The preseason is all but over, no more exhibitions remain and from now on, when Pitt takes the court, a tally in the win or loss column will follow.

But who is this 2025-26 Panthers team that prepares to begin its campaign Monday at Petersen Events Center against Youngstown State?

Not even Jeff Capel, entering his eighth year as coach, knows that yet, but he can already say who the Panthers are not.

“We can’t be a team that just thinks we can show up,” Capel said. “There’s a certain way we have to show up. We aren’t one of these teams that just is going to out-talent you. We’re not. That’s not who we are. We have talent, but we don’t have the type of talent that some of these teams do. But if we’re tough, together and play with an edge … we can be a really good team.”

Newcomers vastly outnumber returning faces on the roster of players who will look to execute Capel’s blueprint for success this season.

Gone are Jaland Lowe, Ish Leggett, Damian Dunn, Zack Austin and the Diaz Graham twins from Capel’s squad that a year ago missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, finishing 17-15 (8-12 ACC).

When graduation and the transfer portal thinned his ranks, Capel sought out to construct a new team. The result was nine new players, four from the portal and five from the high school/international ranks, joining Pitt’s only two returnees with starting experience, Cam Corhen and Brandin Cummings.

Damarco Minor, brought in from Oregon State, replaces Lowe at point guard and prepares to play his 100th career college game Monday.

However, behind Corhen, Cummings and Minor, a long list of players such as true freshmen Omari Witherspoon and Macari Moore, plus transfers Nojus Indrusaitis (Iowa State) and Barry Dunning Jr. (South Alabama), will need to prove they can hack it in the ACC.

“Last year, you maybe felt like you had some knowns, whereas this year, there are a lot of unknowns,” Capel said. “…When you look at Nojus, you look at Omari, at (Moore), Barry — there’s a lot of inexperience there at this level, at the high-major level.”

Capel and Co. suffered a major preseason blow when Dishon Jackson, arguably Pitt’s crown-jewel portal addition, was ruled out indefinitely because of a medical situation in early October.

Jackson was expected to start at center for Pitt and bring something resembling the 8.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game he averaged as a starter with Iowa State in 2024-25.

Without him, Pitt is thin in the paint, as true freshman Kieran Mullen is the only available center. He likely will be augmented in his duties by a combination of the versatile Corhen and Papa Amadou Kante.

A potential early taste of struggles to come on the glass was seen in Pitt’s exhibition win over Providence, when the Panthers were outrebounded by five while winning the game 81-74.

However, even without Jackson, Capel has set an expectation of being tougher overall defensively this season.

“Learning from last year, we’re a little more physical,” Cummings said. “There were games where we just got out- … I mean, (people) saw it. There were games where we were getting moved out of the way, people were going right by us, we weren’t boxing anybody out. So I think it was a point this year for everybody to be physical. I think (Capel) went out and recruited that way and he did his job well.”

Andrew Palla | For TribLive Pitt guard Macari Moore (21) reacts after hitting a 3-pointer against Providence on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, at Petersen Events Center.  

Indrusaitis and Dunning have the opportunity to be major pieces this season.

Dunning’s nomadic collegiate career continues in Oakland following prior seasons at Arkansas, UAB and last year, South Alabama, where he was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection, averaging 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Indrusaitis, like Jackson, arrived from Iowa State, but he played sparingly last season as a true freshman.

A 6-foot-5 guard, Indrusaitis chipped in 11 points vs. Providence and 18 in Pitt’s final exhibition Oct. 26 against Pitt-Johnstown.

“We’ve got a tough team, we play hard. I like the way we play defense, and I like the way we share the ball,” Indrusaitis said of the Panthers following two scrimmages. “Offensively, I feel like we’ve got a lot to improve (upon), which is the exciting part about this team. I’m excited to take it day by day and keep getting better.”

Witherspoon, who earned a start against Pitt-Johnstown, and Moore, two of Capel’s promising true freshmen, could be positioned to see extended minutes this season.

A major wild card for Pitt will be 6-6 Australian forward Roman Siulepa, who has showcased athleticism and physicality but is still raw in adjusting to the North American game.

Andrew Palla | For TribLive Pitt forward Roman Siulepa (13) attempts a shot over Providence's Corey Floyd Jr. on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, at Petersen Events Center.  

Both of the Panthers’ exhibitions over Providence and Pitt-Johnstown resulted in wins but also featured periods of inadequate play that Capel doesn’t want to see turn into recurring issues.

Both the Friars and Division II Mountain Cats built early leads. Providence out-toughed Pitt on the glass, and Pitt-Johnstown shot lights-out for the entire first half before being routed by the Panthers.

Through all the preseason’s practices, exhibitions, film studies and on-court work, Capel has made clear what it will take for Pitt to reach its full potential.

“We need to play with a sense of urgency every second that we’re out there on both sides of the floor,” Capel said. “There has to be urgent talk, urgent movement. We have to be unbelievably connected. There has to be a toughness that’s there. We have to compete every possession, and we have to be dialed in and locked in every possession. … If we don’t do those things, then we’re not as good as maybe we think we are. There’s a certain way that we have to play.”

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