Pitt Returns to Action Saturday at Syracuse

Saturday, December 30

Syracuse, NY

12 PM

Pitt

Syracuse

Pitt Returns to Action Saturday at Syracuse

12/28/2023 10:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball

vs Providence

Oct 19, 2025 at 2 PM

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GAME 13

Pitt (9-3, 0-1 ACC) at Syracuse (9-3, 0-1 ACC)

Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 • 12 PM
Syracuse, N.Y. • JMA Wireless Dome
The CW • 93.7 The Fan

Game Notes

Media Center

PITTSBURGH – Pitt returns to action against Syracuse Saturday, Dec. 30 at the JMA Wireless Dome. Tipoff is set for 12:05 p.m. with Ryan Burr and Jordan Cornette calling the action on The CW.

THE OPENING TIP

The Panthers have won three consecutive games and five of the past six contests against Syracuse. Blake Hinson averaged 23.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in a pair of wins over the Orange last season.
Pitt leads the ACC (13th in NCAA) with a +17.7 points per game scoring margin. The Panthers have five 20+ point wins on the season.
The Panthers also lead the ACC in rebounds (42.4 rpg.), rebound margin (+10.1), defensive rebounds per game (29.2 drpg.), and defensive rebound percentage (.790).
Blake Hinson is having an All-America caliber season ranking among the NCAA leaders in scoring (17th - 20.3 ppg.), second in three-point field goals (T-6th - 45), and in three-point percentage (11th - .459). He has scored in double figures 11 times with six games of 20 or more points scored.
Carlton Carrington is averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game and is one of just six players in the NCAA averaging at least 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
Guillermo Diaz Graham is averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, while going 17-of-24 (.708) from the field (4-of-7 3FG) over the past four games.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS

Ishmael Leggett is set to play in his 100th career game Saturday. He has totaled 1,099 points, 419 rebounds, 181 assists, 107 steals, and 101 three-point field goals in his career.
Zack Austin is 16 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career. He is also just 11 rebounds shy of the 500-rebound mark. Austin is averaging 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 75 career contests.
Guillermo Diaz Graham is averaging 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds. 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3.0 blocks since joining the starting lineup two games ago.

BY THE NUMBERS - INDIVIDUAL

Blake Hinson has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games this season and ranks third in the ACC in scoring (20.3 ppg.). He is averaging 21.3 points per game over the past six games, despite scoring a season-low five points in Pitt’s last outing.
Carlton Carrington has scored in double figures 10 times with five or more assists on eight occasions. He leads ACC freshmen in assists (5.3 apg.) and three-point field goals (24), while ranking second in points (13.8 ppg.) and rebounds (5.2 rpg.).
Blake Hinson is third in the ACC in three-point percentage (.459 - 45-of-98) and is now 142-of-354 (.401) from three-point range in his career at Pitt. He has made at least one three-pointer in 45 of 48 games as a Panther.
Federiko Federiko has grabbed four or more offensive rebounds in six games and ranks fifth in the ACC in offensive rebounding (2.83 orpg.). He has also blocked two or more shots in six games and ranks ninth in the ACC in blocks (1.5 bpg.).
Blake Hinson has started 47 of 48 games at Pitt and has scored in double-figures 41 times as a Panther, including 11 times this season.
Ishmael Leggett has started 81 consecutive games with 54 double figure scoring efforts in that stretch. He has scored 10 or more points in 39 of his past 43 games, including 11 of 12 games this season.
The post tandem of Guillermo Diaz Graham and Federiko Federiko combine to average 13.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, while shooting 60 percent from the field.
Zack Austin is averaging 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, while going 8-of-14 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line over the past two games. He has scored in double figures four times on the season, while grabbing five or more rebounds in eight contests.
Pitt’s freshman guard tandem of Carlton Carrington and Jaland Lowe has combined for 89 assists and just 35 turnovers (2.54:1 assist-to-turnover ratio) through 12 games.

BY THE NUMBERS - TEAM

Pitt is tied for third in the ACC in blocked shots (5.17 bpg.) with three players - Federiko Federiko, Zack Austin and Guillermo Diaz Graham - each ranking in the top 15 in the ACC in blocks. The Panthers are the only team with three players ranked among the ACC leaders in blocks.
Pitt has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in a game five times on the season and tied for 18th in the NCAA in turnovers per game (9.7 topg.). The Panthers are also tied for 18th in NCAA with a 1.64:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Panthers have been one of the top defensive teams in the ACC ranking among the league leaders in scoring defense (2nd - 63.2 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (2nd - .390), three-point percentage defense (1st - .258), and blocked shots (T-3rd - 5.17 bpg.).
Pitt has held seven opponents below 30 percent shooting from three-point range and ranks tied for sixth in the NCAA in three-point percentage defense (.258).
Pitt ranks 16th in the NCAA in rebounds (42.4 rpg.) and is 8-1 on the season when winning the rebounding battle. The Panthers have grabbed 50 or more rebounds in a game four times this season.
Pitt enters Saturday’s game ranked 39th in NET, 44th in KenPom, and 33rd in ESPN’s BPI.