Three Observations From Pitt's Open Practice
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers opened up the practice gym to the world for the first time this week, as they enter the thick of preseason practices ahead of the 2023-24 season.
At an open practice inside the Petersen Events Center, the Panthers practiced and scrimmaged in front of an assortment of fans and media. Here are three takeaways from that open run.
Hinting At Starting Lineups
As the Panthers began to run through team drills, practicing running offensive sets on air and against a real defense, head coach Jeff Capel had a clear first and second unit, although he said he still has decisions to make about who will start the season opener on November 6 against North Carolina A&T.
Carlton "Bub" Carrington, Ishmael Leggett, Blake Hinson, Zack Austin and Federiko Federiko were the first group, while William Jeffress, Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham, Mike Hueitt, Jaland Lowe and Marlon Barnes manned the second unit.
The only part of that lineup of any note is that Carrington is taking the first shot at running point, with Lowe starting in the same spot on the second unit. But head coach Jeff Capel said those two will continue to compete for starting spots as the preseason goes on, according to head coach Jeff Capel.
Both Lowe and Carrington, a pair of former four-star recruits and true freshmen, both played well when the Panthers scrimmaged during their open practices, distributing and scoring effectively. Defensive ability will likely be the deciding factor.
Shooting Sticks
In five-on-five scrimmages, the Panthers made nine of 21 3-point attempts, good for a 42% rate from distance. Jorge Diaz Graham and Blake Hinson - who led all scorers with 10 points each, were the primary offenders.
Pitt lost quite a bit of shooting from last year's squad, which leaned heavily on the triple to fuel their offense. It was a major concern how they would replace that offense but it appears they still have plenty of shooters between Hinson, Diaz Graham, Leggett and Carrington.
There might even be a higher ceiling for them to reach, as Zack Austin and Lowe, two players the coaching staff believe are good shooters, each missed a pair of 3-point attempts.
Federiko's Improvements
Federiko Federiko was good at a lot of things last season - interior defense and rebounding in particular - but he wasn't much of an offensive threat unless a dunk was available.
But in this open practice, he showed much better command of the ball. He used power dribbles and pump fakes to navigate around defenders. Federiko looked confident and demonstrated fantastic touch around the rim when he caught the ball in the paint.
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