Pitt Hosting Star-Studded No. 4 Duke

The Pitt Panthers will host the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils in the Petersen Events Center on Feb. 10. Duke is currently the top team in the ACC, having a 10-1 conference record and a 21-2 overall record.

Duke just got their first ACC loss via a buzzer beater from their rivals North Carolina. Still, they stand as the clear best team in the conference.

Pitt currently sits at the bottom of the ACC with just a 2-9 conference record. Their two wins come over Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. The Panthers' most recent game was a loss to SMU, which started out strong but faltered in the second half.

Stopping the Star

While Pitt has dealt with some attendance issues this season, expect a near full house for their matchup with the Blue Devils. Many people will be there to see Duke's star freshman, Cameron Boozer.

Boozer, the son of NBA veteran Carlos Boozer, is living up to the hype of a projected top-3 pick in the NBA draft. The freshman, standing at 6'9 and 250 pounds, can do it all on the court. He's physical, has great footwork, a high basketball IQ and is shooting 38% from three.

Boozer is averaging 23.3 points, ten rebounds, and four assists on the season so far.

Duke forward Cameron Booze — Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) controls the ball in front of Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Cooper Schwieger (13) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for the Panthers, Boozer makes for a bad matchup. With forward Papa Amdou Kante and center Dishon Jackson both out for the season, Pitt has been dealing with size issues. Their only true big options have been starting center Cam Corhen and freshman center Kieran Mullen, who was originally supposed to redshirt.

Head coach Jeff Capel has a lot to figure out for this game. He might decide to put Corhen on Boozer, as that's the best option to match Boozer's physicality. But, doing so would leave an undersized Panther to guard Duke's starting center, Patrick Ngongba II. Ngongba is currently averaging 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on the season.

Previous Matchups

Pitt is 4-12 against Duke in basketball since 2007. Their last matchup was a blowout loss; the only notable moment coming from it was Duke's star freshman, Cooper Flagg, having a highlight dunk over Guillermo Diaz Graham.

Pitt's last win over Duke came in the 2023-24 season at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Pitt forward Blake Hinson knocked down seven threes to lead the way. After the final buzzer, Hinson talked back at the Duke student section as the Panthers walked off with a win.

Pitt's last home win over Duke was all the way back in the 2020-21 season. Pitt hasn't beaten Duke by double digit points since a 76-62 win in the 2015-16 season.

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