GAME NOTES: The 174th edition of the Backyard Brawl is set for this evening, as the 21st-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers host rival West Virginia in Big East action at the Petersen Events Center. Jamie Dixon's Panthers jumped out to a fast start this season, but have cooled off considerably since conference play has begun and are now 17-5 overall and 5-4 in-conference. The team has dropped three of its last five games and is coming off a 60-53 setback at Connecticut last weekend. Bob Huggins' Mountaineers are also 5-4 in the Big East, but come into this game off a 77-65 win at Providence. The victory over the Friars halted a two-game slide that saw WVU drop games to Georgetown (58-57) and Cincinnati (62-39). Pittsburgh has been dominant at home winning 12 of its 13 games at the Petersen Events Center this year and has a 92-9 mark there all- time. The Panthers trail in the series by a count of 92-81, but have won two of the last three meetings in Pittsburgh. These two teams will meet again in Morgantown on March 3rd.

The Mountaineers shot .509 from the floor at Providence over the weekend and racked up 77 points in the win, a harsh contrast to the 39 points scored against Cincinnati the game before. Darris Nichols led the offensive charge with a career-high 23 points, thanks to 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Joe Alexander poured in 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Joe Mazzulla came off the bench to tally 11 points. The team's poor offensive showing against Cincinnati last week is an aberration, as WVU is still averaging a solid 76.4 ppg this year, on .455 shooting. Alexander leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He is also tops on the team in blocked shots (31). Alex Ruoff is West Virginia's top perimeter threat, netting 14.5 ppg, thanks to .438 shooting from beyond the arc (67-of-153). Ruoff is also a fine distributor (team-high 73 assists) and plays tight defense (team-high 37 steals). Da'Sean Butler (12.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) provides frontcourt depth and Nichols (12.0 ppg, .398 from three-point range) does the same from the outside.

Pittsburgh will be playing its 10th game of the season without two of its top contributors, as Mike Cook (knee) and Levance Fields (ankle) continue to nurse injuries. The team has done its best to assuage the losses, but making up for a combined 22.3 ppg has not come easy. Forward Sam Young has done his best to elevate his game. The 6-6 junior is third in the conference in scoring (18.1 ppg) and also gets it done on the boards (6.8 rpg). He receives plenty of help down low from freshman center DeJuan Blair, who nets nearly 12 points per game (11.9), while ranking third in the conference in rebounding (9.6 rpg). Blair is also tops on the team in blocks (29) and steals (43). Senior guards Keith Benjamin (9.1 ppg) and Ronald Ramon (7.8 ppg, team-high 87 assists) have had to do more as well, with Fields missing from the lineup. It was a lack of offensive punch that did in the Panthers at UConn this past weekend, as Pittsburgh could manage just 53 points on a dismal .322 shooting that included just a .125 effort from three-point range (2-of-16). Young was right on his average, leading the team with 18 points in the setback. Blair finished with a double-double consisting of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Gilbert Brown added 10 points in support.

West Virginia certainly has the personnel to earn a victory here, but the Petersen Events Center has been a safe haven for the Panthers and despite not being at full strength, Pittsburgh is likely to figure out how to top the Mountaineers in this one.