NEW YORK -- Pitt senior center Aaron Gray became the 10th player in school history to earn All-America honors yesterday when the National Association of Basketball Coaches named him third-team All-America.

The previous Pitt player to attain All-America honors was Brandin Knight in 2003. He also was honored in '02. Knight was named second-team All-America by The Sporting News.

Gray, who is 7 feet and 270 pounds, came back for his senior season after contemplating early entry into the NBA draft in the summer. Gray is Pitt's leading scorer and rebounder on the season and had recorded 14 double-doubles before the game against Marquette in the Big East Conference tournament quarterfinals.

The NABC first-team All-America team is Kevin Durant of Texas, Alando Tucker of Wisconsin, Acie Law of Texas A&M, Arron Afflalo of UCLA and Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina. The second-team is Nick Fazekas of Nevada, Greg Oden of Ohio State, Joakim Noah and Al Horford of Florida and Jared Dudley of Boston College.

Gray was joined on the third team by Jeff Green of Georgetown, Sean Singletary of Virginia, Chris Lofton of Tennessee and Julian Wright of Kansas.

The other Pitt players to receive All-America honors are: Charley Hyatt (three times), Sykes Reed (once), Don Smith (once), Claire Cribbs (twice), Don Hennon (twice), Billy Knight (once), Jerome Lane (twice) and Charles Smith (twice).

Third time around

The previous time Pitt was defeated three times in one season by the same opponent was 1995, when Connecticut did it. The Huskies swept the regular-season series and beat the Panthers in a Big East quarterfinal game, 81-78.

Pitt is it

With Pitt's past success at the Big East tournament, Pitt fans are becoming more and more visible at Madison Square Garden in recent years. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Pitt has been one of the top three ticket-sellers for the tournament since bursting onto the scene in 2001, when it reached its first tournament final.

Off that first unexpected championship game appearance, the Panthers followed in the footsteps of Connecticut and Syracuse and used the tournament as one of the big fund-raisers of the year for the athletic department.

Pitt alumni and fans make the trek to New York and are treated to a week's worth of games and other activities away from the Garden.

"They've really done a great job of marketing this event," Tranghese said.

Ramon in good company

Junior guard Ronald Ramon entered the game last night with 62 3-point field goals for the season. That placed him in ninth place on the school's all-time list for 3-pointers in one season.

Ramon has a ways to go to get to the top of the list. Brandin Knight made 93 3-pointers in 2001-02.

Ramon has 154 3-pointers for his career. The career leader is Jason Matthews, who made 259 3-pointers from 1987-91.

He loves New York

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has made himself right at home at Madison Square Garden in the early years of his head coaching career. In his first three seasons as Pitt's head coach, he was 5-3 in Big East tournament games and advanced to the championship game twice.

Dixon entered the game last night with a 101-28 career record and has won 10 or more games in Big East regular-season play in each of his four seasons.