The theme for Pitt basketball this season has been “a different players will step up each game if Aaron Gray doesn’t perform well.” Obviously, starting at 2 p.m. today, someone is going to need to step it up big time. We’re not talking about big time, we’re talking about big time. Hell, facing off against both Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green, we’ll probably need two players to play the game of their lives to win.

There’s really no great stat to show how important Gray is except Ken Pomeroy’s plus/minus stat. Not only would Gray score but he would prevent Hibbert from scoring; obviously Hibbert would not be totally shut down by Gray but I’ll take Gray at 70% (or maybe lower) than Kendall or someone else against Hibbert.

We struggled against Seton Hall. You want me to say it again? We struggled against Seton Hall. Now we’re going down to a sold out Verizon Center against the team that is vying for the top Big East spot and it seems with the news of Gray’s injury, our chances have been totally washed away.

Don’t write us off too fast though. I mean hey, look, we’re ranked #8 in the nation and although we’re not playing the best that we can at this point and our big man is out, we’re still a top 25 team.

Levance could shoot the lights out like he did for a seven game stretch a few weeks back. Mike Cook could go for 18 like he did when we played the Hoyas earlier this season. Maybe Levon Kendall could stop playing like Levon Kendall and play like a real athlete and basketball player. And yet all of this is on the offensive side of the ball which leaves the whole other end of the court open for Hibbert and Green to have a field day. Because of that, I’ll set my prediction at G’town 78 Pitt 68.

Prove me wrong boys…