GREENSBORO, N.C. — From the second Dereck Energetic convincingly gained the opening jump-ball, the Duke Blue Devils dominated Pitt in nearly each side of Thursday afternoon’s ACC Match recreation.

Kyle Filipowski, Energetic, Mark Mitchell, and Tyrese Proctor all scored in double digits within the Devils’ 96-69 rout of Pitt, sending the Panthers again house to the Metal Metropolis in anticipation of Choice Sunday. The Blue Devils shot the ball nicely from in all places, hitting 62% of their field-goal makes an attempt and 42% of their three-point makes an attempt on the day. Proctor, Ryan Younger, and Jeremy Roach mixed for 20 assists, because the crew set its season excessive with 27 assists and scored a season-high 96 factors.

“I believe we play our greatest basketball when we’ve got open seems and guys are simply slicing and making the proper choices,” Proctor stated. “I’m capable of finding them on the proper time, and the remainder is on them simply making the play.

Maybe Duke’s finest efficiency of the yr got here on a day which Pitt would definitely prefer to neglect, particularly as a result of timing. This loss is Pitt’s third in its final 4 video games, and proper forward of Choice Sunday, the chilly streak couldn’t have come at a worse time this season.

“We may by no means actually get right into a rhythm offensively,” head coach Jeff Capel stated. “We missed some pictures early, and I simply thought for the primary time in a very, actually very long time we bought knocked again and didn’t reply.”

DUKE’S HOT START, DEFENSIVE PRESSURE FLUSTER PANTHERS

After Filipowski hit his first two threes of the sport, Duke continued to use strain on the Panthers, not permitting them to attain till the 16:25 mark within the first half when Jamarius Burton sank a pair of free throws.

The Panthers weren’t even turning the ball over; they only couldn’t get comfy seems to transform. Whereas Duke took a 12-0 result in begin the matchup, the Panthers continued to battle. The Blue Devils’ size, quickness, and aggressive switches rattled the Panthers from the beginning, and the end result was Pitt not scoring its first ten factors till the 8:57 mark within the first half.

“Effectively, I believe, primary, they’ve gotten quite a bit higher defensively from after we performed them the primary time, so I believe their protection pressured us out of some issues that we’ve usually been in a position to get,” Capel stated concerning the Blue Devils. “Their ball display protection, they’re actually tall, and so they have nice size at each place. We had some kicks. We had some pictures. We missed some early, after which they made all the things early, and I believe that simply knocked us utterly again.”

#Duke‘s Jon Scheyer:

“Pitt is a very good crew, and they are going to be an NCAA Match crew.. I do not assume they’re revered nationally like they need to be. They are a harmful crew, man. They’ll actually rating, and that is why the job we did on protection was actually particular.” pic.twitter.com/kMJt5QnhGq

— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) March 9, 2023

FILIPOWSKI OWNS THE PANTHERS AGAIN

Kyle Filipowski was a person amongst boys on Thursday.

Filipowski, Duke’s five-star freshman phenom, shined from the tip to the buzzer for the Blue Devils, scoring a game-best 22 factors. He started his day by calmly getting into two large open threes. As if his 28-point exhibiting within the first matchup between the 2 groups wasn’t sufficient to power Pitt out on him, Filipowski took the room that Pitt gave him and punished the Panthers instantly.

He’s a matchup nightmare, standing at 7-feet tall, 230 kilos, with guard-like abilities that earned him ACC Rookie of the 12 months honors earlier this week. Not solely did he hit threes, however Filipowski showcased his all-around talent set, driving to the rack, hitting off the catch, and effectively placing the ball by means of the ring all day lengthy. He completed with a exceptional 8-for-10 taking pictures line, main his crew in scoring in simply 16 minutes. Oh, and that was, for essentially the most half, after he left the sport early with an obvious ankle harm.

“It’s a lot enjoyable”

Kyle Filipowski is having fun with his freshman yr. pic.twitter.com/usUZITNBXt

— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) March 9, 2023

FEDERIKO ONLY PLAYS 12 MINUTES

Federiko Federiko scored the Panthers first discipline aim of the sport on a layup to chop the Blue Satan lead all the way down to eight early on.

The Finnish massive man as soon as once more was within the beginning lineup, was working the ground, and had gotten on the board early offensively. Nonetheless, for Capel, Federiko didn’t appear to be he was working usually on the market.

“He had two fouls within the first half so we sat him,” Capel stated. “He did tweak his knee in yesterday’s recreation, and as soon as we began them within the second half, I didn’t like the way in which he was shifting, and we simply determined to take a seat him.”

Federiko completed with 4 factors, hitting each of his field-goal makes an attempt. He grabbed one rebound within the recreation, and solely performed 4 minutes within the second half.

ELLIOTT, PANTHERS BELIEVE PITT IS A TOURNAMENT TEAM

With the loss to Duke, Pitt falls to 22-11 on the season.

Simply weeks in the past, the Panthers have been in wonderful form to make their first NCAA Match because the 2015-16 season. Pitt has now misplaced three of its final 4 video games, and is falling on the flawed time. Nonetheless, the Panthers consider that their total physique of labor from this season deserves them a spot within the discipline of 68 for this yr’s match.

“Hopefully we go and get to play,” Greg Elliott informed PSN after the sport. “I believe we deserve it, we performed a very good season, common season. We’re simply going to see what all people else does.”

Elliott continued, saying that he believes this crew could make a run within the NCAA Match if it makes the sector.

“Simply all of the weapons we’ve bought, and the way collectively we’re,” Elliott stated. “These two issues go a great distance in March.”

Hear from the remainder of the Panthers on the crew’s match probabilities beneath.

Contained in the Locker Room: Emotional Pitt Gamers Break Down Loss to Duke, Match Probabilities

The ACC Match has come to an finish for the Pitt Panthers, and the ending leads to considerably extra questions than solutions. 

No. 5 Pitt was dominated by the hands of No. 4 Duke, 96-69, within the ACC Match Quarterfinals. The Panthers trailed 11-0 to start the sport and have been as soon as once more dealt with by 7-footer Kyle Filipowski, who knocked down just a few triples within the early going to throw a curveball into Pitt’s recreation plan. 

“The factor that they hadn’t executed within the final 4 or 5 video games is shoot the ball properly from three, and so our recreation plan was to attempt to crowd it, crowd the lane,” head coach Jeff Capel stated. “As a result of after we performed them final time, they’d 24 offensive rebounds, so we actually wished to do this, they usually made us pay for it, particularly early. Filipowski was 2 for 11 within the final 4 video games, and he hit his first three, and that knocked us again immediately.”

Pitt trailed 48-32 at halftime and was outscored by 11 within the second half as properly. Duke shot 62% after checking in at 68% with six minutes left earlier than emptying the bench in a blowout affair. 

The destiny of the Panthers now falls into the arms of the NCAA choice committee tasked with fielding 68 groups for the 2023 March Insanity brackets, set to be unveiled Sunday evening at 6 p.m.

Jeff Capel emphatically answered “sure” when requested if Pitt has put collectively an NCAA Match resume and the sentiment stood the identical for the gamers.

“Undoubtedly,” Jamarius Burton stated. “Once you take a look at our resume, who we’ve overwhelmed and who we’ve competed agaisnt there’s little question in my thoughts that we belong there and that we are able to do some issues as soon as we get into the dance.”

A number of gamers talked about the Panthers battle all through the season and older core molding right into a battle-tested program.

“We obtained extra basketball to play,” Nelly Cummings stated. “I feel we’ve proven all 12 months who we’re. We’ve got numerous good wins, and a few robust losses as properly. We’ve proven all 12 months who we are able to beat.” 

“Simply an off evening for us. We couldn’t catch our rhythm,” Nike Sibande stated. “We do deserve a spot. We’ve been preventing all 12 months. We wouldn’t have 22 wins if it weren’t for us preventing so I do know we deserve a spot in there.”

Greg Elliott mirrored on the Panthers’ expertise and teamwork in turning into a close-knit core that may do harm within the event, together with having veterans like Cummings and Burton who’ve been there earlier than. 

“Hopefully we get to play,” Elliott stated. “I feel we deserve it. We performed an important common season. Simply going to see what everyone else does… All of the weapons we’ve. How collectively we’re. These two issues go a good distance in March.”

Jorge Diaz Graham additionally famous the Panthers’ battle and the flexibility to not level fingers however develop as a staff.

“It’s actually robust,” Jorge Diaz Graham stated. “These previous couple of weeks we haven’t performed at our stage. It’s very irritating as a result of I do know we deserve extra… I hope we’ve the prospect to maintain enjoying as a result of I feel we’ve extra to indicate.” 

Burton referred to as a staff assembly after the two-point loss to Miami – the place Pitt had the prospect to tie for the regular-season ACC title – in an try to keep up focus and hold everybody on observe. His message coming into Choice Sunday stays related. 

“Eliminate the previous. Drop it,” Burton stated. “Transferring ahead understanding that we’ve gotten so far by being collectively and that shouldn’t waver.”

Isaiah Nesmith flipped his dedication from Rutgers to Pitt, following broad receivers coach Tiquan Underwood, final spring as a walk-on within the class of 2022.

Nesmith, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound broad receiver initially from American Heritage Excessive College in Plantation, Florida, redshirted as a freshman and didn’t see the sphere. He received’t ever see the sphere at Pitt now as he’s introduced his intentions to enter the switch portal.

“At the start I want to thank Coach Narduzzi and the College of Pittsburgh for giving me the chance to do what I really like. I might to thank Coach Tiquan Underwood, Alex Kline, and the entire power employees for shaping me into a greater particular person on and off the sphere and treating me like household throughout my journey. With that being stated I might be getting into the switch portal with 4 years of eligibility.”

AGTG! Hyperlink to the remainder of my movie ——> https://t.co/5qvWVD4Lro pic.twitter.com/a0LrsS7Brh

— Isaiah Nesmith (@isaiahnesmith11) March 9, 2023

There was not a transparent path to enjoying time for Nesmith at Pitt, although he gave the impression to be a decently spectacular walk-on throughout his transient time in Pittsburgh, so he’ll probably search for a possibility the place he’ll have the ability to hit the sphere.

Pitt has a plethora of walk-on broad receivers in Jake McConnachie, Lorenzo Jenkins, Caden Smith, Peter Vardzel, Isaiah Stewart and Josh Junko already on the roster and added 2023 most well-liked walk-on Benny Haselrig.