Read below for a full Pitt vs Sam Houston prediction and preview in the last non-conference game for the Panthers.
The Panthers are hoping to end the year on Santa’s nice list by beating Sam Houston at home on Saturday.
General Information:
Teams: Pitt (9-2, 1-0) and Sam Houston (6-5, 0-0)
Tip-Off Time: 1 p.m. EST
Watch: ACC Network Extra/ESPN+
Listen: 93.7 The Fan
Latest on Sam Houston basketball:
Sam Houston is coming off of an 80-54 win over St. Thomas to put the Bearkats back over the .500 mark on the season. Lamar Wilkerson led the way for Sam Houston with 19 points. He was one of five players to score in double digits for the Bearkats.
Wilkerson is also the leading scorer on the season where he averages 20 points per game. Averaging 20 points isn’t easy at any Division I school, so the Panthers will have to keep an eye on him at all times.
Dorian Finister is the leading rebounder for the Bearkats by averaging 7.2 boards per game. The 6’5 transfer from Kansas State uses his size as a guard to crash the glass intensely.
The Bearkats aren’t necessarily the highest-scoring team in college basketball with 78.7 points per game. They give up 76.5 per game, meaning Sam Houston is very familiar with playing in close-game situations.
Sam Houston has played against some of the top teams in the game with contests against Baylor and Indiana. Neither of those games ended well for the Bearkats with differentials of 37 and 26, respectively.
Latest on Pitt basketball:
The Panthers should be refreshed and ready to go after having 10 days between games. The Panthers haven’t played since Dec. 11 in the win over Eastern Kentucky. Pitt rallied behind freshman Brandin Cummings in what could simply be called “the Beebah game.”
𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞:
😼 Brandin Cummings, @Pitt_MBB
🔗 https://t.co/Vyr3uoutJp pic.twitter.com/30MXkkAWZN
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) December 16, 2024
Pitt is looking for its third win in a row against the Bearkats. Zack Austin was a big part of the game plan in the win over the Colonels with his defense against Devontae Blanton. He will need to replicate that on Saturday against Wilkerson as his defense is something he takes pride in.
“Shoutout to them [his teammates] for pushing me every day to be the defender they want me to be, and I just try to go out there and do my best,” said Austin after the EKU game.
One player the Panthers are going to need to get going is Guillermo Diaz Graham. He’s been struggling offensively as of late, but Pitt knows what he is capable of doing on the court.
After the EKU game, Jeff Capel worked to rally the fanbase behind the Spanish forward.
“It’s easy to pile on someone when they’re down,” said Capel on Dec. 11. “But my thing is if you’re a fan of our program, you’re a fan of Pitt basketball, you’re a fan of all of Pitt basketball, not just when someone’s doing well. We need everyone to rally around him because we need him to be at our best.”
This matchup against Sam Houston is an opportunity for Diaz Graham to try and work through some of his struggles. With ACC play picking up again on New Year’s Day, the Panthers are going to need him to turn him around. He shot 40.5% from three-point range in the 23-24 season, so there is proof he can be an effective shooter.
Pitt appears to have found its rhythm with Austin in the starting lineup. He may not be a perfect replacement for Damian Dunn, but his versatility is huge for the Panthers. Austin steps up on both ends of the court and provides another scoring option to complement Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett.