Pitt-Virginia Preview: Everything You Need to Know

On Tuesday night, Pitt (15-8, 6-6 ACC) has the chance to establish itself as a serious contender in the ACC with a road game against No. 21 Virginia.

The Cavaliers are one of the hottest teams in the sport and are looking to extend a monumental home-court winning streak. Let’s dive into the preview.

PITT’S OUTLOOK

Pitt has now won five of its last six games, with recent wins over No. 7 Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and NC State and a tight loss to Miami.

In the recent win at NC State, freshman Jaland Lowe led the way with 20 points, while Blake Hinson followed with 16 and Bub Carrington added 12. The Panthers shot just 24% from three but made 18 of their 20 free throws to earn the clutch win.

VIRGINIA (19-5, 10-3 ACC)

HEAD COACH – Tony Bennett (Year 15)

Bennett led the Cavaliers to a 25-8 season last year; however, they lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This year, UVA returns Reece Beekman, Isaac McKneely, and others, and has really come on strong as of late. The Cavaliers have won eight-straight games, including wins on the road at Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Louisville.

While its road success has been something to watch lately, Virginia’s home success is the one thing Pitt fans have been worrying about leading up to this game.

Virginia has won 23-straight home games dating back to last season, the longest streak in the nation. That streak includes a 60-38 beat down of Miami last week at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.

LEADING SCORERS

Reece Beekman– Guard – 13.8 PPG

Beekman is a 6-foot-3 veteran leader for the Cavaliers. He is shooting 45% from the field, averaging more than six assists per game, and turning the ball over twice per game on average.

Isaac McKneely – Guard – 12.3 PPG

McKneely is one of the most prolific outside shooters in the country at 48% from three-point range. The sophomore has hit 59 threes this season to lead the team. For reference, Blake Hinson has hit 77.

Ryan Dunn – Wing – 9 PPG

Dunn may be a familiar name to Pitt fans. Back in 2021 when he was a high-school senior, Dunn was a major Pitt target, taking an official visit to the program and including the Panthers in his top-eight schools list. However, he ended up choosing Virginia.

“I’ll tell you what man,” Jeff Capel said on Monday. “I don’t know if in all of my time being involved in the coaching part, if I have seen a guy that jumps off the screen defensively like he [Dunn] does. It’s incredible when you watch him. I haven’t seen that. I’ve seen some guys jump off offensively, and athletically, and things like that, but man, the things that he does defensively. You can put him on anybody. He literally can guard anyone. He blocks shots, his reaction time, his concentration, his focus, his ability to sit down and guard guys away from the basket, so guarding guards, guarding post guys, his defensive instincts.”

Read more about Dunn’s ascent to becoming one of the best defenders in college basketball here.

Years After Ryan Dunn Visited Pitt, He is Now Starring in ACC for Virginia

METRICS

Pitt is ranked No. 60 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, while the Cavaliers are ranked No. 32.

Because this is an away game against an opponent ranked within 1-75 in NET, this is a Quad 1 opportunity for the Panthers.

GAME TIME

Pitt @ Virginia will start at 7 p.m.

SPREAD

Virginia is favored by six points, as of Tuesday morning at 8:45 a.m. EST. The over/under is hovering around 122 total points, and you can bet Pitt MoneyLine at +210 ad Virginia ML at -258. All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

TV

You can find Tuesday’s game on ACC Network and on the radio on 93.7 The Fan. Wes Durham and Dan Bonner will be on the call for ACCN.