Matchup preview: Breaking down the matchups in the Brawl

After starting 4-0, Pitt has lost three of its last four games. Some of the defeats have not even really been close either. Now the Panthers travel to Morgantown to participate in the Backyard Brawl. The rivalry game will look much different this season, but it will still be a challenge due to the venue. It is also a late tip at 9:00.

Needless to say, Pitt needs to get back on track in a hurry. Winning at West Virginia would certainly be a shot in the arm for this program right now. The Mountaineers are no longer led by Bob Huggins, which is quite strange to say. This year's team is struggling at 3-4 overall without a decent win just yet. They did come close to beating Virginia but lost by two points at home.

West Virginia lost a lot from last year's team that went 19-15 and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The rotation returns just 14% of the minutes played and 10% of the scoring from a year ago. With the Huggins uncertainty and interim hiring in June, the program was in flux this offseason. So far this season, the three wins are over Missouri State by 8, Jacksonville State by 13, and Bellarmine by four. The losses have come against Monmouth by 8, SMU by 12, Virginia by two and St. John's by six. So they have certainly been scrappy and competitive thus far, but this is not a typical West Virginia team. It is a thin team that only averages 64.1 points while allowing 64.6. Coach Eilert has a strong front court tandem but not much else. West Virginia has dominated this series recently, especially at home. However, I can't imagine that we will see a typical West Virginia home atmosphere for this one.

Let's look at the individual matchups and see how the game may shape up.

Seth Wilson vs. Bub Carrington

Wilson is a 6’1" junior point guard in his third season in Morgantown. He averaged 4.2 points off the bench in 13 minutes of action last season, but has been inserted into the starting role now. The reserve role may have served him better, as he has struggled with efficiency all season long. Wilson is averaging 6.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He has made 10 threes on the season, but only shoots 31% from out there. At the line, he is just 64%. More incredibly, Seth is shooting 15% from two-point land. That is not a typo. It caused me to look at several different sites multiple times. Wilson is 5-of-33 from the floor inside the arc. This season, Wilson scored in double figures in the first two games but has not reached that mark since. Against Virginia and St. John's. he shot a combined 3-of-22. Wilson has missed his last seven three-point attempts and is just six of his last 31. Bub Carrington is struggling a bit, but is infinitely more talented. This is a game that he should be able to get back to form. There is no question that he should have his way, but he has looked like a different player away from home recently. That is something to keep an eye on, but Bub should thrive again.

Advantage: Pitt

Kobe Johnson vs. Ishmael Leggett

Kobe Johnson is another third year Mountaineer alongside Wilson. He averaged just 1.5 points in his first season and then two last year. Now, he is up to 11.3 as a starter. Johnson is also averaging 3.3 rebounds and a team-high 2.9 assists. The 6’3" junior is the main threat in the back court right now. With that being said, he has also struggled with his touch this season. Johnson is 48% from two and 84% from the line, but he is just 24% from three and only has five makes. This season in seven games, he has reached double figures four times. He started the season 2-of-15 from three but is 3-of-6 since. So maybe he is making better decisions and figuring it out a bit recently. He produced 8 points vs. Virginia and 14 vs. St. John's. On the other side, Ish Leggett continues to play really well but all of a sudden, he can't find the outside range either. Over the last three games, he is just 2-of-12 from three. That has to change as this offense is desperate for some outside shooting. Regardless, Leggett should be able to dominate off the bounce in this one. The Mountaineers always thrive on energy and tend to be more aggressive and better defensively at home, so Ish needs to take care of the ball as well.

Advantage: Pitt

Josiah Harris vs. Zack Austin

Harris is a 6’7” sophomore that also has only ever been at West Virginia. He is averaging a modest 6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. The rebounding numbers stand out and are quite impressive in his first significant role. With that being said, he really struggles to shoot the ball as well. Harris is just 29% from two point land, and 26% from three. He has reached double figures scoring in 2 of the 7 games, with one of those coming against St. John's (10 and 8). Harris did not score in the Virginia game and has really struggled offensively. Austin has also struggled offensively this season, but not to this extent. He has been more efficient but rarely utilized. Despite the quiet offensive showing, Austin deserves a lot of credit for the energy and defensive ability that he plays with. Quietly, he is still one of the best shot blockers in the ACC. Neither one of these players is likely to dominate the game, but I probably trust Austin a little bit more.

Advantage: Even

Quinn Slazinski vs. Blake Hinson

Slazinski is a very experienced player that I was surprised to see end up in Morgantown. The 6’9" senior from Houston is well traveled and started his career at Louisville for two seasons. Then he transferred to Iona and spent two seasons there. Last year was his best, averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. That momentum seems to be carrying over to his latest stop now as well, as he is averaging a team-high 16.7 points to go with 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Quinn is a pure stretch forward that leads the team with 15 made threes on the season at a 38% clip. He has been West Virginia's most consistent offensive player and has reached double figures in all seven games. He produced a 17 and 5 game vs. Virginia, and then a 19, 7, and 2 assists game against St. John's. This front court that WVU has is quite good and is the strength of the team. Blake Hinson has become the strength of the Panthers once again. As the others around him have struggled. Blake has really stepped up. In the last two games, Blake did everything that he could to try to will his team back. In these two games against Missouri and Clemson, Hinson was an incredible 11-18 from three. He has been on absolute fire and there appears to be a sense of urgency to his game right now. This matchup will be tough but Blake is in a zone.

Advantage: Pitt

Jesse Edwards vs. Federiko Federiko

For the second consecutive game, the Panthers will see an old four year friend from Syracuse who decided to transfer. Jesse Edwards has found his way south to Morgantown and is dominating in a large role. The 6’11" senior is averaging a double double of 15.7 points and 10 rebounds. He also is blocking 2.1 shots per game. Edwards was always productive at Syracuse, averaging 14.5 and 10.3 for the season in the ACC last year. This season, he is more of a focal point for a team with less options. Jesse has reached double figures in all seven games, with three of them being double doubles. It is not all stat stuffing either, as we have seen Edwards a bunch. Recently, he went for 17 and 9 against Virginia without much help. Edwards is long and skilled. Heading into the season, I felt like Pitt was in a great spot to defend centers because of Federiko. For whatever reason, he has regressed and really struggled with any decent post player. In 29 minutes against Clemson, Federiko managed to collect just 3 rebounds. PJ Hall absolutely dominated, and the staff has to be worried about Edwards dominating this one as well.

Advantage: West Virginia

Bench

Huggins' benches were normally quite deep. That is not the case for the program now after dealing with so much turmoil in the offseason. Coach Josh Eilert may go eight deep but it is essentially at a seven player rotation. 6’6" freshman forward Ofri Naveh leads the way with 5.1 points and 5.1 rebounds. He is a skilled player that also hands out 1.9 assists, but also struggles to shoot the ball. The only other reserve of note is 6’8" junior Pat Suemnick. The junior forward is adding 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds. There is a chance that 6'6 freshman Jeremiah Bembry gets in the game, but he has yet to score a point this season. Pitt's bench continues to be underwhelming. The unit failed to score a single point against Clemson. Coach Capel seems to be tightening the rotation a bit, so it is something to watch moving forward. In this matchup, they have to find a way to win the edge and help the Panthers.

Advantage: Pitt

Josh Eilert vs. Jeff Capel

Eilert is a West Virginia lifer. Although he is from Kansas and grew up with the Kansas State program under Huggins, this is his 17th season in the West Virginia program. He started as a GA at Kansas State in the 2006-07 season, and then spent 6 seasons as the West Virginia Video Coordinator. After that role, he spent 9 seasons as the Director of Basketball Operations. Eilert is well respected within the university and obviously knows the culture of the program. WIth that being said, he is not experienced enough as an assistant coach, let alone head coach. Eilert is simply a placeholder, as his hire was announced at the end of June. It has been a rough start for him, but it is definitely not his fault. The roster is not nearly as talented as it has been in recent years. Still, Eilert knows all about the Backyard Brawl and what it means to the program. Coach Capel is walking a tightrope right now. His team has lost two big games in a row, and now he has to travel to the Coliseum for a rivalry game. The Panthers are more talented, so it is imperative that Capel takes advantage this season.

Advantage: Pitt