Pitt Takes On No. 21 Duke in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals Thursday

⁵Pitt (22-10, 14-6 ACC) vs. [21/21] ⁴Duke (23-8, 14-6 ACC)
Thursday, March 9, 2023 • 2:30 PM
Greensboro, N.C. • Greensboro Coliseum
ESPN • 93.7 The Fan

THE OPENING TIP
• Pitt faces [21/21] Duke Thursday, March 9 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 New York Life ACC Tournament. Tipoff at the Greensboro Coliseum is set for 2:30 p.m. with Dave O'Brien and Cory Alexander calling the game on ESPN2.
• The Panthers are the fifth-seed (their highest seeding since the 2013-14 season) in the ACC Tournament after finishing the regular season tied for third with a 14-6 record in league play.
• The Panthers have scored 75 or more points in five consecutive games and in eight of the past nine contests. Pitt ranks 29th in the NCAA in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency ratings.
• Pitt dropped a hard fought 77-69 decision to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in early January. Jamarius Burton led the Panthers with 16 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
• Jamarius Burton, First Team All-ACC selection is one of three players in the ACC averaging at least 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He enters Thursday's contest averaging 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
• Blake Hinson, a Second Team All-ACC pick, has posted 28 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 16.0 or more points (15.9 ppg.) and 6.0 or more rebounds per game (6.4 rpg.) with 80 or more made threes (90 3FG).
• Nelly Cummings has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games. He is averaging 14.0 points and 6.4 assists per game with a .476/.423/.844 shooting split and a 3.1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in that span.

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. Ben Howland (2002) and Jamie Dixon (2004) earned Big East Coach of the Year accolades during their careers in Oakland.
• 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.
• Jamarius Burton and Blake Hinson earned All-ACC honors marking the first time Pitt has had multiple All-ACC picks (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 All-ACC honors.
• Pitt has won 21 of its past 28 games and is one of 15 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 ranks second in the ACC in three-point field goals (9.34 3pg.) with Blake Hinson (2.81 3pg. - T-2nd) and Greg Elliott (2.31 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.
• The Panthers' backcourt quartet of Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande has combined for 5,755 points in 14,944 minutes over 577 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.
• Pitt is averaging 81.6 points per game over the past eight contests. Blake Hinson (17.0 ppg.), Jamarius Burton (15.4 ppg.), Nelly Cummings (13.0 ppg.), Federiko Federiko (10.9 ppg.), and Greg Elliott (10.3 ppg.) are each averaging double figures in scoring in that span.
• Blake Hinson leads the Panthers in scoring (15.9 ppg.), rebounds (6.4 rpg.), double-doubles (5), double-figure scoring games (28), 20+ point games (9), and three-point field goals (90). 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 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 42.3 percent (74-of-175) from three-point range, second best in the ACC among players with 2.0 made threes per game. He has made three or more threes in a game 13 times this season, including four games with five or more threes.
• Blake Hinson (90), Greg Elliott (74), and Nelly Cummings (56) have combined for 220 of Pitt's 299 three-point field goals (73.6 percent of team threes). The transfer trio is just the second threesome at Pitt to each make 50 or more threes in a season.
• The Panthers' starting backcourt of Nelly Cummings and Jamarius Burton has combined for 2,913 points, 842 rebounds, 826 assists, and 240 steals in 291 career games. The tandem combines to average 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game.
• Federiko Federiko is shooting a team-high 66.2 percent (92-of-139) from the field, while also leading the Panthers in offensive rebounds (86), blocks (57), and dunks (39). His .662 field goal percentage is second best in program history (minimum 4 FGA/g).
• Nike Sibande has scored in double figures 11 of the past 18 games and is averaging 10.1 points per game on 48.5 percent shooting from the field in that span.
• Jamarius Burton has recorded seven games with double-figure points as well as five or more rebounds and five or more assists.

PANTHER SPOTLIGHTS
• Blake Hinson is averaging 18.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over the past five contests. He is 21-of-50 (.420) from three-point range in that span.
• Nelly Cummings is one win shy of his 100th career victory. He has helped lead his teams to a 99-42 record, including an 83-28 mark in 111 career starts.

Pitt Takes On No. 21 Duke in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals Thursday

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Players Mentioned

Jamarius Burton

Nelly Cummings

Greg Elliott

Federiko Federiko

Blake Hinson

Nike Sibande