Can Pitt reach 10 victories in the ACC?

The question facing Pitt as it ventures into the second half of its ACC schedule is this:

Can the Panthers win 10 conference games?

Never mind Pitt has done that only once in six previous seasons (11-7 in 2014), and the Panthers have averaged fewer than five in the others.

But this year’s team (13-8, 4-6) has a shot. Everything must go right, but if you believe improvement over the next 10 games is an inevitable outcome of what Jeff Capel is building, why not discuss the possibility?

The first of those games tips off at noon Sunday at Petersen Events Center against Miami.

Can it really happen? Let’s take a look:

1. The ACC is not well-stocked

All but three of the 15 teams have lost at least four conference games, and only Louisville, Duke, Florida State, Virginia and Syracuse have winning conference records. No. 5 Florida State, No. 6 Louisville and No. 9 Duke comprise 30 percent of the Associated Press Top 10, but everyone else is unranked.

Pitt is finished with Louisville and Duke, and Virginia and Syracuse must come to Petersen Events Center on Feb. 22 and 26. Pitt’s toughest game will be Feb. 18 at Florida State.

Pitt might be able to win one in that difficult three-game, nine-day stretch.

Still, that means Pitt must be 5-2 in the other seven (difficult, not impossible).

The next four games against Miami, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Clemson (a combined 15-24) are key.

But just to toss in a dose of reality: Those teams should be looking at 4-6 Pitt as an equally beatable opponent.

2. Is the bench getting longer?

Freshman Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, who played less than 15 minutes in three previous games without scoring, was a factor against Duke.

He hit 3 of 4 shots, scored eight points and recorded four rebounds and an assist.

“I always knew Karim was special,” sophomore Au’Diese Toney said. “Something clicked in his mind. It was another level of Karim that I had never seen (in a game) before. I always saw the potential, and he showed it in the game when it mattered. He handled it better than I thought he would.”

Pitt won’t get to 6-4 without significant minutes from Couibaly and freshman Gerald Drumgoole Jr. Already, five players are averaging at least 29 minutes in conference games, led by Xavier Johnson’s 35. Playing four games in the next 11 days won’t be easy.

Another note: It was surprising to see guard Ryan Murphy play 14 minutes and attempt one shot (he missed) at Duke. Expect to see more from Murphy on Sunday at the Pete.

3. Time for leaders to step up

Johnson and Trey McGowens were the two most productive freshmen last season, but Toney, also a part of the 2018-19 class, has surpassed them in terms of production over the past three games. In fact, Toney’s emergence is the leading reason to be optimistic about the rest of the season.

Johnson has scored only nine points in each of the past three games while sinking 9 of 33 shots from the field (27.2%). McGowens is 8 for 39 (20.5%) in the past four, and he missed all seven of his shot attempts at Duke.

McGowens and Johnson are Pitt’s leading scorers at 12.5 and 11.7 points per game. But Toney and Justin Champagnie have been more reliable in recent games.

Get all four players operating at high levels most of the time, throw in Murphy’s ability to stick the 3 (he averages nearly two per game in the conference and hits 40.4% of them) and 6-4 no longer seems like an unattainable goal.

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