Panthers Head to Charlottesville for ACC Opener Friday

Pitt (2-5, 0-0 ACC) at Virginia (5-3, 0-0 ACC)
Friday, Dec. 3, 2021 • 8:00 PM
Charlottesville, Va. • John Paul Jones Arena
ACC Network • 93.7 The Fan

The Opening TIp
• Pitt opens Atlantic Coast Conference play with a road trip to Charlottesville to face Virginia Friday, Dec. 3 at John Paul Jones Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. with Mike Monaco and Dan Bonner calling the game for the ACC Network.
• The Panthers are 2-1 under Jeff Capel in conference openers and 4-4 overall in eight seasons of ACC play. Pitt has opened ACC play with wins over Florida State (2019-20) and Miami (2020-21) the past two seasons.
• Pitt has dropped five consecutive ACC road contests dating back to a 63-60 win over Syracuse at the Carrier Dome last season.
• Pitt and Virginia are both coming off one-point last-second losses in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• Sophomores John Hugley, William Jeffress and Femi Odukale have started each of the first seven games of the season. The trio combines to average 34.3 points and 18.2 rebounds per game for the Panthers.
• John Hugley has topped the 20-point mark three times and is leading Pitt in scoring (15.9 ppg.) and rebounds (8.1 rpg.). He is 38-of-69 (.551) on two-point field goal attempts and 29-of-45 (.644) from the foul line this season. Hugley has scored 20 or more points in each of the past two contests.
• Femi Odukale has scored in double figures four times and is averaging 12.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for the Panthers.

By The Numbers
• John Hugley has scored 20 or more points three times and also has three double-doubles through the first seven games of the season. He currently ranks among the league leaders in scoring (9th - 15.9 ppg.), rebounds (6th - 8.1 rpg.), field goal percentage (10th - .506) and offensive rebounds (2nd - 3.14 orpg.).
• 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 46.0 percent (196-of-426) of the team's scoring on the season.
• Femi Odukale is averaging 13.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.5 percent (55-of-121) from the field in 12 career games when playing over 25 minutes. He has scored in double figures in seven of those 12 contests.
• Dan Oladapo made his first six shots of the season and is a team-best 15-of-20 (.750) from the field overall. He is now shooting 56.8 percent (288-of-507) from the field for his career.
• Jamarius Burton is averaging 8.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 28.3 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 team posting a 21-7 record in such games.
• John Hugley has grabbed three or more offensive rebounds four times, including a career-high matching five offensive boards against Minnesota. He posted his third double-figure rebounding game and finish with a career-best 14 rebounds versus the Golden Gophers.
• William Jeffress has grabbed five or more rebounds in six of Pitt's seven contests. He ranks among the ACC leaders in rebounds (T-21st - 6.1 ) and offensive rebounds (T-11th - 1.86 orpg.).
• Femi Odukale ranks fourth in the ACC in free throw attempts per game (6.3 ftapg.) and sixth in made free throws (4.0 ftpg.). He has raised his free throw percentage to 63.6 percent (28-of-44) by going 16-of-17 (.941) from the line over the past three games.
• Mouhamadou Gueye grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds against Minnesota and is now averaging 5.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game. He also leads the Panthers and ranks eighth in the ACC in blocks (1.14 bpg.).
• Pitt is averaging 28.9 points in the paint and 13.9 points from the foul line per game. Interior scoring and foul shots have accounted for 70.2 percent (299-of-426) of the team's points through seven games.
• Pitt has been outscored 198-81 from three-point range through seven games. Pitt's top two returning three-point threats Nike Sibande (injury) and Ithiel Horton (suspension) have not played a game this season. Onyebuchi Ezeakudo (3-of-5, .600) and Femi Odukale (5-of-14, .357) are the lone Panthers shooting over 35.0 percent from three-point range.
• Pitt has nearly as many made free throws (97) as its opponents have attempted (100) through the first seven games of the season. The Panthers are averaging 22.7 free throw attempts per game and have outscored the opposition by 30 points from the free throw line.
• The past two meetings between Pitt and Virginia have been decided by a combined 10 points. The Panthers dropped a 59-56 decision at the Petersen Events Center during the 2019-20 season before falling 73-66 at John Paul Jones Arena last season.

Panther Spotlights
• John Hugley is averaging 23.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, while going 17-of-27 (.630) from the field and 11-of-18 (.611) from the foul line, over the past two contests.
• Femi Odukale is 16-of-17 (.941) from the foul line over the past three games. He was 12-of-27 (.444) from the line in the first four games of the season.

Panthers Head to Charlottesville for ACC Opener Friday

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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