Friday afternoon, Pitt will take on Oregon State in the consolation round of the Preseason NIT Tournament in Brooklyn, New York.
PITT’S OUTLOOK
The Panthers are 4-1 after suffering their first loss of the season on Wednesday against Florida. The Gators beat up Pitt inside and out with their tough guards, Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin, as well as forward Tyrese Samuel, having big games. Now, it’s Pitt it’s chance to bounce back.
Ishmael Leggett led the Panthers with 19 points on Wednesday, while Blake Hinson added 16 and Bub Carrington 14. The Gators were Pitt’s first high-major opponent, and certainly delivered a gut punch to a team with lots of confidence after starting 4-0.
Although it is the consolation game of the event, this matchup is a big opportunity to get that first high-major win of the year heading into a streak of three more in a row following this week. The Panthers are heavy favorites, and should have an opportunity to get back on the winning track.
OREGON STATE BEAVERS (3-2)
The Beavers made the Elite Eight in 2021, but have taken a big step back since. Last season, Oregon State won just 11 games, going 5-15 in PAC-12 play.
Pitt trails 3-0 in the all-time basketball series against the Beavers. The two have not played each other since 1981.
HEAD COACH
Wayne Tinkle (10th season)
BEST PLAYERS
#0 Jordan Pope – 6’2 G
Pope leads the Beavers in scoring with 19.6 points per game. He has hit 41% of his threes to kick off the season.
#34 Tyler Bilodeau – 6’9 F
Bilodeau is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.8 per game. He also has scored more than 13 PPG so far this year.
#4 Dexter Akanno – 6’5 G
Akanno is the Beavers’ third-leading scorer at just over 11 points per game. He is not much of a threat from beyond the arch, shooting 25% last year and 23% this year from three-point range.
METRICS
Pitt is ranked No. 51 in Kenpom.com’s ratings, while Oregon State is ranked No. 169.
GAME TIME
Pitt Vs. Oregon State will start at 3 p.m. EST on ESPN2.
SPREAD
Pitt is a 10-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is hovering around 143.5 points. Pitt is 4-1 ATS this season.
TV
You can find Wednesday’s game on ESPN2. Kevin Brown and Fran Fraschilla will be on the call, per Pitt’s game notes.
RADIO
The game will be live on 93.7 The Fan as well.
