Pittsburgh Basketball: Takeaways from 2022-23 non-conference results

In the Jeff Capel era of Pittsburgh Basketball, the non-conference has been one of frustration, winning few marquee matchups against power conference teams and losing at least one “buy game” to a lower-level mid-major program heading into this season. And there were real concerns that things could go a similar route this year, with freshman guard Dior Johnson indefinitely suspended and John Hugley suffering an injury during the preseason.

After beating UT-Martin to open the year at home, the Panthers lost three straight, including at home against rival West Virginia and to both Michigan and VCU in the Legends Classic. To the team’s credit, they won seven of eight games since, with the lone loss being by one point on the road at Vanderbilt. It not only includes road victories over both Northwestern and NC State to open ACC play but also beating every single mid-major team at home. That includes the most recent 82-56 win over North Florida.

There’s a lot to away from the non-conference campaign, both good and bad. Here are my five biggest takeaways for Pittsburgh Basketball.

1. Federiko Federiko’s play helping offset John Hugley’s struggles

It’s been rough going for Hugley, who led Pittsburgh in both scoring and rebounding last season. He missed the first two games while recovering from a knee injury and he simply hasn’t been the same so far this season. He’s still not fully healthy or in shape and it was noticeable against both Northwestern and NC State, being limited in the second half while the team made its run.

In his place has been Federiko, a JUCO transfer and former West Virginia commit. The 6’11 center had 13 points and seven rebounds in the opener against UT-Martin but scored a combined 20 points in the next nine games. But he’s been on a tear lately with Hugley sidelined, including 17 points and 14 rebounds against Sacred Heart and a season-high 22 points versus North Florida.

Federiko is a major upgrade on the defensive interior compared to Hugley and if he can be a double-digit scorer, the Panthers will be in great shape at the five-spot. And the hope is that by the North Carolina and Virginia games, Hugley can be healthy and able to contribute for 20 mpg, whether as a starter or coming off the bench.