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Q: I think Jamie Dixon is a great coach and this year proves it, but one thing has always driven me crazy. A couple of years ago I watched while he played Levon Kendal over Sam Young and now I have to watch Gilbert Brown sit the bench when clearly he is one of there top two or three players and sometimes the best player on the court. I looked up the stats and he has not played more than twenty minutes in about the last five games. Is he in Jamie's dog house or is there some other reason why he is not playing? I just didn't understand when they were having so much trouble scoring against Notre Dame the other night why he spent so much time on the bench.

Jason Malone from York Pa.

Fittipaldo: I have been in favor of starting Brown, but I have to be honest. It's hard to make that justification. He has been so inconsistent that it's hard to back up my argument. He scores 20 one game and the next scores three. I just feel like the Panthers might get more out of Brown if he started and averaged a few more minutes per game. Maybe he would gain more confidence if he was on the floor more. And I don't think Nasir Robinson's role would have to change all that much. In fact, his energy coming off the bench might be a big plus. I don't think he is in Dixon's doghouse, but I don't think he has played to his potential this season on offense or defense. Hopefully, Brown can become more consistent in the NCAA tournament. If the Panthers hope to make a deep NCAA run, Brown is going to have to be a consistent force.

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