseason.

Ray Fittipaldo: I agree. If he is committed he will look like and play like a different person next season.

PrimetimePrimus: This team seems very streaky. I could envision them either losing the first game of the Big East tournament or winning the entire thing. Any chance this team shows some consistency down the stretch?

Ray Fittipaldo: As I mentioned the schedule is difficult with Marquette and Villanova on the horizon. So Pitt might actually play OK and still lose. But I'd like to think the Panthers can finish 3-3, which would yield an 11-7 record. That would be satisfactory for me heading into the postseason considering the caliber of competition that remains.

whos john degroat?: how is the camaraderie on this year's team? i know things like chemistry can be overrated (last year being an obvious example), but if this team is/does bond, can that allow them to win some games that young/blair & co won in past years on pure talent?

Ray Fittipaldo: This team is pretty tight. I have heard them mention that on more than a few occasions. As many of you know, Sam Young did not have many friends on the team. He was pretty much a loaner. You're right it is overrated, but I suppose it can be an asset for a team in some ways.

Andrew: How does Pitt shut down Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher? If I have to watch another game like the Elite 8 game from last year where we lack to gaurd the penetration, I will go absolutely insane!

Ray Fittipaldo: I think you'll see Jermaine Dixon on Reynolds. And probably Ashton Gibbs on Fisher, which is not an ideal matchup for Pitt. I can see a few possessions of zone by Pitt. I think they'll want to make the WIldcats made a few outside shots in this game. Villanova is a good shooting team so I guess you hope they have an off night.

Zack: Is Chase Adams a disappointment in the eyes of the coaching staff or did they expect the (limited) production they're getting out of him?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don't think they were expecting much. They had an opening and decided to take a flyer on him. He was a good player on a lower level Division I team. To expect him to come in and play a key role on this team was fantasy from the very beginning.

ChadVarga: This team is going to be soooo deep next year. I respond Dixon for being a decent player...but he can be easily replaced. Do you agree this team could be a Top 10 team with the new guys coming in?

Ray Fittipaldo: Don't underestimate Dixon's ability to defend and lead. He is an important player who will be hard to replace. The good thing is he is the only player of any consequence who is leaving. If Isiah Epps and JJ Moore are as advertised than I would expect Pitt to be in the top 10 next season. But if it takes them a while to come around much in the same way it is taking Taylor to come around then I would expect another year of being in the top 25, just not an elite team.

Tiger Paul: Should I give up on the thought of Brown starting? I know he's playing 'starter's minutes', but I think we get out of the gate faster if he was on the court to start the game.

Ray Fittipaldo: I agree, but I think Dixon likes having Brown as an ace in the hole if things don't get off to a great start. If Brown starts and things go bad early on, Nasir Robinson is not going to make much of a difference coming off the bench. Brown is a difference maker off the bench. That's me trying to get inside Jamie Dixon's head. But I agree with you. I think Pitt is better with Brown as a starter.

pittfan08: In regards to Taylor's strength, I guess when your 6 foot 9 and more athletic than pretty much everybody else in high school, hitting the weight room isn't exactly a necessity.

Ray Fittipaldo: I disagree. If you play for a good coach he is going to have you in the weight room regardless of your talent. This is not the 1970s. It's not like coaches don't know about the benefits of weight training. JJ Richardson is a true freshman as well. Have you seen his body? It looks like he has been in the program for two years already.

ChadVarga: What is your feeling about Pitt being ranked behind teams like Georgetown who have basically the same record as Pitt?

Ray Fittipaldo: Georgetown beat Pitt head to head so I have no problem with the Hoyas behind ahead of the Panthers in the rankings. I just don't think they should be separated by 10 spots in the rankings.

Ray Fittipaldo: OK, guys and gals. I have to head up to practice in a little while. We'll do it again next week. Thanks for participating.

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.