One more time with WVU-Pitt. Both teams were plenty familiar with each other from the summer. Add in playing twice in the season. There should be no surprises from either team.

So far today and yesterday, it’s been chalk. Let’s keep it going.

The fun starts at about 7.

Over here for the fun.

Looks like Pitt’s shoe company does not want to miss out on a chance to cash in (and let’s face it, part of why they do these contracts is with the anticipation/hope of such things) on the success.

This was sent to me by their PR people.

The “March is a Brotherhood” series includes Pitt. They are doing a series of 5 videos featuring NBA stars — who never went to college — adopting a team.

That’s the Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Smith — and no, he’s not actually rocking Tyrell Biggs’ number, that’s his number.

They have the “brotherhood t-shirt” and released a vegas-gold replica jersey using #45. Gee, wonder why.

So, tonight is Pitt’s first game in the Big East Tournament. Right now it is about being in the familiar.

Whether it’s superstition or consistency, the Pitt men’s basketball team follows an exact routine during their trips to the Big Apple.

The Panthers stay at the same hotel, eat at the same restaurant, practice in the same gym and even use the same bus driver.

“Our team,” coach Jamie Dixon said, “is a creature of habit.”

That familiarity may be one reason why Pitt feels so comfortable at Madison Square Garden and has reached the finals of the Big East Tournament seven of the past eight seasons.

“It’s hard to explain,” Dixon said. “Maybe (our routine) has something to do with it.”

The interesting thing in this game. Pitt and its fans have talked about how part of why Pitt has had so much success at MSG in recent years involves all the kids from NYC and the NY/NJ area that are coming back there. Tonight, the edge in that goes to WVU.

In Pitt’s rotation it is: Fields, Biggs and Gibbs with the local ties. On the Hoopie side there’s: Da’Sean Butler (NJ), Devin Ebanks (Long Island), Kevin Jones (Mt. Vernon), Darryl Bryant (Brooklyn) and Wellington Smith (NJ).

Does Pitt prefer being the perceived underdog? Well, they really won’t be in that role for a while. They are definitely not under the radar.

Speaking of under the radar:

Fields has three double-doubles in a row, averaging 12.3 points and 10.7 assists per game. How hot is the 5-foot-10 senior? In the past three games, he has more double-doubles than either DeJuan Blair (two) or Sam Young has in the past month. Fields also needs 15 assists to break Brandin Knight’s single-season assist record of 251.

The Sporting News, named DeJuan Blair an All-American.

DeJuan Blair, So., F/C, Pitt. Although he averaged more points and more rebounds, and outplayed Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet in two head-to-head meetings — both Panthers’ victories — Blair shared Big East player of the year with Thabeet. That mistake will not be repeated here.

Sam Young made the 3d team.

Pitt is about a 4 point favorite tonight.

More silliness from out west.

Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon was the most popular choice when 31 Pac-10 media members were asked whom they’d most like to see named UA’s next coach, according to an Oakland Tribune survey published Wednesday.

Dixon received six votes, while Randy Bennett of St. Mary’s was second with four and Mark Few of Gonzaga was third with three.

Other votes included: Steve Lavin, ESPN analyst; Steve Kerr, Suns GM; Pat Summitt, Tennessee women’s coach; and … Lute Olson.

But Dixon was not first when voters were asked whom Arizona will actually hire. That prognostication most often went to Few (six) with Dixon (four) and Tom Izzo of Michigan State (four) tied for second. UNLV’s Lon Kruger had three votes.

I’m not surprised that many picked Dixon. He’s not mean to the media.

Seriously? There are that many people in the media out there that think Izzo is leaving Michigan State? Where he is one of the highest paid coaches in the Big 11? Where he was an assistant? The fact that Izzo is a Michigan native? That he has no problems recruiting, and has won a national championship at MSU? Yet, that many really believe he will be lured out to the desert?

I would have preferred a tepid “no comment” or the obvious lie of, “I’m not even thinking about that right now.” Instead, DeJuan Blair had to be too honest, too emotional, and provide too much to parse after accepting his co-Big East POY award.

“I want to stay at Pitt, just so everybody can say, ‘We loved him,'” Blair said. “It’s up in the air. It depends on this year. But I want to stay.”

Blair is a projected first-round draft pick, but he said his heart remains in the Steel City.

The 6-foot-7 sophomore center said the ceremony last week to retire Brandin Knight’s jersey got him thinking about his legacy at Pitt. Knight, a Pitt assistant coach and former All-America point guard, is one of only four Pitt players to have his number retired.

“I want my jersey to be retired like Brandin,” Blair said. “That’s an inspiration to look up and see your jersey every day. Just to stay and be loved in Pittsburgh. … I’m always going to come back. I’m always going to be here.

“We’re going to see how it goes.”

As I said when McCoy made his declarations of coming back, I’m not holding him to it. There’s nothing to hold him to.

I have no doubt he loves it at Pitt. I have no doubt he knows all about the possibilities of legacies and all those things. I also know the money is out there and that the NBA is another league heading for a major economic shake-up.

My hope is that he leaves, because he can stand up at a press conference and declare that he has accomplished everything he wanted at Pitt — including that trip to the White House.

At the very least, he will be going through the draft evaluation this year.

As for the co-Big East POY award and sharing it with Hasheem Thabeet.

Not that Blair believes it should be that way.

When asked if he was OK sharing the award, Blair said: “What do y’all think?”

His smile said the rest.

Few people seem to get how Thabeet got as many votes. All BE Commish Mike Tranghese has said is that it was one of the closest votes ever, and that five players received 1st place votes.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players and had to submit their ballots Friday, the day before Pitt beat Connecticut for the second time this season.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon declined to reveal his ballot but said he factored in which player led the regular-season champion.

“I always try to pick a guy from the team that won it,” he said. “I had (Louisville senior Terrence) Williams up there.”

For Blair, it was probably best, that the voting had to be in early. Sam Young and Terrence Williams both came up with big games for their teams.