Pitt basketball begins the Greenbrier Tip-Off with a battle against SEC-powerhouse LSU.
The Panthers started off slow Monday night in the win against VMI, but a strong second half propelled Pitt to victory and stay undefeated heading into the tournament.
General Information:
Teams: Pitt (5-0) and LSU (4-0)
Tip-Off Time: 2:30 p.m. EST
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Listen: 93.7 The Fan
What to know about LSU:
LSU got a run for its money against Charleston Southern on Tuesday night. The Tigers trailed by five at halftime but also used a strong second half to come away with the 77-68 win. Vyctorius Miller was the hero for LSU who scored 19 points off the bench and led the second-half comeback.
Just because the Tigers almost became the latest edition of Jon Rothstein’s “epitome of brutality” doesn’t mean Pitt can take them lightly. Cam Carter scored 20+ points in three-straight games prior to the matchup with Charleston Southern. One bad night doesn’t erase the talent and athleticism he brings on a daily basis.
Jalen Reed has pulled in eight rebounds in three of the first four games of the season for the Tigers showing he can be a presence in the paint. Jordan Sears and Dji Bailey provide scoring depth along with Miller who can provide a spark from the bench.
LSU has a relatively new squad this year with the nine that regularly see the court. Three players were redshirt freshmen, three transfers were brought in and the Tigers roll with two true freshmen. Reed was the only one who was part of LSU’s lineup. The pieces are still coming together, but the Tigers have a point to prove against Pitt.
Latest on Pitt basketball:
After defeating VMI Monday night, this is the first time since the 2018-19 season that the Panthers have started a season 5-0. That was Jeff Capel’s first year in charge of the Pitt basketball program, and things have improved drastically since that season.
The Keydets were the second team that gave the Panthers some exposure to a zone defense. Gardner-Webb ran the zone after switching to it mid-game while VMI exclusively runs a zone defense. Both were learning experiences for Pitt in case LSU, Wisconsin, or UCF opt for the zone in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.
Jaland Lowe is going to be ready to go Friday afternoon after posting a triple-double Monday night. He was just the sixth player in Panthers history to record a triple-double. Prior to Bub Carrington posting one last year, none had happened since the turn of the century for Pitt basketball.
With a big win over VMI, it allowed Pitt to go deeper into its bench. Regulars like Brandin Cummings, Zack Austin and Jorge Diaz Graham came off the bench. However, Panthers fans got an extended glimpse of Amsal Delalic and a few short cameos from Papa Kante, Amdy Ndiaye and Marlon Barnes.
This comes after Capel went on the record saying after the Gardner-Webb game “there’s no such thing as B.S. minutes” and even added “if you think that [there are B.S. minutes], then you’re B.S.”
The Panthers are going to have to bring their A-game from here on out the rest of the season. No more slow starts or stretches of being unable to get shots to fall. One thing is for certain: neither game at Greenbrier will be easy for Pitt.
[…] first half between the Panthers and Tigers started slow as just six points were scored heading into the first media timeout. It didn’t […]