Don’t let the wintry forecast fool you, Pitt basketball buffs. Sunny days are here again.

Winners of six games in their past seven outings, including victories over No. 9 Duke and No. 21 Virginia, the Panthers (16-8, 7-6 ACC) are back Saturday in search of more good times in a rematch with struggling Louisville (8-17, 3-11) at Petersen Events Center.

In the first meeting, Pitt won 83-70 on Jan. 6 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

“Same approach. Each game. Same approach,” Pitt’s Ishmael Leggett said. “Seize an opportunity ahead of us. Block out the rear-view mirror. We’ve got to come with our best attitude, our best energy. And with that, we’ll do what we do.”

A peek behind them reveals an impressive run by the Panthers, who are hoping to keep their momentum-building push for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.

Beginning Saturday.

“For us,” said Leggett, a Rhode Island transfer who leads Pitt in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and steals (31) while ranking third in scoring (12.2 ppg) and assists (52), “we try and stay even-keel, try to block out the noise — good or bad — because in an instant, it could be a flip from what it is now.

“We’re just trying to go day-by-day and keep our spirits high, keep our energy high.”

Leggett, part of an emerging three-headed threat in the Panthers backcourt that also includes freshmen Jaland Lowe and Bub Carrington, has scored in double figures 17 times, including six of the past seven games off the bench.

During Pitt’s current hot streak, Lowe (13.6 ppg), Leggett and Carrington (13.3) have combined to average 40.3 points and 13.8 rebounds.

In Tuesday’s 74-63 victory at Virginia, the trio totaled 34 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists as the Panthers ended the Cavaliers’ Division I-leading, 23-game home winning streak.

The Panthers’ hottest player of all is senior Blake Hinson, the ACC’s fifth-leading scorer at 18.8 ppg who is coming off a 27-point effort against Virginia. He enters Saturday’s game needing 12 points to reach 1,000 at Pitt.

Hinson has arrived at that point in just 60 games (16.5 ppg) and would reach 1,000 in the fourth-fewest games in program history, trailing Don Hennon (44), Billy Knight (45) and Brian Shorter (50).

For his college career, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Hinson has amassed 1,536 career points, counting two seasons at Mississippi.

“He’s a great leader. We follow suit with however he’s going,” Leggett said. “His energy is contagious. When we see Blake get a bucket, it’s like, ‘Ahh, here we go.’ You can just feel the energy through each player on the court and on the bench when he does something. Even when he talks to us pregame, it’s always high energy.”

Hinson’s widespread optimism is everywhere around the Panthers. Just ask Bill Hillgrove, the team’s longtime radio voice, whose camaraderie Tuesday night during a postgame interview with Lowe in Charlottesville, Va., sparked a comical yet telling description of Hinson’s personality.

Said Hillgrove: “I said to (broadcast partner Curtis Aiken) during the game, ‘I would spend a lot of money to spend 15 seconds in the world of Blake Hinson. It’s always 73 and sunny.’”

To which Lowe replied: “It’s amazing. All the time.”

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