Pitt vs. Connecticut: The matchups

PITT VS. CONNECTICUT

Seven hours until tip-off…Here is a look at the one-on-one matchups for the big clash between No. 1 Connecticut and No. 4 Pitt.

Point guard – Levance Fields vs. A.J. Price: Give the checkmark to Fields, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late. Fields has 56 assists and only six turnovers in the past five games, all Pitt wins. A.J. Price is having a nice season as well, but Fields is playing one notch above at this point.

Shooting guard – Jermaine Dixon and Brad Wanamaker vs. Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker: Give the checkmark to the Austrie and Walker, who are taking the place of injured starter Jerome Dyson. They have the edge because of the explosiveness that Walker brings to the table. He has the ability to be a game changer with his quickness to the hoop.

Small forward – Sam Young vs. Stanley Robinson: Give the checkmark to Young, who is Pitt’s leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. After a rough stretch, Young has played two really solid games in a row against West Virginia and Cincinnati, and the Panthers will need him to play the same way this evening against Robinson, who is a better defender than a scorer.

Power forward – Tyrell Biggs vs. Jeff Adrien: Give the checkmark to Adrien, who is averaging a double-double on the season. Biggs’ play has tailed off lately. The Panthers will need Biggs to step up and have a big game against Adrien, who is as strong as a bull inside.

Center – DeJuan Blair vs. Hasheem Thabeet: Give the checkmark to Thabeet. Connecticut’s 7-foot 3 shot blocker is a menacing presence in the lane. Blair is a crafty player who will use his width to carve out some space underneath the basket. If the officials don’t blow their whistles both players should have good games. But Thabeet’s defensive presence gives him a slight edge over Blair.

Bench play – Give the checkmark to Pitt, which has Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown and Ashton Gibbs as top reserves. Each player brings something different to the table. Wanamaker can penetrate and shoot 3-pointers, Gibbs is one of the top 3-point shooters in the league and Brown is excellent in transition and on the defensive end. Connecticut simply is not as deep and was weakened when Dyson went out.

Coaching – Give the checkmark to Calhoun. Dixon has guided Pitt to the most Big East wins in the past five seasons, but Calhoun is 5-3 in head-to-head matchups. Plus, Calhoun has two national championships to his name while Pitt has not made it past the Sweet 16.

Intangibles – Push. Connecticut rarely loses at home, but the Huskies are playing only their second game without Dyson. There is going to be a learning curve in the next few weeks. The Panthers are hungry to take control of the Big East, but they have lost 10 of their past 11 on the road to ranked teams.