Pittsburgh Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Panthers

Key Non-Conference games

Nov. 20: Penn State in Brooklyn

Nov. 21: Either Oklahoma State or Texas A&M in Brooklyn

Dec. 1: Duquesne (neutral game in the city of Pittsburgh)

Dec. 9: West Virginia

With an expected season of struggles looming, Pitt made their schedule as soft as possible to give the team confidence. There are still games they can’t get out of, including local rivalry games.

Pitt will take part in the Legends Classic alongside Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M. The first game against the Nittany Lions will be a rematch of last year where Pitt won 81-73. Even Penn State’s basketball program is on the rise and will look to get revenge against their keystone rivals.

When West Virginia and Pittsburgh went their separate ways during the conference realignment, the “Backyard Brawl,” an annual game between the two schools, went dormant. The football teams reignited it a couple of years ago and now it’s back in basketball. Unfortunately for Pitt fans, this game likely won’t be close.

Duquesne might not seem like a big game, but it will be this year. Prior to last season, the last time the Dukes beat Pitt was in 2000. Now, if the Panthers lose this year, it will be back-to-back losses for the first time since the 1979-80 season.