Preview: Pitt Enters ACC Play, 2025 Against Cal

The Pitt Panthers looks to start the year off right vs. Cal.

Conor Hutchison | Jan 1, 2025

Dec 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (left) congratulates forward Guillermo Diaz Graham (25) on his three point basket against the Sam Houston State Bearkats during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers return to ACC play and start 2025 with a matchup against Cal on New Year's Day at the Petersen Events Center.

Like for anyone else, the new year is an opportunity to improve on the year ending. Many people lay out the goal of going to the gym more, eating cleaner, or progressing in their careers. Pitt men's basketball's New Year's resolution is clear--an NCAA Tournament appearance.

While gyms everywhere are scheduled to be packed on New Year's Day with those aspiring to get started on their resolutions, the Panthers can get to work immediately in their gym against the Golden Bears, which will mark the first of 19 consecutive games in conference play.

Pitt is coming off consecutive home blowouts over Eastern Kentucky, 96-56 on Dec. 11 and Sam Houston on Dec. 21, where they scored over 100 points for the first time this season (110), at home by 40 and 32 points respectively.

Those performances weren't enough to move into the AP Top 25, but the Panthers went from receiving the ninth most votes of unranked teams to the eighth most.

Pitt vs. Cal Preview

After belonging to the Pacific Conference since the 1968-69 season, the Golden Bears have joined the ACC.

In the final season of the Pac-12, first-year head coach Mark Madsen led Cal to a 13-19 overall record and a 9-11 conference record. Madsen is the third head coach tasked with getting this program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2015-16 season, where they suffered a first-round exit.

Now, in his second year as head coach but in the ACC, Madsen has Cal sitting at 7-5 heading into 2025 with a loss to in-state rival Stanford 89-81. They most recently lost to another in-state foe in then ranked No. 23 San Diego State, 71-50 at the San Jose Tip-Off on Dec. 21.

California is led by standout sophomore guard Andrej Stojakovic, son of former NBA star Peja Stojakovic.

Stojakovic came out of Jesuit High School as a four-star recruit and committed to Stanford, a college he grew up around.

He appeared in 32 games and started 10 as a freshman last season, averaging 22.3 minutes, 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Although Stojakovic held offers from North Carolina, Kentucky, and Michigan when he entered the transfer portal after his first season at Stanford, he chose Cal, his former school's closest rival.

Stojakovic has made the most of his move, improving his play from last season. The six-foot-seven guard is averaging 19.1 points per game, No. 38 in Division I, in his 31.2 minutes per game. The biggest improvement in Stojakovic's game is his ability to drive to the hoop and draw contact, as the sophomore went from averaging 1.1 free-throw attempts per game to six.

Another large part of the Golden Bears' offense is graduate student guard Jovan Blacksher Jr.

He spent five seasons at Grand Canyon, playing a part in getting them to the NCAA Tournament where they knocked off No. 5 Saint Mary's for an upset in the First Round.

Blacksher Jr. returned to his home state of California for his sixth season of college basketball and is averaging the second-most points for the Golden Bears with 13 per game.

He shot above 40% from three-point range last season for the first time in his collegiate career, with a 41.9% efficiency. He is now shooting 41.5% from deep on more than double the attempts per game from last season.

Blacksher Jr. has alsoscored in double figures in every game other than the last outing against San Diego State.

The Golden Bears have had a few productive players miss time this season. Two of the four players that score in double figures haven't played in every game. Blacksher Jr. is one and junior forward BJ Omot, who averages 10.8 points per contest, only has appeared in four games.

Cal has a frontcourt pair that grab a decent number of rebounds. Graduate student center Mady Sissoko, who stands at six-foot-nine and transferred in from Michigan State, averages 6.8 rebounds in his 24.3 minutes per game, and junior forward Lee Dort, who stands at six-foot-ten and transferred in from Vanderbilt, averages 6.1 rebounds in his 14.4 minutes per game.

Luckily for the Golden Bears, both Sissoko and Dort have appeared in every game this season.

The Panthers are coming off a great offensive performance from senior guard Ishmael Leggett and redshirt senior forward Zach Austin who each scored 23 points in the win over Sam Houston. Leggett continues to be an extremely efficient scorer and Austin has found supreme confidence to shoot from deep--confidence that might be easy to find considering Austin is shooting 44.9% from deep.

Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe also recorded a double-double against Sam Houston with 18 points and 11 assists.

Lowe has had a few nights like his night against Sam Houston with a few more missed shots than Pitt head coach Jeff Capel might like, but Lowe is the Panthers' offensive engine, so a few shots short is nothing to over-criticize.

The Panthers are a heavy favorite over the Golden Bears, especially at home and their foe traveling more than 2,500 miles for the contest.

At home and running hot, the Panthers should take care of business and make solid progress on their New Year's resolution. Look for Lowe and Leggett to continue showcasing their offensive talent, with Lowe scoring more efficiently, and for Austin to stay confident when shooting from deep. That's what the Panthers will need in order to dominate offensively.