Pitt Opens Three-Game Homestand Saturday Against Florida State

Pitt (13-6, 6-2 ACC) vs. Florida State (6-13, 4-4 ACC)
Saturday, January 21, 2023 • 3:00 PM
Pittsburgh, Pa. • Petersen Events Center
ACC Network • 93.7 The Fan

THE OPENING TIP
• Pitt opens a three-game homestand at the Petersen Events Center Saturday, Jan. 21 against Florida State. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. with Jay Alter and Malcolm Huckaby calling the game on ACC Network.
• The Panthers' 6-2 start in league play matches their best eight-game start since joining the ACC for the 2013-14 season. Pitt has not been 7-2 or better in conference play since starting 12-1 in Big East play during the 2010-11 season..
• Pitt is looking to improve to 14-6 on the season for the best 20-game start since the 2015-16 season.
• The Panthers have matched their conference victory total from each of the past three seasons. Four of the six ACC wins have come against teams in the top half of the conference standings.
• Jamarius Burton is averaging 19.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in conference play. He is shooting 53.7 percent (58-of-108) from the field and 88.6 percent (31-of-35) from the foul line in ACC play.
• Blake Hinson has posted 17 double figure scoring games, including 10 games with 15 or more points and four 20+ point games. He is one of three players in the Atlantic Coast Conference averaging 15.5 or more points per game (15.8 ppg.) and 6.0 or more rebounds per game (6.4 rpg.).
• Nike Sibande has come off the bench to score in double figures in four of the past five games and eight times overall. He is averaging 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, while going 12-of-24 (.500) from three-point range, in the past five games.

BY THE NUMBERS
• The Panthers rank 52nd in the latest NCAA Net rankings and 60th in KenPom. Pitt is 3-2 in Quad 1 games with wins at Northwestern, at NC State, and against Virginia.
• Pitt has won 12 of its past 15 games with its 12 wins since Nov. 20 tied for 10th most in the NCAA in that span.
• Pitt ranks fourth in the ACC in three-point percentage defense (.306), while Florida State (.361) ranks 14th in the conference in that category.
• The Panthers' backcourt quartet of Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande has combined for 5,140 points in 13,393 minutes over 526 career games. Per ESPN Stats & Info, Pitt is one of four programs (along with UAB, Chattanooga, and Texas) in the NCAA with four or more players with 125+ games played.
• Pitt is 9-1 on the season when winning the rebounding battle. The Panthers rank fourth in the ACC in rebound margin (+3.11) but have a -6.2 rebound margin in their six losses.
• The Panthers are 5-2 in true road games, including a 4-1 mark in ACC play. Pitt is one of four ACC teams with a winning record on the road and has two more road wins than any other ACC team.
• Pitt ranks third in the ACC in three-point field goals (8.79 3pg.) with Blake Hinson and Greg Elliott tied for ninth in the league at 2.11 threes per game. A year ago, the Panthers were 14th in the ACC at just 5.38 three-point field goals per game.
• The Panthers are one of two teams (along with Wake Forest) in the ACC with two players with 40 or more threes on the season. Blake Hinson and Greg Elliott each have 40 made threes, while Nelly Cummings has 31 three-point field goals.
• Jamarius Burton is one of four players in the NCAA averaging at least 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting over 50 percent from the field, on the season.
• Jamarius Burton (16.3 ppg.) and Blake Hinson (15.8 ppg.) are the fourth leading ACC scoring tandem this season. Pitt has not had two players averaging 15.0 or more points per game since the 2016-17 season when Michael Young and Jamel Artis accomplished that feat.
• Blake Hinson is one of three players in the ACC averaging over 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Hinson leads the Panthers in rebounds (6.4 rpg.), double-doubles (4), double-figure scoring games (17), 20+ point games (4), and free throws made (64), while ranking second in scoring (15.8 ppg.) and field goals made (98).
• Federiko Federiko has blocked two or more shots in seven of the past 10 games and 10 times overall on the season. He ranks third in the ACC with 1.63 blocks per game.
• The Panthers' starting backcourt of Nelly Cummings and Jamarius Burton has combined for 2,589 points, 755 rebounds, 707 assists, and 222 steals in 265 career games. The tandem is combining to average 26.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game, while shooting 47.6 percent (175-of-368) from the field this season.
• Federiko Federiko is contributing 10.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per 40 minutes played. He has played 20 or more minutes in a game 12 times, including each of the past nine games.
• Jamarius Burton has scored in double figures in all 10 home games. He is averaging 18.4 points per game on .579/.476/.818 shooting splits at the Petersen Events Center.
• Nike Sibande has been Pitt's first sub in every game (18) he hasn't started this season. He has scored in double figures eight times and is averaging 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per 40 minutes played.
• Nelly Cummings ranks sixth in the ACC in assists (4.53 apg.) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.21:1). Pitt is 9-2 on the season when he records five or more assists in a game.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS
• Greg Elliott has made three or more three-point field goals in a game eight times. He has made a career-best 40 threes and is shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc on the season.
• Jamarius Burton is expected to make his 100th career start Saturday afternoon against Florida State. He is one of 100 active NCAA Division I players with 135 or more career games played.

Pitt Opens Three-Game Homestand Saturday Against Florida State

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Players Mentioned

Jamarius Burton

Nelly Cummings

Greg Elliott

Federiko Federiko

Blake Hinson

Nike Sibande