Panthers Host Minnesota in Big Ten/ACC Challenge Tuesday

Pitt (2-4, 0-0 ACC) vs. Minnesota (5-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Big Ten / ACC Challenge
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 • 7:00 PM
Pittsburgh, Pa. • Petersen Events Center
ESPNU • 93.7 The Fan

THE OPENING TIP
• Pitt hosts Minnesota in a Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest Tuesday, Nov. 30 at the Petersen Events Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. with Jay Alter and Malcolm Huckaby on the broadcast for ESPNU.
• The Panthers are 4-3 all-time in Big Ten/ACC Challenge games, including a 2-1 mark under head coach Jeff Capel. Pitt has won each of its past to Challenge contests and three of the past four overall.
• Pitt and Minnesota are playing for just the third time overall and the first time since the 1950-51 season.
• The Panthers are 161-14 all-time at the Petersen Events Center in non-conference play, including a 75-8 mark in the month of November.
• Pitt's starting lineup consists of four underclassmen, including three members of the sophomore class - John Hugley, William Jeffress and Femi Odukale. The trio combines to average 34.0 points and 17.3 rebounds per game.
• John Hugley has topped the 20-point mark twice on the season and is leading Pitt in scoring (14.3 ppg.) and rebounds (7.2 rpg.). He is 30-of-54 (.556) on two-point field goal attempts and 23-of-34 (.676) from the foul line this season.
• Femi Odukale has scored in double figures four times this season and is averaging 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He is shooting a team-high 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from three-point range.

BY THE NUMBERS
• Femi Odukale is averaging 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over the past two contests. He is 8-of-17 (.471) from the field, including 3-of-6 (.500) from three-point range, and 14-of-15 (.933) from the foul line in that span.
• John Hugley returns for the 2021-22 season after missing the final 15 games last season due to suspension. Through six games, he has posted two double-doubles, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Hugley converted three three-point plays against UMBC and now has six on the season.
• Pitt is playing without its top five scorers from a season ago with a season-ending injury to Nike Sibande, a suspension of Ithiel Horton, the departure of Justin Champagnie to the NBA and two offseason transfers. Femi Odukale (6.6 ppg.) and John Hugley (5.1 ppg.) are the only returning players to average better than 5.0 points per game last season. The tandem has combined for 44.2 percent (165-of-373) of the team's scoring on the season.
• Femi Odukale is averaging 14.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.9 percent (53-of-113) from the field in 11 career games when playing over 25 minutes. He has scored in double figures in seven of those 11 contests.
• Dan Oladapo made his first six shots of the season and is a team-best 14-of-19 (.737) from the field overall. He is now shooting 56.7 percent (287-of-506) from the field for his career.
• Jamarius Burton is averaging 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 27.9 minutes per game after missing five weeks of action including Pitt's first two games of the season due to injury. He has scored 10 or more points 28 times in his career with his teams posting a 21-7 record in such games.
• William Jeffress has grabbed six or more rebounds in five of Pitt's six contests. He ranks among the ACC leaders in rebounds (T-20th - 6.33 ) and offensive rebounds (T-11th - 2.17 orpg.).
• Femi Odukale ranks second in the ACC in free throw attempts per game (7.0 ftapg.) and tied for fourth in made free throws (4.3 ftpg.). He has raised his free throw percentage to 61.9 percent (26-of-42) by going 14-of-15 (.933) from the line over the past two games.
• Mouhamadou Gueye scored a season-high 14 points against UMBC and is now averaging 5.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in just under 19 minutes per game. He leads the Panthers and is ninth in the ACC in blocked shots (1.17 bpg.).
• Pitt is averaging 29.0 points in the paint and 14.5 points from the foul line per game. Interior scoring and foul shots have accounted for 70.0 percent (261-of-373) of the team's points through five games.
• Pitt is 25-10 (.714) against teams outside the Atlantic Coast Conference under head coach Jeff Capel.
• Pitt has been outscored 177-72 from three-point range. The Panthers made 11 of their season total 24 three-point field goals Saturday against UMBC. Pitt's top two returning three-point threats Nike Sibande (injury) and Ithiel Horton (suspension) have not played a game this season. Femi Odukale (5-of-11, .455) and Onyebuchi Ezeakudo (2-of-2, 1.000) are the lone Panthers shooting over 35.0 percent from three-point range.
• Pitt has nearly as many made free throws (87) as its opponents have attempted (95), despite ranking last in the ACC in free throw percentage (.604). The Panthers are averaging 24.0 free throw attempts per game and have outscored the opposition by 23 points from the free throw line.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS
• Femi Odukale is 14-of-15 (.933) from the foul line over the past two games. He was 12-of-27 (.444) from the line in the first four games of the season.
• William Jeffress has grabbed six or more rebounds in five of six games. With 38 rebounds (6.3 rpg.), he has already surpassed his rebound total from a year ago.

Panthers Host Minnesota in Big Ten/ACC Challenge Tuesday

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Players Mentioned

Jamarius Burton

Justin Champagnie

Onyebuchi Ezeakudo

Mouhamadou Gueye

Ithiel Horton

John Hugley IV

William Jeffress

Femi Odukale

Dan Oladapo

Nike Sibande