Game facts
Pittsburgh (11-4, 1-1 ACC) at No. 15 NC State (13-2, 1-1 ACC)
Game time: Saturday, Jan. 12, 12 p.m. — PNC Arena in Raleigh
Television: ACC Network
Probable starters
NC State
PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Jr., 12.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.2 apg)
SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 195, R-Jr., 11.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.6 spg)
G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Soph., 9.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.9 apg) or 24 Devon Daniels (6-5, 200, R-Soph., 9.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg)
F — 2 Torin Dorn (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 14.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.5 spg)
C — 33 Wyatt Walker (6-9, 240, R-Jr., 6.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 bpg)
Pittsburgh
PG — 1 Xavier Johnson (6-3, 190, Fr., 16.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.1 spg)
SG — 2 Trey McGowens (6-3, 185, Fr., 13.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 2.3 spg)
SF — 5 Au’Diese Toney (6-6, 210, Fr., 9.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg)
PF — 4 Jared Wilson-Frame (6-5, 220, Sr., 11.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)
C — 21 Terrell Brown (6-10, 230, Soph., 5.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.2 apg, 2.3 bpg)
Notes
Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Nickname: Panthers
2017-18 record: 8-24 overall, 0-18 ACC
2017 postseason: None
Head coach: Jeff Capel 10th season overall (172-114) and first season at Pitt (10-4)
Pittsburgh overview: First-year Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel has already accomplished something the Panthers couldn’t do last year — win an ACC game.
Freshman shooting guard Trey McGowens erupted for 33 points, six rebounds and went 4 of 7 on three-pointers to lead the Panthers to an 89-86 overtime win against Louisville on Wednesday.
McGowens and freshman Au’Diese Toney both were expected to be in the class of 2019, but elected to sign with the Panthers in 2018. Nebraska point guard signee Xavier Johnson was able to get out of his letter of intent and sign with Pitt. Add in New Mexico State graduate transfer Sidy N’Dir, and the Panthers’ perimeter got a spring makeover following Capel’s hiring.
KenPom.com has Pittsburgh ranked No. 87 overall in the country, and NC State is ranked No. 23.
Backcourt: Johnson and McGowens will be Pitt’s backcourt for the present and the future. Rivals.com didn’t rank Johnson, who played for famed Team Takeover traveling program, but he was a three-star prospect.
Johnson was offered sophomore year by the previous NC State coaching staff and he attended Primetime With The Pack. The athletic rookie is shooting 40.7 percent on three-pointers and 45.3 percent from the field en route to 16.5 points per game. He had 21 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in the win over Louisville.
Johnson has reached double figures in every single game and has a pair of double-doubles for points and assists. He has scored 20-plus points five times.
McGowens attended Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy and the Wolfpack jumped on the South Carolina native, having him attend a home football game in the fall of 2017. NCSU was pushing for McGowens in the class of 2019, but when he elected to go to 2018, the Panthers jumped in hard. Rivals.com ranked him No. 83 overall nationally last spring.
McGowens has scored in double figures in 11 games, and is shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.6 percent on three-pointers.
Wings Malik Ellison and Khameron Davis provide depth. The 6-6, 215-pound Ellison is the son of former Louisville legend Pervis Ellinson. The St. John’s transfer is averaging 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, but is just 1 of 9 on three-pointers. Ellison has scored in double figures in six games, including a season-high 15 points against North Alabama.
The 6-4, 200-pound Davis is chipping in 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. He had a season-high 11 points, five rebounds and went 3 of 4 on three-pointers in the 94-55 win over VMI on Nov. 9.
The aforementioned N’Dir has missed the last four games with a leg injury.
Frontcourt: Junior college transfer Wilson-Frame was on fire for Pittsburgh in last year’s upset bid against NC State on Jan. 24, 2018. He had a then career-high 22 points and three three-pointers in the 72-68 home loss against the Wolfpack. He reached 20-plus points in four different games a year ago.
Wilson-Frame was suspended for the season opener and then combined for 64 points and 15 three-pointers during a torrid three-game stretch in wins over VMI, Troy and Central Arkansas. He is shooting 37.8 percent on three-pointers, but enters Saturday’s game going just 3 of 14 from beyond the arc in ACC action against Louisville and North Carolina.
Toney is originally from Huntsville, Ala., but he ended up in Fayetteville, N.C., and attended Northwood Temple his sophomore year and Trinity Christian his senior year. Toney, Duke freshman Joey Baker and Providence-bound Greg Gantt led Trinity Christian to a NCISAA 1A state title. He was a three-star prospect by Rivals.com.
The athletic, slashing Toney settled in the class of 2018 and quickly picked Pitt. He is shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 9 of 39 on three-pointers. He has reached double figures in points in seven contests.
Sophomore center Brown was a standout in high school and with BABC traveling team, and he’s giving the Panthers a great shot-blocking presence. The 6-10 center had 10 points, nine blocks and five boards in a 68-54 win vs. Colgate on Dec. 29. He also swatted five shots in the win over Louisville, and four blocks against UNC on Jan. 5.
Brown has reached double figures in four contests, and he is shooting 51.7 percent from the field. He has improved his statistics in all but assists per game and free-throw shooting this season.
The 6-9, 225-pound Kene Chukwuka, a junior from Sweden, comes off the bench to averaging 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game this season.
——
——
• Talk about it inside The State of Basketball
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker
• Like us on Facebook
