On Friday night, Pitt will look to continue its hot start to the 2023-24 season with a fourth win.
The Panthers will be taking on Jacksonville at the Petersen Events Center. Check out the information below to prepare for the 7 p.m. contest!
PITT’S OUTLOOK
Pitt is off to its first 3-0 start since 2018-19, and not much has gone wrong for the red-hot Panthers yet.
As a team, the Panthers are averaging 91.7 points per game (T-24 in country), and giving up just 62 points per game (T-63 in country).
Freshman guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington is ranked as the No. 5 freshman in the country and No. 2 rookie in the ACC in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game. Carrington’s performance has earned him recent national recognition, and even a high ranking on one site’s NBA Mock Draft. In addition to his scoring numbers, Carrington has had impressive shooting numbers (47% from three), rebounding numbers (6.3 per game), and passing numbers (seven assists per game).
Blake Hinson is leading the team in scoring with 19 points per game, and has hit 9 of his 24 three-point tries so far (37.5%).
Here are some more notable team statistics for the Panthers, along with where they rank nationally.
Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.69 (T-42 in country).
Blocks per game: 7 (T-10 in country).
Effective FG %: 58.4% (40th in country).
Opponent FG%: 35.98 (38th in country)
Free-throw %: 59.2% (323rd in country).
3PA per game: 28 (T-40 in country).
JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS
HEAD COACH
Jordan Mincy (3rd season)
In year one, Mincy led the Dolphins to a 21-10 (11-5 ASun) season, turning around the program rather quickly. However, last year, the team took a step back, battling injuries and losing 16 games.
This year, Jacksonville is 2-1 with wins over Johnson (Florida) and Georgia Southern (85-68) and a 79-56 loss to Xavier.
BEST PLAYERS
#13 Robert McCray V – 6’4 G – 17 PPG – 5.7 RPG – 8 of 15 3FG
#5 – Bryce Workman – 6’7, 230 F – 15 PPG – 9.7 RPG
#00 Stephon Payne III – 6’9, 220 F – 10 PPG – 6.3 RPG
LAST YEAR
Jacksonville finished 13-16 last season, going 6-12 in the ASun in year two under Jordan Mincy. The team lost the scoring trio of Kevion Nolan (13 PPG), Mike Marsh (10.5 PPG), and Jordan Davis (9.2 PPG) after the season, and brought in two JUCO transfers and four Division One transfers to make up for the losses.
METRICS
According to Kenpom.com, Jacksonville is ranked as the No. 236 team in division one. Pitt is currently ranked as the No. 48 team in Kenpom’s rankings – the same position that it was in prior to its last game against FGCU.
GAME TIME
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center on Friday, Nov. 17.
SPREAD
Pitt is a 14.5-point favorite according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is currently hovering around 141 total points. Pitt is 3-0 against the spread to begin the season, covering in all three wins.
TV
You can find Monday’s game on ACC Network Extra. Jason Earle and Julius Page will be on the call, per Pitt’s game notes.
RADIO
The game will be live on 93.7 The Fan as well.
amazing that opponents FG% of 35.98% only is good enough for 38th in the country. that seems outstanding. i suppose ytd stats are overly impacted by early non-con match-ups against much weaker opponents. assume that % goes up over the season as will other teams’ ratios.