In a recap of 2008, Pitt made the list of top surprises for 2008.

5. It’s not a sprint, it’s the New York marathon. Recovering from an injury-riddled season in which forward Mike Cook was lost for the season with a torn ACL and point guard Levance Fields missed six weeks with a broken foot, Pitt had to win four games in four days to conquer the Big East Tournament. And the Panthers did. When Cook celebrated that unlikely championship with his teammates, it was a great reminder that not all the important basketball is played in the NCAAs.

It was arguably one of the most important victories in Coach Dixon’s tenure. Here’s hoping for bigger ones this March.

Meanwhile, Big East conference play kicks off tonight with UConn-Georgetown. That’s the way to kick off conference action.

UConn is the favorite in the Big East at this point. But the gap isn’t that far.

Favorite: In a slight nod, it goes to Connecticut over Pitt. The Huskies have the most intimidating force in Hasheem Thabeet (when he wants to be assertive). And they still have a healing all-conference guard in A.J. Price and plenty of depth at every position. Connecticut also proved its toughness and March capability with one of the most impressive wins of the season by beating Gonzaga in Seattle. Its win over Buffalo, on the road, also was gritty, even if it was against a middle MAC team. But don’t for a second think that Pitt can’t win this conference. The Panthers are equally tough, as they survived a poor-shooting game to win at Florida State and have as many veteran players as — if not more than — the Huskies. Circle March 7, because that’s when the Huskies and the Panthers could be deciding the regular-season title in Pittsburgh.

Sam Young got the nod as the best player in the conference at this point.

Then there’s next year. A great story on commit Lamar Patterson and his decision to leave McCaskey and the Lancaster-Lebanon League to get better at St. Benedict’s.

It was a very laid-back workout for us,” St. Benedict’s coach Dan Hurley said. “He only got halfway through it.”

Patterson started cramping, and had to sit down, sweating and gasping and embarrassed.

“These guys were doing it like it was nothing,” Patterson said.

Hurley wasn’t surprised by that. He was surprised, and impressed, by what happened next.

“I imagine he was embarrassed, but I talked to him, and he said that he knew this was exactly what he needed,” Hurley said.

“We’ve had kids do that before, and I never hear from them again. I wasn’t disappointed. I was more pleased with his reaction.”

Patterson verbally committed to take a scholarship from the University of Pittsburgh early in his junior year. But by the end of that year Patterson, a 6-foot-5 swingman, was struggling with his shot, his game, and seemingly to stay out of his own way.

McCaskey won a fourth straight L-L League title, but lost in the first round of the District Three playoffs.

“Lamar’s mind-set in coming here was to embrace the things he needed to do to prepare for a place like Pittsburgh,” Hurley said.

Patterson has excellent talent. Just as important — especially at Pitt — he has the desire and work ethic. He may not be able to crack the rotation as a freshman, but you know he will be pushing the starters.