THE GOOD NEWS
Assuming Sam Young returns for his senior season, the Panthers have a nice core of returning players in Young, Levance Fields and DeJuan Blair. Young showed in his junior season what he hinted at in his first two years: the ability to dominate games. Fields emerged as one of the league's elite point guards, and Blair starred as a true freshman. Gilbert Brown was inconsistent as a freshman, but should be able to seamlessly slide back into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

THE BAD NEWS
Ronald Ramon, Mike Cook and Keith Benjamin all depart, leaving the backcourt lacking in depth. Tyrell Biggs still hasn't really put it together after three seasons on campus despite his talent and potential, and if Young leaves for the NBA Draft, the team will be counting on Biggs to step in and produce.

KEY RETURNEES
Sam Young is the biggest key; if he comes back for his senior season, the Panthers have their go-to guy already established for 2008-2009. Levance Fields and DeJuan Blair are the other returning starters. The team will be looking for a big improvement from Tyrell Biggs off the bench and for Bradley Wanamaker to contend for a starting spot or settle into a prominent reserve role in the backcourt.

ROSTER REPORT

--F Sam Young won the Big East's Most Improved Player honor, the fifth time in nine years than a Panther player has claimed the award. He finished the season third in the conference in scoring, raising his average from 7.2 points as a sophomore to 18 points per game as a junior.

--C DeJuan Blair had a strong initial season, finishing only six points shy of the school's career scoring mark for freshman. His 429 points trails only Charles Smith on the school's list. He also shared the Big East Rookie of the Year honors with Syracuse's Jonny Flynn.

--G Levance Fields missed 12 games with a broken bone in his left foot but rebounded to star for the Panthers down the stretch. He closed the season scoring in double-figures in his last nine games, including 19 points in the NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan State.

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