2024-25 North Carolina Sports Network
Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball Spotlight:
Pittsburgh

By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network

School: University of Pittsburgh

Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Previous NCAA Conference Affiliations: Eastern Intercollegiate Conference (1932-39), Eastern Eight (1976-82), Big East (1982-2013)

Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

ACC Member Since: 2013-14

ACC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 5th (2025), 5th (2024), 7th (2023), 5th (2022), 5th (2021), 4th (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 27 (1941, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2023)

Conference Titles: 4 (1981, 1982 in Eastern Eight; 2003, 2008 in Big East)

Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 10 (1933, 1934, 1935, 1937 in EIC; 1987, 1988, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011 in Big East)

Head Coach: Jeff Capel III (49 years old, 7th season at Pittsburgh)

As A Player: Duke (1993-97), 3 years professionally

Record At Pittsburgh (Through Jan. 6): 109-94 (.537) in 6+ seasons

Previous HC Experience: VCU (2002-06), Oklahoma (2006-11)

College AC Experience: Old Dominion (2000-01), VCU (2001-02), Duke (2011-18)

Assistant Under: Jeff Capel II, Mack McCarthy, Mike Krzyzewski

2023-24 Record: 22-11, 12-8 (4th in 15-team ACC)

2024-25 Preseason Prediction (Coaches/Media): 7th in 18-team ACC

2024-25 Record (Through Jan. 6): 12-2, 3-0 ACC

2024-25 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #21 nationally (2nd in ACC)

Upcoming Schedule: at #4 Duke (1/7), Louisville (1/11), at Florida State (1/15), Clemson (1/18), at Syracuse (1/25), North Carolina (1/28), at Wake Forest (2/1), Virginia (2/3)

During the latter part of its three-plus decades in the Big East, the Pitt basketball program spent considerable time in the national spotlight.

Over a 10-year stretch (2002-11) that bridged the coaching tenures of Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon, the Panthers made the NCAA Tournament every year, advanced to the Sweet 16 five times and made one Elite Eight.

Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, however, Pitt’s success stories have been few and far between. In eight of their 11 seasons as ACC members, the Panthers have finished in the bottom half of the league standings.

In 2022-23, after four consecutive losing seasons to begin his tenure in the Steel City, coach Jeff Capel finally reversed the program’s downward spiral. The Panthers placed third in the ACC (their best finish since joining the league) and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

Last year, after posting a 22-11 record and a 12-8 mark in conference play, Pitt fell just short of a second straight NCAA Tournament invitation, leading to a tweak in Capel’s approach to nonconference scheduling.

“I know there’ve been teams in the Big 12, SEC and Big Ten that have been under .500 (in conference play) and gotten in (to the NCAA Tournament),” Capel said. “Our league used to be able to do that, but it’s not like that anymore.”

This season, through Jan. 6, Pitt was one of only three teams (with Duke and Clemson) undefeated in ACC play, and the Panthers’ nonconference wins over Ohio State, West Virginia and LSU were better than anything they accomplished during their early slate last season.

Sophomore point guard Jaland Lowe has blossomed into a first-team All-ACC candidate, Florida State transfer Cameron Corhen has given the Panthers an effective two-way post player, and gritty veteran transfers Damian Dunn (a former Temple star sidelined lately with a thumb injury), Ishmael Leggett (Rhode Island) and Zack Austin (High Point) have provided the sort of production-intangibles combination that’s necessary for a return to the Big Dance.

2024-25 Pitt Panthers
(12-2, 3-0 ACC; through Jan. 6)

STARTERS (stats = 2024-25 numbers)

PG Jaland Lowe*, So. (6-3/175) — 4-star HS signee (Marshall HS near Houston)
35 mpg, 17 ppg, 5 rpg, 39% FG, 89% FT, 28% threes, 85/39 ATO, 5 blocks, 26 steals

G Damian Dunn, Gr. (6-5, 205) — 2024 Houston transfer (3-year starter at Temple)
22 mpg, 11 ppg, 2 rpg, 49% FG, 75% FT, 53% threes, 13/4 ATO, 0 blocks, 5 steals

G Ishmael Leggett, Sr. (6-3/185) — 2023 Rhode Island transfer (2-year starter)
34 mpg, 18 ppg, 6 rpg, 53% FG, 76% FT, 30% threes, 35/25 ATO, 5 blocks, 22 steals

F Cameron Corhen, Jr. (6-10/235) — 2024 Florida State transfer (part-time starter)
29 mpg, 11 ppg, 6 rpg, 68% FG, 66% FT, 25% threes, 16/19 ATO, 10 blocks, 11 steals

F Guillermo Diaz Graham, Jr. (7-0/225) — 3-star HS signee (IMG Academy)
25 mpg, 7 ppg, 6 rpg, 43% FG, 81% FT, 25% threes, 22/20 ATO, 13 steals, 4 blocks

KEY RESERVES (stats = 2024-25 numbers)

F Zack Austin*, r-Sr. (6-7/210) — 2023 High Point transfer (2-year starter)
27 mpg, 10 ppg, 4 rpg, 49% FG, 88% FT, 45% threes, 4/7 ATO, 21 steals, 10 blocks

G Brandin Cummings, Fr. (6-3/175) — 3-star HS signee (nearby Lincoln Park HS)
18 mpg, 8 ppg, 2 rpg, 51% FG, 76% FT, 44% threes, 12/5 ATO, 1 steal, 6 blocks

G Amsal Delalic, Fr. (6-8/210) — 2024 signee from Bosnia
15 mpg, 4 ppg, 3 rpg, 53% FG, 33% FT, 44% threes, 11/13 ATO, 1 steal, 4 blocks

F Papa Amadou Kante, r-Fr. (6-10/235) — 4-star HS signee (South Kent Prep)
8 mpg, 3 ppg, 2 rpg, 60% FG, 62% FT, 0 threes, 4/5 ATO, 5 steals, 4 blocks

F Jorge Diaz Graham, Jr. (6-11/215) — 3-star HS signee (IMG Academy)
7 mpg, 3 ppg, 1 rpg, 59% FG, 100% FT, 58% threes, 3/1 ATO, 1 steal, 4 blocks

Departures from 2023-24: PG Carlton “Bub” Carrington* (Fr./early NBA entry/Washington Wizards), C Federiko Federiko* (Jr./transfer/Texas Tech), BF Blake Hinson* (Sr./G League), WG Michael Hueitt Jr. (Sr./left team-personal), WF William Jeffress (Jr./transfer/Louisiana Tech)

*—2023-24 starter (started at least 50% of Pitt’s games last season)