Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Levance Fields Click photo for larger image.

By the end of last college basketball season, Levance Fields looked nothing like a freshman. He was Pitt's go-to player in many games down the stretch and might have been the team's best player in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. Fields, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., averaged 10.1 points per game in the postseason. He scored 14 points in Pitt's 68-54 victory against Villanova in the Big East semifinals and might have had his best game the following week in the NCAA tournament loss to Bradley. Fields was 3 for 4 from 3-point range and had a team-high 18 points. With the departure of Carl Krauser, Fields will assume a larger role on the team this season. The Panthers, who begin preseason preparations in six weeks, are expected to debut the season in the top 10 and are a chic pick for the Final Four because they return eight of their top 10 players. Fields took some time last week to speak with Pitt basketball beat writer Ray Fittipaldo about the upcoming season and other assorted subjects.

Q: You really hit your stride late last season. How were you able to play your best basketball at the end of the year?

Fields: I don't really know why. I felt like I got off to a good start last year then I hit a little slide at the beginning of the Big East. At the end, I wasn't thinking out there. I was just going out there and playing my game. I was getting people involved. I knew what my role was. Guys were creating for me, too. Another thing was they used a Wilson ball in the tournament. We used a Spalding ball during the season. The Wilson ball feels like it's smaller and it has a different grip. It was falling for me. I got on a roll.

Q: Was your performance at the end of last season a sign of things to come?

Fields: I definitely think it is. I'm not trying to be a big-time scorer. With all of the returning guys we have, my job is to get everyone involved. If my shot is falling I'll look to score, but my main job is to get everyone involved.

Q: What do you think about when the Bradley game is brought up?

Fields: When I think about Bradley, I think loss. That was probably my best game of the season without question, but it didn't matter because we lost. When I think of that game I think of payback and that not happening again.

Q: You're following in the footsteps of Carl Krauser and Brandin Knight. Do you feel pressure to succeed because of what they did at Pitt?

Fields: Not really. Being from New York, there's always been pressure. I'm very excited for the season and anticipating what's going to happen. I look at it as my chance. We're looking at getting past the Sweet 16 this season. We know, the people of Pittsburgh know, we have to go further this season.

Q: Will this year's team make it to the Final Four?

Fields: I would love to say yes, but I'm going to stay humble. But I will say we have all the tools to get there. If everything goes right, we definitely can get to the Final Four.

Q: Which team from the Big East do you dislike the most?

Fields: I dislike all of them. But I would have to say St. John's. They recruited me and it was between them and Pitt. I know a lot of people will say West Virginia, Syracuse or UConn. But St. John's beat us last year and I'm mad about that.

Q: Which Big East team do you like playing against the most?

Fields: I liked the UConn game last year. Even though we only played them once, I would have to say UConn. They were No. 1 when we played them. Jim Calhoun always has a good team up there.

Q: Your nickname is the "General." Where did that come from?

Fields: That came in the ninth grade. My best friend's stepfather used to drive us to games. After one game he called me General. He said you're always leading the team. As my basketball IQ grew, other people started saying it, too. It kind of stuck from there.

Q: Do you know another famous person has the same nickname?

Fields: Who?

Q: Bobby Knight.

Fields: He does? That's new information to me.

Q: Your favorite sports figure is Allen Iverson. Do you like to practice?

Fields: Yes. I love to practice. There are definitely days I've had those blues. But I've never missed a practice or a game since I've been here.

Q: So you're different from Iverson in that way.

Fields: Yeah. Me and Iverson are different that way.

Q: Who is the best basketball player of all time?

Fields: I would say Isiah Thomas because of what he did for smaller guards. I know everyone would say Michael (Jordan) or Larry Bird or Magic Johnson. But I appreciate what he did for smaller guards.

Q: What is your favorite activity outside of basketball?

Fields: Bowling. The last time I went, I was terrible, but I like to bowl. Me and Tyrell [Biggs] go. Tyrell used to be in a bowling league. We like to talk trash out there. The last time we played was on my birthday. I'm going to get him back for that one.