Panthers Open 2021-22 Season Tuesday Against The Citadel

Panthers Open 2021-22 Season Tuesday Against The Citadel

11/8/2021 5:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Pitt (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. The Citadel (0-0, 0-0 SoCon)
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 • 7:00 PM
Pittsburgh, Pa. • Petersen Events Center
ACC Network Extra • 93.7 The Fan

THE OPENING TIP
• Pitt opens the season Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the Petersen Events Center against The Citadel (7 p.m. - ACC Network Extra). Jeff Hathhorn and former Panther standout Julius Page will call the game for ACCN Extra.
• The Panthers are 79-35 all-time in season openers. Pitt is 15-1 in season openers at the Petersen Events Center and has won 22 of its past 24 season opening contests.
• Head coach Jeff Capel is 9-3 in his head coaching career in season openers, including a 2-1 mark at Pitt.
• Pitt has won 17 of 19 home openers at the Petersen Events Center and is 92-22 all-time in home openers.
• The Panthers enter Tuesday's opener with a 9-0 record against current SoCon opponents.
• Pitt was set to return three of its top six scorers from last season in the backcourt trio of Ithiel Horton (8.9 ppg., 43 3FG), Nike Sibande (6.9 ppg., .436 3FG pct.) and Femi Odukale (6.6 ppg.). Sibande was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL in a Nov. 1 exhibition game win over Gannon.
• Pitt's three Division I transfer additions - Jamarius Burton (Wichita State/Texas Tech), Mouhamadou Gueye (Stony Brook), and Dan Oladapo (Oakland) have combined for 1,736 points, 1,100 rebounds, 437 assists, 162 blocks and 147 steals over 207 career games.

BY THE NUMBERS
• Femi Odukale averaged 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.6 minutes per game over the final five contests of the season. He scored a season-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting in the ACC Tournament against Miami.
• Pitt will look to replace 2021 First Team All-ACC and Honorable Mention AP All-America selection Justin Champagnie (18.0 ppg., 11.1 rpg.) with a quartet of post players - Mouhamadou Gueye, Noah Collier, Dan Oladapo and Chris Payton. Gueye, Collier and Oladapo combined to average 23.1 points and 17.2 rebounds at the Division I level, while Payton produced 12.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game at Indian Hills CC last season.
• Mouhamadou Gueye was named America East Defensive Player of the Year last season at Stony Brook after ranking fifth in the NCAA with 3.1 blocks per game. He also averaged 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game a year ago. He joins the Panthers after averaging 8.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 54 career games at Stony Brook.
• Jamarius Burton has been sidelined since undergoing a procedure on his left knee Oct. 8. The Charlotte, N.C., native is averaging 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game over 90 career games at Wichita State and Texas Tech. The combo guard averaged a career-best 10.3 points per game as a sophomore at Wichita State during the 2019-20 season.
• Dan Oladapo ranked ninth in the NCAA in offensive rebounds (3.80 orpg.) at Oakland last season. He finished the year with nine double-doubles, while averaging 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
• Chris Payton is expected to make his Pitt debut after averaging 12.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game last year at Indian Hills CC.
• John Hugley returns for the 2021-22 season after missing the final 15 games last season due to suspension. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in under 15 minutes per game as a true freshman. Hugley posted a season-high nine points at Miami and seven points and seven rebounds against Louisville just prior to his suspension.
• Freshman Nate Santos will celebrate his 20th birthday on the date of the season opener Nov. 9. The Geneva, Ill., native is older than three members of Pitt's sophomore class - Noah Collier, John Hugley and William Jeffress.
• The Panthers, one of the top rebounding teams in the ACC last season, will need to replace 72.6 percent (27.8 of 38.3) of its rebounding from a year ago. John Hugley is the leading returning rebounder at 4.3 rpg., while newcomers Dan Oladapo and Mouhamadou Gueye combined to average 15.9 rebounds per game last season at the Divsion I level.
• Ithiel Horton will not be in uniform Tuesday following an indefinite suspension following an off campus incicent over the weekend.
• Pitt is looking to avoid a sixth consecutive losing season in 2021-22. The Panthers have not posted six straight sub-.500 seasons since a span from 1947-52.
• The Panthers are 159-11 all-time at the Petersen Events Center in non-conference play, including a 73-5 mark in the month of November.
• Pitt is 23-6 (.793) against teams outside the Atlantic Coast Conference under head coach Jeff Capel.
• The Panthers have 269 wins at the Petersen Events Center, tied for seventh most home venue wins since the 2002-03 season. The 2021-22 season marks the 20th season of college basketball at the Pete.