In this series, we’ll look ahead at Mizzou’s opponents in the upcoming 2023-24 season. We’ll start by previewing the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Date & Location: Nov. 28 at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh
2022-23 Record: 24-12 overall (14-6 ACC)
NCAA Tournament Finish: Defeated Mississippi State in First Four and Iowa State in Round of 64, lost to Xavier in Round of 32
KEY LOSSES
Jamarius Burton (graduated), Nelly Cummings (graduated), Greg Elliott (graduated), John Hugley IV (transferred), Dior Johnson (transferred), Nate Santos (transferred), Nike Sibande (graduated)
KEY RETURNERS
KEY INCOMING TRANSFERS
Zack Austin (High Point, 14.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 apg), Ishmael Leggett (Rhode Island, 16.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)
KEY INCOMING FRESHMEN (rankings from Rivals.com)
Papa Kante (No. 90), Carlton Carrington (No. 94), Jaland Lowe (No. 110)
OUTLOOK
Pitt finally found its footing in its fifth season under head coach Jeff Capel. The Panthers had finished below .500 in six consecutive years before breaking through with a 24-12 campaign last season that placed them fifth in the ACC. Pitt’s first-round win over No. 6-seeded Iowa State in the NCAA tournament was the program’s first since 2014.
Capel is hoping to ride that momentum into this year despite losing five of his top six scorers from last season. The Panthers retained two of their starters in the frontcourt in Blake Hinson and Federiko Federiko. Hinson led last year’s squad averaging 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting a red-hot 38.0% from deep. Federiko anchored the team’s interior defense, swatting 58 shots — more than double of anyone else on the roster and ranking 40th in the nation with a 7.9 block percentage according to KenPom — and pulling down 5.3 boards per game. The team should also have solid depth with the Graham Diaz brothers, Guillermo and Jorge, both coming back. The twins both saw consistent minutes in the rotation last year as freshmen and could take on even bigger roles this season.
Pitt added Zack Austin from High Point through the transfer portal to potentially claim one of the other forward spots. The Big South Freshman of the Year was his team’s second-leading scorer despite being a rookie and has especially active hands on defense where he racked up 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Papa Kante, a 6-foot-10 center rated as a top-100 recruit, could make an impact among the bigs as well.
Pitt has the most work to do in the backcourt, where they lost both Jamarius Burton and Nelly Cummings, each of whom handed out 100 assists more than any other player on the team. Capel brought in Rhode Island transfer Ishmael Leggett to try and bridge the gap, though he wasn’t particularly productive as a playmaker, posting a 1.04 assist-to-turnover ratio. Leggett worked better attacking the rim off the ball, as he drew 5.0 fouls per 40 minutes and sank 84.5% of his free throws, helping him lead the Rams with 16.4 points per game.
The Panthers likely expected former four-star guard Dior Johnson to take over as the team’s lead ball-handler. Johnson joined the program last year with high expectations as the No. 42-ranked member of the Class of 2022 but was suspended from campus before the season after being arrested for a domestic violence incident in early October. He pleaded guilty to simple assault and strangulation in December and was reinstated later that month, but sat out the remainder of the season to receive a redshirt. Johnson attended the team’s international tour to Spain earlier this month, but Pitt announced last week that Johnson was no longer attending the school. With Johnson gone, the Panthers will have to lean more heavily on freshmen guards Carlton Carrington and Jaland Lowe.
Pitt will host Missouri in the debut of the ACC/SEC Challenge, with both teams hoping to return to the Big Dance this year.
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