Time For Conference Action For Pitt
VILLANOVA, Pa. -- No. 13 Pittsburgh will begin its 26th year of Big East basketball with a 12:00 p.m. tip-off at No. 17 Villanova.
The grueling 18-game Big East season will be especially tough on the Panthers, who are without two starters -- senior forward Mike Cook (torn ACL) and junior guard Levance Fields (fractured left foot).
Pitt improved to 12-1 with a 96-75 win over Lafayette on Jan. 2. It was the final nonconfrence game for the Panthers this season.
For the first time since the 1995-96 season, Pitt opens the season with two Big East road games -- at Villanova and then at South Florida.
Winning in the Pavilion has been difficult through the years as the Panthers own a subpar 4-7 record in the cozy 6,500-seat arena on the Main Line.
In fact, Pitt has not defeated Villanova at the Pavilion since Jan. 22, 1994.
