Pitt Readies for NCAA Tournament Matchup with Iowa State Friday Afternoon

¹¹Pitt (23-11, 14-6 ACC) vs. ⁶Iowa State (19-13, 9-9 Big 12)
Friday, March 17, 2023 • 3:10 PM
Greensboro, N.C. • Greensboro Coliseum
truTV • 93.7 The Fan / Westwood One Radio

THE OPENING TIP
• Pitt (23-11, 14-6 ACC) posted a hard-fought 60-59 win over Mississippi State Tuesday night in a First Four matchup to advance to the NCAA Tournament Greensboro Regional. The Panthers now face ⁶Iowa State (19-13, 9-9 Big 12) Friday, March 17 in a 3:10 p.m. tipoff at the Greensboro Coliseum with Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, and Evan Washburn calling the action on truTV.
• The Panthers are making their 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and their first under head coach Jeff Capel. Pitt is 25-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including a 4-4 mark when placed in the Midwest Region. Capel-led teams are 5-3 in NCAA Tournament action.
• Pitt is 104-112 all-time against teams currently in the Big 12, including a 1-3 mark in NCAA Tournament action.
• Pitt has six wins over teams (⁴Virginia, ⁵Miami, at ⁷Northwestern, at ¹¹NC State, ¹¹Mississippi State, ¹⁶FDU) 2023 NCAA Tournament teams.
• Jamarius Burton became Pitt's second First Team All-ACC selection after averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in conference play. He is one of four players in the NCAA averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting 49 percent or better from the field for the season.
• Blake Hinson, a Second Team All-ACC pick, has posted 29 double-figure scoring games, including 19 games with 15 or more points and nine 20+ point games. He is the only player in the ACC averaging 15.5 or more points (15.5 ppg.) and 6.0 or more rebounds per game (6.1 rpg.) with 85 or more made threes (93 3FG).

BY THE NUMBERS
• Jeff Capel was named ACC Coach of the Year, becoming just the third coach in program history to garner conference coach of the year honors. He has also been named NABC District 2 and USBWA District II Coach of the Year and is among the candidates for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.
• Jamarius Burton and Blake Hinson earned All-ACC honors marking the first time Pitt has had multiple All-ACC selections (1st, 2nd, or 3rd Team) in a season. Burton is the second First Team All-ACC selection, while Hinson is the second Panther to garner second team honors.
• Nike Sibande became the first Pitt player to earn ACC Sixth Man of the Year recognition after averaging 9.7 points per game in conference play. He is the first player to earn a conference individual award since Ashton Gibbs was named Big East Most Improved Player in 2010.
• Pitt has won 22 of its past 30 games and is one of 17 power conference teams with 20 or more wins since Nov. 20.
• The Panthers finished the regular season tied for fourth among power conference teams with seven road victories, including six wins away from home in league play.
• Pitt became the first team in the past 25 seasons to score 60 or fewer points, shoot 35% or worse on 2-pointers, shoot 60% or worse on free throws, and get outrebounded by 20 or more while earning the win Tuesday night. Teams were 0-348 in that span when hitting those marks.
• Pitt ranks second in the ACC (T-24th in the NCAA) in three-point field goals (9.21 3pg.) with Blake Hinson (2.74 3pg. - 3rd) and Greg Elliott (2.26 3pg. - 12th) both ranking among the league leaders in threes per game. A year ago, the Panthers were 14th in the ACC at just 5.38 three-pointers per game.
• Nike Sibande has scored in double figures 13 of the past 20 games and is averaging 10.4 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting from the field in that span.
• The Panthers' backcourt quartet of Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande has combined for 5,836 points in 15,168 minutes over 585 career games. Pitt is one of four programs (along with UAB, Chattanooga, and Texas) in the NCAA with four or more players with 140+ games played.
• The Panthers' starting backcourt of Nelly Cummings and Jamarius Burton has combined for 2,985 points, 859 rebounds, 849 assists, and 244 steals in 295 career games. The tandem combines to average 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game.
• Blake Hinson leads the Panthers in scoring (15.5 ppg.), rebounds (6.1 rpg.), double-doubles (5), double-figure scoring games (29), 20+ point games (9), and three-point field goals (93). He is looking to become the first Panther since Sam Young (2008-09) to average better than 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while making 50 or more threes in a season.
• Jamarius Burton has scored in double-figures 28 times and is averaging 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He is looking to become just the fourth player in program history to average 15+ points, 4+ rebounds, and 4+ assists per game for a season.
• Greg Elliott is shooting a team-high 41.8 percent (76-of-182) from three-point range, third best in the ACC among players with 2.0 made threes per game. He has made three or more threes in a game 14 times this season, including four games with five or more threes.
• Blake Hinson (93), Greg Elliott (76), and Nelly Cummings (58) have combined for 227 of Pitt's 313 three-point field goals (72.5% of team threes).
• Federiko Federiko is shooting a team-high 66.7 percent (94-of-141) from the field, while also leading the Panthers in offensive rebounds (86), blocks (57), and dunks (39). He has made nine consecutive made field goals, but missed Pitt's tournament opening win over Mississippi State with a knee injury.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS
• Jamarius Burton is six points shy of reaching the 1,500-point mark for his career. He has scored 864 points (13.9 ppg.) in 62 career games at Pitt.
• Nelly Cummings has scored in double figures eight of the past nine games and is averaging 13.0 points per game in that span. He is nine points shy of the 1,500-point mark in his career.

Pitt Readies for NCAA Tournament Matchup with Iowa State Friday Afternoon

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Players Mentioned

Jamarius Burton

Nelly Cummings

Greg Elliott

Federiko Federiko

Blake Hinson

Nike Sibande