Pitt Enters Season Opener with Hot Hand from Three
PITTSBURGH -- Poor shooting has plagued the Pitt Panthers for years, even before Jeff Capel took over as head coach in 2018. But this 2022 team, one that Capel thinks could be the most talented he's had at Pitt, looks like it will be the one to buck that trend.
In their two exhibition contests against Clarion and Edinboro, the Panthers shot 37% on 3-pointers, which made up 53% of their total shots. Without all-league center John Hugley in the fold, Pitt leaned on their guards to rout a pair of Division II opponents.
The level of competition has to be taken into account but past teams have missed even the most wide-open of looks and that was not the case this preseason.
Blake Hinson came off a two-year hiatus from college basketball firing and hitting nine of 15 attempts from deep. Two graduate transfers - Greg Elliot from Marquette and Nelly Cummings - have combined to make six of their 11 attempts from beyond the arc in their first two games as Panthers.
There are a few reasons behind the uptick in attempts and makes from this group.
First, the Panthers have much more diverse offensive threats this year on the perimeter. Even without five-star freshman Dior Johnson, who is facing assault charges and an indefinite suspension from the program, in the fold, Pitt's backcourt is as deep as ever.
In past years, the task of shooting the three has fallen to just one or maybe two players - Ithiel Horton and Ryan Murphy come to mind first.
Second, they are playing at a faster tempo, something the coaching staff has put an emphasis on. The Panthers have averaged 65 shots over those two exhibitions after surpassing 60 attempts from the field just four times last season. With more capable ball handlers populating the roster, Pitt can afford to push the pace and that ties into the next factor.
Third, they are better passers than they were a year ago. Outside of Jamarius Burton, there were few outstanding playmakers on the roster. They ranked 316th in Division II in assists per game and assisted on just 21.6% of their made baskets
Capel said that the Panthers are much improved in that category. He claims that throughout their 25 practices prior to the Edinboro game, Pitt had assisted on 75% of their made baskets. Against the Scots, the Panthers dished out 17 assists on 31 made baskets - a rate of 54%.
This kind of shot distribution - a 53-47 split in field goal attempts in favor of those from long-distance - represents a start stylistic change from Capel-led teams of the past, which couldn't make shots from outside so didn't take many. These Panthers boast more shooting talent than they've ever had and it has shown up on the court in live action. They still have yet to prove they can maintain this kind of success against Division I competition.
Their first chance to do that will come when they face UT Martin at the Petersen Events Center in the season opener this week.
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