Pitt basketball takes on Ohio State in its first true road game of the season.
The Panthers fell just short in the Greenbrier Tip-Off Championship against Wisconsin, but there is plenty of optimism ahead of Friday’s clash with the Buckeyes.
General Information:
Teams: Pitt (6-1) and Ohio State (5-1)
Tip-Off Time: 2:30 p.m. EST
Watch: Peacock
Listen: 93.7 The Fan
What to know about Ohio State:
Ohio State started the year with a bang as it upset Texas 80-72. That caused a lot more attention to be placed on the Buckeyes, and they haven’t turned back. Even the loss against Texas A&M was a game that Ohio State stayed within striking distance but couldn’t get over the hump.
The Buckeyes have one of the best back courts in the country in terms of talent and depth. John Mobley Jr. and Bruce Thornton lead the way with over 15 points per game for each of them. However, Meechie Johnson Jr. and Michael Parrish add quality depth to Ohio State with 10+ points per game each.
Not only are the Buckeyes one of the highest-scoring teams in the Big Ten, they’re also one of the most physical. Ohio State averages 39 rebounds per game, an area where the Panthers have struggled in spurts over the early portion of the season.
Ohio State is going to be a tough task for Pitt especially with the game being played in Columbus. Just like the Panthers, the Buckeyes are undefeated at home this season. Thornton is looking to stay hot after scoring 25 points in the win over Green Bay.
Latest on Pitt basketball:
Pitt is going to need to improvise in the back court after losing Damian Dunn in the game against Wisconsin. Dunn was ruled out with a dislocated thumb and a sprained ankle, so it’s safe to say he will miss multiple weeks.
Amsal Delalic will need to step up in his absence. The Serbian freshman has averaged just 4.5 points per game in limited minutes, but he scored nine against the Badgers.
However, it’s not just Delalic who will need to step up. Jeff Capel mentioned on Wednesday that it’s not just one person who will fill the void.
“I think we have to collectively as a group,” said Capel. “I don’t know if we have one person that could provide for us what Dame did in that standpoint.”
This means more pressure shifts to Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett to help pick up the slack in the back court. While there are a lot of expectations on those two already, those expectations just got even bigger.
Pitt may have a lot of depth, but most of the players are young and in their earlier years of collegiate basketball. Brandin Cummings has the potential to step up and be a scoring threat as well, but just like with Delalic, it’s asking a lot for a freshman to step in and have that impact.
The Panthers are going to need to be physical just like they were against the Badgers. Ohio State loves to control the glass on both ends of the court, and Pitt will have issues if it can’t grab rebounds especially in the defensive end. Until the Panthers figure out who will take Dunn’s place, the best option may be to play a low-scoring, defense-first style of play.
[…] mentioned in the matchup preview, both teams knew this was going to be a physical game. Rebounds were going to be a big decider of […]