The State of the Zoonion: Pitt Hoops on the Rise

Terrell Brown and Onyebuchi Ezeakudo smother North Carolina center Armando Bacot.

What a few weeks it’s been for the Pitt men’s basketball team, eh? Just before the Panthers beat Canisius at home to finish their out-of-conference slate with three straight wins, they received a commitment on Dec. 29, 2019 from elite 2022 guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who is currently ranked No. 17 in the nation for the recruiting class of 2022 by Rivals.

Just ten days later on Jan. 8, 2020, Pitt and Capel agreed on a two-year extension that would extend the coach’s contract through the 2026-27 season. That same day, the Panthers knocked off the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C., for the first time ever, ending a 23-game ACC road losing streak for the men’s basketball team.

Just 10 days after that, Pitt dominated those same Tar Heels in Pittsburgh to sweep them for the first time in a season since the Panthers joined the ACC before the 2013-14 season. With that win, they improved to 3-4 in ACC play this year, matching their ACC win total from the entire 2018-19 season in just seven ACC games.

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