After beating rival West Virginia by over 20 points on Friday night, it's easy for Pittsburgh Basketball to look ahead to the Greenbrier MTE next weekend, featuring a few good high-major opponents. But first, they have a home game against VMI, a program in the SoCon that has struggled mightily in the past two years.
But with a 4-1 start, the Keydets look to be improved. Will they pose a challenge for the Panthers on Monday night? Here are some keys to watch for the game.
1. Prepare for a high-scoring game
The two 100-point games against non-DI opponents have inflated VMI's offensive numbers but they still remain as one of the faster-paced teams in the country. And they can score against D-I foes too, including 80 in Saturday's win over Charleston Southern. Expect the Keydets to make some runs in this game, though they'll give Pitt plenty of chances to get some of their own.
2. Slow down Augustinas Kiudulas
The star for the Keydets so far has been Kiudulas, who went for 22 points on 9/15 shooting in the last game and is averaging around 22 ppg and 8.0 rpg so far this season. The 6'8 forward pairs with TJ Johnson (13 ppg) to create one of the more potent scoring frontcourts in the SoCon. It'll be another good test for Cam Corhen and Guillermo Diaz-Graham, coming off their best defensive games of the season against WVU.
3. Get 10+ minutes for Delalic, Kante and Cummings
Yes, VMI is better than the ones that went a combined 3-33 in SoCon play the previous two years. But they're still considerable underdogs against Pittsburgh and the game shouldn't be very close. That makes it a good opportunity for extend the rotation out, with a trio of freshmen available that can help give Pittsburgh a bench.
When the game was somewhat competitive against West Virginia, Pittsburgh had a 6-man rotation. They'll need more in the upcoming 5-game stretch against power conference opponents away from home. We'll see if the Panthers handle business fast enough to get the benched emptied quicker.