Basketball: The Panthers will be looking for a leader to take them back to the Elite 8

There’s this photo I have taped to my news desk. It ran in the Pitt News the day after the Panthers defeated Xavier in the Sweet 16 and advanced to Elite Eight for the first time since 1974.

It’s a great photo of Levance Fields. It was taken right after the Panthers, who trailed 54-52 with less than a minute remaining, mounted a comeback in the final seconds of the game.

Looking for a player who knew how to take control of game when his team needed him? That was Fields.

Down by two, late in the game, Fields hit a seemingly impossible three-point fade-away jumper to give Pitt a one-point lead. Seconds later, with the Musketeers looking to take the lead from the Panthers, Fields stepped up and stole the ball before putting in an easy layup with about 24 seconds left in the game.

The crowd is in a frenzy and Fields, with his hands raised, is showing all the emotions of the game.

That was the photo, and that was a great game.

But that was last season, and Fields is no longer with the Panthers. There is also no DeJuan Blair and no Sam Young.

They are a tough trio of players for fans to replace. But for head coach Jamie Dixon, that’s not a problem. He’s seen it before and will most likely see it again.

“I know what it looks like on paper, but fortunately for us, we’ve never really looked at that,” Dixon said. “We’ve told guys to elevate their game. We’ve always had guys surprise people, and I would anticipate the same thing happening again this season. I can’t tell you specifically who it will be, but I’m sure it will be a couple guys, and I have some ideas.”

I have a couple ideas myself.

Heading into the 2009-10 campaign, there are two players who will compete for the starting point guard position, which Fields left vacant.

Travon Woodall, a redshirt freshman who sat out all of last season, and sophomore Ashton Gibbs, who led the Big East in three-point shooting percentage last year, will both have their chance to make an impact this season.

While both Woodall and Gibbs will see a lot of action, look for Gibbs to start the season at that position. He competed with the United States Under-19 team in the FIBA World Championships over the summer, and his teammates say he returned from the competition a lot faster and smarter with the ball.

Dixon, who coached the Under-19 team to a gold medal, isn’t worried about the loss of Fields and is happy with the situation that the team is in.

“We took two very good point guards in the same class and two guys that can play together too for this reason,” Dixon said. “You lose a guy, a very good player, but we couldn’t be in a better situation than we are. We couldn’t be in a better position there where we are with these two guys.”

Even though younger players are ready to improve their game and presence on the court, the loss of three seniors ¬¬- Tyrell Biggs, Fields and Young -has also raised questions as to who will be the team’s veteran leader.

The Panthers have only one returning starter in senior Jermaine Dixon. The only other senior on the team is newcomer Chase Adams. Despite some injury setbacks during the summer and the beginning of the fall season, Dixon is ready to lead the young team.

“I definitely feel comfortable [with a leadership role],” Dixon said. “The players that left last year — even DeJuan as a sophomore — I learned a lot from them.”

At his junior college, Dixon was one of two sophomores who were the only returning players on their team, so this situation isn’t much different for him.

“I’ve been in this role before,” he said. “And I take it up as a challenge.”

Dixon’s expectations and Gibbs’s role give some confidence to a basketball team that isn’t ranked or even discussed as a Big East contender.

But that’s fine for this team because the program has been in situations like this before. And just like in the past, this team will overcome losses, see leaders emerge and challenge expectations.

That’s good news because maybe I will get to see a photo of Gibbs, Dixon or another player celebrating a Sweet 16 victory.

And I’ll hang that one up — right next to the one of Fields.