MPM: Thanks for taking my question early. What's the best case/worst case for Pitt's seed in the NCAA tournament?

Ray Fittipaldo: Best case: If Pitt beats Marquette and wins Big East tournament the Panthers likely will be a strong No. 2 seed. Worst case: If Pitt loses to Marquette and loses its first game at the Big East tournament the Panthers could be a No. 4 seed.

roninbuc: Who is your favorite right now to win the Big East tournament? Louisville has been impressive, but if Pitt is playing well I like their chances in a rematch.

Ray Fittipaldo: I would not be surprised if any of the four teams that get byes win it this year. It really is wide open. It would not surprise me at all if Notre Dame made a run this year. It would not be a shock if Louisville did it. But I would like to see the third game between Pitt and Georgetown. The first two games were so good. They've been the top two teams pretty much all season. I want to see that game again.

roninbuc: What is the status of Sam Young's knees that held him out of the second half vs. WVU? Will it seriously limit his availability the rest of the season? Is offseason surgery a possiblity?

Ray Fittipaldo: Young has tendonitis in both knees. Surgery will not fix his condition. It's something he has to play with the rest of his career. It's really a pain management thing. As for his health going into the Marquette game, I'll find out more later on today at Pitt's practice. The Panthers had yesterday off after the WVU win.

66lancers: Hi Ray, I'm sure the Georgetown game will bring out more of the same issues about athletic guards and personnel on other teams giving them trouble. However, my question is more about Dixon's substitution pattern in the GU game. Mike Cook, who'd been struggling started the game real nice, hit his first couple shots, and seemed into the flow of the game. After four minutes Dixon sits him down and brings in Benjamin. Cook is never heard from again in that game. Does Dixon not coach to the game and pay attention to what players are playing well, or is he too set on his pre-game substitution pattern? Benjamin brings good energy sometimes, but in this case especially, I think Jamie took Cook out of the entire game with this one substitution. I have noticed him doing the same thing on other occasions as well. A player will hit a few shots, and will get pulled. It's almost like he doesn't want one player to have too big of a game that it might destroy team chemistry?

Ray Fittipaldo: I don't think it's a matter of destroying team chemistry, it's just the way Pitt's teams have always been set up under Dixon and Howland for that matter. If you look at the stat sheet, Pitt has five players averaging between 8 points and 14 points per game. It's a balanced scoring effort. Levance Fields might score 24 points one game and six points the next. The same goes for Mike Cook. He could go four games scoring in double figures and then five games below double figures. They play to their strengths and they take what the defense gives them. It's how they play.

roninbuc: Biggs had a nice second half vs. WVU- do you see him being a positive contributor if Young is limited the rest of the way?

Ray Fittipaldo: If Young is limited the rest of the way -- and I don't think he will be -- Biggs had better elevate his game. It was encouraging to see what he did against West Virginia. What was impressive was he did it without playing a minute in the first half. He came in cold and was able to contribute on offense and defense. His minutes have been limited in Big East play, but if there is foul trouble or if Young is unable to go, Biggs suddenly becomes a very important part of this team.

roninbuc: With Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin having a couple of recent losses, is the door open for a #1 seed if Pitt or Georgetown wins the Big East Tourney? Who are your four #1 seeds right now?

Ray Fittipaldo: Most of the bracketology out there has UCLA, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Ohio State as the four top seed and that seems about right to me. One interesting thing to watch is how Wisconsin plays without Brian Butch from here on out. If the Badgers don't play well in the Big Ten tournament the selection committee is under no obligation to give them a No. 1 seed because of what they had done before his injury. If you recall the Kenyon Martin situation from a few years ago, Cincinnati did not get the seed they had earned because of his injury. The committee looks at how difficult a team will be to beat in the tournament not necessarily what they did for most of a season. If Wisconsin falls off, it would be open the door for a team like Florida or Georgetown or Pitt to sneak in and grab a No. 1 seed. Pitt and Georgetown seem like long shots at this point, but it could happen if either wins out.

Pitt_Fan_in_CO: Where should I buy airplane tix to watch the 1st Round? Buffalo? Columbus?

Ray Fittipaldo: I wouldn't buy a ticket until you see it up on the screen selection Sunday, but if I was a betting man Buffalo or Columbus seem like logical places for the committee to place Pitt. I have not seen any projections sending the Panthers anyplace else other than those two cities.

Pitt_Fan_in_CO: Does the University have an office to help with tickets if an alumni wants to attend one of the weekends?

Ray Fittipaldo: You can call 412-648-PITT and ask about ticket information. I'm sure they have packages available for the NCAA tournament.

Pitt_Fan_in_CO: Can you name 3-4 teams that might give Pitt the most fits - the way Wisconsin & Louisville did? Combos of athletic guards plus good inside. I havent seen anyone that I fear if Pitt's outside shooters are "on." Unless AG must hit a foul shot ...

Ray Fittipaldo: There are all kinds of teams out there that can give Pitt some problems. Who out there could have predicted Bradley would be as good as it was last year at this time? Bradley was flat out better than Pitt. It was not a fluke. There could be a team out there like Winthrop or Holy Cross, a team Joe Fan has not even seen on television. But if you want me to name the teams from BCS schools that could give Pitt problems, that's fairly easy. UNC has a good inside game with Hanborough and athletes all over the place. Florida has the same thing. I'm not saying those teams would be terrible matchups for Pitt, but they have the athletes and an inside game that could make it tough.

Pitt_Fan_in_CO: Does Aaron Gray keep his feet on the floor while rebounding, or it just look that way on TV? Sometimes he looks timid unless it falls into his hands, which for his size and talents I don't get. I think he'd up his average to 15-20 per game if he jumped more to compete for them.

Ray Fittipaldo: He does not have a high vertical, but at his height he does not need one for the most part. People find ways to tear Gray down, but if you look at his numbers there is no denying he is a very good college basketball player. Obviously, he's going to have his troubles going against premier athletes in the NBA, but I don't think any NBA GM out there has visions of Gray being a starting center anyway.

Ray Fittipaldo: Thanks for the questions this week. I'll do the chat next week from New York and the Big East tournament. See you then.