Pitt came out with a 59-51 win over UNC Wilmington on Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center. It marked the first of the season, as Pitt moves to 1-2 on the year. It was not a conventional win for the Panthers, but a victory nonetheless. Here are five things that stood out from Tuesday’s game.
A much-needed win
Ordinarily a second half performance like the one Pitt just put on would be heavily scrutinized in a victory. In this case it might be easier to look past the mistakes because the final result was the most important thing on Tuesday night. Pitt needed a win, and it got just that after dispatching UNC Wilmington 59-51 at home. The Panthers led by as many as 17 points in the early stages of the second half, but the Seahawks cut it down to two points and stayed within string distance for the remainder of the game. Pitt was outscored after halftime, and only finished with one made field goal in the final 8 minutes of the game. It was ugly, but Pitt played a good defensive game, controlled the glass, and made just enough free throws at the end to get a win. There are obviously still plenty of issues and concerns about this team, but at least they got a win on Tuesday.
Burton makes debut
Pitt got a much needed boost to its team on Tuesday as Texas Tech transfer Jamarius Burton made his season debut. Burton had been recovering from an injury in the preseason and came in and played 25 minutes off the bench. Burton scored 7 points and made Pitt’s only three-point field goal on the night. Burton appeared to be a little rusty as he gets his way back into game shape, but it’s clear he will have a high impact on this team. The Panthers really only had Femi Odukale in the first two games to handle the ball, and Burton’s presence should alleviate some of the pressure on the sophomore and perhaps eliminate some turnovers as well. Pitt is going to struggle scoring this season, but Burton at least gives them another option there as well.
No outside shooting
In modern college basketball, the three-point shot is an equalizer for many teams and has leveled the playing field across the sport. The three-point line has been around for decades, but the way the game has been played has changed quite a bit in the last ten years thanks to that line. Unfortunately for Pit, they just don't have that ability to stretch the floor right now, and that’s a concern. It is certainly not a new development, because once it was known Ithiel Horton and Nike Sibande wouldn’t be with the team, it left Pitt without any true outside shooting threats.
As a team, Pitt has made six three-point field goals through three games. In the postgame press conference, Jeff Capel was honest in saying his team just isn’t a good three-point shooting bunch. Again it’s not news, but it’s a factor in how this team is defended and how they attack defenses. Pitt is very reliant on paint touches and dribble-drives right now, which leads to Odukale having the ball in his hands a lot. When he cracks the middle of the defense, he just doesn’t have open shooters to find and turnovers have mounted because of it. Burton may make a few outside shots, and freshman Nate Santos has a nice looking stroke. Other than that, the options look bleak and will continue to be a problem.
Turnovers still an issue
It was nothing close to the 32 turnovers committed in Morgantown on Friday against West Virginia, but Pitt still committed 17 in the win over UNC Wilmington. Through three games Pitt has committed a total of 57 turnovers. It has been killing this team, as they rely mostly on inside scoring and they can’t bail themselves out with quick-strike three-point offense either. Pitt needs to value the basketball more than it has been doing. Perhaps getting Burton back will play a role in that, as it will give the Panthers a second scholarship guard to use in the rotation. Pitt shot the ball well at times, and looked physically stronger than the opponent, but committing unforced errors keeps a team around, and that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday.
Looking ahead
Pitt had to win on Tuesday. It is too early to say ‘must-win’ in the context of college basketball, but it was fair to say the game against UNC-Wilmington was a ‘can’t lose’ type of game for a variety of reasons. They got it done. It wasn’t always pretty, but Pitt leaned on Odukale and John Hugley, which is what they will have to do all season. Burton provided a boost. Nate Santos and Dan Oladapo also provided positives as well. Despite some poor decision making, William Jeffress gave Pitt a nice option as a rebounder as he finished with nine.
So what does that tell us? This whole thing is still a work in progress. Pitt has a few good players, some useful pieces, and some guys still trying to find their way. That leaves the team collectively trying to learn on the fly. There is no doubt that the Horton and Sibande losses hurt this team and they have been trying to recover ever since that initial gut punch to start the season.
Pitt takes on Towson on Friday night at the Petersen Events Center. The Tigers are 2-1 and are averaging 75 points per game this season and will play with more tempo than what Pitt saw tonight. It will be a good challenge for the Panthers on defense, as they have looked better on that side of the ball lately. For Pitt on offense, it may force them to play with more tempo, and in turn look to play with more efficiency than they have been.
