Pittsburgh Basketball: 3 key storylines in Panthers matchup with The Citadel

2. Defending Hayden Brown

As mentioned before, Brown is a star player for the Bulldogs and likely the best the SoCon has to offer. The 6’5 forward averaged a team-leading 18.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, and 2.8 apg in 24 games played, shooting 51% from the field and 29% from deep as a senior.

Even if you take away those massive numbers against D-II programs last year, Brown was consistently elite in SoCon play. He scored at least 14 points in all but two games, including a career-high 37 points and 13 rebounds against Chattanooga. The versatile forward can score anywhere inside the arc and is an outstanding offensive talent.

At 6’5 and 225 pounds, Brown may be a bit undersized but plays face-up to the basket and can exploit much bigger centers at the five-spot, while is physical and comfortable playing inside against most natural power forwards. For Pittsburgh, it’s a good thing that they have a much bigger and versatile frontcourt in John Hugley and Mo Gueye.

This is a perfect matchup for Gueye, a 6’9 and 210-pound forward and transfer from Stony Brook. He was America East Defensive Player of the Year and averaged over three blocks a game. Gueye is an outstanding athlete and has the size, speed, and versatility to defend Brown anywhere on the court.

The Citadel is a top-20 scoring offense but with both Fletcher Abee and Kaiden Rice gone, that leaves just Brown as the lone returning double-digit scorer for them. If Gueye and the rest of Pittsburgh can at least limit him to an ineffective and non-efficient night, they’ll have the advantage.