Free Throw Shooting Woes Continue to Doom Pitt

The Pitt Panthers were handed their 12th loss of the season against NC State, falling by a score of 81-72 at home. This loss puts them dead last in the ACC.

After a dominant road win over Georgia Tech, it looked like the Panthers were improving as ACC play heated up. But, that game was followed by a crushing defeat to Louisville. The loss to the Cardinals was one of the worst in recent program history.

What followed the next game was a tight 65-62 loss to Boston College. While there's a lot that could've helped the Panthers win in a three point game, free throwing shooting was truly their downfall against Boston College and NC State.

Foul Line Stats

Against Boston College, Pitt shot 41.2% from the free throw line, going 7-of-17. If the Panthers just shot 58.8% from the free throw line, it would've given them an extra three points in a three-point loss.

App State, who is averaging one of the worst free throw percentages in D1 college basketball, shoots around 61% from the free throw line per game. If the Panthers could've matched this free throw percentage, it would've given them a much better chance of winning.

This NC State game saw even more free throws missed. The Panthers shot 44% from the line, going 11-of-25 and thus missing 14 free throws in a 9-point loss.

Pitt forward Barry Dunning Jr — Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) shoots as Pittsburgh Panthers guard Barry Dunning Jr. (22) defends during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Missed Potential

Another unfortunate part is that the Panthers didn't play their worst all-around game against the Wolfpack. They shot 37.9% from three, which is respectable, and dominated the rebounding battle. The Panthers had 52 rebounds compared to NC State's 31. Pitt also grabbed a crazy 26 offensive rebounds compared to just eight from NC State.

So, what's the solution? The responsibility of making free throws is definitely partly on the players; Damarco Minor and Nojus Indrusaitis were the only two Pitt players to knock down all of their free throw attempts this past game. Omari Witherspoon hit one-of-two, and every other Panther to get free throws shot them below 50%.

Coaching is what should mainly be looked at. When four players are shooting below 50% on one of the easiest shots in all of basketball, it's clearly more than just an individual problem. This free throw issue comes at a time when head coach Jeff Capel's job security is under more question than ever.

In his postgame press conference, Capel said, "I can't shoot it. I can encourage [them], we work on it in practice. At some point as a player you've got to step up, be confident." Capel emphasized how it was more of a mental issue.

Fingers can be pointed all around to explain why Pitt has been struggling from the line. Regardless of how to fix the problem, it's important that both the coaching staff and players figure it out as the ACC schedule only gets harder from here.

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