As things continue to be a struggle for Pitt, an even tougher challenge awaits this weekend. After losing in four of its last five games, Jeff Capel’s team is set to hit the road Saturday, when it will face No. 7 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Panthers (10-7, 1-5) were on the wrong side of a 75-53 beating from the Blue Devils (13-3, 4-1) just last week. Now, with their season in a free fall, the group will look to play spoiler. Pitt and Duke are set to tip off at 8 p.m., and the contest will be televised on the ACC Network. Here is a closer look at the matchup:
Top storyline
At this time last season, Pitt was in the midst of building its resume for the 2023 NCAA tournament. Fast forward just one year, and the Panthers are now struggling to keep their heads above water.
Little has gone right for Capel’s group, which finds itself tied with Louisville for the worst record in the ACC. While it was known January would be a challenge for Pitt, few imagined things would get this bad this fast.
Pitt has struggled mightily on both ends, failing to shoot better than 40% from the field in four of its last six games. Things have been especially rough for the Panthers from the outside, as they’re shooting just 29.8% from 3-point range in conference play.
Opponents, meanwhile, haven’t had much of an issue when it comes to scoring against Pitt. Four of the Panthers’ last five opponents have shot 47% or better from the field. And from the outside, Pitt has allowed the opposition to shoot 44% or better from 3-point range in its last three games.
As the Panthers limp into Durham, N.C., they will be greeted by a Duke team that has won its last eight games and boasts a 9-1 record on its home floor. Simply put: Much will have to change for Pitt if it hopes to snap out of its funk against the Blue Devils.
Key players
Bub Carrington: While Carrington has been a strong performer more often than not for Pitt this season, his last game was the worst of his young collegiate career. Carrington was held scoreless in Pitt’s 69-58 loss to Syracuse, missing each of his 10 shots in over 35 minutes of play.
A four-time ACC Rookie of the Week, Carrington also struggled in his first run-in against Duke, when finished with 10 points on 4 of 16 shooting. Duke’s talented backcourt challenged Carrington on both ends of the floor, which will likely be the case once again Saturday.
Although Carrington shouldn’t be expected to carry Pitt by himself, his second battle against the Blue Devils will be something for Panthers fans to watch. If the young guard can respond from his recent struggles against one of the country’s top backcourts, that should be deemed a win for the program, regardless of the final score.
Jaland Lowe: Similar to Carrington, Lowe will also have plenty on his shoulders against Duke. As the season progresses, Lowe has continued to improve. In Tuesday’s loss against Syracuse, Lowe finished with a career-best 20 points.
While Pitt has struggled over its past five games, Lowe has been an outlier, averaging 11.4 points per contest over that stretch. Carrington and Lowe are the future of Pitt’s basketball program. As the season continues to go south, the development of both will become a higher and higher priority.
Games like Saturday’s battle against Duke will be an important growing experience for the duo, whom Panthers fans hope will age into the program’s next two premier talents.
Behind enemy lines
Head coach: Jon Scheyer, second year
KenPom ranking: 10 (Pitt: 82)
NET ranking: 13 (Pitt: 82)
Projected starting five (points, rebounds, assists)
1. Jeremy Roach, 6-2, senior (14.6 – 2.6 – 3.2)
2. Jared McCain, 6-3, freshman (11.7 – 4.1 – 1.7)
3. Caleb Foster, 6-5, freshman (8.1 – 2.2 – 2.1)
4. Mark Mitchell, 6-9, sophomore (12.2 – 5.6 – 1.3)
5. Kyle Filipowski, 7-0, sophomore (18.2 – 8.9 – 3.0)
The scoop: The Blue Devils dominated Pitt in numerous areas in their first matchup, but none more than down low. Duke outscored the Panthers 32-12 in the paint and won the rebound battle 42-26.
Once again, Kyle Filipowski, a 7-foot sophomore center, will be the top player Pitt must slow down. Filipowski continued his dominance against the Panthers on Jan. 9, tallying 26 points and 10 rebounds. A preseason All-American, Filipowski boasts an average of 25.3 points per game in his three career run-ins against Pitt.
One factor that is in Pitt's corner is health. Last Saturday against Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils were without starting power forward Mark Mitchell, who was sidelined with a sprained knee. Starting point guard Jeremy Roach also missed time in that game with a knee injury of his own. Jon Scheyer said Monday he hopes that after getting a week to recover, both Mitchell and Roach will be good to play against Pitt.
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and Twitter @_NoahHiles
First Published: January 19, 2024, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: January 19, 2024, 3:08 p.m.
