The Ten Defining Moments from Pitt's 2022-23 season
The Pitt Panthers just concluded one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory on Sunday. After four straight losing seasons for head coach Jeff Capel, and six for the program overall, the Panthers finally broke through and got back into the big dance this year. Pitt posted a 24-12 season and it was a roller coaster ride from the start up until its 84-73 second round loss to Xavier in the NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers were not expected to have a big season. They dealt with some early season turmoil and got off to a terrible 1-3 start. Somehow, this group got it clicking and rattled off the best season for this program since 2014.
Pitt had many memorable moments that defined the 2022-23 season. Here are my top ten.
The 1-3 start
Pitt had a less than ideal offseason, which had been a little too common of an occurrence in recent years. John Hugley and William Jeffress were injured before the first game and Dior Johnson was suspended.
Remember last year? The season started with an Ithiel Horton suspension, a Nike Sibande injury, star recruit Judah Mintz decommitting, and a loss to The Citadel in like a two week stretch. Pitt didn't really seem much different this year, getting off to a similar forgettable start.
Pitt got pretty much run off the court at home in the second game of the season against West Virginia. The Panthers had 19 turnovers and shot 5-of-23 from three. It’s didn’t get much better two days later in Brooklyn with a pair of losses to Michigan and VCU.
The Michigan loss in particular was pretty jarring. Hugley returned but he didn’t look like himself and the Wolverines schooled Pitt in the second half 53-28.
The rest of the season did not have a promising outlook.
The Northwestern win
Pitt bounced back after the slow start and won the next three games. The ACC-Big Ten Challenge game against Northwestern opened a three game stretch against power-five teams and it would be a big test for Pitt, and it was one they passed with flying colors.
Northwestern ultimately made the tournament and I think people had an idea they might be a good team, even early in the year, but Pitt absolutely throttled them.
It was the first time we got a real good look at what this team’s potential was and how they like to play. They made 14 three-pointers as Blake Hinson, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande were all knocking down shots. Pitt hung 50 points against the Wildcats in the second half, and this ended up being one of Pitt’s best wins all season.
Pitt completely dismantled a top Big Ten team on the road by 29 points.
4-0 start in conference play
The start of conference play for this team really started to raise some eyebrows and got people interested. The North Carolina State win was solid, but the next three games were more memorable in my opinion.
When Pitt beat Syracuse, it was very reminiscent of the Northwestern win for a while. They were in complete control and making a bunch of three-pointers. But Syracuse made a run, and Pitt had to figure out how to win a close game. They did, barely, but it was a common theme after that.
This Pitt team ended up going 7-3 in one possessions games throughout the season.
Pitt’s win over North Carolina on December 30th was a big day for the school because the football team played in the Sun Bowl later that day and there was a planned watch party in the arena afterwards, which helped the crowd. It was a gritty win. North Carolina was the preseason No. 1 team and even though they didn’t end up being a great team this season, Pitt got their best effort twice this year. Jamarius Burton was at his absolute best and scored 31 points. The Pete sort of sounded loud for the first time in a while.
The close win energy carried over for a third game in a row. Pitt somehow overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to No. 11 Virginia, 68-65, back on January 3rd to secure Pitt's second win over a ranked team in as many games. Teams usually do not come back on Tony Bennett's Virginia squads like that, but this Pitt team never blinked in the face of a large deficit in this game and for the remainder of the season.
The Florida State loss
The 71-64 loss to Florida State at home on January 21st was one of the more defining moments of the whole year. It is the moment everyone following Pitt basketball got acquainted closely with the NET rankings.
Pitt’s resume was mostly fine up until that point, but when it lost to Florida State, the tone of the season changed considerably. From that moment on, everyone knew the Panthers would be fighting for respect for the remainder of the season, and it ultimatley proved to be true.
Florida State was a bad loss they carried with them all the way to Selection Sunday. The Panthers shot poorly this day and let Florida State, a team that ultimately finished with only 9 wins, have their way with them on their home floor.
Miami Comeback
The response to losing to Florida State sparked a six game winning streak, but none felt bigger than the team’s win over Miami. The Hurricanes have been a very good team all year and there is a reason they are still playing in the Elite 8 this weekend.
Miami and Pitt put on a back and forth battle in front of the first sell-out crowd at the Petersen Events Center in a few years. The Hurricanes pulled away late and held a 68-60 advantage with 2:02 left, but in the blink of an eye it was a one-point game with key baskets from Federiko Federiko, Pitt’s center who was starting to emerge as a real weapon, along with Blake Hinson and Nelly Cummings.
Eventually a late steal by Jamarius Burton helped put Pitt ahead. All told, it was an 11-0 run in the final two minutes for a statement 71-68 win over a really good Miami team. This victory proved to be the team's best win all season.
Aiden Fisch’s senior day moment
Pitt entered the home finale 20-8 and 14-4. They were in contention atop the ACC, but needed some help to take first in the conference. On February 25th, it just seemed everything fell into place for Pitt. The Panthers secured a huge 99-82 win over Jim Boeheim and Syracuse.
This game marked the final time the Hall of Famer Boeheim would coach against Pitt.
The Petersen Events Center was buzzing all day. The crowd was huge, Pitt was working Syracuse on the court, and everything was falling into place from the outside. Virginia fell to North Carolina and Miami lost a stunner to Florida State. All of this put together meant was that Pitt would be all alone in first place for the ACC heading into the final week of the season.
Pitt had six players in double figures in the blowout over Syracuse, but two points from former manager, turned walk-on, to senior on scholarship, Aidan Fisch, electrified the entire building.
It was a cool moment recognized all across college basketball.
The last week of the season
Pitt cracked the AP Top 25 finally for the first time since the 2016 season. The Panthers were atop the ACC standings and it seemed all season this team that was being disrespected was finally starting to get some recognition.
All Pitt needed to do was win one of two games in the final week of the year to clinch at least a share of the ACC regular season title and a first round bye in the conference tournament. If Pitt won both, they would be outright champions of the league.
Pitt simply couldn’t get it done.
It was a dreadful night in South Bend to start the week. Pitt lost 88-81 against a bad Notre Dame team, and it was a game the Panthers fell behind by as many as 18 points. The Panthers just never had it this night and it proved to be a squandered opportunity on many levels.
The regular season finale was against No. 16 Miami on the road. The Hurricanes and Panthers played a tight one earlier in the year with Pitt edging Miami 71-68 in Pittsburgh, but this second meeting would determine who would be the top seed in the ACC Tournament and claim a share of the regular season title.
The game lived up to the hype. It was a back and forth battle. Miami led 78-71 with 35 seconds left, but much like the first meeting, the Panthers went on a spirited last second run. Blake Hinson scored 24 points, his three-pointer made it 78-76 and his final shot from deep would have given Pitt the lead, but it was off the mark.
It was a frenzied comeback bid that came up short.
All told, Pitt had a chance to win a share of the ACC regular season crown in the final week, and lost two tough games. The Panthers would enter the conference tournament as a five seed, despite leading the league at the start of the week.
The ACC Tournament
Pitt was rightfully recognized by the league in the award announcement earlier in the week. Jeff Capel was named ACC Coach of the Year, while Nike Sibande was Sixth Man of the Year. Jamaerius Burton was honored as a first-team All-ACC pick, and Blake Hinson placed on the second team.
Heading into Greensboro with back-to-back losses and a 21-10 record, many bracket projectors felt Pitt needed at least a win against Georgia Tech to feel confident. The Panthers never earned much respect in the computer rankings all year, and three straight losses would have knocked them out of tournament contention, so it was a must-win, or can't lose, type of game.
Pitt took care of business against Georgia Tech. It wasn’t pretty at times, but they got out of there with an 89-81 win, which was likely what they needed to clinch an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
Pitt had a nightmare performance in the ACC quarterfinal round, however. The Panthers were never in the game against Duke and got walloped 96-69. The loss itself wasn’t unexpected since Duke had been playing well, but the blowout was not a good omen heading into Selection Sunday.
Dayton
The late season slide ultimately played a factor for Pitt. They were one of the last teams to make the tournament and it also meant a quick turnaround in Dayton. The Panthers looked relieved in the initial NCAA Tournament announcement press conference at The Pete just by making the tournament, but everyone also looked anxious knowing they were heading to Dayton the very next day to go against Mississippi State in a play-in game.
Obviously any team wants to avoid the quick stop in Dayton, but it did feel like an arrival or some vindication for this team: Pitt made the NCAA Tournament after a long and unexpected journey of a season.
The talk leading up to the game centered on Federiko Federiko and his playing status. From Monday night at the press conference up through the entire day on Tuesday, Federiko was said to be game time decision. It was a blow for Pitt to not be at full strength heading into the NCAA Tournament in general, but it also meant Federiko would be unavailable to go up against Mississippi State star Tolu Smith.
Guillermo Diaz Graham, Pitt’s 7-foot true freshman center, earned the start in place of Federiko. Diaz Graham had shown flashes all season, but he was mostly a role player. In his first career start against one of the best big men from the SEC, he got pushed around a lot. He struggled. He missed shots. But Guillermo did one thing really well, he battled and as the game wore on, he started to win some of them defensively against the much stronger Smith.
Slowly but surely, Diaz Graham gained confidence, which was remarkable given the nature of the game. Pitt and Mississippi State virtually played a one possession game with 21 lead changes for like 32 minutes with a brief exception. It was a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a freshman in his first career start.
Blake Hinson’s three-pointer from the logo will always be one of the most memorable shots from this season. It was a moment. The Panthers got up eight points on that shot and the crowd in Dayton was juiced.
Hinson's deep three-pointer was replaced by a bigger shot a few moments later. Jamarius Burton’s game winner with 9.8 seconds left in the game was a magnificent shot built for the NCAA Tournament. Pitt put the ball in their best player's hands and he made a play with the game on the line.
It would the ultimate ending, but of course, this Pitt team liked to make things interesting. Mississippi State got three looks at a go-ahead bucket, but not one of them found the bottom of the net. Diaz Graham had a memorable block on Smith. Pitt then escaped a wide open three-point attempt, and the place went ballistic.
There weren’t a ton of Pitt fans at the UD Arena but the ones that made the journey across Ohio were in full celebration mode. Pitt’s players and coaches were walking off the court and one by one hugging Athletic Director Heather Lyke and celebrating with fans. It was a joyous scene for a program that hadn't had many in recent years.
Greensboro
Pitt’s weekend in Greensboro was one of triumph and defeat. The NCAA Tournament is so sudden. One day you are celebrating a 20-point upset win, and two days later your season is over just like that. Pitt got to experience all of the emotions in their second stop in Greensboro in the month of March.
The Panthers jumped on Iowa State in unlikely fashion in the first round game. Pitt built a 22-2 lead before the Cyclones even made a shot from the field. Pitt withstood a late first half push, and put it on the Big 12 squad in the second half. Iowa State was not a great offensive team, but Pitt’s defense for the last month wasn’t exactly the Steel Curtain either. Pitt held them to 41 points.
Pitt received big time shots from Nelly Cummings in the second half, but the play of the game may have been when Jorge Diaz Graham dumped off a bounce pass to his brother Guillermo for a dunk that sort put the game out of reach.
Pitt had won two NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 2009.
You blink from that winning moment and all the sudden you are in the post game press conference following Pitt's loss to Xavier.
March can be that quick.
The Musketeers really took it to Pitt on Sunday in the second round. There were moments Pitt was in the game, but not really. The Panthers made a late push, but ultimately it just wasn’t their day. Xavier is a better team than Pitt and that’s the reality of it. Maybe Pitt could have gotten them on a hot shooting day or with a healthy Federiko, but maybe not.
Pitt’s final postgame press conference was a good way to culminate the season. The Panthers were somber, but aware of what they had done. They were a team that wasn't expected to do much, but ultimately they did a lot. Even with a second round loss, it felt like there was something accomplished by this group and the tone of their words reflected that.