Pitt opens with FDU

‘ ‘ ‘ After a long offseason of practice, summer-league games and scrimmages, the Pitt men’s… ‘ ‘ ‘ After a long offseason of practice, summer-league games and scrimmages, the Pitt men’s basketball team will finally get a chance to play a game that counts. ‘ ‘ ‘ Yet, as the team opens up its season tonight against Fairleigh Dickinson at the Petersen Events Center, it will have an unexpected feel and look after some key contributors have gone down. ‘ ‘ ‘ With injuries to point guard Levance Fields and small forward Gilbert Brown that will likely keep them out of the game, the Panthers will have to turn to some new faces for production. ‘ ‘ ‘ Freshman guard Ashton Gibbs will get the start at the point, while junior college transfer Jermaine Dixon will start the game at shooting guard. ‘ ‘ ‘ Gibbs and Dixon both held their own in the teams’ two exhibition games. In the most recent contest against La Roche, Dixon finished with 11 points, seven assists and five steals. Gibbs contributed seven assists from the point as well. ‘ ‘ ‘ With the injury to Brown, freshman Nasir Robinson, a combination guard-forward, will get plenty of minutes. Freshman guard Travon Woodall is also expected to contribute right away in the absence of Fields. ‘ ‘ ‘ The game also marks the season opener for the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. A member of the Northeast Conference, the team was picked to finish fourth in the league this season coming off an 8-20 campaign last year. ‘ ‘ ‘ Fairleigh Dickinson is led by 6-feet-3-inch junior guard Sean Baptiste, who averaged 18 points and six rebounds per game last season. Baptiste is a preseason all-conference selection. ‘ ‘ ‘ While Fairleigh Dickinson lost three of its four leading scorers from last season, it will rely on some new faces as well this year. ‘ ‘ ‘ Transfers Eric Wright from Buffalo, Terence Grier from Rhode Island and Alvin Mofunanya from Saint Joseph’s are all eligible to play for the Knights this season. ‘ ‘ ‘ Additionally, the team gets guard Cameron Tyler back after he was ineligible all of last season because of academic problems. ‘ ‘ ‘ Inside, the Knights are thin, but 7-feett-2-inch center Lawrence Brown might provide some problems for the Panthers. Pitt will start 6-feet-7-inch DeJuan Blair at center and 6-feet-8-inch Tyrell Biggs at the center and power forward spots to counter Brown’s game underneath the basket. ‘ ‘ ‘ Tip-off for the game is set for 7 p.m. Pitt’s next game is also a home contest on Monday against Miami (Ohio).