Pitt dropped their first game of the season against Michigan earlier this week, but rebounded nicely against Delaware, winning the consolation game of the NIT Season Tip-Off, 85-59 on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
There are lots of reasons why the Panthers won so easily, but the two biggest factors were probably their combination of hot shooting (making nearly 60% of their shots) and taking good care of the ball (the Panthers had only six turnovers on the day).
Both Steven Adams and Tray Woodall bounced back from subpar games against Michigan. Both players had 13 points and while Adams added three rebounds and three blocks, Woodall dished out a team-high seven assists. But it was the Panthers' starting forwards that truly led the way. Talib Zanna and Lamar Patterson each had ten rebounds and the duo combined for 34 points.
Pitt's bench also played well, scoring 25 points on 9-16 shooting, led by J.J. Moore's 10. Moore also collected a couple of rebounds and a steal in only 12 minutes of action.
The lone negative may have been that another guard beat up on the Panthers as Devon Saddler went off for 28 points. It marked the second straight game Pitt's players have struggled against opposing guards and the team needs to tighten things up in the backcourt defensively. Michigan's Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr. didn't shoot particularly well, but they routinely made it to the basket with ease and had 33 points to go along with only two turnovers.
Still, though, Pitt will be happy to trade victories in exchange for big individual performances by opposing players.
After a close loss on Wednesday night against the Michigan Wolverines, the Panthers will take on the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens on Friday. The Panthers would surely rather be playing in the final against Kansas State, but after coming up just short in their game against No. 4 ranked Michigan, Pitt will try to bring home a third place finish.
Pitt shouldn't sleep on the Blue Hens. Delaware nearly beat a quality Kansas State team on Wednesday before falling 66-63. If the Panthers don't show up to play and take the Blue Hens lightly, it could result in a loss.
The perfect example of that nearly happened in Pitt's recent game against Oakland. The Panthers came out flat and only pulled out a win with a furious rally late in the second half and in overtime.
One of the Delaware players to watch is Devon Saddler. Saddler leads the team in scoring, averaging 20 points per game, and is second in rebounding with five per contest. But the big question mark will be senior forward Jamelle Hagins. Hagins is the team's leading rebounder with 13 per game and also averages ten points. But he went down with cramps in the Kansas State game and, while he returned briefly, he wasn't the same. If Hagins is back, he could be a matchup nightmare for true freshman Steven Adams, who has struggled a bit.
It's early in the season, but this game should tell us a lot about the Panthers. A strong performance in a bounce-back game would be a significant step forward.
After holding onto a slim four-point halftime lead, Pitt fell to Michigan 67-62.
The key for the Panthers was a seven-minute stretch in the second half when they were outscored, 14-3. That took Pitt from a five-point lead to a six-point deficit, and it was all uphill from there.
Pitt's lack of offense during that stretch was the main reason for the defeat, but the Panthers also didn't get enough from some key players. Freshman Steven Adams, who's been a fairly steady player, contributed next to nothing, going scoreless and adding only a single rebound. Even worse, he never looked comfortable and struggled to make his presence felt. Senior point guard Tray Woodall wasn't as bad, but his six points on 2-7 shooting and three turnovers wasn't nearly enough from a star player.
A bright spot was the play of Lamar Patterson, who's struggled greatly this season. Patterson had 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists to lead the way. It was easily his best game of the year and he was one of the few players to show up.
All in all, it wasn't a bad effort from Pitt. The second half wasn't pretty, but at the end of the day, the Panthers played a top five team closely throughout the entire game on a neutral court. There's room for improvement to be sure, but the game was a good benchmark in proving that Pitt may be a pretty good team this year.
