Welcome back to our 82 in 72 countdown at The Center Hub! In this latest installment of our countdown leading up to the tipoff of the college basketball season, we are looking at a team I feel is being slept on after narrowly missing the NCAA tournament last season… Coming in at number #67 in our countdown are the Pitt Panthers, led by Jeff Capel, who is entering his seventh season at the helm. Here is where our team has Pitt ranked heading into the year!

Early losses last season became the undoing for Pitt as they just slightly missed the tournament. Departed from that team and onto the NBA are Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson, as well as Federiko Federiko, who transferred to Texas Tech last spring. After losing those three significant pieces, I enjoyed where Jeff Capel and company took this roster, and my optimism for the Pitt Panthers this season begins in their backcourt, specifically in Jaland Lowe. 
According to multiple reports, Lowe had a very positive summer for Pitt and his own development. Lowe was one of the top performers at CP3 camp this summer. A player who I believe is one of the top sophomores in the country; Lowe is a crafty guard at 6’ 3 with plus length and some interesting playmaking chops. His movement is fluid but unorthodox at times, which keeps defenders guessing. With Bub Carrington out of the mix for the Panthers, Jaland Lowe will have an increased opportunity to create not only for himself but for others, and that is what this Pitt team needs most from Lowe heading into 2024-2025.
Outside of the future NBA player Jaland Lowe, the Pitt Panthers are returning the reigning ACC sixth man of the year in Ishmael Leggett. Per Cerebro Sports, Leggett has posted above 7.8 C-RAM scores over his last two seasons of college basketball with over a 23% usage rate. Here is a graphic to better understand C-RAM:

Leggett’s prior two seasons suggest that a drastic spike in his production should be on the way once he is inserted into the starting lineup full-time, along with added opportunities on the offensive end playing off of Lowe. 
Coach Capel and the Panthers also bring in two transfers who should significantly impact the court this season: Florida State transfer Cameron Corhen and Houston transfer Damian Dunn. Dunn is an interesting case; he spent the first four years of his college career at Temple, and in the three years he started, he averaged 14.6 points per game for the Owls. Dunn then transferred to Houston last season to play for Kelvin Sampson, where Dunn’s role seemed to corner his offensive game. Now, with Jeff Capel, Dunn will be exposed to much more freedom on the offensive end, and I expect his scoring numbers to once again jump back up playing alongside Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett in the backcourt.
The Diaz Graham brothers(Guillermo and Jorge)and Zack Austin, one of my favorite players in the ACC, are also returning in the frontcourt this season for the Panthers and are fixing to be major rotation pieces. 

Per cbbanalytics, only Ryan Dunn(a first-round draft pick in the 2024 draft)posted a greater steal% vs. block% than Zack Austin in the ACC last season. Austin is slightly undersized but makes up for it with his defensive IQ and plus athleticism. Austin is the best help-defender in the ACC and will be a huge piece for Jeff Capel and the Panthers this season.
Incoming Freshman Amsak Delalic comes from club KK Borac and the nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and could potentially fit into the Panthers’ rotation this season. He should provide needed shooting and spacing for Coach Capel. Pitt will also be looking for possible contributions on the back end of their rotation from freshmen Brandin Cummings and Amdy Ndiaye.
I am optimistic about where the Pittsburgh Panthers stand heading into the 2024-2025 season; if the Panthers can get consistent play from the newcomers in Corhen, Delalic, and possibly one of the other Freshman, I feel optimistic about their chances to make a run for the dance this season. With Jeff Capel at the helm, who seems about as comfortable as he has been as a head coach in his career, and with the talent on paper, there should be some optimism around Pitt, a program looking for its first sweet sixteen appearance since 2009.