Pitt was #37 a few days ago, now they are #25.

Not bad.

One of the best for sure.

The story: Pitt took control early and overcame some low spells against a challenging zone defense to log an 83-64 win over Gardner-Webb on Monday night at the Petersen Events Center.

Teams: Pitt (3-0), Gardner-Webb (1-2)

Stat leaders:
Ishmael Leggett: 21 points, 7/9 FG, 3/4 3FG, 4/4 FT, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Damian Dunn: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Cameron Corhen: 12 points, 6 rebounds

A quiet night for Lowe
While Pitt got what it needed - and has come to expect - from Leggett and Dunn, but sophomore point guard Jaland Lowe was noticeably quiet. After scoring 20+ in each of the Panthers’ first two games, Lowe scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting on Monday night, including misses on all three of his three-point attempts. He did have five assists and a game-high three steals, but Lowe can’t have many nights with single-digit scoring.

Leggett again
Leggett made baskets throughout the game, but few were as big as the three-pointers he made after Gardner-Webb cut Pitt’s lead to 12 in the second half. His scoring was nearly even between the halves - 11 points in the first and 10 in the second - and he led the team in scoring in each half. Now Leggett is Pitt’s leading scorer with 59 points through three games.

Cold from deep
Pitt attempted 30 three-point shots in the game, but made just nine of those. Leggett led the charge with three makes, while Zack Austin and Guillermo Diaz Graham hit a pair each (although the latter needed eight attempts to get two to go in).

A sluggish stretch - and a bounce-back
Despite - and perhaps because of - Pitt’s commanding lead, the Panthers went cold in the final five minutes of the first half. After Leggett hit two free throws to put Pitt ahead by 20, the home team didn’t score again in the half and missed nine consecutive field goal attempts before heading to the locker room, largely while struggling against a zone defense from Gardner-Webb.

The issues carried over to the second half. While Pitt scored 10 points before the first media timeout, the Panthers continued to struggle with the zone and shot 7-of-20 from the field until the final eight minutes.

Then the shots started falling. From the 8:07 mark on, Pitt hit 10-of-15 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from three.

Delalic’s debut
Monday night saw the long-awaited debut of Amsal Delalic, the freshman from Bosnia & Herzegovina who signed with Pitt this offseason but had his on-court arrival delayed by a hand injury suffered in September. Delalic checked into Monday night’s game at the 6:15 mark of the first half and recorded an assist 10 seconds later on a feed to Cameron Corhen.

Delalic scored his first points with a three-point shot at the 3:13 mark of the second half, and he finished the game with three points on 1-of-4 shooting plus one rebound and two assists (although he did miss both of his free throw attempts, which were on one-and-one shots).

Points in the paint
Last Friday night, Murray State made its game against Pitt competitive by scoring on drives, accumulating 20 paint points in the first half alone. On Monday night, Pitt clamped down on Gardner-Webb’s lead guards early and only allowed three successful layups in the first 20 minutes.

The Bulldogs found more success in the second half, though, converting seven layups and scoring 24 points in the paint.

Ultimately, Pitt outscored Gardner-Webb in the paint, 38-32.

In terms of the guards, Gardner-Webb’s top scorers - Darryl Simmons and Anthony Selden, who came into the game averaging 20 and 19.5 points per game, respectively - were held to 22 combined points on 9-of-24 shooting.

Emptying the bench
Jeff Capel deployed 10 players in Monday’s game, and all 10 of them saw time in both the first and second halves. After rolling with the standard starting lineup of Lowe, Leggett, Dunn, Guillermo Diaz Graham and Corhen, Capel subbed in Austin, who played 24 minutes off the bench, and Brandin Cummings, who played nine.

Additionally, Jorge Diaz Graham, Delalic, Papa Amadou Kante and Amdy Ndiaye all rotated in. In total, Capel used 14 unique lineups; particularly unique among those was a Lowe/Delalic/Austin/Jorge Diaz Graham/Amadou Kante grouping in the first half and these second-half combinations:

Lowe/Delalic/Austin/Diaz Graham/Diaz Graham
Cummings/Delalic/Austin/Jorge Diaz Graham/Amadou Kante
Cummings/Delalic/Ndiyae/Jorge Diaz Graham/Amadou Kante

In terms of plus/minus, Ndiyae (2 minutes), Cummings (9 minutes), Amadou Kante (4 minutes), Jorge Diaz Graham (9 minutes), and Delalic (9 minutes) were all in the minus (albeit single digits).

Up next
Pitt’s first big test of the season will happen this Friday night when West Virginia (2-0) comes to the Petersen Events Center for an 8 pm tipoff.

Pitt's most intriguing offseason addition is set to make his debut with the Panthers tonight.

More on that and other top storylines heading into Pitt's 7 pm tip-off against Gardner-Webb.

Was the BIG or ACC interested in the early 90s.

and tell him he doesn’t need to block every ball into the 3rd row. Keep the damn ball in play.

I have the following available for sale and asking price:

Clemson: single in 138 ($50), Gold 1B pass ($200)

Please email emcpherson4944@gmail.com

Need a parking pass for Clemson. Not in the garage. Pandre@zoominternet.net

Thanks! H2P

Until Pitt gets a couple top level recruiters we will forever be in this situation. We recruit top 40 classes and don't have the money for NIL to dominate

An embarrassing look for Auburn basketball.

THANK YOU!!!

There is no shame in losing if you perform to the level of your preparation EXCEPT if you were not prepared.
Clearly, with 7 penalties in the first 8 minutes of the game, Pitt was nowhere near prepared to play a game. Not close.
Like last week in Dallas, Pitt looked slow. The players aren’t slow. Unprepared players are slow. They have to think and that split 2nd costs them dearly.
Pitt was not in the game mentally.
There are reasons why Pitt doesn’t get respect nationally. We don’t deserve it.
PN is a known commodity and this game does not surprise me at all.
I’m not calling for him to get fired, but on the heels of last year, no one can reasonably call him a good HC.
He is average at best.
Oh, Pat, please stop the glib comments at your presser. You aren’t funny.

Can anyone recommend a place for breakfast within walking distance of Acrisure? This would be for Saturday prior to the Clemson game.

Pat Narduzzi held his weekly press conference on Monday and talked about Pitt's loss to Virginia, this week's matchup with Clemson and a lot more. Here's video and a full rundown of his remarks.

Coming into Pittsburgh to meet up with friend for Clemson game Saturday. Arrive Thursday, and Friday evening is open.

Please DM me if ticket available and the details.

H2P

Going to go over a quick rundown of the lineups that other ACC teams will be likely putting out this year.
NCST:
125: Camacho
133: Cox/Robinson/Hohman
141: Orine
149: Buesgens
157: Scott
165: Fields/Kovacs
174: Singleton
184: Fishback
197: Knop/Horne
285: Trumble/Trephan
Interesting piece is that Jack and Arrington are both expected to RS this year and Orine moving up to 141. Also the fact that Trumble and Trephan are competing for the same spot means someone very good will be on the bench

VT:
125: Eddie V
133: McGonagle
141: Latona
149: Henson
157: Hipolito
165: Brady
174: Wolak
184: Stewart
197: Smith/Sasso
285: Catka/Mullen
Eddie V returns from injury, McGonagle and Wolak transfer in, Latona moves up, big wrestle offs at 197 and 285 with stud RS freshman against old timers that made blood round last year

UNC:
125: Moore
133: Oakley
141: Scott/Guanajauto/O'Neill/Simcox
149: McNeil
157: Santiago
165: Fea/Estradas
174: Ogunsanya
184: Kane
197: Lautt
285: Guttridge/Neves
Lachlan moves up to 149, Oakley and Ogunsanya transfer in,

Stanford:
125: Provo
133: Knox
141: Miranda
149: Abas
157: Hanson (Cardenas to redshirt?)
165: Garvin
174: Norman
184: Monteiro
197: Stemmet
285: Mankowski
Cardenas being rumored to redshirt would be huge news, Knox and Norman are good wrestlers coming off redshirt

UVA:
Yarbrough will be likely be at 133 again, Hamilton probably at 165 and little Catka at HWT

Duke:
Barket their heavyweight who had a winning record last year is back.

Tomorrow I will probably go weight by weight and look at how we stack up.

I just got word that I may be getting relocated from Philly to the DC area.

I’m looking for feedback on commute times from different locations in northern Virginia. I’ll be working near the Pentagon. My job requires in person 100%. Currently I commute approx 1 hour to work each way and that doesn’t bother me much as I enjoy driving.

I have a family with 3 small kids so looking for a nice area to raise the kids for the next 5 or so years.

Ashburn, Brambleton and South Riding are all areas I’ve heard are really nice.

Does anyone here commute from there to DC? Any advice on best places to look?

The book is out on his offense and he has no answers. Drop 7 into zone coverage, take away the short routes over the middle. Our oline sucks so they can get pressure with 4 rushers. I don’t think I saw Virginia blitz once. Kade has not adjusted one iota and we have had repeats for 4 games now. Dude needs to figure it out fast.