Chase Foster put together a record-setting performance in his freshman debut and transfer Johnathan Powell added six 3-pointers to lead Pitt to a dominant 95-57 win over Rider on Monday night.
Foster and Powell led the charge but there were plenty of contributions from Pitt's roster of 13 newcomers.
The Broncs currently sit as a bottom 20 team in the sport on KenPom, but the Panthers handled business and laid some groundwork heading into Thursday's matchup with Buffalo. Here are a few takeaways from the season opener.
GEORGE'S TURNOVER SUPRESSION
Nait George has ranked in the 98th percentile or higher in assist% in every year of his career but he can be a double-edged sword offensively.
George has averaged three turnovers per game in each of the last two seasons and it's fair to question how valuable he is as a playmaker if he's also turning the ball over at a clip of 5.7 per 100 possessions like he did last year.
You have to consider the competition, but he looked in total control on Monday.
The senior added 5.79 expected points when he was on the floor and generated 20 points by assists — a stat he finished top 20 nationally in alongside Baye Ndongo in 2025 — while turning the ball over just once. A much bigger sample size is needed to see if he's grown as a decision maker, but the raw numbers didn't show his true impact as an initiator in the opener. He finished with eight assists and probably should've been in the double digits if not for a few missed layups or mishandles by the bigs.
His offensive expected points added dropped by 28 points last year, but he also wasn't in a situation that maximized his skillset. Syracuse ranked No. 239 in the nation in 3-point shooting and playing next to A'Lahn Sumler and Powell should make things easier for him - Sumler's ability to play on the ball could take some pressure off him to create.
SUMLER'S PLAYMAKING
Sumler recorded five assists in the scrimmage against Providence and followed it up with five assists on Monday, he averaged 18.9 points per game a year ago and the playmaking aspect of his game flies under the radar a bit because of it.
He shot 39.6% from deep last season on 5.3 attempts per game and transformed himself as an offensive player last season. That starts with the scoring prowess but the refinement of his process really stands out.
Sumler takes smart shots and gets to the rim a ton - his rim attempt rate last season ranked in the 90th percentile while recording a mid-range attempt rate of just 20.5%. His shot diet changed drastically from his first year at Charleston Southern, the rim rate went up 40% and he remained in the top half of college basketball in 3-point attempt rate.
He showcased some real passing chops too.
Sumler assist rate jumped 12% and finished with just under four assists per game last season.
He turned it over 2.5 times per game but his usage rate of 29.8% was one of the highest in the country. In a scaled down role on the ball, he can give Pitt's bench unit a lift as the lead guard when George goes to the bench. Sumler didn't turn the ball over in the opener and provides Pitt with versatility in their lineup combinations.
He played 14% of the minutes at point guard against Rider and finished as a team-high +36.
Pitt's three-man lineup combo of Sumler, Powell and Foster had a 191.8 ORTG in 15 minutes - the highest mark of any lineup with a minimum of 10 minutes played.
FOSTER'S DEBUT
Foster setting the program record with 23 points in his freshman debut was the story of the night, Jeff Capel said postgame that Pitt hasn't had a player of his skillset since he was at Duke as an assistant.
Jeff Capel was asked postgame if he's coached many players with the size and skillset of freshman Chase Foster, who scored 23 points in his debut:
— Pittsburgh Sports Tonight (@PGH_SportsTV) November 3, 2026
"Some of the guys I coached when I was at Duke. No one here like that."
"He's talented. He works. He wants to be good." pic.twitter.com/7oqjkiIYtr
EvanMiya projected Foster as a negative offensive player in OBPR in the offseason — he's now graded at 0.99 — but there was always a question of what the transition period to the collegiate level would look for him offensively.
In his junior year leading up to his commitment to Pitt, Foster averaged more turnovers than assists and shot just 24% from 3.
He looked comfortable and played a smart floor game on Monday; eight of his 12 shots came from in the paint or behind the arc. Foster shot 3/4 from deep and most of his looks came within the flow of the offense but he was just as impactful on the defensive end and that's what stood out most to me.
Foster recorded five stocks and pulled down five defensive rebounds.
A frontcourt that includes Foster, Ndongo and Armani Mighty — three of Pitt's top four players in DBPR — has the potential to forge an identity on the glass. Foster is versatile enough to guard multiple positions and playing next to Powell on the wing will only help him continue to grow on that end of the floor. The two-man defensive lineup of Powell and Foster registered a 67.2 DRTG on Monday and should be one of Pitt's best combos all season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google