Takeaways: Pitt Loses, But It's a Good Loss

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers struggled late in the game against Louisville once again and lost their 11th game of 2025, but they showed much better fight than in previous defeats.

Pitt Needs More from Lowe and Leggett 

The two “stars” of Pitt’s roster, senior guard Ishmael Leggett and sophomore guard Jaland Lowe, can’t shoot a combined 30.3% from the field against a ranked opponent and expect to come out of the game with a win. 

They simply have to play better, especially if they decide to take over half of Pitt’s shots from the floor and jack up as many threes as they did.

Lowe should never take as many 3-pointers as he did against the Cardinals. Lowe, coming into the game, was a 27.4% three-point shooter, but now he’s a 26.6% three-point shooter because he went 1 of 8 against the Cardinals. 

Leggett shooting eight 3-pointers against Louisville is more tolerable because he came into the game shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc. But Leggett is now shooting 33.1% from three-point range this season because he also shot 1-for-8 from deep.  

The two stars of the team cannot shoot a combined 2-for-26 from behind the arc against a ranked opponent, you will never win those games. Leggett and Lowe were supposed to carry the Panthers to the postseason, but instead it feels as if they have made it harder for them to reach that goal.

Pitt’s Competitiveness against Louisville Made this Season Even More Frustrating

Although Leggett and Lowe’s shots weren’t falling, the duodidn't lack effort or a will to win against Louisville.

They tallied a combined 17 rebounds and five steals, with Lowe grabbing 10 rebounds and two steals and Leggett corralling 10 rebounds and three steals. 

It wasn’t just Leggett and Lowe putting in a ton of effort, the entire team was, especially on the offensive glass. Last time Pitt played Louisville, they outrebounded Pitt on the offensive glass by 12 — 17 to 5. 

In the rematch, the Panthers earned nine more rebounds than the Cardinals — 12 to 3. The Panthers clearly wanted to go into the KFC Yum! Center and upset one of the ACC’s best.

Although Pitt ultimately struggled at the end, Pitt easily could have won this game. It just shows how different this season could have gone.

Louisville handled the easy ACC schedule, Pitt could not, and that is why Louisville is a lock for March Madness and Pitt’s only path into March Madness is winning the ACC Tournament.

It’s a Good Thing Pitt Lost… Now Hear me Out

Losing in college athletics is hardly ever a good thing. Maybe it’s never a good thing unless you want a coach fired, but besides wanting a coach fired, I think the loss Pitt suffered against Louisville was a good loss for Pitt. 

Why? 

It helps Pitt out for the ACC Tournament and making a run that wins it. The No. 8 or No. 9 seed in the ACC Tournament is one that they wouldn't want whatsoever.

The First Round opponent Pitt would play isn’t the issue, but facing one of the best teams in the nation in Duke after a win does. Pitt suffered a 96-69 defeat in the ACC Quarterfinals in 2023 and they dropped a 76-47 contest to Duke on the road on Jan. 7.

Pitt would have a much better chance against any other team in the ACC. They forced overtime with Clemson and, Pitt has played close with Louisville, those are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds,

The Panthers' hypothetical path where they don’t have to play the Blue Devils until the Semifinals or Championship is much more favorable. The Panthers will more than likely have to beat the Blue Devils, but doing so after winning two or three consecutive games is much more feasible.

It's unlikely, but it might just work out, it did for NC State in 2024…