Inside The Panthers

Takeaways: Ish Leggett Excelling for Pitt

The Pitt Panthers played well in the win vs. Gardner-Webb.

Dominic Campbell

Feb 13, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Ishmael Leggett (5) shoots the ball over Virginia Cavaliers guard Taine Murray (10) during the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Feb 13, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Ishmael Leggett (5) shoots the ball over Virginia Cavaliers guard Taine Murray (10) during the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images
In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers earned another victory against a mid-major foe, defeating Gardner-Webb at the Petersen Events Center on Nov. 11 to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Pitt Deals With Zone Defense for First Time

The Panthers faced their first zone defense of the season against the Runnin' Bulldogs, who had some success with it in this matchup.

Pitt dominated vs. their man-to-man defense, leading by 20 points late in the first half, which led to Gardner-Webb shifting to zone.

The Panthers failed to score in the last 4:58 of the first half and didn't score a field goal in the final six minutes, shooting 0-for-9 to end it.

Pitt would improve initially to start the second half, but fell into a lull, going four minutes without a field goal and allowing Gardner-Webb to cut it to 11.

They eventually got things going down the stretch, winning by 19 points, 83-64, which gave the Panthers their first look at a zone defense, something head coach Jeff Capel really liked.

"It was great for us to get some work against the zone," Capel said. "First time we’ve seen it in live-action this year. Thought it slowed us down the last four minutes of the first half. We had some wide-open looks and missed them and I thought that slowed us down. 

"In the second half they stayed with it because we didn’t score for the rest of the half when they went to their zone. Again, it slowed us down. We didn’t play with the necessary pace that we need to play with against the zone, but it was good because it gave us some work against it. We have some film we can talk about and show. 

"I thought the last 10 minutes, when we started playing with pace against the zone, that we were shot-ready and we made shots."

Pitt senior guard Ish Leggett also said that staying patient on offense led to better opportunities and then taking advantage of it, which they did as they used a 14-1 run to open up their lead back up late in the second half.

“Just playing with pace, making sure we get a great shot every time," Leggett said. "Attacking gaps, that’s something we work on in practice a lot and the biggest emphasis, like I said before, just making sure that the shot we get is the best shot available each possession.” 

Ish Leggett Consisently Excelling in Senior Season

Leggett had another great game for the Panthers in their win over the Runnin' Bulldogs, which is becoming a theme this season for him.

He led Pitt with 21 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field, 3-for-4 from 3-point range and a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line. He also grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and made two steals in the victory.

Leggett scored 19 points each in the first two wins over Radford on Nov. 4 and Murray State on Nov. 8, He is also shooting an incredible 68.8% from the field, 22-of-32 on his field goals this season.

Capel praised Leggett for his work over the offseason, especially on his shooting, which has allowed him to play so well to start this campaign.

“He’s worked. I mean, he worked really, really hard this summer, especially on shooting the basketball. That was a big part of his game that he wanted to improve on.

"Obviously, he’s always been able, since he’s been with us, to drive and slash and get to spots and he’s strong, but he really wanted to work on his 3-point shot and I thought he’s done a really, really good job of that and just the experience of playing, the experience of being in our program, knowing what we expect and knowing what to expect himself.”

The reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year Award is playing much more like the ACC Player of the Year right now. If he continues to play like this, Pitt will have one of the best backcourts in the country, along with graduate student Damian Dunn and sophomore Jaland Lowe.

Zack Austin Providing Spark off the Bench for Pitt

Redshirt senior forward Zack Austin started 31 of 33 games for Pitt last season, but he's come off the bench for the first three games for this one.

While some players would see this as a demotion, it's greatly benefitted Austin, especially in these past two games.

He grabbed eight rebounds and tied a career-high with five blocks in the win over the Racers and then made five rebounds, four blocks and scored 10 points in the win vs. the Runnin' Bulldogs

The play from Austin is crucial for Pitt, who will want a deep bench to help out the starting lineup, especially as they start to play more Power Four teams later in non-conference play.

“I mean, we practice it every day," Austin said on their defense. "We go through the drills, we go through shell, all that stuff and then we always got to have our brother’s back. So, if I see one of my brothers needing some help, I’m gonna come over every time and help.”

Austin enjoys his role, as he sees a new perspective compared to last season and will do whatever it takes to help the team win.

“I think it’s fine, honestly, I like it. You get to see the game, you come in and [assisant coachJason Capel] tell me before every game, before every tip, when I come in, stuff gotta change. It’s fine. I like it.”

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

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

Published
Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Follow Dominic Campbell on Twitter.

Home/Basketball