Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Pitt Panthers

Pitt Panthers (16-12, 7-10 ACC) at Louisville Cardinals (22-6, 15-2 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, Mar. 1 at 6:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ESPN2
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -9.0
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 22-11
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 82-78 on Jan. 11, 2025 (Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

G Chucky Hepburn (6-2, 190, Sr.)
G Reyne Smith (6-2, 190, Sr.)
G J'Vonne Hadley (6-6, 215, 5th)
G/F Terrence Edwards Jr. (6-6, 205, 5th)
C James Scott (6-11, 220, So.)

Pitt

G Jaland Lowe (6-3, 175, So.)
G Ishmael Leggett (6-3, 185, Sr.)
F Zack Austin (6-7, 210, R-Sr.)
F Cameron Corhen (6-10, 235, Jr.)
F Guillermo Diaz Graham (7-0, 225, Jr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Panthers, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Pitt

Additional Coverage

Game Notes

Louisville

The Cardinals secured a double bye in the ACC Tournament and will begin postseason play in the quarterfinals in Charlotte on Thursday, March 13.
Louisville has improved from eight wins in 2023-24 to 22 wins in 2024-25, the largest turnaround in program history, improving by 14 wins.
For the first time in the 111 years of program history, Louisville has earned five road wins with a margin of victory of 20 points or more: at Virginia (20), at Syracuse (24), at SMU (25), at Boston College (26) and at NC State (25).
Starting point guard Chucky Hepburn was named to the Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year Midseason Team.
Pat Kelsey’s Cardinals are one of the most improved teams in the country from the end of 2023-24 to now, accounting for the NET and number of wins. He was named to the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watch List on Feb. 21. .
As of Feb. 27, Reyne Smith is second in the country in 3’s per game (3.71) and total 3-pointers (104). He’s fourth in total 3-point attempts (270). Chucky Hepburn is 18th in the country in assists per game (6.0) and 24th in total assists (163). He’s also 12th in total steals (66) and 11th steals per game (2.44).
Sophomore forward James Scott is second in the country in dunks as of Feb. 27 with 64 makes on the year, according to Bart Torvik. He leads the ACC in that category and is third on Louisville’s dunks in a single season list.
Three of Louisville’s six losses have all come to teams now ranked in the AP Top 25: No. 2 Duke (25-3), No. 5 Tennessee (23-5) and No. 17 Kentucky (19-9). As of Feb. 27, those teams, plus RV Ole Miss (19-9), are a combined 86-26.
Against Florida State on Feb. 22, Chucky Hepburn knocked down 17 free throws, marking a new single game record for the Cards.
At SMU on Jan. 21, Chucky Hepburn broke the UofL single game assists record with 16. Reyne Smith broke the program’s single game made 3’s record with 10. Louisville became the only DI team this century to have a player with 10+ 3’s and 15+ assists in the same game. The Last NBA team to do it was the Warriors with Klay Thompson (10 3PM) and Steph Curry (15 AST) on Nov. 20, 2022.
Louisville’s game at NC State on Feb. 12 was the first time in program history that the team has hit marks of 60% FG, 50% 3FG and 90% from the free throw line in the same game.
Louisville’s 48-point season-opening victory over Morehead State on Nov. 4 was Louisville’s largest margin of victory since a 104-54 win vs. Southern on Nov. 13, 2018, and largest in a season opener since a 92-38 win vs. South Alabama on Nov. 18, 2001.
Against Winthrop on Nov. 22, Louisville logged 10 blocks, including seven in the first half. Sophomore James Scott blocked five on his own. The 10 total, seven in a half and Scott’s five were all the first time those feats happened for the Cardinals since March 7, 2018 against Florida State.
Louisville’s 48 first-half points against Bellarmine on Nov. 19 were the most since leading Eastern Kentucky 50-32 at halftime on Dec. 14, 2019.
In its season opener against Morehead State on Nov. 4, the Cardinals held the Eagles to a 23.1% clip from the floor. It’s the lowest field goal percentage of any Louisville opponent since Nov. 13, 2015 when the Cards held Samford to 21.0%.
The Cardinals are one of the more experienced teams in the country this season. Between the 17-man roster, the average amount of years in college basketball is 3.0 years with just two underclassmen on the roster. The Cards have 12 players designated as seniors this season, tied with Western Kentucky for the most on any team in men’s DI college basketball. Louisville is one of four programs with seven or more fifth-year seniors or older.
Louisville has just two underclassmen in freshman Khani Rooths and sophomore James Scott. Louisville is one of just 11 schools in DI that has two or fewer underclassmen on their roster, and the only Power Four school in that list.
Louisville returns just a single letterwinner to its roster in walk-on Aidan McCool. The program returns virtually 0% in all statistical categories from 2023-24. Louisville is one of five programs in the country returning 0% in scoring, rebounding and minutes played; the Cardinals are joined by DePaul, IU Indy, Iona and Kentucky.

Pitt

Pitt had a six-game win streak against Louisville snapped earlier this season in an 82-78 home loss. Jaland Lowe led the Panthers with 24 points and six assists, but it was not enough to overcome 13 three-point field goals and a +13 rebound advantage by the Cardinals.
Eight of the Panthers’ 12 losses have come in Quad 1 games with five of those eight Quad 1 defeats coming by six points or fewer.
Pitt is 3-7 on the season in games decided by six points or fewer.
The Panthers rank second in the ACC and 15th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.784). Pitt is on pace to set a single-season free throw percentage school record.
The Panthers’ starting backcourt of Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe combines to average 33.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 3.6 steals per game. The duo has combined for 46 double-figure scoring games, including 17 games with 20 or more points scored.
Zack Austin is two blocks shy of becoming the fifth player in ACC history (sixth time) with at least 50 blocks and 50 three-point fi eld goals in a season.
Ishmael Leggett has scored 20 or more points in three of the past four games and eight times overall on the season.
Ishmael Leggett has scored 15 or more points in 21 of 27 games played this season. He leads the team in rebounds (5.8 rpg.), shares the team lead in steals (48), and ranks second in scoring (16.5 ppg.), assists (74), and free throws (90).
Zack Austin leads the Panthers in three-point field goals (50) and blocked shots (48). He is one
of two players in the NCAA with at least 45 three-pointers and 45 blocks this season. Mouhamdou Gueye (2021-22) is the only other Panther to lead the team in blocks and three-pointers in a season.
Pitt is the only team in the NCAA with two players 6-3 or under averaging 16.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game or better. Jaland Lowe (16.7 ppg., 4.0 rpg.) and Ishmael Leggett (16.5 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) are looking to become the fi rst pair of Pitt guards to each average at least 16.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the same season.
Cameron Corhen has scored in double figures 18 times and is averaging 10.9 points and 5.3
rebounds per game. He leads the Panthers in dunks (42) and fi eld goal percentage (.629), while ranking second in offensive rebounds (51) and blocks (22).
Jaland Lowe (16.7 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 5.3 apg.) is one of 10 players in the NCAA averaging at least 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. Vonteego Cummings (1998-98) was the last Pitt player to reach those averages in a season.
Ishmael Leggett is one of nine players in the NCAA averaging at least 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He is looking to join Ricardo Greer (1999-2000) as the only Panthers to achieve those averages in a season.
Guillermo Diaz Graham leads the Panthers with 53 offensive rebounds. He is averaging 2.1 offensive rebounds per game, while shooting 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from three-point range in ACC play.
Cameron Corhen is averaging 16.0 points per game on 14-of-17 (.824) shooting from the field over the past two games.
Zack Austin has made at least one three-point field goal in a career-best 23 consecutive games. He has made at least two three-pointers in a game 14 times in that span.
Ishmael Leggett is averaging a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game and is attempting to become the first Pitt guard to lead the team in rebounds in back-to-back seasons.
The Panthers have been outscored by 75 points from the three-point line in ACC play. Pitt is averaging 7.7 threes per game on 34.3 (131-of-382) shooting from long range. In contrast, ACC opponents are averaging 9.2 threes per game, while shooting 38.4 percent (156-of-406) from distance against the Panthers.
Pitt has recorded 10 or fewer turnovers in a game 18 times and are tied for 22nd in the NCAA in turnovers per game (9.8). The Panthers have committed 10 or fewer turnovers 11 times in ACC play.
The Panthers are 11-0 on the season and 49-2 under Jeff Capel all-time when scoring 80 or more points in a game.
Pitt has a school-record seven wins when trailing at halftime this season. The Panthers have also won four games in which they have trailed by double-figures at some point in the contest.
The Panthers have won 17 true road games over the past three seasons, tied for 12th most among high-major programs in that span.
Pitt’s 8.3 three-point fi eld goals per game is the third best mark in program history. The Panthers’ 233 three-pointers currently ranks as sixth most in a season. Pitt’s top two three-point shooting seasons came in 2023 and 2024.

(Photo of James Scott: Brett Davis - Imagn Images)

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