NC A&T at Pitt: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines

The Pitt Panthers kickoff the 2023-24 campaign at home against North Carolina A&T.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers kickoff the 2023-24 regular season tonight at the Petersen Events Center after a remarkable 2022-23 campaign that saw them win 24 games and return to the NCAA Tournament. 

The Panthers lost a lot from that landmark squad from a year ago, but have some talented newcomers and improved returners that have them set up to carry the momentum into the future. That all starts with game No. 1 against North Carolina A&T. 

Game Info
Opponent: North Carolina A&T Aggies (0-0 overall, 0-0 Costal Athletic Association)
Time: 7:00 p.m. 
Location: Petersen Events Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra and 93.7 The Fan

Odds
The line has moved in Pitt's favor since the open. The home Panthers are now 24.5-point favorites over the Aggies, with -17,241 odds on the moneyline compared to +3,500 for the visitors. 

Three Storylines

Taking Care of Business
In all but one season (his first) since he's been head coach at Pitt, Jeff Capel has lost either its first or second game of the season. Sometimes that loss has come against a strong, eventually NCAA Tournament-bound West Virginia squad. Other times, it's come against teams like the Citadel and St. Francis (PA).  

A loss like that seemed predetermined for Capel teams but after last season's success, in which their only loss to a mid or low-major came against a 27-win VCU team that made the NCAA Tournament, there is more confidence that Pitt will avoid 

You saw the odds - the Panthers are favored by more than three touchdowns against a North Carolina A&T team that was already struggling before it went through extreme roster turnover. Pitt is bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced than the Aggies and they should be able to flex their muscles in this game and the ensuing three contests against non-high major competition before facing five Power 5 teams in a row in late November and early December. 

Who Emerges From Deeper Bench?
The Panthers had some depth last year but were primarily top-heavy, especially during the tail end of the regular season. But a return from injury, the addition of a talented freshman and years under the belts of returning sophomores mean that Capel should be able to dip into his reserves more frequently if necessary. 

Former four-star recruit Jaland Lowe will certainly be called upon early and often to help Ishmael Leggett and Carlton Carrington handle the ball, whether the 19-year-old is ready or not to take on such responsibilities. Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham picked up 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason and some much-needed experience at the tail end of last season when Federiko Federiko missed time with a knee injury. And William Jeffress looks like a brand-new player after returning from a foot injury that sidelined him for all of 2022-23. 

How Capel divides up what are sure to be limited minutes for his reserves will be a story to watch as they move through non-conference play. It will likely be determined by matchups and foul trouble, but Pitt should nonetheless be able to arrive at the end of the year fresher and deeper than they have been really at any point in Capel's tenure. 

How Real is the Carlton Carrington Hype?
After an open practice and an exhibition against a Division II opponent, freshman point guard Carlton Carrington looks like a star in the making and perhaps a contender for ACC Freshman of the Year. But his best competition - a secret scrimmage against Georgetown in which he scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and added five assists - has been played behind closed doors. 

To that extent, just how real the excitement should be for a player who has yet to play a regular season game of college basketball yet is an open question. He looked poised, versatile and explosive against Pitt-Johnstown last week, tying the team lead in points with 13 on 50% shooting from the field and a 75% mark from 3-point distance to go along with seven rebounds, six assists and no turnovers. 

But that was, of course, a Division II opponent. Carrington and his teammates had advantages in size and talent that would make it nearly impossible to struggle. Now he faces a team that, even for all its shortcomings, will be on a more even footing. This is a real Division I opponent and this is where he starts to get truly tested. It counts for real now and we'll get to see if Carrington is up to the task. 

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