Woodall cleared for contact; could play against Villanova

When Travon Woodall went down hard against Marquette Saturday, it understandably invoked bad, bad memories from last season's stretch without him. Things didn't go well for the Panthers then, and they didn't go well against Marquette. But thankfully, it seems as if Woodall is probable for minutes Wednesday night against Villanova, despite missing most of Saturday's game:

"It‘s all pretty uniform," Dixon said. "We know what to expect. I knew when he went down, even though he said he wanted to play and that he could play, I figured the policy is in place that he was going to be out."

Woodall is expected to participate in a full-contact practice Tuesday, after which his playing status will be officially determined for the Villanova game.

"If the doctors feel he can‘t play, even though he says he can, then he can‘t play," Dixon said. "It‘s as simple as that. As you know, we err on the side of caution. We‘re at the forefront of concussion testing."

That's absolutely the right approach, despite Pitt's dire need for the senior's skills and a win. That being said, Pitt really needs Woodall in the lineup and I fully expect him to be in the starting lineup baring any sort of surprise. With the team 1-3 in the conference, a win over Villanova - as questionable as the Wildcats may be - is absolutely essential.

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