Team preview: Pitt

Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.

Story | Conversation | October 06, 2009

Five freshmen whose impact needs to be felt

College basketball practice officially starts in a little less than a month, but all across the country, coaches are quietly working with their teams ...

...NOVEMBER 1: Tackle Sam Young #74 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish sets to block against the Pittsburgh Panthers November 1, 2008 at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana

Red-hot rivalries burn down the house

When it comes to red-hot rivalries for the 2009-10 season, Tobacco Road takes a back seat to Kentucky and Louisville.

Spurs feel fortunate to draft Blair in second

NEW YORK -- Pitt coach Jamie Dixon got off a plane from Denver to San Francisco, where he had a layover before heading to New Zealand to coach a Unite...

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 22: Sam Young #23 of the Pittsburgh Panthers battles for a rebound with teammate DeJuan Blair #45 and Marshall Moses #33 of the Oklahoma...

Lawal might return to Georgia Tech

CHICAGO -- Gani Lawal was presumed to be gone. Despite skill deficiencies and playing for a Georgia Tech team that finished with two ACC wins, the s...

UConn leads the charge

The top programs in the Big East flexed their muscle on the recruiting trail.

Pitt's Blair declares for NBA draft

DeJuan Blair said Wednesday he will declare for the NBA draft and has begun hiring representatives, ending any possibility that the All-America center could return for his junior season.

Dixon honored after 31-win season

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has been named the Naismith men's coach of the year after leading the Panthers to a school-record 31 wins and the NCAA tournament regional finals.

Reynolds' driving layup in final second lifts Villanova over top-seeded Pitt

Scottie Reynolds made a half-court dash for the game-winning shot with 0.5 seconds left, leading Villanova over Pittsburgh 78-76 Saturday night and back to the Final Four for the first time since its shocking run to the 1985 championship.

Play for the ages lifts Villanova

It was a frenzied final few minutes, but Scottie Reynolds' last-second, game-winning shot put Villanova on its way to Detroit.

Fields shines down stretch, carries Pitt to first Elite 8 in 35 years

Levance Fields gave Pittsburgh the lead with a 3-pointer with 50.9 seconds left, then scored off his steal as the Panthers advanced to the regional finals for the first time in 35 years with a 60-55 win over Xavier on Thursday night.

Drama nothing new for Pitt

It's been a familiar formula for Pitt this season. The Panthers' win over Xavier on Thursday was no different.

Work ethic takes Young to higher level

Sam Young's devotion to his craft is legendary. Through hard work, the Pitt forward has impressed on the court and has constantly surprised people off it.