In the days leading up to Pitt’s matchup with Towson, coach Kevin Stallings created something of a hierarchy for his big men after one of their more dreadful performances of the season.
With forward Ryan Luther, the team’s leading rebounder, out with a stress reaction in his foot, Stallings inserted freshmen center Peace Ilegomah into the lineup, hopeful the native Nigerian’s physicality could provide something the team was lacking on the low post. It was a decision he made half-heartedly.
“I probably shouldn’t admit this, but he was the best from a bad lot last game,” Stallings said.
Next was Kene Chukwuka, the Panthers’ 6-foot-9 sophomore forward from Sweden. Behind Chukwuka, in last place among the three players under consideration, was Terrell Brown, a 6-foot-10 freshman whose physical intrigue was largely overshadowed by his clear limitations early in his college career.
Strangely enough, that final option ended up being perhaps the biggest reason why Pitt was able to defeat Towson, 63-59, and exit non-conference play with its seventh win in its past eight games. When his team needed him the most, Brown came through with his most promising performance of the season, scoring a career-high 12 points and matching a career high with seven rebounds in the victory against the Tigers.
It’s a promising development for a Pitt team in search of options, many of them incredibly young, to fill Luther’s immense void. Prior to Luther’s injury, Brown had seen his playing time dip dramatically, as he played a combined 15 minutes in a six-game stretch after averaging 11.3 minutes per game in the first four contests.
In the past three games, however, he has played 64 minutes. While those minutes were largely empty and devoid of production in wins against McNeese State and Delaware State — with six points and nine rebounds in 40 minutes — he increased his career scoring total Friday by 52.2 percent in 24 minutes. He was efficient in doing so, too, as he made 5 of 7 shots.
“Ryan’s a senior, so he’s got all the tricks handled,” Brown said. “I just kind of learn quick. We’ll get Ry back, but until then, I’m just going to have to keep learning fast.”
Brown still has to work off an accelerated developmental curve, especially with ACC play fast approaching. While his offensive game has improved, he still too often relies on his overwhelming size for dunks rather than his skill, a strategy that won’t be effective against improved competition. Though he has had six blocks in the past three games, he can sometimes appear flat-footed and out of place on defense.
For one night, though, he was more than just a potential-laden project. He was, in most every sense of the word, the difference.
“As I said when he [Luther] got hurt, if we can survive these games where he’s out, this would be a good learning experience for these other guys,” Stallings said. “Certainly Terrell took full advantage of it tonight.”
Luther return still uncertain
While he likely won’t be fully reevaluated until the days before the ACC opener against No. 6-ranked Miami, the topic of Luther’s return is omnipresent, prompting questions even in moments where there aren’t necessarily answers.
The 6-foot-9 senior, who is averaging 12.7 points and 10.1 rebounds on the season, hasn’t even taken a jump shot since going down, according to Stallings. The Panthers coach has a return date in mind, though with Christmas on the horizon, it’s more a wish-list item.
“We’re hoping to have him for the Miami game,” he said. “We’re hoping.”
Turnover woes continue
For all the goodwill generated by Pitt’s victory and the way it came to be, there were several struggles obscured by the joy of the win. Perhaps none was bigger than the Panthers’ turnovers woes. It’s not just that they turned it over 21 times against Towson; it’s that such a high number is the continuation of a startling trend.
The Tigers employ a press, but prior to Friday, it hadn’t been extraordinarily effective. In their first 12 games, it forced turnovers on 17.8 percent of opponents’ possessions, ranking it comfortably in the bottom half of Division I teams. Against Pitt, it caused miscues on 29.2 percent of the Panthers’ possessions.
More alarmingly, it’s part of a larger story as Pitt’s season continues. In its past four games against pressing teams, it has had 74 turnovers. Bizarrely, the lowest single-game total of that group came against by far the most daunting foe, No. 10 West Virginia, which is the No. 2 team in Division I in turnover percentage. Freshman guard Marcus Carr, the team’s primary ballhandler, has exhibited those struggles more than anyone else on the team, as he has 22 turnovers in that quartet of games, including a career-high seven against Towson.
“That’s a little disconcerting,” Stallings said. “I have to figure out why I didn’t have our guys in a better position and more ready to handle that.”
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG.
First Published: December 23, 2017, 11:49 p.m.
Updated: December 24, 2017, 3:46 a.m.
