Analysis: Pitt needs better rebounding, balanced scoring when it meets North Carolina

Losses create plenty of angst among the Pitt fan base, and what happened at Syracuse will spawn its share.

Justifiably so.

But when a coach voices concern for the immediate future after Pitt (9-4, 0-2 ACC) was pounded on the glass by the Orange in an 81-73 defeat, it’s time to pay attention to what he has to say.

Associate head coach Tim O’Toole, whose specific role is tutoring the Pitt big men, questioned players’ toughness, admitted they got “pushed around” and talked about the pain of getting outrebounded.

You can bet coach Jeff Capel, O’Toole and the rest of the staff went to work immediately Saturday night upon arrival from Syracuse, trying to find the best way to trigger more aggressiveness on the boards.

Everyone knows who’s next: No. 8 North Carolina and the Tar Heels’ veteran center Armando Bacot, who leads the ACC in rebounding (10.8 per game).

Immediately after the loss to Syracuse, O’Toole said on the 93.7 FM postgame show, “You have to be able to rebound, or Bacot will have 60. He’ll just control that whole lane in there.”

If that happens, Pitt likely will drop to 0-3 in the ACC.

An insurmountable hurdle? Of course not. The season has more than two months to go — plenty of time to fix any problem — but Pitt rode early momentum last year to a 4-0 start inside the conference. A record of 0-3 means the team is headed in the opposite direction.

Pitt won 22 games to get to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. If the Panthers lose to North Carolina, they face an uphill battle to match that total.

Capel will tell his players to focus on the immediate challenge — coaches love the play-’em-one-game-at-a-time cliche — but it won’t be an easy road.

North Carolina (9-3, 1-0) has Bacot, the conference’s leading rebounder who averages 14.8 points, and R.J. Davis, who leads the ACC in scoring (21.6). It has defeated No. 6 Tennessee, 100-92, and No. 12 Oklahoma, 81-69.

“The ACC is dangerous,” Pitt’s Guillermo Diaz Graham said. “Every team in the ACC can beat you. Every team has a different style. In this conference, you have people who do zone, people who are more aggressive.

“It’s really hard because every team is a different team, and every team is really good.”

Pitt lost to No. 16 Clemson, one of the three ACC teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The other is No. 14 Duke, which comes to Petersen Events Center on Jan. 9. Yes, the early portion of Pitt’s ACC season is challenging.

After that, the schedule will lighten — but with little room for error.

Diaz Graham is correct, by the way, especially in light of Virginia (10-3, 1-1), considered one of the ACC’s best, losing to Notre Dame (6-7, 1-1) by 22 points Saturday.

Does Pitt have what it takes to confront its schedule and make another run to the tournament?

Let’s examine Blake Hinson’s role in putting Pitt back on the right path.

He is a streaky 3-point shooter who can carry a team when he’s hot. When his long-range shots aren’t falling, he has the strength to muscle his way to the basket. But he needs help.

Hinson has totaled only 16 points in the past two games after averaging 19 or 20 for most of the season.

Last season, he could lean on seniors Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Nike Sibande and Greg Elliott. Burton scored 31 points in one victory against North Carolina; Cummings 21 in the game at Chapel Hill.

This season, Bub Carrington has the ability to shoulder some of the load, but he’s already carrying immense responsibility as a freshman point guard. Perhaps the key to the season will be how Jaland Lowe, Zack Austin and Ishmael Leggett evolve as scorers.

Lowe, a backup freshman point guard, scored nine points in 17 minutes against Syracuse, Leggett five in 29. Perhaps part of the answer is more playing time for Lowe.

Meanwhile, Pitt needs better results around the basket. William Jeffress, a 6-foot-7 forward, collected 10 rebounds. It took three players 6-11 or taller — Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham and Federiko Federiko — to match that total.

Coaches preach the concept of gang rebounding.

“Five guys can go rebound the ball,” O’Toole said. “You can help each other out. That did not happen (Saturday). That’s going to have to happen as we go forward.”