Pitt is in unfamiliar territory after dropping two straight games and falling from the top of the early ACC standings — and the work of getting back on track doesn’t get easier with a trip to face the always-athletic Florida State this week.
Here’s what you need to know before the Panthers and Seminoles tip-off at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, with ESPNU broadcasting the game from the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla.
Top storyline
Pitt has now lost consecutive games for the first time in almost a year. In one loss, it was completely outclassed. In another, it didn’t come with the necessary effort rebounding and pursuing loose balls. These Panthers had put together a strong start to the season despite some key injuries, but their momentum has come to a screeching halt over the past week.
This is still shaping up to be the highest-quality Pitt team of Jeff Capel’s tenure, but over the past week, they haven’t played like it. At the very least, stopping this skid before it becomes something more serious would do wonders for the general morale, but the Quad 1 win, which is what a road trip to Tallahassee, Fla., represents, would be much more important.
Players to watch
Ishmael Leggett: Prior to this two-game slide, Leggett had been one of the most efficient high-volume shooters in the ACC. He was able to knock down four 3-pointers and get to the free throw line against Louisville, but last week, he shot just three of 17 from 2-point range, and his true shooting percentage, which was at 60.6 through the first 13 games of the year, was at 35.2 last week.
Leggett is at his best when he can get downhill and score inside the paint. The task of doing so doesn’t get any easier against the Seminoles, who rank 22nd among Division I teams in blocks per game and eighth in block percentage, but the Panthers will need him to convert at a higher rate around the rim for this offense to really thrive.
Guillermo Diaz Graham: Diaz Graham was hit with some limited foul trouble last time out against Louisville but still played just 10 minutes. Facing a team with Florida State’s caliber of athletes and defenders, Diaz Graham can be an x-factor. He leads the team in offensive rebound rate and ranks third in defensive rebound rate, and his 3-point shooting has leveled out lately (six makes on 12 attempts over his last five games).
The Panthers have a chance to win this game running away if Diaz Graham can stretch the defense with his shooting and counter the Seminoles’ size with length of his own.
Behind enemy lines
Head coach: Leonard Hamilton, 23rd season at Florida State (654-496 overall, 454-286 at Florida State)
Probable starting lineup (points - rebounds - assists)
1. Taylor Bol Bowen, 6-foot-10 (8.4 - 5.5 - 0.9)
2. Jamir Watkins, 6-foot-7 (18.2 - 4.4 - 2.2)
3. Daquan Davis, 6-foot-1 (8.9 - 2.5 - 2.8)
4. Malique Ewin, 6-foot-10 (13.8 - 7.6 - 1.8)
5. Chandler Jackson, 6-foot-5 (7.2 - 2.5 - 2.2)
The scoop: After a handful of down years, Hamilton has his Seminoles back in vintage form. As a product of the NBA-like length that Hamilton has stocked onto a roster that was almost wholly rebuilt this offseason, they are the ACC’s second-best shot-blocking team, covert 2-point shots at the second-highest rate in the league and draw fouls at the fifth-highest frequency in the expanded conference.
But the Seminoles are the ninth-most efficient offense in the league for two important reasons — during conference play, they’ve shot 3-pointers at the 13th-best rate and offensive rebounded at the worst rate in the ACC.
They’ve defensive rebounded well, but that’s about all they do well on that end of the court. Florida State has allowed opponents to shoot 40.5% from 3-point range in their five conference games and aren’t pressuring them for turnovers. They have great defenders on the interior but are prone to a high number of fouls as well.
Expect the Panthers to put up a high rate of 3-point shots on Wednesday night, if for no other reason than they’re making triples at a 43.9% clip over the last six games. But unless Pitt can bring the requisite energy to the defensive glass, it won’t matter. This team played offense well enough to beat Louisville, but everything else was undone by the 22 second-chance points allowed. That can’t happen again if Pitt hopes to get back in the win column.
First Published: January 14, 2025, 4:41 p.m.
Updated: January 14, 2025, 4:43 p.m.