Pitt was one of the biggest winners in the Big East this offseason not by signing an impressive freshman class, but by convincing its best upperclassman to stay.

Sam Young was thought of as a strong candidate to enter the NBA draft early, particularly after a closing stretch that saw him named the MVP of the Big East conference tournament. By coming back for his senior season, he gives the Panthers a strong contender to win conference player of the year honors, and a force on offense who showed he could take over a game at times in 2007-08.

The next task for Jamie Dixon is to hope that some of his other returning players take that big step forward that Young did a year ago.

Tyrell Biggs is one of those guys who could help shift the team from good to great if he can take that next step. The senior came to campus four years ago with great expectations, but hasn't really become anything more than a solid but inconsistant power forward. If he breaks out in his final collegiate season, he'll join Young and DeJuan Blair to form one of the best frontcourts in the NCAA.

The backcourt returns Levance Fields at the point, and if Mike Cook wins his petition for an extra year of eligibility he'll give the Panthers a strong and experienced guard combination. If not, Gilbert Brown will likely start, with juco transfer Jermaine Dixon also in the mix. Dixon is a key figure in a strong incoming class, with five new players expected to join the squad. All of the new players have looked good in summer league play, albeit in a league that offers little in the way of defense to score against.

Pitt has been one of the winningest teams in college basketball in recent years that has never been able to get over the hump and reach the Final Four. That possibility brought Young back to campus, and Dixon's hoping that this is the year the Panthers take their place among the college basketball elites.

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