Playing four games in seven days is the type of stretch that usually affords a team a well-earned rest. Especially when that team breezed through those games by an average margin of 28 points en route to winning all four contests.

But for the Pitt basketball team, the week-long layoff one week into the season means more practice time starting today.

Coach Jamie Dixon is pleased with his team's start to the season, but he views the next week as a time when the Panthers can improve greatly because of the increased opportunities for practice.

"We'll go hard over the weekend," Dixon said after Pitt beat Mississippi Valley State, 78-45, Thursday night at Petersen Events Center. "We're going to get after it and get better for it. This is a unique opportunity to have a week off this early in the season. I've really been pointing toward it to see really where we're at and build from it. It's an opportunity, not a detriment."

Given their druthers, Pitt players would most certainly rather be playing a game or two between now and Friday, when Buffalo (2-1) visits the Petersen Events Center for another non-conference contest. Or relaxing a few days to catch up on their rest.

But Dixon and his staff view the next week in a different manner. Because so many of Pitt's players are freshmen or first-year players, the practice time is a valuable tool. Dixon is starting one freshman and playing four others along with a junior-college transfer.

Dixon said he saw vast improvement from the opener Nov. 9 to the Mississippi Valley State game.

"Our goal was to be a better team today than we were when we started the season," Dixon said. "I think we improved tremendously, especially on the defensive end. That's a great sign. The seniors and juniors have done a great job. I'm very proud of the way they're leading this team on and off the floor. They understand they have a responsibility to help the young guys get better and better. I commend all six of them. They've done a terrific job."

Still, Dixon was not about to let these seven days go by without taking the opportunity for more teaching. He believes the team as a whole can benefit by practicing together more.

The team took it easy yesterday with only a videotape session, but they will be practicing today and tomorrow, and the schedule next week will be similar to any other week, with only one day off.

Dixon might bring in some referees to officiate scrimmages during practices. He did that last season during a week-long layoff before a February game against West Virginia.

That long layoff did not negatively affect the Panthers, who went to Morgantown and won a tough road game, 60-47.

"I'm looking forward to it," Dixon said. "We had this last year going into the West Virginia game. It's an opportunity to get better. We brought the referees in last year before West Virginia, and it really helped us. That [long layoff] was a big concern because we were playing so well at the time. But it was really to our benefit. It enabled us to focus in on their stuff and what they were running. And we had a really good defensive performance in that game. I'm looking forward to this layoff, too."

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NOTES -- Freshman DeJuan Blair was to have x-rays on his bruised tailbone as a precautionary measure yesterday, but he is not expected to miss any games.