Pitt Basketball
Zack Austin Delivers Explosive, Clutch Performance Against North Carolina
Pitt earned a huge win over North Carolina on Tuesday night, defeating the Tar Heels behind huge games from several of the Panthers.
However, one stood out particularly for his explosive and timely clutch plays: Zack Austin.
The Zack Austin Game (Volume 2) pic.twitter.com/KUxMHkhJ3c
— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) January 29, 2025
Austin played 39 minutes, despite missing little time with cramps. He led the team in minutes played, and scored 15 points, hitting five of his seven shot attempts. He went 3 for 5 from three-point range in the victory, too. Austin swatted away five North Carolina shots — including two blocks in the final 1:30.
He hit two go-ahead three pointers in the final five minutes, too.
Austin is now leading the ACC in blocks, with 35 on the season. He is averaging 1.8 blocks per game, and has vaulted Pitt into the No. 2 spot in the conference in terms of team blocks per game. He is currently averaging 9.8 points and 4,2 rebounds per game for the Panthers, and has started 11 of 20 games. He is averaging 30 minutes per contest now, and has improved his three-point shooting percentage to 42% this season.
Just days before the game against North Carolina, I wrote about Austin’s defensive impact.
Check out the story below.
In the offseason, I wrote about his three-point shooting as a junior at Pitt. Check out the story below.
Film Breakdown: Let’s Look Into Zack Austin’s Three-Point Shooting
In his first season with the Panthers, he started 31 of 33 games, averaging 22.6 minutes per game and scoring 6.5 points per contest. Austin shot 42% from the field and 30% from three-point range as a junior for the Panthers. He also grabbed 137 rebounds and blocked 44 shots.
