The Pitt men's basketball team went 163 consecutive games in the late 1960s without playing a ranked opponent.

That's seven straight years.

Now, the Panthers may not go seven straight days.

No. 1 Pitt plays at No. 20 Louisville (12-3, 4-0 Big East) at 6 p.m. today to start a five-game, 15-day run that ranks among the most demanding stretches in the program's century-old history.

"We've just got to be focused and not get too overwhelmed by how big people are making the game -- just go out and play our game," sophomore guard Brad Wanamaker said.

Four of Pitt's next five opponents -- Louisville, No. 8 Syracuse, No. 23 Villanova and No. 12 Notre Dame -- are ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll. The other opponent, West Virginia, was ranked two weeks ago.

Pitt (16-0, 4-0) has never played five consecutive ranked teams. The Panthers met four in a row in January 1990, going 2-2.

But nobody can feel sorry for themselves this season. With eight Big East teams in the most recent AP poll, most conference teams will face a rough stretch at some point.

As it stands now, Notre Dame, Marquette and Syracuse will each play five ranked teams in a row this season.

"We can't spend all preseason talking about how this is the toughest conference in history and then (complain) when you've got to play them," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "If you want to talk about it, you've got to play them."

First up is Louisville, where more than 19,000 fans at Freedom Hall will try to help the Cardinals beat a No. 1 team for only the second time in the past 54 years. Louisville, ranked No. 3 in the AP preseason poll, has distanced itself from another slow start with victories over Villanova and Notre Dame in the past week.

"They are starting to be the team that people said they were," senior guard Levance Fields said.

Said Rick Pitino: "I think we've picked it up on the backboard; we've improved our foul shooting. We've improved our passing."

Pitino said it's the "most physically talented Pitt team that we have faced."

"They are deserving of their ranking," he said. "Their frontcourt is as wide and strong as any we will face this year. Their backcourt, with (Fields), makes them better every time down the court."

Fields says Pitt will be more focused against Louisville after recent slow starts against St. John's and South Florida.

"I hate to admit it, but, yeah, we have a tendency to play down to our competition," Fields said. "Knowing when you're playing against a team like Louisville and being on the road, you know any slippage, and you could be blown out. It's just natural to get up a little more for a game like that."

Fields was a freshman when Pitt made its last trip to Freedom Hall -- a 61-57 Panthers victory Jan. 15, 2006. Fields, who ranks among the nation's leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio, expects another rowdy atmosphere and an aggressive, pressing attack.

"It's a great crowd," Fields said. "They really get energized, and they are into the game. I remember their press having a lot to do with that. (You have to) protect the ball and value the ball.

"With the guys we have out there, we have enough to break their press without any problems. At the same time, we've got to make sure we meet the pass."

Pitino says he expects a "blue-collar, lunch-pail game."

Pitt beat Louisville in overtime in last season's Big East Tournament quarterfinals to avenge a regular-season loss.

The home team has lost each of the past three games in the series.

"When you play Pittsburgh, they are not going to beat themselves," Pitino said. "You've got to play aggressive and physical and smart basketball. They are tough-minded.

"This is not going to be a Notre Dame-type game, where you are going to be 'wow' on every play. That just doesn't happen when you play Pitt. When we get together, it's a hard-fought basketball game. Both teams will play good defense, and the team that can make shots against two good defenses is going to win."