The Pitt News Sports desk takes on men’s basketball record prediction and season course

Pitt men’s basketball claws its way back to the tournament // Aidan Kasner, Sports Editor 

The 2023-2024 Pitt men’s basketball season was heartbreaking for Pitt fans, to say the least. The Panthers, after a solid season, just barely missed the NCAA tournament while bidding farewell to community hero Blake Hinson and first-year sensation turned NBA lottery pick Bub Carrington. 

Despite losing two key starters, the team returns two leaders in Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe while gaining via the transfer portal, first-year additions and returnees that were forced to redshirt. 

While I do think that the team looks good, its schedule worries me. There is no doubt that the ACC is stacked. The competition is tough, and the Panthers will have to not only face a slew of monster programs but will also have to face new ACC teams that should give Pitt trouble. Last season, a big reason that Pitt was not considered for the tournament was its weak non-conference schedule. This year, the non-conference field is built with major programs waiting in the Panthers’ way to the big dance. 

West Virginia, Ohio State and LSU are not going to be cakewalks for Pitt, but I do believe the Panthers should fare well against these teams. As far as ACC play goes, I think that if the team wins the games it should and puts up fights and possible upsets against the classic big challengers, it should stay afloat. 

I think Pitt will win over 20 games and, after an impressive ACC tournament, scrape into the tournament as a lower seed. Pitt will revive its close tournament miss from last season and impress fans in 2024-2025.

Pitt basketball guards set to star in 2024-2025 // Matthew Scabilloni, Assistant Sports Editor

Pitt didn’t make the NCAA Tournament and lost two of its best players to the professional ranks after the 2023-2024 season, but I think Pitt basketball will have a better result in 2024-2025. 

Losing Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson is going to hurt a lot — don’t get me wrong, replacing that production is no easy task. But the Panthers have the best backcourt in the nation this season. Smooth lefty sophomore Jaland Lowe and savvy vet senior Ishmael Leggett are an annoyance for any team to deal with — ACC or Power Five — and teams will struggle against this tandem.

Pitt also added three guards who will make dividends in 2024-2025 — first-year Amsal Delalić, first-year Brandin Cummings and Houston transfer Damian Dunn will positively affect this Panther team. 

Guards win in March and all season, for that matter, and with these five guards Pitt has for this season, the Panthers will return for their first Sweet Sixteen since 2009.

Jaland Lowe plays his way into a lottery pick as Pitt wins 24 games // James Carter, Staff Writer

Lost in Bub Carrington’s meteoric rise last season was Jaland Lowe’s amazing growth during ACC play. The now-sophomore guard finished the season with 9.6 ppg and 3.3 assists per game. 

While those numbers don’t jump out at you, it is important to remember that Lowe came off the bench for the first half of the season while battling an injury. A big reason for Pitt’s second-half turnaround was the insertion of Lowe into the starting guard position, which helped the offense run more smoothly. 

Now seen as the Panther’s primary scoring option, Lowe seems poised for an explosive season akin to Carrington last year. Currently seen as a second-round pick, Lowe could help his case this season now that the offense runs through him and he has an offseason to develop his already impressive game further. 

With Lowe at the point and a deep rotation around him, Pitt should win around 24 games during the regular season. With a more stable and experienced lineup, we expect Pitt to get off to a much better start than last season and avoid those stinkers that hampered their NCAA tournament bid. 

Ishmael Leggett lives up to preseason hype and has All-ACC season // Zane Ingram, Staff Writer

Ishmael Leggett was a key piece for Pitt last season. On a team that had many storylines like the national hype between Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington, as well as the late-season emergence of Jaland Lowe, Leggett was at times the unsung hero for Pitt. 

Coming off a sixth Man of the Year 2023-24 season, expect Leggett to get All-ACC honors at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Leggett came off the bench but averaged 28.6 minutes per game. He was a regular contributor on both sides of the ball, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He shot 85% from the free-throw line on 92 attempts. He also put up double digits in 23 out of 33 games. Simply put, he was Mr. Reliable for the Panthers last year.

On top of having a low floor, Leggett exhibited a high ceiling at various points last year. He dropped 22 in a narrow win over Wake Forest and exploded for 30 points in the ACC tournament win over Wake Forest. Often doing his job well as a big contributor, Leggett also put the team on his back when needed.

With all that being said, look for Leggett to adapt to his evolving role.  He will more than likely be a regular starter for the Panthers and play more minutes than most other starters. Pitt will need more production from him on the glass, more of an on-ball guard role, and the leadership Panthers’ fans know he exhibits.  

The first scrimmage against Point Park showed Leggett embracing this new role. Leggett led the team in minutes, points, made threes, made field goals, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and assists. He also went five of six from the line and had a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio indicative of a true point guard. In a scrimmage with a new team and a shaky first half, Leggett was there on the stat sheet and as a team leader. Pitt fans should look forward to this all season. Record: 22-9.