On Monday, the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) men’s basketball team opened their 2024-25 season with a dominant 40-point win. Pitt started the season in front of a packed Oakland Zoo, due to, in large, part the culture coach Jeff Capel has been able to establish during his time as head coach. The team was led by returning stars Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett, but it was a strong performance by the whole team.

Pitt scored 96, 50 of which came inside the paint, to Radford’s 56. Last year, Pitt was not very productive in the paint, but their showing on Monday emphasizes how well-rounded this year’s team is. The 96 points Pitt put up are even more impressive because 18 of those buckets came off assists, despite most of the team being new this year. However, it wasn’t just an offensive masterclass; Pitt defended well, tallying 8 blocks and 11 steals. Another major part of their win was their dominant performance on the glass, with a total of 42 rebounds. This team is looking to return and make a statement in the March Madness bracket come March.

Pitt was led in scoring by second-year guard Jaland Lowe, who had 21 points. However, his vision is the most impressive part of his game this year. He found every open teammate, finishing the game with a team-best 6 assists. Lowe has improved massively since last year and will be an offensive weapon for Pitt this year.

Senior guard Ishmael Leggett is also ready for another fantastic year. Leggett had a double-double, putting up 19 points and 12 rebounds. Leggett is no stranger to scoring, having 939 points entering this year; expect to continue to see impressive numbers out of him for the rest of this year.

On Monday, we learned a lot about the version of Guillermo Diaz-Graham we will be seeing this year. In the past two years, he has been good but not great. However, this is the best version of him in his time at Pitt. He has developed a lot of maturity on the court, as seen by his shot selection, and he is a much better-rounded player this year. Guillermo is finally starting to embrace his role as a big, tallying 9 rebounds and 2 blocks on the night; all while putting up 10 points. This new version of Guillermo will bring a layer of depth to the team.

Another bright spot for Pitt was the Florida State transfer Cameron Corhen. Corhen had 12 points on the night, 5 rebounds, and a block. Corhen is a physical player who fits nicely into Pitt’s scheme. While Guillermo had more rebounds, Corhen brings a level of physicality to this team that Guillermo has not.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the night was freshman guard Brandin Cummings. Brandin, the younger brother of former Pitt guard Nelly Cummings, showed lots of potential on Monday night. He had 11 points on the night, including several electrifying shots and 3 assists. With his brother Nelly in attendance, he gave us a preview of the future of Pitt basketball; the future looks bright.