Takeaways from Pittsburgh's exhibition victory over Providence Friars

Pittsburgh and Providence were former Big East rivals a decade ago, until the Panthers joined the ACC. The programs have reunited for a two-year exhibition series, with the first game set to start in Pittsburgh this weekend.

After a slow start that saw the Panthers down double-digits early, they went on a huge run to get a 10-point lead at halftime. While the Friars did make it a two-point game with around six minutes to go, Pitt was able to hold on for the 81-74 victory over a team projected to finish in the top half of the Big East Conference.

While this game doesn’t count for the 2025-26 season, it was still a noticeable result for the new-look Panthers. Here are 10 takeaways from what I saw in the game.

1. Why did Pitt start off so slowly?

Providence was up 18-6 to start off, with the Panthers turning the ball over four times and giving up four made three-pointers. There were two main issues. On offense, Brandin Cummings made the first basket of the game but was a little too aggressive in the first few possessions, leading to a couple of turnovers. He did settle down and finished with 12 points, including 6/7 from the FT line. The transition defense was also rough, allowing a few threes by the Friars and easy layups. But once those were taken out in the final 34 minutes, the Panthers controlled the game.

2. MVP of the game

It was a balanced effort for the Panthers, but the player who stood out was Damarco Minor, the transfer guard from Oregon State. He was quiet in the first 10 minutes while the Panthers were losing, but once he took control of the offense, things stabilized. The senior finished with a team-high 15 points, three assists, and 34 minutes played, including a few key players to keep the lead for Pitt when the Friars were in striking range. Just as important is his having zero turnovers all game. Minor may not put up huge stats as a lead guard like Jaland Lowe and Bub Carrington, but he’ll be a huge piece for Pitt’s chances of winning.

3. Stellar freshmen debuts

Pittsburgh has had a good run of freshmen guard contributors, and this exhibition game was a good sign that there are two more impact young players. Omari Witherspoon is a four-star prospect who had a stellar 10 points on 4/5 FG shooting, including an impressive turnaround jumper over a smaller Friar. Macari Moore, a former Iowa State commit and three-star prospect, scored six points off the bench in the first half, making two of the Panthers’ four made three-pointers. Both players appear to be rotation pieces this season, and their offensive production will be needed for the offense to remain competitive.

4. Roman Siulepa a clear work in progress

The other key freshman on the roster is Siulepa, a 6’7 forward and one of the top international prospects joining the ACC. But he looked like a guy who had been with the program and in the states for a month before this game. He finished with six points on 2/4 FG, along with four rebounds. He was solid on the defensive end, including contesting a couple of drives to the basket. Siulepa is still raw but looks the part of a high-major player, and his development will be key going forward.

5. Cam Corhen’s impact 

As the top returning player, it was interesting to see what kind of production we’d see from Corhen. On offense, he finished with 10 points and five rebounds, on 3/9 FG, including an airball three attempt from the corner. On the defensive end, he did have two steals and two blocks, with the Friars' frontcourt not scoring at all inside. So it was a solid game by Corhen overall, even while hampered by four fouls.

6. Papa Kante’s effective 24 minutes

Outside of a great performance on the road at Ohio State, Kante’s full freshman campaign was largely forgettable. A case can be made that his game against Providence was his second-best in the Panthers uniform, with seven points, four rebounds, and a block in 22 minutes, and he posted a team-high +14 on the floor. Kante and Corhen played a few minutes together on the floor, though nothing notable happened. But with ISU transfer center Dishon Jackson out with a reported medical issue, Kante’s ability to play the backup five-spot without much issue was a notable aspect for the Panthers.

7. Barry Dunning’s quiet play

The most significant development was the extent of Dunning's involvement in the offense. He finished with just four points and four rebounds in 21 minutes, not even taking a single field goal attempt until late in the first half. On paper, the South Alabama transfer (15.1 ppg and 7.2 rpg) looked to be a potential focal point of the offense, so seeing the freshmen and others having more usage was interesting. We’ll see whether this was a one-off and whether Dunning plays a larger role in the next exhibition.

8. Optimism with Indrusaitis

If you had to guess who took the most shots, few would’ve said the transfer sophomore guard/wing from Iowa State. Nojus Indrusaitis finished with 11 points off the bench on 4/12 FG shooting, including a team-high seven rebounds. His efficiency could’ve easily been better, having missed a trio of layups. But his ability to get to the basket was noticeable, and he’s much more than a shooter. Add his rebounding and solid defense, and it was a good first impression by Indrusaitis.

9. Overall team strengths

• Team defense: Excluding the first few minutes, Pittsburgh’s defense looked to be a strength. They held the Friars to 39% shooting from the field and 8/26 allowed from deep. The half-court defense was great, with all of the guards holding their own on the perimeter.
• Bench production: 34 points were scored off the bench, a welcome sign of the team’s overall depth and collective offense.
• Getting to the FT line: Five different players had at least four FT attempts, with the team taking 34 total.

10. Overall team weaknesses

• 3-point shooting: As a team, Pitt made just 3/15 from deep, with all of them coming within three minutes to extend the lead in the first half. It’s a definite concern, but it’s a positive sign that they still scored 81 points without the three-ball.
• Rebounding: Pitt gave up 15 offensive boards to a Providence team that’s not overly big, losing the battle 43-38 overall. Rebounding was a major issue last year, and the hope was that the rebuilt frontcourt could fix it. But Jackson's absence is being felt here.
• 11 assists on 27 made FGs: On the one hand, Pitt has players who can create for themselves. However, the offense still looked clunky at times, with players unable to hit shots unless they create for themselves. If the three-ball can go down, this number should regularly go up, but there’s only so many times you can rely on either a mid-range jumper or getting to the line to win games.