# 2022–23 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team

The 2022–23 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers were led by fifth-year head coach Jeff Capel and played their home games at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Panthers finished the season 24–12, 14–6 in ACC play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. This season marked a surprise turnaround from previous seasons; at one point, the Panthers were ranked No. 25 in the nation, their first appearance in the top-25 rankings in seven years. As the No. 5 seed in the ACC tournament, they defeated Georgia Tech before losing to Duke in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the Panthers' first invitation since 2016. As a No. 11 seed in the Midwest region, they defeated Mississippi State in the First Four. They upset Iowa State in the first round before losing to Xavier in the second round. This marked Pitt's best season since 2014.

## Previous season

The Panthers finished the 2021–22 season 11–21, 6–14 in ACC play to finish in a three way tie for eleventh place. As the twelfth seed in the ACC tournament, they lost to thirteenth seed Boston College in the First Round. They were not invited to the NCAA tournament or the NIT.

## Offseason
### Departures

Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Chris Payton | 1 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Junior | Bloomington, IL | Transferred to Kent State |
| Femi Odukale | 2 | G | 6'5" | 205 | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Transferred to Seton Hall |
| Noah Collier | 3 | F | 6'9" | 220 | Sophomore | Mullica Hill, NJ | Transferred to William & Mary |
| Daniel Oladapo | 4 | F | 6'7" | 220 | Senior | Bladensburg, MD | Graduate transferred to North Carolina Central |
| Ithiel Horton | 12 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Junior | Vauxhall, NJ | Dismissed from the team due to an assault; transferred to UCF |
| Curtis Aiken Jr. | 14 | G | 6'1" | 200 | Junior | Pittsburgh, PA | Walk-on; left the team for personal reasons |
| Mouhamadou Gueye | 15 | F | 6'10" | 210 | GS Senior | Staten Island, NY | Graduated |
| Onyebuchi Ezeakudo | 31 | G | 6'1" | 200 | Senior | Fort Wayne, IN | Walk-on; graduate transferred to Radford |
| Max Amadasun | 35 | C | 6'9" | 230 | Sophomore | Dublin, Ireland | Transferred to St. Bonaventure |
| Chayce Smith | 42 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Senior | Mount Laurel, NJ | Walk-on; graduate transferred |

### Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Nelly Cummings | 0 | G | 6'0" | 180 | GS Senior | Midland, PA | Colgate |
| Blake Hinson | 2 | G/F | 6'7" | 235 | RS Junior | Deltona, FL | Iowa State |
| Greg Elliott | 3 | G | 6'3" | 180 | GS Senior | Detroit, MI | Marquette |
| Fede Federiko | 33 | F | 6'11" | | Sophomore | Helsinki, Finland | Northern Oklahoma College |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Dior Johnson #6 PG | Lakewood, CA | Southern California Academy | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jun 13, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 88 ||||||
| Guillermo Díaz Graham PF | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | May 4, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Jorge Díaz Graham PF | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | May 4, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 27 Rivals: 22 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Pittsburgh Panthers". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022. ||||||

#### 2023 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2023 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Bub Carrington #31 SG | Baltimore, MD | St. Frances Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 15, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Marlon Barnes Jr. #36 SG | Lyndhurst, OH | Brush High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jan 19, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 27 Rivals: 22 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Pittsburgh Panthers". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 22, 2022* 11:48 a.m. | | Clarion | W 103–51 | – | 20 – Hinson | 10 – Federiko | 4 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 2, 2022* 7:00 p.m. | | Edinboro | W 92–53 | – | 29 – Hinson | 10 – Federiko | 5 – Tied | Petersen Events Center Pittsburgh, PA |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | UT Martin | W 80–58 | 1–0 | 27 – Hinson | 13 – Hinson | 7 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (6,055) Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 11, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | West Virginia Backyard Brawl | L 56–81 | 1–1 | 16 – Burton | 7 – Tied | 3 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (10,827) Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 16, 2022* 6:00 p.m., ESPNU | | vs. No. 20 Michigan Legends Classic semifinals | L 60–91 | 1–2 | 14 – Burton | 6 – Hinson | 5 – Cummings | Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY |
| November 17, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. VCU Legends Classic 3rd place game | L 67–71 | 1–3 | 18 – Hinson | 7 – Tied | 4 – Burton | Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY |
| November 20, 2022* 2:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | Alabama State | W 73–54 | 2–3 | 21 – Hinson | 9 – Hugley IV | 5 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (5,558) Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 22, 2022* 8:30 p.m., ACCN | | Fairleigh Dickinson | W 83–61 | 3–3 | 18 – Burton | 8 – Sibande | 4 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (5,455) Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 25, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | William & Mary | W 80–64 | 4–3 | 17 – Hinson | 11 – Hinson | 4 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (5,649) Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 28, 2022* 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Northwestern ACC–Big Ten Challenge | W 87–58 | 5–3 | 22 – Hinson | 8 – Hinson | 7 – Burton | Welsh–Ryan Arena (2,606) Evanston, IL |
| December 2, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | at NC State | W 68–60 | 6–3 (1–0) | 24 – Burton | 9 – Elliott | 4 – Tied | PNC Arena (12,798) Raleigh, NC |
| December 7, 2022* 8:00 p.m., SECN | | at Vanderbilt | L 74–75 | 6–4 | 20 – Elliott | 8 – Burton | 5 – Cummings | Memorial Gymnasium (5,616) Nashville, TN |
| December 10, 2022* 3:30 p.m., ACCN | | Sacred Heart | W 91–66 | 7–4 | 24 – Cummings | 14 – Federiko | 5 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (6,019) Pittsburgh, PA |
| December 17, 2022* 1:00 p.m., ACCN | | North Florida | W 82–56 | 8–4 | 22 – Federiko | 10 – Elliott | 7 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (5,782) Pittsburgh, PA |
| December 20, 2022 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Syracuse | W 84–82 | 9–4 (2–0) | 25 – Hinson | 13 – Hinson | 7 – Burton | JMA Wireless Dome (15,417) Syracuse, NY |
| December 30, 2022 12:00 p.m., ACCN | | No. 25 North Carolina | W 76–74 | 10–4 (3–0) | 31 – Burton | 7 – Federiko | 7 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (10,215) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 3, 2023 9:00 p.m., ACCN | | No. 11 Virginia | W 68–65 | 11–4 (4–0) | 16 – Tied | 11 – Federiko | 8 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (6,464) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 7, 2023 4:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Clemson | L 74–75 | 11–5 (4–1) | 28 – Burton | 8 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (10,403) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 11, 2023 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | at No. 24 Duke | L 69–77 | 11–6 (4–2) | 16 – Burton | 6 – Sibande | 6 – Burton | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 14, 2023 3:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Georgia Tech | W 71–60 | 12–6 (5–2) | 21 – Sibande | 7 – Federiko | 4 – Cummings | McCamish Pavilion (5,325) Atlanta, GA |
| January 18, 2023 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Louisville | W 75–54 | 13–6 (6–2) | 23 – Elliott | 8 – G. Diaz Graham | 11 – Burton | KFC Yum! Center (11,579) Louisville, KY |
| January 21, 2023 3:00 p.m., ACCN | | Florida State | L 64–71 | 13–7 (6–3) | 20 – Burton | 9 – Hinson | 5 – Burton | Petersen Events Center (10,390) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 25, 2023 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Wake Forest | W 81–79 | 14–7 (7–3) | 24 – Hinson | 9 – Federiko | 9 – Burton | Petersen Events Center (7,660) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 28, 2023 4:00 p.m., ESPNU | | No. 20 Miami (FL) | W 71–68 | 15–7 (8–3) | 21 – Hinson | 10 – Burton | 7 – Burton | Petersen Events Center (12,508) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 1, 2023 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | at North Carolina | W 65–64 | 16–7 (9–3) | 21 – Cummings | 7 – Sibande | 3 – Cummings | Dean Smith Center (20,421) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 7, 2023 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Louisville | W 91–57 | 17–7 (10–3) | 15 – Sibande | 6 – Burton | 6 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (7,577) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 11, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Florida State | W 83–75 | 18–7 (11–3) | 19 – Tied | 13 – Federiko | 6 – Burton | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (5,845) Tallahassee, FL |
| February 14, 2023 9:00 p.m., ACCN | | Boston College | W 77–58 | 19–7 (12–3) | 21 – Hinson | 7 – Tied | 8 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (6,746) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 18, 2023 5:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Virginia Tech | L 72–79 | 19–8 (12–4) | 15 – Burton | 6 – G. Diaz Graham | 8 – Cummings | Cassell Coliseum (8,925) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 21, 2023 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Georgia Tech | W 76–68 | 20–8 (13–4) | 22 – Cummings | 7 – Federiko | 7 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (9,482) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 25, 2023 5:00 p.m., ACCN | | Syracuse | W 99–82 | 21–8 (14–4) | 22 – Hinson | 10 – Burton | 13 – Cummings | Petersen Events Center (12,508) Pittsburgh, PA |
| March 1, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 25 | at Notre Dame | L 81–88 | 21–9 (14–5) | 19 – Tied | 13 – Hinson | 2 – Tied | Joyce Center (8,582) South Bend, IN |
| March 4, 2023 6:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 25 | at No. 16 Miami (FL) | L 76–78 | 21–10 (14–6) | 24 – Hinson | 5 – Sibande | 6 – Cummings | Watsco Center (7,972) Coral Gables, FL |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 8, 2023 2:30 p.m., ESPN | (5) | vs. (13) Georgia Tech Second round | W 89–81 | 22–10 | 21 – Burton | 9 – Hinson | 8 – Burton | Greensboro Coliseum (17,685) Greensboro, NC |
| March 9, 2023 2:30 p.m., ESPN2 | (5) | vs. (4) No. 21 Duke Quarterfinals | L 69–96 | 22–11 | 17 – Sibande | 8 – G. Diaz Graham | 3 – Tied | Greensboro Coliseum (13,920) Greensboro, NC |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 14, 2023 9:34 pm, TruTV | (11 MW) | vs. (11 MW) Mississippi State First Four | W 60–59 | 23–11 | 15 – Cummings | 5 – Tied | 4 – Cummings | UD Arena (12,453) Dayton, OH |
| March 17, 2023 3:31 p.m., TruTV | (11 MW) | vs. (6 MW) Iowa State First Round | W 59–41 | 24–11 | 13 – Cummings | 8 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Greensboro Coliseum (16,150) Greensboro, NC |
| March 19, 2023 12:10 p.m., CBS | (11 MW) | vs. (3 MW) No. 13 Xavier Second Round | L 73–84 | 24–12 | 18 – Hinson | 9 – Sibande | 5 – Cummings | Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, NC |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | — | Not released |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV |
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.