Yay. The Rutgers-Pitt homecoming game has been set for 3:30 pm.

That means I don’t have to be out the door at 6am driving to the ‘Burgh.

It isn’t actually listed for television yet. But I have to believe ESPN Regional/GamePlan will pick it up. At least, as long as Pitt wins this weekend and stays ranked.

No not for the football team. Basketball season is closing within a few weeks. Right around the election, exhibition games begin.

Fields was one of the cover boys of the USA Today preview (everyone does regional covers).

They know the goal.

But it will likely be Fields, Blair and Young who determine how far the Panthers can go. Although Pitt has been one of the Big East’s best teams for years, reaching the conference tournament final in seven of the past eight seasons, deep runs in the NCAA tournament have been missing.

“We want to take it to the next level this year,” says Fields. “We’ve been through the Big East wars and the Big East tournaments, but we haven’t gotten the job done in the NCAA tournament, other than going to the Sweet 16 my sophomore year (2007). But we want to go further. With the core guys returning with a lot of experience and the freshmen we have, we feel this is the year, this is the make-or-break year.”

The three core players feel the same.

Now the Pitt Panthers have their sights set on the Motor City — site of next year’s Final Four.

“I have a picture of Detroit in my room,” sophomore center DeJuan Blair said. “That’s all I think about. We won the Big East last year. Now I want to win a national championship.”

Pitt has plenty of motivation after the way last season ended. The Panthers won the Big East tournament championship with a stunning four-game run but were upset by Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament, an all too familiar ending for a program that has been dominant in the Big East but disappointing in NCAA play.

…

“To be honest, I definitely didn’t think that was going to be the end of the road for us,” Young said of the loss to Michigan State. “I’m sure a lot of people didn’t. For an upset like that to happen to us after we won the Big East championship … I feel like we could have done so much more.

“For us to have basically the same team back for this season, it definitely was an inspiration for me to come back and to show people that we’re one of the teams to beat, that we’re the team we thought we were before we lost to Michigan State.”

We’ll see. Right now, after UNC it’s a jumbled mess from #2-8. You can make a legitimate case for any of the following: Pitt, Louisville, UConn, Notre Dame, UCLA, Gonzaga, and Texas (or Oklahoma). That’s what Andy Katz does as he capsules some things on the top teams.

Update: Levance Fields got hurt again. Fields had surgery over the summer, and that causes concern. Fields has to be healthy for Pitt to be the team projected. The Panthers are solid everywhere else. Sam Young stayed put. DeJuan Blair remained happy and if he’s playing loose then the Panthers have a good vibe about themselves. The Panthers have depth, a nasty home court and the experience to make a run to Detroit.

Concern: Fields. Until Fields is on the court without any pain in his foot then the Panthers will have point guard issues. If he’s good to go, a lot of the concerns fade. Perimeter shooting will always be an issue, but that will change if Fields is in the game because he can help set everyone up.

Nonconference highlights: Well, there isn’t much to get excited about in the nonconference. Maybe a Legends Classic against Washington State or Mississippi State will make for good theatre, or even a home game against upstart Siena or always pesky Florida State in Tallahassee. But none of these games will compare to the top of the Big East.

Practices start this Friday. Whoo-hoo.