ACC Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2020-21 season

The hope of the Panther’s past season came from the trio of guards (Xavier Johnson, Trey McGowens, and Ryan Murphy), expecting to have big individual campaigns. It never worked out, with all three struggling to shoot from the field and seemingly having clashing styles on the court. Murphy transferred out to Tulane, while McGowens, hoping to have the ball in his hands more, went to Nebraska.

That leaves Johnson, who looked to be an early draft entrant after a huge freshman season. He regressed as a sophomore but the hope is that as the clear-cut lead guard and ball-handler, he will put up big numbers as a junior. He’ll be surrounded by a better cast of players, including returning leading scorer and rebounder Justin Champagnie and Delaware transfer guard Ithiel Horton, who averaged 13.2 ppg and 40% shooting from three-point range. Wing/forward Au’Diese Toney improved in conference play, while Coach Jeff Capel has a top-25 incoming recruiting class.

The frontcourt has been a huge weakness for Pittsburgh in the last few years, with Eric Hamilton and Terrell Brown sharing minutes this past season. Top-100 big man John Hugley could very well start and any production from him would be huge for the team’s balance. They’re also good at the wing and point guard positions so a quality center and better overall shooting should finally get the Panthers out of the ACC basement.