Pittsburgh Basketball looks to move to 3-0 in the season on Monday, taking on the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. They have a road win already, coming off an 88-82 win over NC Central, along with a 16-point road defeat at Tennessee to open the year.
Gardner-Webb has a chance to threaten the Panthers, even though the home team will be favored. Here are three pregame keys to the matchup to watch.
1. Debut of Amsal Delalic
At the end of Pittsburgh's post-game presser, Coach Jeff Capel did say that the play is for the freshman wing to make his debut on Monday. Delalic, a 6'7 forward who missed most of the preseason with a hand injuy, is viewed as one of the better shooters on the team. How many minutes he plays against Gardner-Webb and what kind of impact he'll make is a question to watch.
2. Defending Daryl Simmons and Anthony Selden
Two players have stood out for Gardner-Webb so far. Simmons is a 5'10 "guard who, after coming off the bench as a freshman, is having an early breakout sophomore campaign, averaging 20 ppg through two games. Selden is a 6'6" forward who dropped 24 points in the win over NC Central on Friday and is the kind of player who can give Pitt fits in the frontcourt. Slowing those two down is key to avoiding a close game.
3. Impact of Diaz-Graham brothers
There have long been hopes that the 7'0 Spaniard twins would be key pieces on the Panthers. But while Guillermo Diaz Graham remains a starter, Jorge has been close to out of the rotation. Plus, the defensive concerns from both of them have been clear early on.
They need to have better games to warrant consistent minutes going forward. Now with Delalic in the fold, the four-spot will have a ton of competition, and the best man will get them.