Takeaways | Pitt men’s basketball on track for strong season, will face road bumps

Thanksgiving break was a busy time for Pitt men’s basketball, and the Panthers took their opportunity and feasted — even coming back for seconds. Pitt went 2-1 in its three-game stint over the break, which included a big win, a close loss and a wild, buzzer-beating finish to give the blue and gold faithful something to give thanks for this holiday.

Pitt is good and KenPom knows it

Pitt’s away trip started on Friday, Nov. 22 when it faced LSU in the first round of the Greenbrier Tip-Off against LSU. The Panthers kicked off their break by taking turkey off the menu and switching it with something much better — tiger. 

The Panthers took care of LSU, putting them into the championship of the Tip-Off where they would claim second to then No. 19, now No. 15, Wisconsin. They would then travel for an overtime-thriller at Ohio State, leaving with a one-point victory after senior forward Zach Austin nailed a three as time expired in the extra period. 

Pitt’s loss to a ranked Wisconsin isn’t a bad one. While a good loss is an oxymoron, it’s an important distinction to make for college basketball rankings  come the spring.

These games proved, though, that Pitt sits in the upper half of the Power Five teams in the NCAA. Pitt is competitive with the best teams while beating the average ones. This notion was even more evident when West Virginia — a team that Pitt trounced 86-62 in their fourth game of the season — took down No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 24 Arizona last week. 

While a hierarchy of wins and tracing a food chain of who beats who is not the most reliable way of gauging a team’s talent, the Oakland Zoo can still look to the analytics for reassurance. Pitt is currently 13th in KenPom ranking and the second highest ACC team after No. 4 Duke, a good sign before the team heads into ACC play.

The Panthers are and will continue to act as a competitive force in college basketball, and fans should expect noise come March. 

Damian Dunn injury hurts 

The senior guard has already made waves as a new Panther this season, averaging 11.1 points per game on efficient shooting for Pitt. Dunn endured a thumb injury in the loss to Wisconsin which will sideline the difference-making player for six weeks. Dunn left the game within the first two minutes of play. Dunn was a big offensive piece for Pitt to lose early in a contest that was decided by only six points. 

Dunn’s injury undoubtedly hurt the team in this game as well as their subsequent matchup against Ohio State. Even more than just 10 plus points per game, Pitt loses reliability with Dunn on the bench. As a senior transfer, the guard has a lot of experience and is a solid backbone for a bucket in a blown up play or a winding down shot clock. On many plays against OSU, Pitt looked out of sorts and had to improvise with a short shot clock. This is where Dunn helps a lot and where his sabbatical hurts. 

While the injury should not necessarily derail the season, Dunn’s absence will hurt, and the other Panther guards — who combine for one of the best cores in the country — need to step up. 

Backcourt depth key for Panthers

Pitt’s guards have proven themselves as some of the best in the country and one of the toughest groups in all of college basketball. The Panthers rank 13th in KenPom offensive rating, and aside from Dunn, this metric is thanks to senior guard Ishamel Leggett’s 18.4 points per game, sophomore guard Jaland Lowe’s 16.6 points per game and newcomer first-year guard Brandin Cumming’s 4.8 points per game off of the bench. 

Lowe is quickly solidifying himself as a certified bucket-getter, dropping a career-high 28 in Pitt’s win against the Buckeyes.

Mississippi State game is crucial 

Last season, Pitt’s tournament-missing woes were cited at the hand of a weak non-conference schedule that the Panthers underperformed throughout. This season, the team that barely missed the field of 64 sits at 7-1 with a ranked opponent in No. 25 Mississippi State to round out its non-ACC battles. 

Pitt is 3-1 in Power Five matches so far, and to prove that it is not only a good team but a great one, a ranked win is crucial. The Panthers only beat Ohio State by one point, and while only losing to Wisconsin by six, they will need some hard evidence as to why they deserve a tournament spot in the spring. A good win can help solidify this and a 2-0 record against the SEC will look nice on a blue and gold resume. 

In last season’s ACC/SEC Challenge, Pitt fell to a Mizzou team that would go on to win zero conference games and ended the season on a 19-game losing streak. To lose to a team like this is flat-out horrible, but with a strong Mississippi State team on the other side of the court on Wednesday, a win has the makings to sparkle on Pitt’s schedule.