Guests are Pitt Panthers Players Jaryd Jones-Smith and Shakir Soto. Topics: close wins in 2015 and the 4 most important games in 2016. Plus OL configurations and Soto’s transition and what it could mean for the DT position. The close games from 2015 and the 4 key games in 2016.
Pitt is not just recruiting locally, they are recruiting nationally too under this regime. Never too early to preview the Pitt-Penn State Game!
Season tickets for the 2016-17 Pitt men’s basketball season are now on sale, including an exclusive offer for recent grads, and a five-month payment plan for all orders placed before the end of June.
Panther fans can purchase season tickets for only $115 per month with a five-month payment plan to secure all 18 home games at the Petersen Events Center and the annual City Game against cross-town foe Duquesne at CONSOL Energy Center. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets for the 2016-17 season.
Pitt’s home slate includes five contests against teams that are ranked in the top 25 of the ESPN way-to-early Preseason Rankings. The Panthers home ACC slate includes matchups against No. 5 Virginia, No. 6 North Carolina, No. 13 Louisville, No. 23 Florida State, No. 25 Syracuse, Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Pitt’s non-conference home schedule will be released at a later date and will include a pair of games as part of the 2K Classic Benefitting Wounded Warrior Project.
Under the recent graduate ticket program, anyone that has earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh within the past 10 years is eligible to purchase a maximum of two upper level end zone season tickets for $300 or receive 10% off other season ticket locations (maximum of two). Recent graduates purchasing tickets before the end of June can set up a payment plan for only $60 per month for each season ticket.
Head coach Kevin Stallings takes over a team that returns six of its top seven scorers from a year ago, including third team All-ACC selection Michael Young. The Duquesne, Pa., native averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds last season at Pitt finished 21-12 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in the past 10 years.
Young is joined by fellow returning seniors Jamel Artis, Sheldon Jeter and Chris Jones. Artis, a 2015 All-ACC selection, averaged 14.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2015-16, while Jeter contributed 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in just over 18.5 minutes per game. Jones added 6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game.
The Pitt lineup is also expected to feature emerging talents Cameron Johnson and Ryan Luther, who both came on strong at the end of last season. Luther averaged 7.7 points and 2.9 rebounds over the final seven games of the season, while Johnson averaged 4.8 points with a career-high 24 points in an ACC Tournament win over Syracuse. Stallings also welcomes in a trio of exciting newcomers in Crisshawn Clark, Justice Kithcart and Corey Manigault.
“The ACC is without a doubt the toughest and deepest conference in the NCAA,” said Stallings. “As a result we have a terrific home schedule that features some of the top teams in the country. We are excited about our home schedule and know we will have great support from the Oakland Zoo and the rest of our outstanding fan base.”
Game dates, times and TV designations will be announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference at a later date. Pitt’s non-conference schedule is expected to be announced later this week.