Pitt Heads into Crucial Three-Game Stretch Sitting at 5-1

With a dominant win over Oregon State on Friday, Pitt improved its record to 5-1 on the year and 1-1 against high-major opponents.

The Panthers started the season with four wins over teams ranked outside the top-100 in KenPom. Com’s national rankings, blowing out NC A&T, Binghamton, Florida Gulf Coast, and Jacksonville. Now, after falling to Florida and blowing out Oregon State, the Panthers have battled adversity and have played away from home this season, which they hadn’t before this week.

Perhaps the biggest development from Pitt’s Brooklyn trip was the emergence of Zack Austin in Pitt’s win over the Beavers. Austin turned in his best performance of the year, scoring ten early points on three three pointers and staying aggressive throughout the rest of the game to finish with 19 points, eight rebounds, and several highlight plays.

📽️: Highlights from Oregon State

RECAP: https://t.co/tZhNgBmsHO pic.twitter.com/oty9FEAXWJ

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 24, 2023

In addition to Austin’s strong game, Blake Hinson shot his way to 17 points while Ishmael Leggett scored 15 and Federiko Federiko added ten. Leggett grabbed seven rebounds in the win, while Federiko played his role efficiently, finishing 3 for 3 from the field and going 4 for 4 from the free-throw line.

With four scorers and a deep bench of hopeful young Panthers looking to improve throughout the season, Pitt is looking solid heading into its next two games.

They’ll now have the chance to return home to play two big games this upcoming week, taking on Missouri — a team that made last year’s NCAA Tournament, and Clemson — an ACC foe projected to finish in this year’s field of 68.

Missouri is 4-2 on the season and ranks at No. 86 in the nation, per Kenpom.com. The Tigers, coached by Dennis Gates, have lost to Jackson State and Memphis this season.

Following Tuesday’s matchup at the Petersen Events Center (ESPNU), Pitt will face Clemson at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3 once again at home. The Tigers, led by PJ Hall and Syracuse transfer Joe Girard, have started the season 4-0 with wins over Boise State, Davidson, UAB, and Winthrop.

After that, Pitt will head south to Morgantown, West Virginia to face off against Josh Eilert’s Mountaineers on Dec. 6. West Virginia is 2-3 on the season with losses to Monmouth, SMU, and Virginia and wins over Missouri State and Jacksonville State.

The Panthers have a chance to enter Morgantown with a record of 7-1 on the year. What do you think Pitt’s record will be in these three games?