ACC Basketball: Duke clear ahead, Pitt dead last in latest power rankings

Even before the season started, Pittsburgh already was in a major hole. Shot creator Nike Sibande got hurt in the exhibition game and is out for the season, while the team’s returning leading scorer Ithiel Horton is suspended likely for the year after getting arrested for allegedly assaulting a cop days before the start of the season. And Texas Tech transfer Jamarius Burton had knee surgery and missed the first couple of games, both of which ended in losses to The Citadel and West Virginia.

But even though Burton’s return gave the Panthers another scholarship guard alongside Femi Odukale (12.1 ppg and 3.7 apg). Yet that hasn’t been enough really, with the team having lost three straight games, including giving up 87 points in a loss to UMBC. They’ve had chances against projected bottom-tier power conference opponents in Vanderbilt and Minnesota at home but came up short in those games as well.

Nothing has gone right statistically for this team. They’re one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country (27%), as well as ranking in the bottom-10 overall with 61% from the free throw line. The only thing of positive has been sophomore big man John hugely, who is averaging a team-leading 15.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg. But with literally no outside shooting to support him, this team will struggle to just get to 60 points in a game.

Not only is Pittsburgh obviously in last in the ACC, but there’s also a legit case that they won’t win more than 3-4 games for the rest of the season. And if that happens, head coach Jeff Capel will be on the hot seat.