There has been plenty of happening across Pitt’s athletic department in the early days of 2025. The focus right now is squarely on the Pitt basketball team, as we look back on what happened down at Duke on Tuesday night, and look ahead at tomorrow’s key home game against Louisville.
The women’s volleyball team at Pitt has been outstanding over the past decade, and earlier this week, the university locked down the architect of that program with a contract extension. Plus, the Pitt football team had a productive week in the transfer portal.
All of that, and more, in this week’s 3-2-1 Column.
THREE THINGS WE KNOW
Nothing doing in Durham
Tuesday night was a forgettable performance for the Pitt basketball team, as the Panthers stood no match against No. 4 Duke with a 76-47 beatdown by the Blue Devils inside of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Jeff Capel’s team faced a double-digit deficit the entire second half, and it spiraled out of control with Duke slamming the door with an emphatic 18-0 run to close the game.
The major takeaway from Tuesday night was pretty simple: Duke is really, really good. The Blue Devils are clearly the best team in the ACC, and can stand toe to toe with just about anyone in the country. While Pitt has mostly played well in the first 15 games of this season, there is a gap between the top team in this conference and everyone else, and Pitt found out the hard way with the Blue Devils putting on a clinic at times in a nationally televised broadcast.
The Panthers showed fight early on in the game with a spirited effort on the defensive end. Duke is a gifted offensive team, but there were long stretches in the first half where Pitt held them in check. The problem when playing a team like Duke is that they just keep coming. Pitt could have continued to play outstanding defense, but at a certain point, you need to score to win.
The Panthers could not hit anything on Tuesday night, and finished 31% from the field, and just 30% from behind the arc. Pitt’s star backcourt of Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett was completed bottled up by the size and length of Duke’s defenders. That duo went just 5-of-27 from the floor and combined for only 12 points. Leggett and Lowe could not blow past defenders like usual because of Duke’s athleticism, and Pitt looked a little panicked because of it.
Not only were things going poorly on the offensive end, Pitt could not even score in transition. The Panthers generated 11 steals, as Duke committed 14 turnovers, but Pitt only produced 10 points off of turnovers, and just seven in transition.
That math just does not add up, but it was somewhat a microcosm of the game. Pitt would get the steal, get the fast break going, and then commit a costly mistake. If things are that difficult in the half court, then your transition offense better find more than 10 points.
Pitt going out with hardly a whimper over the final seven minutes sort of stung the most. When the team lost to Mississippi State early in the season, it was a a thorough butt kicking for 40 minutes. This game with Duke was competitive at times, and should not have ended as a 29-point loss to a conference opponent.
I think there are lessons learned from Tuesday night, about how Pitt can approach the remaining schedule differently, especially if a second matchup with Duke arises in March. At the same time, I did not see get any big picture takeaways for this team as it pertains to the remaining 16 regular season games.
I still think Pitt is very much in the conversation as the second best team in this league, and they will win a lot more games over the next two months. There is simply another level this team needs to reach by the time the postseason gets here if they want to make some noise in March. It’s college basketball, with a long 31-game regular season. Sometimes you lose, and sometimes it’s by a lot, but the key is to not let one outcome dictate the next.
Pitt keeps Fisher
On Wednesday of this week, new Director of Athletics Allen Greene made his first big move at Pitt. The university announced the extension of women’s volleyball head coach Dan Fisher through the 2030 season.
Fisher had been in the running for a job with USA Volleyball, but in the end, he will remain with Pitt and continue to build what has turned into the best program in the athletic department.
Greene said as much in the press release provided by Pitt.
“Dan Fisher has built an elite volleyball program at the University of Pittsburgh in every respect. His team, on and off the court, has captured the attention and hearts of our entire region, filling arenas and becoming 'must-see TV.' While his coaching acumen is nationally renowned, I believe Dan's greatest strength is the genuine relationships he forms with his student-athletes and the strong team culture he builds. That's why Pitt is a destination for top volleyball talent from coast to coast.”
Fisher has undeniably built a powerhouse and it’s a program that still seemingly has room to grow. Pitt has reached four consecutive national semifinals and been a force in the ACC, yet a national championship has evaded the program. The Panthers remain in the conversation every year, and never stray too far below a top five ranking under Fisher’s watch.
Pitt is still set to move into a brand new arena next season, which should only enhance the viability for Fisher’s success moving forward. He built this thing from the ground up, and it’s only right for Pitt to give him the opportunity to recruit with new facilities behind him.
There still remains questions about the outlook of college sports as it enters a new frontier. With revenue sharing set to enter the spectrum next year, student athletes will be able to take in a piece of the pie. It is only natural to expect Pitt, and most schools, to worry about football and men’s basketball first.
Still, there are other programs where Pitt can succeed in this new era and generate interest . It’s obvious the women’s volleyball program at Pitt is a national contender, and with this extension, it should remain as one for the foreseeable future.
Pitt hits needs in transfer portal
The final roster for the 2025 football season is not close to being finalized. However, Pitt started classes earlier this week, and on Wednesday, the football program announced the addition of 11 mid-year transfers. Then on Thursday, Pitt added one more to make it 12 transfer portal pickups.
The emphasis for the Pitt coaches in recent weeks has been working the ever-important portal, and it culminated last weekend with the Panthers netting eight commitments to give them a 12-man transfer portal class…for now.
There will still be some further efforts made in the coming days, plus there is a spring transfer portal window as well. While there can and will be some more additions before the season starts, Wednesday’s release also represents the bulk of Pitt’s work in the transfer portal is over, and it’s time to look at how they have done to this point.
Pitt added help in some major areas with the addition of three defensive ends, three defensive backs, two offensive linemen, two receivers, plus a new kicker. I think when taking inventory off of team needs, those all seemed like obvious spots for the Panthers to address.
Pitt’s pursuit in looking for help in the pass rushing department was needed and necessary. The Panthers lost Nate Matlack to graduation, while other contributors Chief Borders and Sincere Edwards opted to hit the portal. Defensive end had to be a big priority, and it looks like they went for some immediate help.
Jaeden Moore (Oregon), Blaine Spires (Utah State), and Joey Zelinsky (Eastern Michigan) should all enter the competition for spots in the two-deep right away. Moore in particular seems intriguing, as he got on the field a fair amount for a top five Oregon team this past season and is looking at Pitt as a place where he can have a larger role.
The Panthers brought in some help in the back line of the defense as well. Kavir Bains, a veteran safety from UC Davis, should be able to come in and earn reps immediately. Jayden Bonsu was a top recruit in the class of 2023, and the Ohio State transfer could even have the frame to move to linebacker. While Rashan Murray, a Pittsburgh native, was a Division-II All-American at Cal (Pa) this past season, and he will provide depth at cornerback.
Obviously, offensive line had to be a priority with the way the 2024 season derailed with injuries here. So far Pitt has brought in Kendall Stanley, a tackle from Charlotte, and more recently, Keith Gouveia a guard from Richmond. Both are expected to compete, if not win, starting jobs for this upcoming season.
The receiver room got some added depth with Deuce Spann from Florida State and former four-star recruit Andy Jean from Florida. On Thursday, Louisville transfer Cataurus 'Blue' Hicks joined that pair. Plus the Panthers added a kicker, James London, who should step right into Ben Sauls’ role in 2025.
That appears to be the transfer portal haul for now, but as we know things can and will change.
TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE
What is next for Pitt football?
The offseason process has changed a lot in college football through the years. It can sometimes be difficult to track where Pitt is on the calendar and what is happening around the program when the season is completed.
As taking inventory of where things stand today on January 10th, Pitt’s primary efforts in the transfer portal are mostly done after making 12 additions earlier this week. Everything is fluid, of course and more additions could spring up at any time, but it’s unlikely Pitt is going to land another wave of eight players like it did this past weekend.
Right now, the coaching staff has sort of shifted gears to high school recruiting. For places like Panther-Lair.com, our backbone is and has always been high school recruiting, but I understand the muted feeling towards it these days. If a player can leave after one season, it seems there are people less invested in what happens with high school recruiting than in previous years.
Having said that, it’s still important and a necessary part of operating a college football program. High school recruiting is still valuable, and that’s how you get the Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles type players on your roster.
Pitt is hosting two junior days this month, with several top prospects in the classes of 2026 and 2027 set to be on campus tomorrow and next week as well. The coaching staff will bring these guys to the basketball games, so if you are at the Petersen Events Center, expect to see Pat Narduzzi and the whole coaching staff marching in with a bunch of high school recruits and sit in the Oakland Zoo.
That is the primary focus right now, guys who are more high school juniors and sophomores. While there is still technically a signing day in February for seniors, it feels like Pitt is mostly done in that department. There were 21 recruits in the class of 2025 who signed in December, which has all but replaced the old February signing day, nullifying a once prominent holiday in the sport.
For now, Pitt will host junior days on the weekends, and the coaches will be on the road offering players throughout the week. I am sure you have seen plenty of offers flying around on social media this week, as a new set of names starts to takes precedent in the class of 2026.
While the season is technically over, the world of college football keeps spinning, with different stages of the offseason building up to the regular season. This current recruiting period eventuality runs into spring practice, which is usually set for March for the Pitt program. It's all part of the build up until the 2025 season opener, set for August 30th against Duquesne.
What kind of challenges does Louisville present?
Pitt and Louisville share a unique bond in a way, as both programs had to endure two of their worst seasons in program history behind a bad coaching hire within the past decade. Pitt saw Kevin Stallings post a 24-41 run over two seasons from 2016-18.
Somehow, some way, the Kenny Payne era at Louisville was worse. The Cardinals went 12-52 over the past two seasons under Payne. Pitt defeated Louisville in all four meetings and won those games by an average margin of victory of 21.2 points.
To help put that dominance over Louisville in perspective, it very much is uncommon in this series. The Panthers have won five in a row against Louisville, but also went 1-17 against the Cardinals in the 18 matchups prior to this recent stretch. Pitt has never had much success against Louisville, but Payne proved to be a nice equalizer in the series.
When the Cardinals come to the Petersen Events Center for a noon tip tomorrow, it won’t be anything like the past two seasons. First year head coach Pat Kelsey has Louisville off to an 11-5 start and 4-1 mark in ACC play. Louisville has won five in a row, including a 74-64 win over Clemson on Tuesday night.
It was hard to imagine a program of their caliber to remain down for very long, and frankly the ACC needs the Cardinals to be better to help the league’s perception. It seems Kelsey has done that in short order with the power of the transfer portal.
As Pitt learned on Tuesday, Duke is the top dog in the league. Louisville, however, is very much one of the best teams as well, and this game should serve as jockeying position in the ACC standings with both teams aspiring to be near the top of the conference.
Louisville’s top four players are all newcomers, and the Cardinals have a roster that is among the best in the ACC.Chucky Hepburn is a veteran 6’2” senior guard who came in from Wisconsin. Hepburn averages 15.1 points and 5.6 assists per game, and will serve as a nice individual battle for Jaland Lowe. The Cardinals also feature Reyne Smith, a 6’2” senior who followed Kelsey from Charleston. Smith has 348 career made 3-pointers, including 54 this season.
Terrence Edwards and J’Vonne Hadley provide length on the wings to make the Cardinals an athletic and versatile challenge for the Panthers.
Louisville’s five losses were all to teams who are currently ranked. The Cardinals share a common win with Pitt, also holding a victory over West Virginia this year. Plus a common defeat, as Louisville lost to Duke by 11 points at home last month.
Every team in the ACC beyond Duke is battling perception right now. With the Blue Devils being the only team ranked currently, there is a good fight for who that next team is, and Pitt and Louisville are among the top candidates to hold that distinction.
North Carolina is not totally cooked yet, SMU might be able to hang near the top, and Clemson isn’t going away either. When looking at that next rung below Duke, that seems like Pitt’s toughest competition and also the most difficult games remaining in the regular season as well.
Pitt is not facing last year’s Louisville, that’s for certain, and tomorrow may actually be the toughest home game of the year. If nothing else, it’s one that looms fairly large in terms of conference hierarchy even for early January.
ONE PREDICTION
Pitt improves to 10-0 at home this season
Pitt had some hiccups last season when playing at home. Over time, that group started to play better at the Petersen Events Center and now the Panthers have won 15 straight in front of the Oakland Zoo. That is among the top ten active home winning streaks in the country at the moment
Pitt is 9-0 at home this season, and will be putting that number on the line on Saturday against a pretty formidable Louisville team for a key ACC battle. The Panthers are coming off a disappointing finish on Tuesday night with a blowout loss to Duke, and this is not the easy bounce back game after playing a top five opponent. While this might not be the easiest follow up game to Duke, it might be the best type of matchup for the Panthers in this current moment.
One of the best things about a college basketball season, and even Jeff Capel made mention of this on Tuesday, is that it just keeps moving along. There is not much time to dwell on a loss on Tuesday when there is another key game to worry about just days later.
“That's the great thing about our sport. You have games coming up. Unfortunately, we have some experience with this where we've lost pretty big, and we were able to come back the next game and we won. Hopefully, we can regroup and do that. We learn from it, we move on, and we get prepared for the next one.”
I think that is kind of something Pitt can use to lift itself into tomorrow’s game. With the students back on campus and the first big conference home game of the year, I think there should be a good environment for this game and one the Panthers can use for some momentum.
College basketball is a lot about energy, and you saw Duke feed off of its crowd on Tuesday. Pitt did not really got that type of energy in the Cal and Stanford games with the students still on winter break, but Saturday should represent the first energetic crowd since the Backyard Brawl this season.
Pitt has played well at home this year, and some of that has been the competition, but a lot of it is because they are also a good team. The Panthers getting blown out by Duke does not change that. This will be a good game, but I think Pitt’s back court responds and provides the difference in a more favorable matchup.
