Preview: Pitt Starts Final Season Stretch vs. Virginia

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers enter the final 10 games of the season, where they'll look to get back to winning ways over Virginia.

They have won two-thirds of their games until this point, but are an even 5-5 in ACC play. If the Panthers want any chance of staying on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, that record will have to improve in the home stretch.

Pitt suffered a close road loss to Wake Forest 76-74 just two days prior on Feb. 1, making it their fifth loss in the past seven games.

They made several discoveries in their previous win against North Carolina at home on Jan. 28. Protecting the basketball and a total defensive effort seemed enough to win games.

The difference in several of Pitt's losses compared to their recent wins over rival Syracuse on the road on Jan. 25 and UNC was clutch plays down the stretch. Pitt made those plays in the wins, but didn't do so in the defeats including vs.Wake Forest.

Over 21 games of the regular season, the Panthers have found out what they are. That likely does not align with who the Panthers want to be, and therefore, they have much work to do. That work starts when they host the Cavaliers as the heavy favorites.

Preview: Pitt vs Virginia

The Cavaliers are looking for a bounce back season under first-year head coach Ron Sanchez, who is filling the shoes of 15-year and national championship-winning head coach Tony Bennett. Sanchez coached five seasons at Charlotte and finished with a 22-14 record in his final season with the program.

Although Bennett won a national championship at Virginia in the 2018-19 season, the Cavaliers have had several disappointing ends to their recent campaings.

The season before winning the title in ended as the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in UMBC in 2018 then lost as a No. 4 seed to No. 13 seed Ohio in 2021. They missed the NCAA Tournament in 2022, lost as a No. 4 seed to No. 13 seed Furham in 2023, and finally, scored 42 points in a First Four blowout defeat to No. 10 Colorado State in 2024.

Sanchez's first season hasn't gone entirely to plan, as the Cavaliers hold a 10-12 record and a 3-8 record in the ACC.

Giving Virginia some hope, though, is two of those wins against ACC opponents came in the last four games, including a 74-56 home win vs Boston College on Jan. 21 and an 82-71 win at Miami on Jan. 29, where several starters were hurt.

Under Bennett, the Cavaliers built an identity of a slow-paced offensive team. That identity has mostly stuck under Sanchez, as the Cavaliers have the fifth slowest "true tempo" as tracked by EvanMiiya.com.

Virginia also only averages 63.3 points per game, the lowest in the ACC and six points lower than then next team.

Junior guard Isaac McKneely leads Virginia with 13.3 points per game. Standing at six-foot-four, McKneely has started 55 straight games he's appeared in for the Cavaliers. He's an excellent outside shooter, averaging 42.3% from deep on 7.1 attempts per game, making up just over 70% of his shot attempts.

McKneely has led the Cavaliers in scoring in seven games this season, three of which came in the last four contests. The Poca, W.V. native scored a season-high 26 points including six three-pointers in the recent win over Miami.

The only other Cavalier who averages double figures is junior forward Elijah Saunders with 11.8 points per game, who also leads Virginia with 5.4 rebounds per game.

Saunders spent the first two seasons of his career at San Diego State, where he lost the national championship to UConn in in 2023 and lost to UConn again in the NCAA Tournament the last season. Now at Virginia,

He has found an increased role and has started in all 20 games he's appeared in this season. Standing at six-foot-eight, Saunders shoots 40.4% from deep on 2.9 attempts per game, making up a third of his shot attempts, and 81.7% from the free-throw line. Saunders missed the game against Miami with a foot injury and his status against Pitt is unknown.

Junior guard Andrew Rhode rounds out the Cavaliers' backcourt, leading with 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals in his 29.7 minutes per game. Rohde often handles the basketball for the Cavaliers and holds a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

He shot a poor 25.7% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game last season, making up over half his shot attempts. His minutes per game have increased this season and he is a full-time starter when healthy.

Rhode is also shooting much better this campaign, with a 38.7% efficiency beyond the arc on just over three attempts per game. He missed the win over Miami with a foot injury and his status against the Panthers is also unknown.

First-year forward Jacob Cofie and sophomore forward Blake Buchanan bolster the Cavaliers' frontcourt.

Standing at six-foot-10, Cofie is the second-leading rebounder for Virginia with 5.3 per game and adds 7.8 points in his 21.6 minutes per game. Cofie also records just under one block per game.

Buchanan, who stands at six-foot-11, leads the Cavaliers with 1.1 blocks per game, grabs 5.2 rebounds and adds 5.8 points per game. Buchanan had a limited role last season with the Cavaliers and has started just over half this season's games.

Of Cavaliers who average over seven minutes per game, Buchanan leads the team with a field goal percentage of 54.8. Almost all of his shot attempts come from inside the arc.

Pitt graduate student guard Damian Dunn is coming off a great offensive performance in the loss to Wake Forest. He scored a season-high 24 points, shooting 8-for-13 from the field, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line.

Even if Dunn and the rest of the Panthers don't produce their best offensive night against the Cavaliers, victory is still likely. Pitt averages 16.3 more points per game than Virginia and allows only 5.7 points more.

The Panthers have a better team when it comes to field goal percentage and rebounds — a statistic the Panthers have not performed great in this season — block more shots, and earn more steals than the Cavaliers.

Pitt sophomore guard Jaland Lowe has not shot the ball particularly well despite leading Pitt with 17.4 points per game, shooting 38.2% from the field and 28.0% from 3-point range.

Even if Lowe has another night with some poorly timed missed shots, Pitt should be able to get back on track and take down the Cavaliers at home.

How to Watch: Pitt vs Virginia

Pitt hosts Virginia at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3 at the Petersen Events Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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