Big East coaches pick Panthers to finish fourth

Pitt women’s basketball traveled where no other Pitt women’s team had been before in the… Pitt women’s basketball traveled where no other Pitt women’s team had been before in the 2006-07 season, winning 24 games and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Big East’s coaches expect more success from the Panthers this season.

The coaches picked Pitt to finish fourth in the Big East behind top-five programs Connecticut and Rutgers and an up-and-coming West Virginia squad.

Pitt won 10 conference games last season without its leading scorer from the 2005-2006 season, Mallorie Winn.

Winn, a 5-foot-11-inch redshirt senior, sat the season out with a torn ACL.

Winn rejoins a cast of all but one returnee – and all five starters – from last season’s 24-9 finish.

Named to the Preseason All-Big East team, center Marcedes Walker and wing Shavonte Zellous headline the strong corps of returning starters.

Walker, considered one of the top post players in the nation, averaged 15.9 points and 9.6 rebounds last season.

The 6-3 Walker is a three-time All-Big East team member and should surpass 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds this season.

She could be only the second player to reach both marks in the history of Pitt’s women’s program.

Zellous, a 5-foot-10-inch redshirt junior, led Pitt in scoring last season, averaging 19.1 points per game.

Zellous was named the Big East’s Most Improved Player and earned All-Big East team honors.

Also returning is Xenia Stewart, a do-it-all wing who contributed everywhere.

The 6-foot junior averaged 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and just over three assists a game.

Sophomore Jania Sims, a 5-7 point guard, took over the starting point guard position after Winn’s injury.

Sims, known for her speed and unusual maturity, led the Panthers in assists last season, averaging 4.6 a game.

West Virginia returns all five of its starters from a 21-11 season that saw the Mountaineers reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Connecticut possesses a two-headed monster in All-Big East team members Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles.

Throw in heralded-recruit Maya Moore and the Huskies are expected to not only contend for the Big East crown, but the national title.

Rutgers, which made it to the NCAA championship game last season, returns all five of its starters from a 27-9 season.

After Pitt in the rankings are Notre Dame, Louisville, DePaul, Marquette, South Florida, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Villanova, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Providence and Georgetown.

Pitt opens its season on Nov. 1 with an exhibition against Premier Players.

On Nov. 4, Pitt hosts Ohio Legends in an exhibition before officially starting its season in State College, Pa., in a four-team tournament with North Carolina-Charlotte, Arizona and Penn State.

Pitt’s contests against the top-rated teams in the Big East are spread out over a tough 16-game schedule. The Big East opener is at DePaul on Jan. 6.

The Panthers host Rutgers on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.

Two weeks later, Connecticut visits the Petersen Events Center on Feb. 17 for a 2 p.m. tip-off.