Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Pitt

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After escaping Atlanta with a road win over Georgia Tech, the Louisville men's basketball program is making a brief return to the KFC Yum! Center, hosting Pitt for their first home game of the new year.

Here are a few of the more significant storylines to follow ahead of the Cardinals' matchup against the Panthers:

Bottom of the Barrel

In the age of the one-time transfer rule, NIL and one-and dones, it's not uncommon for program to lose of lot of production at the end of the season. But even by those standards, Pitt was hit hard, as they lost their top three scoring options.

Justin Champagnie declared for the NBA, and Au'Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson entered the transfer portal. Compounding matters, Nike Sibande - who did return and was expected to be a top contributor - tore his ACL right before the start of the season. The Panthers lost 60.0 percent of the offense from this group alone, on a team that already went 10-12 and 6-10 in the ACC last year.

So as you can imagine, Pitt has not exactly had a great year up to this point. The Panthers boast a record of just 5-8, including double-digit losses to The Citadel, UMBC, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. They shoot just 40.9 percent from the field, 29.8 percent on three-point attempts, and average 61.2 points per game - all of which rank outside the top 300 in Division I. Their KenPom ranking of 179th is the lowest in high-major college basketball (Power Five + Big East).

Hope on the Horizon?

That all being said, there could be some hope for the Panthers.

After starting the season at 2-6, Pitt has won three out of their last five games. Granted, two of those wins are to Colgate and Jacksonville, but the other is a solid Quad 2 win at St. John's. Even their recent losses have been close, as three of their last four have been by a single point, and two of those were at Virginia and vs. Notre Dame.

Plus, Pitt is extremely close to getting one of their top offensive weapons back. After criminal charges accusing him of punching a police officer were dismissed, Ithiel Horton was reinstated last week from his suspension. Head coach Jeff Capel did not reveal a specific timetable for Horton’s return to the lineup, but it could be against Louisville.

Horton averaged 8.9 points per game last season, and was Pitt's top three point shooter, connecting on a team-high 43 threes at a 37.1 percent clip. Plus, John Hugley has developed into a go-to scoring option as well, averaging a team-best 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds.

Tough as Nails

Pitt might not be the most elite team in the ACC, but they still present a challenge in the way they play. The Panthers are one of the more physical and tough teams to play in the conference, which can not only wear down teams, but it shows up in several stats.

People often think of Virginia when it comes to slow as molasses pacing, but Pitt isn't far behind. According to KenPom, the Panthers' average defense possession lasts 18.6 seconds, which is good for 350th out of 358 D1 teams in defensive tempo. Their offensive tempo isn't much better, as it's 315th.

Being a hard-nosed team does have its benefits. Their 299 total free throw attempts is good for 17th in the nation, and their 198 makes ranks 41st. While Pitt only averages 36.2 rebounds per game, their rebound margin of 4.8 is fifth in the ACC. Plus, 42.7 percent of Pitt's opponent field goal attempts have been three-pointers, which doesn't bode well for a Louisville team struggling to shoot the three ball.

(Photo of Matt Cross: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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