Pitt vs Purdue-Ft. Wayne: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are slated to close their non-conference schedule with a matchup against perhaps the best mid-major team they've faced yet this year.
Purdue Ft. Wayne rolls into town looking to improve on an 11-1 record that is one of the best in America while Pitt seeks to continue riding a wave of momentum into the start of ACC play.
Game Info
Opponent: Indiana University-Purdue University Ft. Wayne (11-1 overall, 2-0 Horizon)
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Petersen Events Center; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Broadcast: ACC Network and 93.7 The Fan
Odds
Pitt is a 14.5-point favorite over the Mastodons, per Action Network. The point total line has been set at 155.
New Starting Lineup Is Same Starting Lineup
The Panthers made a major change last week when they decided to insert Will Jeffress and Guillermo Diaz Graham into the starting lineup for the struggling Federiko Federiko and Zack Austin.
That moved proved fruitful against South Carolina State. Diaz Graham and Jeffress were just as solid as starters as they were coming off the bench and Austin and Federiko took the challenge from their head coach in stride, played hard and played well, especially in the second half against the Bulldogs.
With that in mind, Capel said prior to tip-off that he would continue to roll with a starting lineup of Jeffress and Diaz Graham alongside regulars Bub Carrington, Ishmael Leggett and Blake Hinson as they close out the non-conference slate.
Milestone on the Line for Jeff Capel
Pitt head coach Jeff Capel's tenure in Pittsburgh got off to an ugly start. He won just 51 of his first 120 games with the Panthers but the past two years have represented a complete turnaround from the dreadful first four.
After rattling off 32 wins in his last 47 games, Capel has the chance to pull his coaching record at Pitt to an even 84-84 if they can beat the Mastodons tonight at the Petersen Events Center.
Finally reaching a .500 record might not seem that impressive on the surface but taken in context, it represents the completion of a top-to-bottom rebuild for the Panthers, led by Capel. He pulled this program from the depths of a winless season in conference play and made them an NCAA Tournament team again.
Capel owns his previous struggles but he owns the successes as well and the latter is becoming an increasingly large part of his story in the Steel City.
Don't Let Name on the Front Deceive You
Indiana University-Purdue University Ft. Wayne is such an unnaturally long name for a school that sounds like something sitcom writers would make up during a March Madness-themed episode, but make no mistake, this team is definitely Division I and definitely good.
The Mastodons rank in the top 20 of Division I in five different major analytical categories - both offensive and defensive turnover rate, 3-point field goal percentage, defensive non-steal turnover rate and offensive teal percentage. That all adds up to the profile of a team that is guard-heavy, scores efficiently and takes care of the basketball while playing opportunistic defense.
They're tied for the third-best record in America and have the second-most wins of anyone in college basketball. No, they have not played a murder's row of opponents (their strength of schedule ranks 359th out of 362 teams in Division I) but 10 of their 11 wins have come by nine points or more. They have beaten a Power 6 Depaul team and knocked off KenPom No. 140 Oakland last month, with both wins coming on the road.
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