Basketball: Big East announces sites for conference games

While it’s too early to start making travel plans for those hoping to follow around the Pitt… While it’s too early to start making travel plans for those hoping to follow around the Pitt basketball team this year, at least now they know where they’re going to have to travel.

Last week, the Big East announced the sites of the conference games for all men’s basketball teams. Each team plays 18 Big East games, split up with nine at home and nine on the road. Every school also plays each of the other 15 Big East teams at least once and plays three opponents twice.

The Panthers’ home schedule is highlighted by games against perennial powerhouses Georgetown and Louisville. Pitt also plays rival West Virginia and gets a rematch with Villanova, which knocked the Panthers out of last year’s NCAA Tournament with a last-second shot by Scottie Reynolds in the Elite 8. Also coming to the Petersen Events Center next year are DePaul, Providence, Rutgers, St. Johns and Seton Hall.

When venturing away from Pittsburgh, the Panthers have a little tougher schedule, as they play Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Syracuse and West Virginia. They also travel to Cincinnati, St. Johns, Seton Hall and South Florida.

While the road schedule is tougher than the home, the Panthers get a break with their repeat opponents. Other than West Virginia, which is expected to compete for the Big East title, neither St. Johns nor Seton Hall have finished more than .500 in conference play since 2005-06, when Seton Hall when 9-7. The last time St. Johns finished with more wins than losses in the Big East was 2001-02, when it went 9-6.

Although the dates of those games won’t be announced until closer to the start of the season, the Panthers already know a few days they will have games.

On Dec. 8, Pitt will travel to Madison Square Garden in New York to play Indiana in the Jimmy V Classic, an annual four-team tournament used to raise money for cancer research.

The Panthers are also competing in another early season tournament when they go to Kansas City, Mo., to play in the 2009 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic on Nov. 23-24. The other three teams in the tournament are Texas, Wichita State and Iowa.

Pitt’s schedule will be finalized sometime in early September.