Forty four seconds after entering the game at South Florida Wednesday night, Gary McGhee slammed home an emphatic dunk. In the next two minutes, McGhee would add four more points.

Just like that, in 2 minutes, 13 seconds, McGhee had doubled his season point total from the first 14 games. And just as fast had people wondering, "Where has he been all season?"

"I hope he continues to make people wonder why he wasn't being played," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said after Pitt's 79-66 victory at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

McGhee's performance is a positive for Pitt as it enters a tough portion of its Big East schedule. Dixon had played a seven-man rotation in the first two games after Levance Fields was injured, but foul trouble and fatigue plagued the Panthers in a one-point loss against Villanova.

When DeJuan Blair picked up his second foul a little more than six minutes into the game Wednesday night, McGhee's time had come.

"Coach is always telling me to be ready," said McGhee, a 6-foot-10, 255-pound freshman from Anderson, Ind. "I've been waiting my turn. Today my number was called, and I was ready."

McGhee had not played since Nov. 27 against Boston University. Before the South Florida game his statistics were: 3 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes. In addition to his six points against the Bulls, McGhee contributed four rebounds and some tough defense against South Florida senior center Kentrell Gransberry, a physical player who averages a double-double.

Gransberry scored a game-high 26 points, but he needed to take 21 shots to get there. McGhee's defense was more than solid against one of the better post players in the Big East.

"We always thought he was going to be a good defender," Dixon said. "We knew it was going to happen at some point. We knew it was going to happen against a big-body guy like Gransberry. Once we got into conference play, we knew we'd see more of these guys. I thought he did a very good job on the defensive end. The finishes around the basket were an added benefit."

McGhee likely will be used more in games against teams with big centers. One such game will be Monday night when Georgetown and 7-2 center Roy Hibbert visit the Petersen Events Center.

McGhee gives Dixon flexibility with his lineup. Junior forward Tyrell Biggs, who has been overmatched when asked to play center, can concentrate more on playing power forward. If need be, McGhee could be the center when Dixon needs a bigger lineup. Blair could switch to power forward with Sam Young moving to small forward.

McGhee's performance against South Florida was a welcome sight to Young, who has been in foul trouble the past few games.

"We needed him, and he came through for us," Young said. "We've seen it all year. He's been doing the same dunks and plays in practice."

"Gary gave us some real good minutes off the bench," senior Keith Benjamin said. "He did a good job of giving coach Dixon confidence in him. And he's only a freshman. He's going to help this program in the future."

The future could be now. McGhee spent most of the summer in Pittsburgh working out in the weight room and playing with his new teammates in anticipation of an opportunity to play. He is looking forward to taking advantage of that chance the rest of the season.

"It feels great to get the opportunity to showcase my skills and show how hard I work on my game," McGhee said. "It's a big confidence boost for me. I showed I can do it against guys in the Big East. I'm just going to keep working hard."

NOTES -- Dixon said yesterday that junior center Cassin Diggs' groin/hip injury is not getting better, and he could be out for an extended period. Diggs, in his first season after transferring from junior college, has seen limited playing time. ... Fields had his weekly checkup yesterday, and Dixon reported that his fractured foot is healing very well. ... Ryan Tiesi, a former player at North Allegheny High School, has joined the team as a walk-on.