PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – While Pitt is coming off a blowout win, Northwestern has scored 203 points in its first two victories, most for them since gas cost 31 cents a gallon in 1966. Panthers at the Wildcats at 9:15 on Wednesday night on 93.7 The Fan.
Five are averaging double figures for Northwestern led by guard Chase Audige at 18 points per game, 6’7” forward Miller Kopp is 7-10 from three, 6’9” forward Robbie Beran is 4-5 from three.
“We are going to have to get the shooters,” said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel. “They can put a group on the floor where all five guys can shoot the basketball. That provides a different type of challenge than we’ve had all year.”
In wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Chicago State, Northwestern is shooting 52% from the floor, more impressively, 47% from three. Wildcats are a plus 25.5 on the boards and committing only 10 turnovers a game.
“We just have to maintain smart pressure and rattle them,” said junior guard Au’Diese Toney. “I know my team is going to play hard regardless.”
Capel says he watches Northwestern games ‘pretty often’ and has seen their improvement from an eight win team last year. A team Pitt beat 72-59 to win the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament last November. In that game, Pitt held the Wildcats to 36% FG and were a plus 14 in rebounding with Justin Champagnie scoring 21 points.
“They are well coached,” Capel said. “They are playing with a lot of confidence. They’re playing with a lot of joy.”
He has an insight to their basketball program as Capel and Northwestern head coach Chris Collins played together for three years at Duke.
“He and I went through some amazing things together when we were teammates,” Capel said. “We went through success, but we also went through difficulty and we overcame it together. It’s something that has bonded us. We talk just about every day.”
Capel says he doesn’t like to face his friend, but when the ball tips for those 40 minutes they are two opposing coaches.
“For us everything is going to be different,” Capel said. “First time on the road, for a lot of us it’s the first time out of Pittsburgh.”
Pregame begins at 8:45 on the Fan Wednesday night.