Preview: Pitt Gets First Action As Top 25 Team

The Pitt Panthers travel to face Mississippi State in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Meechie Johnson Jr. (1) defends Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game at Value City Arena in Columbus on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Ohio State lost 91-90 on a last second shot. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers appeared on the nation's radar once they played a talented Wisconsin team close, but after redshirt senior forward Zach Austin hit a buzzer-beater to defeat Ohio State in overtime on the road, they are no longer a blip on the radar.

The Panthers are real, ranked and recognized, coming in at No. 18 in the latest AP Poll. This is their first ranking since the 2022-23 season, when they held the No. 25 ranking for the final week of the regular season.

This is also the highest ranking for Pitt since they were No. 18 for one week in the 2013-14 season, starting Jan. 27. Pitt received votes the past two weeks and now ends more than a year drought of playing as an unranked team.

Pitt is also ranked fifth in the NET rankings, a ranking system used by the NCAA selection committee to compare teams' resumes.

Next, the Panthers travel to an old foe, Mississippi State, for the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Pitt vs. Mississippi State Preview

Two years ago the Panthers and Bulldogs met in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. Guard Jamarius Burton created a mid-range jumper with 10 seconds left to give Pitt a one-point lead, ending the Bulldogs' season. Burton is past his college basketball days and the only holdovers from that team are junior forwards in twins Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, who were first-year players at the time.

That loss was Mississippi State's first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2018-19 season--still an impressive season considering it was head coach Chris Jans's first with the Bulldogs. In Jans's second year (last season) the Bulldogs entered the tournament as an eighth seed but lost to Michigan State by 18 points in the first round.

Like Pitt, Mississippi State started this season 6-0 but lost their seventh game to fellow Bulldogs in Butler 87-77. Before the loss, Mississippi State was ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll, but they fell out out of the top 25 aftewards.

The only Mississippi State players who played in that First Four matchup and are still rostered are graduate student forward Cameron Matthews, who started in that game, junior guard Shawn Jones Jr. and redshirt junior forward KeShawn Murphy.

Murphy played a brief six minutes in that game. Now, Murphy averages just shy of a double-double and his nine rebounds per game lead the Bulldogs while averaging 11 points.

He stands at 6-foot-10 and brings a defensive presence that Pitt's frontcourt will have to deal with without fouling to match Murphy's availability. Murphy did foul out against SMU and record four fouls in the loss to Butler but hasn't exceeded two fouls in the other five games this season.

The Bulldogs are led in scoring by sophomore guard Josh Hubbard's 19.1 points per game.

Hubbard stands at five-foot-11 and like most guards under six feet tall, he is lethal from beyond the arc, shooting 44.8% from deep on 8.3 attempts per game this season.

He is coming off a 3-for-11 performance from three-point range against Butler, but his impressive mark for the season speaks for the sophomore's ability. Hubbard and Matthews each add 3.4 assists per game, the most on the team.

The only other Bulldog that averages double-digit points per game is junior guard Riley Kugel with 10 points per game. Kugel spent his first two collegiate years at Florida and averaged just over nine points per game.

Pitt had a huge question mark after graduate student Damian Dunn underwent surgery, which will keep him out five more weeks until early January .

The answer to that question is through the aggregate. First-year guard Amsal Delalić entered the starting line-up in place of Dunn, but the real contribution came from redshirt first-year Papa Amadou Kante.

Ohio State the first game Kante saw a real run and he made the difference in the game. Kante's 12 points and four offensive rebounds in 17 minutes were crucial when the Panthers trailed early in the second half.

Austin also shot an impressive 5-for-8 from three-point range against Ohio State. Austin is known for his defensive presence but is shooting 41.4% from deep this season, taking advantage of good opportunities.

Of course, sophomore guard Jaland Lowe and senior guard Ishmael Leggett continue as Pitt's offensive engines.

Road wins are difficult to come by college basketball. The Panthers already escaped with one in overtime against the Buckeyes and they have to hope they can play to that standard and get a win against the Bulldogs.

How to Watch: Pitt vs. Mississippi State

Pitt and Mississippi State will tip off at 9:15 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. on Dec. 4. The game is viewable on the SEC Network.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

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