Expectations nothing new for Berenato

When Pitt women’s basketball head coach Agnus Berenato walks into any room, its occupants… When Pitt women’s basketball head coach Agnus Berenato walks into any room, its occupants know.

At the Pitt women’s basketball Media Day Friday, Berenato entered with an air of confidence, excitement and eagerness. It was, she said, the most people she’d seen at a Pitt women’s basketball press conference since the program hired her three years ago.

But entering her fourth season, Berenato expressed her thoughts as to why the attendance had grown.

“We’re really excited for the upcoming season,” Berenato said. “Postseason, all summer and preseason our student athletes have taken this opportunity and this challenge very seriously.”

The challenge? Pitt is ranked 24th in Street ‘ Smith’s magazine — the first ever preseason ranking for the women’s basketball program.

“We all came to the University of Pittsburgh to make a difference and be a top-25 team,” Berenato said. “We’re all competitive people, we’re industrious people and therefore, we self-impose pressure. It’s an opportunity.”

The Panthers finished the 2005-2006 campaign 22-11, losing in the semifinals of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament to Big East foe Marquette. The 22 wins matched a Pitt women’s basketball record.

Two major contributors to Pitt’s last season were 6-foot senior guard Mallorie Winn and junior center Marcedes Walker. Winn averaged 15.8 points per game while Walker dominated inside, contributing 15 points and nine rebounds per contest.

It was Winn’s first season at Pitt after transferring from Georgia Tech. The San Diego native started 32 times and played 35.5 minutes a game.

“Mallorie can’t be guarded,” Berenato said. “When I first started recruiting her, she was talking about making the WNBA, and I think that’s fantastic. She is motivated and wants to win.”

Walker, a 6-foot-3 Philadelphia native, averaged a double-double in Big East conference play, totaling 17.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

According to Berenato, Walker’s success prompted numerous double teams from opponents throughout last season, but the addition of 6-foot-5 center Selena Nwude provides a welcome outlet for Walker’s improved passing.

“Marcedes has become a very good passer,” Berenato said. “And [Selena] is someone who, when Marcedes is double-teamed, will be able to score.”

Scout.com, a college recruiting Web site, rated Nwude the second-best center recruit in the country for the 2006-2007 season. Berenato stressed Nwude’s presence and ability as key factors in her influence on this year’s team.

“She’s a shot-changer and an intimidator,” Berenato said. “She’s not just lanky, she’s big. She will help in getting rebounds and putting back missed shots.”

Pitt and the Petersen Events Center will host the first weekend of the 2007 Women’s NCAA tournament, meaning the Panthers, if they make the tournament, would play at home for the first and second round.

“It is a tremendous compliment to the women of Pittsburgh that a national tournament is coming to our home,” Berenato said. “But I’m not a very nice host. I don’t like to be a host and not be at my own party. We want to be in our party and we want to be in the NCAA tournament.”

Standing in the way of Pitt’s postseason hopes is a schedule featuring non-conference contests against Duke, Utah, Penn State and Liberty. Duke is ranked sixth by ESPN’s Nancy Lieberman while Utah made the 2006 Elite Eight, losing to eventual champions Maryland.

“We feel like we have an exciting schedule,” Berenato said. “We’ve taken our schedule up a notch.”

On Nov. 15 at 7 p.m., the Panthers host California University of Pennsylvania in their first official contest.

The Panthers begin Big East play in January, playing at Rutgers. On Jan. 9, Pitt meets Marquette at the Petersen Events Center for its first home game.

The Big East sent seven teams to the 2006 NCAA tournament, and three teams made the Sweet 16 or deeper. Among the tournament teams from one year ago, DePaul, St. John’s, South Florida and Notre Dame will play at Pitt.

“We’re excited about playing in the Big East and really trying to make a run,” Berenato said. “Our motto is ‘We’ve Got This’ because last year in the middle of the season, thinking about the postseason, we posed the question, ‘Why not Pitt?’

“But this is a new year, and so for us, we have a positive attitude, we have this, we’ve got this.”