It’s been a wild past week for Pittsburgh Basketball on its path to a 3-0 start to the season. After trailing by as many as 13 points, the Panthers were able to come back to beat Buffalo. They followed it up by beating Penn State in Philly, 82-76. The next opponent is also in the high-major ranks, taking on the Butler Bulldogs.
After easy wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Lafayett to open the season, Butler suffered a surprise 100-81 beatdown on the road to suffer its first defeat of the year. What can Pittsburgh do to make it back-to-back losses? Here’s a look at some keys to the game for the ACC squad.
1. Defending the three-ball
One thing that stands out with Butler in the Coach Ronald Nored era is how many threes they’re taking. They’re second in the nation with 41 attempts a game (14.7 makes), with its top six scorers all shooting at least 3.3 a game. Jalen Jackson (50%) and Asim Djulovic (59%) have been their two most dangerous pure shooters. Pitt’s perimeter defense has been solid, allowing fewer than 30% from deep and just seven makes. They’ll need to keep it closer to those numbers if they want the road win.
2. Jalen Jackson vs Naithan George at PG
Speaking of Jackson, he leads Butler with 17.7 ppg and 5.3 apg, scoring 16+ points in each game. He’s their engine, while George (10.3 ppg and 6.0 apg) has been Pitt’s. But foul trouble has been an issue for the senior guard, limited to just 18 minutes played against Penn State. A’lahn Sumler (26 points) was able to take over for the Panthers to get the win in that game but against a quality ball-handler in Jackson, Pitt can’t afford George to be off the floor much.
3. Good production from Akir Souare and Armani Mighty at the five-spot
Pittsburgh’s best lineup has featured Baye Ndongo (16 ppg and 11.7 rpg) and Chase Foster (16.3 ppg), their top two leading scorers in the frontcourt. But the lack of size and interior defense is why Souare starts, while Mercer transfer Mighty gets minutes off the bench. Butler has size similar to Penn State, featuring 6’10 forward Treyson Anderson and 6’11 big man Drayton Jones in the lineup. Pitt was able to hold the Nittany Lions off but did struggle a bit on the boards. They’ll need another good collective effort from the entire frontcourt to get the road win over the Bulldogs.
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