The two top contenders in the Big East meet on Monday night in Pittsburgh as the No. 20 Panthers (14-2, 2-1) host No. 7 GeorgetownWagerWeb.com.
This will be the fourth Georgetown-Pitt game in barely a year. The Hoyas won two of three a season ago, including a 65-42 decision in the Big East Tournament championship game.
"We think about it all the time," senior guard Ronald Ramon said. "That was a ring that was taken away from us. It's behind us now. It's definitely a challenge.
They are coming into our house. We've got to protect our house."
"They got us real good at the Garden," senior guard Keith Benjamin said. "Now it's a new year and we want to get after it with them."
The Panthers have five new starters since that last matchup, however. But the key again for Pitt if it hopes to extend its home winning streak to 13 games will be to slow Georgetown 7-footer Roy Hibbert.
Last year in the Big East title game, Hibbert torched the Panthers with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and that was when Pitt had future NBA center Aaron Gray.
And Hibbert is coming off a game-winning shot against UConn on Saturday - on a 3-pointer. It was only the second 3-point attempt of his career, and he finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. He is averaging 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and has 28 blocked shots and 26 assists. The Hoyas have four other players averaging double figures in points: DaJuan Summers (11.8), Austin Freeman (10.1) and Jonathan Wallace (10.1).The main man responsible for checking Hibbert this time will be Panthers freshman DeJuan Blair, despite the fact he is only 6-foot-7.
"I think people are going to see a great matchup," Benjamin said. "I know DeJuan (6-7, 265 pounds) doesn't have Hibbert's size, but he has a 7-3 wingspan, and he's one of the toughest kids I've ever played with. He's not afraid of nothin'."
Blair is coming off a 20-point, 14-rebound game in a win against Seton Hall and leads the team in rebounds, averaging 9.9 per game. Blair and Hibbert each have played three conference games this season. Blair has 44 points, 38 rebounds and six blocks. Hibbert has 43 points, 23 rebounds and four blocks.
"You don't have to worry about DeJuan Blair showing up, because I'll be there for Georgetown," Blair said.
Junior forward Sam Young is Pitt's other main weapon, having scored a career-high 28 points against Seton Hall on Saturday. Young has raised his scoring average from 7.2 a season ago to 18.4, partly because he is 20-of-38 on 3s (52.6 percent). A season ago, Young was 13-of-42 (30.9 percent) on 3s.
"He just keeps getting better," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "He works hard and plays hard. He was questioned coming out of high school about his shooting, and goes 4-for-4 on 3s."
Pitt has won two games in a row since dropping two of three in the aftermath of injuries to starters Levance Fields and Mike Cook, while Georgetown has won five straight since losing to No. 2 Memphis.
"Every time we've played them ever since I've been here, it's been very heated,' Benjamin said. "And it keeps going back and forth."
Bet on NCAA basketball at WagerWeb.com (13-1, 3-0), with the Hoyas 2-point favorites on
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