02-25-2026, 01:18 PM
Unlike for many recent NCAA games - Michigan vs. Duke, Houston vs. (take your pick) Iowa St./Arizona/Kansas - the eyes of the basketball world will not be riveted on Pitt vs. Stanford today. Pitt is struggling just to qualify for the ACC tourney (currently in the 15th, and last, spot) while Stanford (not much further ahead - in a tie for 13th) jockeys for position in the ACC tourney and tries to keep alive the possibility of their seemingly annual NIT bid.
Stanford is favored by 9.5! Over/under is 137.5. Implied score is 73.5-64. The Panthers are 10-17 (5-16 following a 5-1 start), 3-11 in the ACC, and 1-7 on the road. Their best win was vs. Ohio State back in November (following their worst loss vs. Quinnipiac). After a 5-game losing streak, they won their most recent game vs. Notre Dame. They will be trying for their first 2-game winning streak in the ACC this season. They rank among the bottom three in the ACC in: scoring, scoring margin, 3s%, FT% (and FT attempts), and turnover margin. This is probably the last time Stanford will be favored, and they need to take advantage of it.
Cameron Corhen (#2 6'10/235 Sr F) is the only Panther playing today who appeared in Pitt's 83-68 win over Stanford last season. (Two others - Brandon Cummings, their leading scorer with 12.5 ppg, and Papa Amadou Kante - are out with injuries.) Corhen leads the team in rebounds (7.2 rpg) and, in Cummings' absence is their leading scorer (12.4 ppg). He also has 3 fouls/game - with Pitt's short rotation, getting him into foul trouble would be big.
Other probable starters are:
#7 Damarco Minor (6'0/190 5th G) at his 5th school in 6 years (2 JCs, Southern Illinois, Oregon State) 8.9 ppg, leads team with 48 3s, 3.5 assists/game (15th in ACC), 2.3 assist/TO ratio (11th), 1.4 steals/game (18th)
#22 Barry Dunning Jr. (6'6/195 Sr G/F) 4th school in 4 years (Arkansas, UAB, South Alabama, where he was 1st team All-Sun Belt) 2-time Alabama Gatorade PoY, 11.5 ppg, 0.8 blocks/game (18th in ACC)
#8 Omar Witherspoon (6'4/190 Fr G) 7.3 ppg, 0.7 blocks/game (22nd in ACC)
#13 Roman Siulepa (6'6 220 Fr F) a top Australian rugby player, 10.7 ppg, unusual stat - more offensive than defensive rebounds (81/65)
Only one player came off the bench in the win vs. Notre Dame - #25 Nojus Indrusaitas (6'3/200 So G) like Okorie & Cammann, a Brewster Academy guy, he was New Hampshire Gatorade PoY in 2024. A transfer from Iowa State, scores 8.0 ppg.
Pitt has used, at most 8 players since the injury to Cummings. But the 6 players listed above get the bulk of the minutes.
This seems like a game Stanford should win, but nothing comes easy for them. I would really like to see them dominate and carry some confidence into the final home game vs. SMU and the road trip to UND & NC State.
Stanford is favored by 9.5! Over/under is 137.5. Implied score is 73.5-64. The Panthers are 10-17 (5-16 following a 5-1 start), 3-11 in the ACC, and 1-7 on the road. Their best win was vs. Ohio State back in November (following their worst loss vs. Quinnipiac). After a 5-game losing streak, they won their most recent game vs. Notre Dame. They will be trying for their first 2-game winning streak in the ACC this season. They rank among the bottom three in the ACC in: scoring, scoring margin, 3s%, FT% (and FT attempts), and turnover margin. This is probably the last time Stanford will be favored, and they need to take advantage of it.
Cameron Corhen (#2 6'10/235 Sr F) is the only Panther playing today who appeared in Pitt's 83-68 win over Stanford last season. (Two others - Brandon Cummings, their leading scorer with 12.5 ppg, and Papa Amadou Kante - are out with injuries.) Corhen leads the team in rebounds (7.2 rpg) and, in Cummings' absence is their leading scorer (12.4 ppg). He also has 3 fouls/game - with Pitt's short rotation, getting him into foul trouble would be big.
Other probable starters are:
#7 Damarco Minor (6'0/190 5th G) at his 5th school in 6 years (2 JCs, Southern Illinois, Oregon State) 8.9 ppg, leads team with 48 3s, 3.5 assists/game (15th in ACC), 2.3 assist/TO ratio (11th), 1.4 steals/game (18th)
#22 Barry Dunning Jr. (6'6/195 Sr G/F) 4th school in 4 years (Arkansas, UAB, South Alabama, where he was 1st team All-Sun Belt) 2-time Alabama Gatorade PoY, 11.5 ppg, 0.8 blocks/game (18th in ACC)
#8 Omar Witherspoon (6'4/190 Fr G) 7.3 ppg, 0.7 blocks/game (22nd in ACC)
#13 Roman Siulepa (6'6 220 Fr F) a top Australian rugby player, 10.7 ppg, unusual stat - more offensive than defensive rebounds (81/65)
Only one player came off the bench in the win vs. Notre Dame - #25 Nojus Indrusaitas (6'3/200 So G) like Okorie & Cammann, a Brewster Academy guy, he was New Hampshire Gatorade PoY in 2024. A transfer from Iowa State, scores 8.0 ppg.
Pitt has used, at most 8 players since the injury to Cummings. But the 6 players listed above get the bulk of the minutes.
This seems like a game Stanford should win, but nothing comes easy for them. I would really like to see them dominate and carry some confidence into the final home game vs. SMU and the road trip to UND & NC State.