Panthers Open ACC Play Saturday at Virginia Tech

[18/19] Pitt (7-2, 0-0 ACC) at Virginia Tech (3-5, 0-0 ACC)

Saturday, December 7, 2024 • 2:00 PM

Blacksburg, Va. • Cassell Coliseum

ESPNU • 93.7 The Fan

THE OPENING TIP

Pitt (7-2) concludes a stretch of five consecutive games away from home with a road contest at Virginia Tech (3-5) Saturday, Dec. 7 in its ACC opener. Tipoff from Cassell Coliseum is set for 2:00 p.m. with Jay Alter and Perry Clark calling the action on ESPNU.
The Panthers have not played a home game since Nov. 18 and will go 22 days (Nov. 18-Dec. 11) between home games. Pitt has just two more home games (Dec. 11 vs. Eastern Kentucky and Dec. 21 vs. Sam Houston) before the start of the new year.
Pitt is ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll for its highest ranking in the poll since week 12 (No. 18) of the 2013-14 season. The Panthers are also No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Pitt is 12th in the NCAA NET Rankings with a 3-2 record in Quad 1 games. The Panthers own Quad 1 wins over West Virginia (86-62), LSU (74-63), and Ohio State (91-90) on the young season.
The Panthers have been one of the top road teams in the NCAA over the past three seasons. Pitt's 15 wins in true road games since the start of the 2022-23 season is tied for third most among power conference teams.
Pitt's starting backcourt of Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe combines to average 33.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 3.8 steals per game. The duo has combined for 15 double-figure scoring games, including seven games with 20 or more points scored.

BY THE NUMBERS

Pitt is 3-3 under Jeff Capel in conference openers and 5-6 in the ACC opener since joining the league in 2013-14. Pitt is opening ACC play on the road for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
Jaland Lowe is filling the stat sheet this season averaging 16.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He is the only player in the NCAA averaging at least 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on the season.
Ishmael Leggett ranks among the ACC leaders in scoring (5th - 17.0 ppg.), rebounds (T-18th - 6.3 rpg.), defensive rebounds (10th - 5.11 drpg.), field goal percentage (3rd - .496), steals (T-5th - 2.0 spg.), and minutes (8th - 33.84 mpg.). He has scored 15 or more points seven times, including three 20+ point efforts.
Cameron Corhen scored in double figures in the first seven games of the season and is averaging 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 67.2 percent (43-of-64) from the field.
Zack Austin is averaging 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game off the Pitt bench. He is six rejections away from reaching 200 blocks for his career. Austin is one of just nine players in NCAA history to register over 1,000 points, 575 rebounds, 175 blocks, and 150 threes in a career.
Ishmael Leggett is one of only three guards in the NCAA averaging at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game for the season. He has scored in double figures eight times, while registering a pair of double-doubles.
Guillermo Diaz Graham is averaging 7.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures in four games, while also grabbing seven or more rebounds four times.
Freshman Brandin Cummings has a pair of double-figure scoring efforts and is averaging 5.6 points in 15.2 minutes per game off the bench.
Zack Austin is averaging 10.7 points per game, while going 9-of-17 (.529) from three-point range, over the past three games. He shares the team lead with 14 three-point field goals on the season.
Damian Dunn is sidelined until January after suffering a thumb injury in the opening minutes of the Wisconsin game. He scored in double figures in the first five games of the season and is averaging 11.1 points per game, while shooting a team-best 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from three-point range.
The Panthers are averaging 82.0 points per game, while shooting 47.5 percent (261-of-551) from the field. Pitt ranks 20th nationally (third in the ACC) in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency at 117.6 points per 100 possessions.
Pitt is averaging 34.7 points in the paint to go along with 15.7 points per game from the foul line through nine games. The Panthers have topped a combined 50 points in the paint and at the foul line in seven contests but are coming off a season-low 21 points in the loss at Mississippi State.
Pitt is 7-0 on the season when winning or tying the rebounding battle. The Panthers have been outrebounded in both losses this season.
The Panthers are averaging 8.4 three-pointers per game despite shooting just 33.5 percent (75-of-224) from beyond the arc for the season. Pitt made over 300 three-pointers, while shooting over 35 percent from beyond the arc in each of the past two seasons.
Pitt has put together back-to-back seasons with 20+ wins, including 10+ victories in ACC play. The Panthers rank fourth in conference wins and tied for fourth in the ACC in overall wins since the start of the 2022-23 season.
The Panthers are 17-7 following a loss over the past three seasons. Pitt's last two-game losing streak came in early January of last season.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS

Jaland Lowe is averaging 21.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game over the past four contests. He has led the Panthers in scoring in three of the past four games.
Zack Austin had nine points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in last season's 79-64 home win over Virginia Tech.

Panthers Open ACC Play Saturday at Virginia Tech

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Players Mentioned

Zack Austin

Cameron Corhen

Brandin Cummings

Guillermo Diaz Graham

Damian Dunn

Ishmael Leggett

Jaland Lowe

Panthers Open ACC Play Saturday at Virginia Tech

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Zack Austin

Cameron Corhen

Brandin Cummings

Guillermo Diaz Graham

Damian Dunn

Ishmael Leggett

Jaland Lowe

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