Pittsburgh Basketball: Ranking non-conference opponents for 2021-22 season
2. West Virginia (in Morgantown)
2020-21 season record: 19-10 (11-6 in Big 12)
The “Backyard Brawl” is back between the two after last year’s cancellation. And the good news for Pitt is that the big men duo of Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe aren’t around anymore. Neither is star guard and leading scorer and passer Miles McBride, who averaged 15.9 ppg and 4.8 apg.
The backcourt should remain tough to beat, thanks to upperclassmen guards Sean McNeil and Taz Sherman and incoming transfer point guard Malik Curry. The frontcourt won’t be as good offensively but should be just as imposing on the defensive end, with transfers Dimon Carrigan and Pauly Paulicap, along with senior big man and glue guy Gabriel Osabuohien. If stretch forward Isaiah Cotrell can stay healthy, West Virginia will remain in NCAA Tournament contention.
1. St. John’s Red Storm (in Madison Square Garden)
202-21 season record: 16-11 (10-9)
It’s been five years since the Panthers last was at “The Garden” and they’ll be playing a de facto road game against the Red Storm, who will have a ton of expectations and aspirations on their side. That’s because Julian Champagnie, brother of former Pitt star forward Justin Champagnie, is back after averaging a team-leading 19.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg. The team also has back guards Posh Alexander and Dylan Addae-Wusu but lost just about everyone to the transfer portal.
However, St. John’s may have gotten better on paper with the newcomers. Fordham transfer center Joel Soriano gives the team actual size in the frontcourt, along with former Purdue forward Aaron Wheeler. And in the backcourt, transfers Stef Smith and Montez Mathis adds depth, while 6’5 wing Tareq Cockburn gives them much-needed three-point shooting. Don’t be surprised if this team gets preseason top-25 votes.
Next. Top 20 ACC impact transfers for 2021-22 season. dark
The first seven games on this list are going to be projected wins for the Panthers but as I mentioned, this team tends to lose one “buy game” a year. But if they can win all of those and beats two of the top four teams on this schedule, a 9-2 record heading into ACC play would be good for the program and keep Coach Capel out of the hot seat.