In-State Rivals Pitt and Penn State Announce Dec. 21 Matchup
7/31/2025 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt and Penn State have signed a deal to renew their in-state rivalry on the hardwood with a Sunday, Dec. 21 matchup at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.
"Pitt and Penn State is a natural rivalry that makes a great deal of sense to play in the current collegiate landscape," said head coach Jeff Capel. "The trip to Hershey in December will give Pitt fans across the state an opportunity to see the team in action and will be a great way to tipoff the holiday season."
Tickets for the game will go on sale at a later date. Game time and TV designation have also yet to be determined.
SERIES HISTORY
The Pitt-Penn State series is among the most played in program history, despite just nine contests since the 2000-01 season, with 148 previous meetings. The Panthers trail in the all-time series (72-76) but are 7-2 against Penn State over the past 25 seasons.
2025-26 ROSTER NOTES
Pitt returns four scholarship letterwinners in Papa Amadou Kante, Cameron Corhen, Brandin Cummings, and Amdy Ndiaye, while also signing four players out of the transfer portal in Barry Dunning, Jr. (South Alabama), Nojus Indrusaitis (Iowa State), Dishon Jackson (Iowa State), and Damarco Minor (Oregon State).
The Panthers have also grabbed five signees without collegiate experience in Roman Siulepa (Brisbane State/South West Metro Pirates), Omari Witherspoon (St. John's College), Henry Lau (Sydney Boys High/Sydney Kings), Macari Moore (Ann Arbor Huron), and Kieran Mullen (St. Thomas More). Pitt remains active in this recruiting cycle as it looks to continue to add impact players for the 2025-26 season.
- Pitt's four-person transfer class has combined for 2,806 points, 1,441 rebounds, 525 assists, and 211 career steals.
- The frontcourt tandem of Jackson and Corhen has combined for 1,859 points, 954 rebounds, 108 steals, and 159 blocks, while shooting 57.3 percent (705-of-1230) from the field in their careers. The post rotation also features the return of Amadou Kante, a top 100 prospect out of high school, who is now nearly two years removed from a knee injury and poised for a larger role in 2025-26.
- Minor, a pass-first point guard who plays with a chip on his shoulder, has totaled 1,308 points, 620 rebounds, 361 assists, and 127 steals in his career. He anchors an exciting backcourt that features a pair of breakout sophomores (Cummings and Indrusaitis) and a pair of big-bodied freshmen (Witherspoon and Moore) ready to challenge for minutes.
- Dunning, Jr. is a versatile and dynamic wing coming off an all-conference season at South Alabama a year ago. He exploded to average 17.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while going 31-of-76 (.408) from three-point range over the final 20 games of the season.
- Pitt's roster will once again have an international flair with a pair of players from both Australia (Siulepa and Lau) and Senegal (Amadou Kante and Ndiaye) as well as a Canadian import in Mullen. In addition, Indrusaitis holds dual citizenship in the United States and Lithuania, where he has competed on U18 and U20 national teams.
GIANT CENTER
The GIANT Center, located 215 miles east of Pittsburgh, hosts an impressive line-up of star-studded performances, including concerts, comedy shows, professional ice shows and family events. It also serves as the home to the Hershey Bears Hockey Club and various PIAA high school state championship events.
SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
The best way to guarantee the best seats for this exhibition or any other game this season is to purchase season tickets now. Season tickets are available HERE or by calling the Panthers Ticket Office at (800) 643-7488.
Exclusive benefits for season ticket holders include:
• Priority access for additional single game ticket purchases at a discounted rate
• Priority renewal for 2026-27 season tickets
• Interest-free payment plans
• Personal Pitt Athletics account representative
• Becoming a Panther Club member which includes additional benefits and amenities.
Information on single game tickets will be available at a later date.
