Pitt Heads to Morgantown for Backyard Brawl Matchup Wednesday

Wednesday, December 6

Morgantown, WV

9 PM

Pitt

West Virginia

Pitt Heads to Morgantown for Backyard Brawl Matchup Wednesday

12/5/2023 2:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball

vs Providence

Oct 19, 2025 at TBA

Days

Hours

Mins

Secs

GAME 9

Pitt (5-3, 0-1 ACC) at West Virginia (3-4, 0-0 Big 12)

190th Edition of the Backyard Brawl
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 • 9 PM
Morgantown, W.V. • WVU Coliseum
ESPN2 • 93.7 The Fan

Game Notes

Media Center

PITTSBURGH – Pitt travels to Morgantown, W.V. to face West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl Wednesday, Dec. 6 at WVU Coliseum. Opening tip is scheduled for 9 p.m. with Chuckie Kempf and Chris Spatola calling the action on ESPN2.

THE OPENING TIP

Wednesday’s contest marks the 190th meeting since the first season of Pitt Basketball (1905-06). The Backyard Brawl is the most played series in program history for the Panthers. The two rivals also played games in 1904 and 1905 before basketball became a varsity sport at Pitt.
Wednesday’s game marks the fifth consecutive contest against Power Six teams for the Panthers, marking the first time they have played five straight games against power conference teams before the December holiday break.
Blake Hinson has scored 20 or more points in three of the past five games. He is averaging 21.4 points per game, while going 21-of-47 (.447) from three-point range in that span. Hinson ranks third in the ACC in scoring (20.5 ppg.) and first in three-point field goals (30) for the season.
Ishmael Leggett has scored in double figures in all eight games and is averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game this season for the Panthers.
Carlton Carrington, a two-time ACC Rookie of the Week honoree, is averaging 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He is one of four players in the NCAA averaging 14+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5.5+ assists per game for the season.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS

Ishmael Leggett has made 24 consecutive free throw attempts and now ranks fourth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.914 - 32-of-35) on the season.
Blake Hinson has made at least one three-pointer in 21 consecutive games and in 42 of 44 games as a Panther. He is 127-of-327 (.388) from three-point range at Pitt. Hinson has made three or more three-pointers in each of the past seven games and is shooting 42.3 percent (30-of-71) from beyond the arc this season. He leads the ACC in three-pointers and ranks fifth in three-point percentage.

BY THE NUMBERS - INDIVIDUAL

Blake Hinson averaged 24.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while going 11-of-19 (.579) from three-point range in two games last week. He matched a career-high with 27 points, including 22 in the second half of the Panthers’ ACC opener against Clemson.
Ishmael Leggett has started 77 consecutive games with 51 double figure scoring efforts in that stretch. He has scored 10 or more points in 36 of his past 39 games, including all eight games this season.
Carlton Carrington is second in the ACC in assists (5.9 apg.) while also ranking among the league leaders in scoring (T-21st - 14.6 ppg.), three-point field goals (10th - 2.25 3PG), and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th - 2.94:1). He has scored in double figures seven times with five or more assists on five occasions.
Federiko Federiko has grabbed four or more offensive rebounds in five games and ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounding (3.38 orpg.). He has also blocked two or more shots in six games and ranks fifth in the ACC in blocks (2.13 bpg.).
Zack Austin is averaging 7.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.75 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game. He has a pair of double figure scoring games, six games with five or more rebounds, and four games with two or more blocks.
Blake Hinson has started 43 of 44 games at Pitt and scored in double-figures 38 times as a Panther, including all eight games this season. He has topped the 20-point mark in four of the past seven contests.
Ishmael Leggett has grabbed seven or more rebounds in six of eight games played and leads ACC guards in rebounding (7.1 rpg.).
The post tandem of Federiko Federiko and Guillermo Diaz Graham combines to average 12.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.75 blocks in 39.5 minutes per game.

BY THE NUMBERS - TEAM

The Panthers rank eighth in rebounds per game (44.6 rpg.) and 13th in rebound margin (+11.9) in the NCAA. Pitt outrebounded its first six opponents of the season before losing the rebounding battle against Missouri and Clemson.
Pitt has six players - Ishmael Leggett (7.1 rpg.), Zack Austin (6.3 rpg.), Federiko Federiko (6.1 rpg.), Carlton Carrington (5.4 rpg.), Blake Hinson (4.9 rpg.), and Guillermo Diaz Graham (4.6 rpg.) - averaging at least 4.5 rebounds per game.
The Panthers lead the ACC in rebound margin (+11.88 rpg.), rebounding offense (44.6 rpg.), rebounding defense (32.75 rpg.), offensive rebounds (14.5 orpg.), defensive rebounds (30.1 drpg.), defensive rebound percentage (.788), and offensive rebound percentage (.371).
Pitt ranks second in the ACC (T-27th in NCAA) in three-point field goals per game (9.8 3pg.). Blake Hinson and Carlton Carrington have combined for 48 of the team’s 78 threes on the season.
The Panthers are tied for second in the ACC (T-24th in the NCAA) in three-point percentage defense (.272). Pitt has held two opponents below 10 percent shooting and four of its eight opponents below 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc.