PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pitt looks to equal it's most ACC wins under Jeff Capel against Louisville on Wednesday with more than six weeks to play in the regular season.
5-2 in the ACC, the Panthers are a game and a half out of first in the ACC with Virginia, 17th ranked Miami and Wake Forest the only other team with just two losses. Pitt is ahead of Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina and Florida State. They've done it without their only returning All-ACC player and leading scorer and rebounder. Doing it without their best recruit and another who was a four-star recruit.
"We complement each other really well just because we are all in it for the right reasons," said graduate transfer Nelly Cummings. "We all want to win. When you all want to win and all of your energy is pointed in the right direction, we find ways to make sure we help each other."
All seemingly have played a role this year:
· 6 different Panthers have been the leading scorer (Hinson, Burton 7 each)
· 8 different Panthers have been the leading rebounder (Hinson, 6)
· 4 different Panthers have been the leading assister (Cummings, 12)· 8 different Panthers have had double-figure scoring games (Hinson, 16)
It's a group of guards that each specializes in something, but can do everything. For example, Greg Elliott is the team's best three-point shooter, yet he's had a 10-rebound game. Nike Sibande is known for his outside shot, yet has the most explosive dunk this year and plays solid defense.
"When those guys are going it's hard for teams to contain us because we have a lot of options," Cummings said of the group of guards also including Jamarius Burton. "We are not a team where you can just scout one guy and say 'you stop this guy and you'll beat them'. We have a lot of different options. Every single game is a different guy who could do what Nike did last game."
It's a program that hasn't had a winning season since 2015-16. There has been optimism before, but the Panthers were picked 14th in conference this year. When did this group start believing in each other?
"I think the first time getting in the gym, being around the guys, playing with them and sharing the locker room with them," sophomore Nate Santos said about when he knew this year was different. "It was great energy from the start. We were always competing in practice. I think we knew from the jump."
"To be honest, the day I stepped on campus," Cummings said when he knew they could be good. "That was my goal the whole time. I had no wavering. I believed fully that we could turn this whole program around. That was my plan and my belief."
"I remember the good days here.
Remembering what it used to be, I knew that we could bring that back. I believe in the coaches. I believe in the staff. I believe in everybody here."
It's unthinkable that Pitt is a 9.5 point favorite playing in Louisville on Wednesday. The perennial NCAA Tournament Cardinals have struggled with only a pair of wins this season.
"We want to focus on getting that win," Cummings said. "We don't want to think about what situation they are in. We have to approach that game like Pitt has to get better. Whatever it takes to win that game."
Looking globally, or at least nationally, they are starting to get questions from reporters about the NCAA Tournament. They are currently projected as an 10-seed by the Sporting News Mike DeCourcy, 11th by ESPN.
"We try to stay focused on our next opportunity," Cummings sagely said. "We can't take anything for granted. We don't want to look too far ahead or too far behind, we are going to stay in the present moment."
While he knows the history of Pitt basketball growing up in the region, Cummings wasn't here last year when the Panthers came off losing a couple of players to the portal and another to the NBA Draft. A year with losses to The Citadel, UMBC and Monmouth and the last four of the 2021-22 season all by at least 20 points.
"It's been awesome, that offseason work," Santos said. "You are sitting there in the gym putting in work. This is the thing that you hope for, where we can get this team too. To see it pay off a little bit has been great to see."
Pregame with Bill Hillgrove, Curtis Aiken and Cale Berger begins at 6:30 on 93.7 The Fan.
