Preview: Pitt Faces ACC Newcomer Stanford

The Pitt Panthers host their second-straight cross-country opponent.

Dec 11, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) drives to the basket against Eastern Kentucky Colonels guard George Kimble III (3) during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will host another ACC newcomer in Stanford at the Petersen Events Center, as they look to extend their winning streak.

Pitt trailed by 16 points against Cal in their ACC home opener on New Year's Day, but they won 86-74 behind 27 points, eight assists from sophomore guard Jaland Lowe, and a dominant performance from junior forward Cam Corhen, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-doubel of the season.

The Panthers look to have similar success when they host another California team and ACC newcomer in the Cardinal a team they haven't faced since 2013.

Pitt's two losses are the fewest suffered before Jan. 4 since the 2015-16 season, the final under previous head coach Jamie Dixon, when the Panthers only had one loss until Jan. 14.

After an early December blowout loss to Mississippi State on the road, Pitt is in the midst of a four-game win streak that includes wins of all varieties.

This includes a comeback win against Virginia Tech on the road, a pair of blowout wins of 40 points and 32 points against Eastern Kentucky and Sam Houston, respectively, and the comeback win against Cal.

The only kind of win the Panthers need to notch is a wire-to-wire dominant victory and they hope they can do so against the Cardinal.

Pitt vs. Stanford Preview

The Cardinal entered a whole new era when they were granted membership into the ACC. Veteran head coach Kyle Smith is in his first year at the helm after five seasons with Washington State, one of two teams still members of the Pac-12. Smith coached Washington State to the NCAA Tournament last season, their first appearance since the 2007-08 season.

Heading into Saturday's contest against the Panthers, Smith has the Cardinal sitting at 9-4 and 1-1 in the ACC. They defeated the rival Golden Bears earlier in the season 89-81 and lost on the road vs. the Clemson Tigers in their most recent outing 85-71.

Stanford is led by senior forward Maxime Raynaud, who stands at seven-foot-one. Hailing from Paris, France, Raynaud is in his fourth straight season with the Cardinal and has contributed since day one.

Raynaud averaged 4.5 points in his 12 minutes per game over 29 appearances as a freshman. Since then, Raynaud's contributions have only increased. He started 2/3 of the Cardinal's games his sophomore season and became a full-time starter his junior season.

He currently averages the 10th most points in the country with 20.8 per game and grabs the second most rebounds with 11.8 per game in 34.5 minutes per contest. Raynaud also shoots an admirable 34.4% from deep on just over five attempts per game.

Stanford have depth, or rather height, in the frontcourt. They play first-year forward Aidan Cammann, who stands at six-foot-10 and averages just over 20 minutes per game. Junior forward Chisom Okpara, who stands at six-foot-eight, plays 17.2 minutes per game and adds 5.8 points per contest too.

The Panthers will certainly be locked in on slowing down one of the most productive forwards in the country, but the Raynaud is not a one-man show. The Cardinal also has the guard duo of senior Jaylen Blakes and junior Oziyah Sellers, who both average about 32 minutes per game.

Standing at six-foot-two, Blakes spent his first three seasons at Duke, appearing in 83 games and starting a few. His sophomore season saw Blakes average just over 13 minutes per game and a career-high scoring average.

Now that Blakes is at Stanford, he's a full-time starter, averaging 15.2 points per game, the second-most on the team, and he leads Stanford with 5.2 assists per game.

Sellers spent his first two seasons at USC, appearing in 25 games during his first season, but having a minimal role. His production and playtime increased his sophomore season as he averaged 5.2 points per game and shot an impressive 42.9% from deep on low volume.

Now with the Cardinal, Sellers is a full-time starter, averaging 14.2 points per game and shooting 38.2% from 3-point range, tied for the highest on the team for players with more than one 3-point attempt.

Stanford's biggest weakness is they shoot poorly from deep. The Cardinal shoot 33.0% from deep ranking them No. 220 among 355 qualified schools. They rely on Raynaud, Sellers, and sophomore guard Ryan Agarwal, who also shoots 38.2% from deep, to carry much of that load.

Another challenge the Cardinal has to overcome is traveling over 2500 miles and into a three-hour-ahead time zone. The Golden Bears, who the Panthers just defeated, could not overcome the geographical hurdle.

Pitt heads into a home game as a heavy favorite to walk away with a win for the fourth straight contest.

They completed their comeback against Cal without senior guard Ishmael Leggett, who the program announced as out for the contest just within an hour and a half before tipoff.

Capel didn't confirm if Leggett would or wouldn't play vs. Stanford, taking a "wait-and-see" approach for the matchup. He did confirm that Leggett rolled his ankle in practice back on Dec. 28. Leggett led the team with 17.5 points per game, before missing his first game this season,

Freshman guard Brandin "Beebah" Cummings, who scored a season-high 30 points against Eastern Kentucky, earned his first start for Pitt against Cal, recording 15 points and shooting 5-for-9 from the field, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 2-for-3 from the foul line in 38 minutes.

The Panthers will hope they get Leggett back in the starting line-up against the Cardinal, but if Leggett needs another day to rest, Cummings is certainly ready to step-up again.

Pitt is still without graduate student guard Damian Dunn, who underwent surgery on his right thumb after injuring it against Wisconsin in the Greenbrier Tip-Off back on Nov. 24.

The Panthers struggled earlier in the season with a their frontcourt getting into early foul trouble They must slow down Raynaud and the forwards will have to play discipled defense and stay on the court if they want to get this victory.

How to Watch: Pitt vs. Stanford

Pitt vs Stanford tips off at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 at the Petersen Events Center. The game is viewable live or on ESPN2.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Pitt Wrestling Defeats Pitt-Johnstown
• Former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett Questionable for Eagles
  
• Pitt Football Hosting Florida WR Transfer
• Pitt Faces Big 12 Foe in Latest Bracektology
• Pitt Transfer CB Schedules Official Visits

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt