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Pittsburgh vs. Navy: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Kevin Stallings of the Pittsburgh Panthers reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Kevin Stallings of the Pittsburgh Panthers reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

There’s very little optimism surrounding the Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team. This first game against Navy will show how low a bar we need to set for this season.

TV schedule: Friday, Nov. 10, CBSSN, 9:00 p.m. ET.

Arena: Alumni Hall in Annapolis, Maryland

After losing over 90% in scoring production last season, Kevin Stallings and the Pitt Panthers have a completely remade roster. The problem is that it’s not the one many expected to see for the 2017-18 season. That was due to the constant friction between the new coach and the players formerly recruited and coached by now current Texas Christian University lead man Jamie Dixon.

The fact that the drama spilled out publicly and affected the play on the court caused several Pitt prospects to go elsewhere. Several reserves for the Panthers elected to transfer after the end of the season.

Making matters worse, despite the lure of playing for a power conference program in the ACC, numerous grad transfers turned down a chance at bigger roles and minutes. The only player left from last year who did anything for the team is now senior Ryan Luther, who averaged a few points and rebounds in 20 mpg.

Related Story: Pittsburgh 2017-18 season preview

The new-look Panthers come into this season as a complete unknown, with a combination of unheralded freshmen and JUCO transfers filling out the roster. It’ll be interesting to see who becomes the leading scorer.

While Pittsburgh has a brand new roster, their first opponent, the Navy Midshipmen bring back a team similar to last year. They return the top five scorers from a team who finished 16-16 (10-8), including lead contributor Shawn Anderson (12.2 ppg) and top rebounder Tom Lacey (7.7 rpg).

What the team from the Patriot League may lack in size coming into the 2017-18 season, they make up for it with steady play from the perimeter and vast experience, with the expected starting lineup filled with upperclassmen.

Next: ACC power rankings for 2017-18

In most seasons, Pittsburgh would win this in a blowout. But, with very little known, this battle in the 2017 Veterans Classic starts out as a toss-up. One player to look for is four-star recruit Marcus Carr, who could be the best player on the roster. This may just be the first game of the season, but it’ll be an indicator of how low the floor is for Pitt basketball team. The Midshipmen may actually have the talent advantage in this one.

Prediction: Navy 76 – Pittsburgh 68