Pitt to finish non-conference schedule over break

Through nine games, Pitt men’s basketball has defeated its opponents by an average of about 21 points. Penn State was the only team to come within single digits of the Panthers when Pitt beat its nearby rival 78-69 Dec. 2.

The Panthers look to continue their winning streak over the University’s winter break, with five games on the schedule. Highlights include a trip to Madison Square Garden to play former Big East rival University of Cincinnati as part of the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 17 and the Panthers’ first Atlantic Coast Conference game on the road against North Carolina State.

The play of Pitt’s seniors, forward Lamar Patterson and center Talib Zanna, has guided the Panthers in the season’s early installments. Patterson leads the Panthers with averages of 16.2 points and 5.2 assists per game, while Zanna is posting 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds per game. 

Here’s a look at the team’s five games scheduled over break:

Pitt vs. Youngstown State (7-4), Dec. 14

Pitt caps the end of finals week with a matchup against Youngstown State, a school now notorious in Oakland after the Penguins defeated the Panthers in football last year at Heinz Field to begin the Paul Chryst era. 

On the hardwood, the Penguins carry four players who average double-digit scoring, led by senior guard Kendrick Perry and his 19.5 point-per-game average. Joining Perry are senior forward Kamren Belin (13.7) and sophomore forwards Bobby Hain (10.8) and Ryan Weber (10.7).

Youngstown State owns one of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses, with more than 83 points per game. The team’s offense is the highest-ranked unit the Panthers have played and poses a test for a Pitt defense that allows just more than 60 points per game. 

Pitt vs. Cincinnati (7-1), Dec. 17 

Once again, Pitt travels to Madison Square Garden to take part in the Jimmy V Classic. The contest against Cincinnati might be the most difficult game Pitt plays in its non-conference schedule.

Cincinnati is one of only 14 teams in the nation that boasts a better defense than Pitt, ranking a spot above the Panthers at fifth in the nation by virtue of allowing just 56.4 points per game. 

Senior guard Sean Kilpatrick leads Cincinnati with averages of 19.7 points and 3.3 assists per game. In two games against Pitt last year, Kilpatrick averaged 16 points. but shot just 34.8 percent from the field. 

Pitt vs. Cal Poly (3-5), Dec. 21

The Mustangs of San Luis Obispo, Calif., are off to a slow start to their 2013-2014 season, having lost five of their first seven games. But Cal Poly has also played a schedule that no one envies, with losses already against Arizona, Oregon and Fresno State. 

Cal Poly’s most impressive showing came against the nation’s current top-ranked team. The Mustangs trailed Arizona by just three points at halftime Nov. 8. Head coach Sean Miller and his Wildcats eventually pulled away for an 11-point win against a team Miller called a good early season opponent. 

Chris Eversley leads the Mustangs, averaging 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. David Nwaba flanks Eversley in the frontcourt and is the only other Mustang averaging double-digit scoring at 10.6 points per game. 

Pitt vs. Albany (4-4), Dec. 31

The Panthers play their final game of 2013 and of conference play against the Great Danes. Peter Hooley is the Great Danes’ most dangerous player, leading the team in scoring with 16.6 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting. 

Beyond Hooley, Pitt must also watch out for Australia native Sam Rowley. The 6-foot-6 junior forward leads the Great Danes in rebounding at 7.5 boards per game and also averages 12.9 points per game. 

Senior guard D.J. Evans also averages double digits for Albany with 11 points per game and continues to improve on a 2012-2013 campaign in which he scored just 2.4 points. 

Pitt vs. NC State (6-2), Jan. 4

Pitt hits the road for its first ACC game, heading to Raleigh, N.C., to face the Wolfpack. North Carolina State is a talented team, but so far it has lost to Cincinnati and North Carolina Central in its non-conference schedule. 

At the conference’s preseason media day, NC State was voted to finish tenth in the conference, which should pose an advantage for the Panthers. Pitt was voted to finish sixth and garnered about 150 more points than NC State in the voting. 

The Wolfpack boasts the conference’s current leading scorer in T.J. Warren whose ACC-best 22.6 point-per-game average edges that of Duke’s Jabari Parker by half a point. The 6-foot-8 sophomore forward also leads his team in rebounding with 7.4 rebounds per game.