Blake Hinson Shines for Pitt in Second Exhibition Rout
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers ended their preseason with a resounding 92-53 victory Edinboro at the Petersen Events Center. They put a bow on this chapter of this campaign and will now turn their attention to the start of the regular season scheduled for next week.
With UT Martin looming, Pitt has looked sharp on offense but will need to do some work on the defensive end if they want to start the real season smoothly.
Blake Hinson's Rested, Not Rusty
Two years separated Iowa State and Ole Miss transfer Blake Hinson's last action with the Rebels in March 2020 and his next look at a live game with the Panthers this fall. But the time off doesn't seem to have added any rust. Hinson himself said all it took to keep rust away was a belief in himself.
“I wouldn’t say there was any rustiness. It was just being confident in myself these past two years," Hinson said. "[My teammates] found me and I hit the wide-open shots.”
Hinson scored 28 points in the first half and finished with 29. He made five of eight three-point attempts, grabbed seven rebounds and made three assists. At one point in the first half, Hinson knocked down four 3-pointers in a row.
Part of his success was due to some bully ball. 235-pound Hinson muscled his way to the offensive glass and carved out space among a smaller Edinboro frontcourt, but he also found a lot of success playing off of his teammates. Hinson isn't a face-up, isolation scorer but he'll have skilled passers to help him out if he can get in the right position.
Everybody Serves and Eats
The Panthers have shot immaculately well this preseason. They converted attempts from the field at a blistering 53% rate (for reference, 2021-22 Pitt shot 41% from the floor as a team). The competition is certainly a factor, but this team has also been moving the ball well.
Of the 69 field goals Pitt players made against Clarion and Edinboro, 37 of them came off an assist. Capel added in his postgame comments that the Panthers had assisted on 75% of their made shots over 25 practices since the start of the preseason.
This team is more talented, particularly as shooters but they're also smarter and more experienced, traits reflected in how they make extra passes and find open teammates. That should help keep the offense afloat, even on nights when their forms are off or a lid sits on the rim.
Sloppier than Box Score Says
The exhibition against Clarion, Pitt jumped out to a fast start and ran away quickly. This one against Edinboro was a little closer for a little longer because the Panthers got somewhat sloppy with the ball.
They were only credited with 10 turnovers as a team, but even when a poor decision didn't lead to a giveaway, it hurt the offense. Edinboro also kept pace with the Panthers on the boards for most of this game and they hung around on the scoreboard for a few minutes in the first half thanks to a poor defensive effort from Pitt early on.
Pitt was able to recover in these areas and on the scoreboard as the game wore on, but this was not as sharp an effort as the Clarion game.
Greg Elliot Standing Out
Elliot has been exactly what the doctor ordered for this Pitt team. He brings infectious energy and confidence, a quick release and smooth stroke from the outside and good instincts on both ends of the court. In Pitt's two exhibition games, he's started and scored in double figures twice while knocking down 50% of his 3-point shots. Elliot added a pair of steals in each contest too.
He's been quietly one of Pitt's best players so far. The graduate transfer from Marquette might not have put up the gaudy scoring numbers that Blake Hinson and Nelly Cummings have, but he's been productive in a lot of different ways this preseason.
Cummings Sits Second Half
Starting point guard Nelly Cummings did not touch the floor after halftime. After scoring five points on four shots and handing out five assists in 18 first half minutes, Cummings spent the early moments of the second on a stationary bike behind the bench before returning to the bench. He played almost 26 minutes against Clarion last week.
Head coach Jeff Capel said that Cummings was just cramping at halftime and resting him in the second was nothing more than a precaution.
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