Pitt basketball will play its 11th game of the season on Wednesday night against Eastern Kentucky.
Now that we’re through the first ten matchups of the year for the Panthers, I wanted to highlight ten different stats that I believe can help summarize this team’s 8-2 start to the year.
4.6
Pitt is averaging 4.6 blocks per game so far this season, good for 2nd in the ACC and 55th in the country. Zack Austin, Guillermo Diaz Graham, and Cam Corhen are leading the team in blocks with 15, nine, and eight, respectively. Rim protection has been solid for the Panthers, who often have a height advantage against their opponent.
5
In Pitt’s worst loss of the season so far (to Mississippi State), Panthers taller than 6-foot-8 combined for just 5 rebounds. Certainly, one department the team wants to improve in is the rebounding dept.
8
Ishmael Leggett has been spectacular this season, especially when his teammates hand-off the ball to him. He is currently ranked eighth in the country in scoring off of hand-offs, averaging 1.318 points per possession on possessions in which he is handed the ball. See the film below for examples.
#Pitt guard Ishmael Leggett ranks 8th in the country in scoring off of handoffs.
1.318 points per possession in handoff situations.
— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) December 11, 2024
8.9
Pitt’s strength of schedule rating of 8.9 ranks 19th in the country. Jeff Capel and his staff bulked up the non-conference slate over the summer, and it has paid off. The computers love what Pitt has done so far.
10
Pitt is currently averaging just ten turnovers per game. That ranks 31st in the nation for lowest amount of turnovers per contest. That’s good.
15
Pitt’s number 15 has been spectacular this season. Jaland Lowe has taken a massive jump in production since his freshman season, and is leading the team at 17.1 points and 4.9 assists per game. He has stepped up in big moments for Pitt, and has played a major role in the team’s 8-2 start.
21.4
G. Diaz Graham is shooting just 21.4% from three-point range this year on 42 attempts (nine makes) — the third-most on the team. Diaz Graham shot 41% from deep last year, and his 20% decrease in shooting % has hurt Pitt this season on the outside. The team needs him to keep taking — and start making — his threes.
40.5
Zack Austin is currently shooting 40.5% from three-point range. He has been red-hot lately, including his outburst against Ohio State in which he hit five threes, including the game winner at the buzzer. Austin shot just 29.5% from three last year. He is tied for the team lead in threes made with 15.
55.6
Damian Dunn was shooting a whopping 55.6% from three-point range at the time of his injury. Pitt has missed his shooting ability lots since he went down at The Greenbrier. He has about one month left on his initial recovery timeline.
274
The Panthers rank No. 274 in the nation in bench points. Most of Pitt’s production comes from its top-four scorers: Jaland Lowe, Ishmael Leggett, Damian Dunn, and Cam Corhen. Since Dunn has been out with an injury, Pitt’s scoring average has gone from 85.8 points per game down to 80.2 for the season.
