On Wednesday night, in northern Indiana, Pitt basketball achieved history. In Bonzie Colson’s return game, the Pitt Panthers fell, 73-56.
The loss dropped Kevin Stalling and Pitt to 0-18 in league play; the Panthers are now the second ACC team to go winless in conference games since expanding to 18 games. Yes, the 2015-16 Boston College Eagles have company in the cellar. Make sure to grab some snacks before descending the stairs.
This season has had ripple effects around the program, too. Morale is low; the job status of Kevin Stallings is a frequent topic of conversation. For example: According to Cardiac Hill, Pitt averaged the lowest home attendance since 1982.
Now that we have arrived here — perfect imperfection — how do the 2018 Pitt Panthers compare with the 2016 Boston College Eagles?
A Snapshot: Pitt Basketball vs. BC
According to KenPom, Pitt basketball ranks 290th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency: 99.3 points per 100 possessions. In ACC play, that’s gotten worse — 86.8 points per 100 possessions, dead last in the conference.
Things haven’t gone much better on the other side of the floor; defense is a mystery, too. Pitt has allowed 105.5 points per 100 possession, per KenPom. In league action, that’s climbed to 116.2 points per 100 possessions, which also ranks last in the ACC.
| 2015-16 Boston College | Team | 2017-18 Pitt |
|---|---|---|
| 95.3 | Offensive Rating | 99.3 |
| 100.8 | Defensive Rating | 105.5 |
| -5.56 | Efficiency Margin | -6.29 |
| 0.79 points per possession | Offensive Efficiency vs. Man-to-Man | 0.83 points per possession |
| 1.09 points per possession | Transition Defense | 1.16 points per possession |
| 47.5 eFG% | eFG% | 48.3 eFG% |
| 52.4 eFG% | Opponent eFG% | 50.4 eFG% |
| 85.3 | ACC Offensive Rating | 86.8 |
| 110.9 | ACC Defensive Rating | 116.2 |
| 61.2 | Points per game | 62 |
| 70.5 | Points allowed per game | 72.5 |
It’s sort of interesting to see how these two teams stack up, right? Pitt basketball, thanks to the contributions of Parker Stewart (maybe he can become Pitt’s Jerome Robinson) and Jared Wilson-Frame, gets the edge on the offensive side of the floor. The Panthers have a higher offensive rating, effective shooting rating and slightly outpaced the Eagles in efficiency in the half-court against man-to-man defense, per Synergy Sports.
Despite allowing a higher opponent effective field goal percentage, the 2016 BC Eagles, were a little bit better on the defensive side of the floor. Boston College had a better defensive rating — both in and out of conference play. The Eagles were also slightly better in terms of transition defense, which is another key measure.
Efficiency margin is just one metric, but Boston College also has a slightly better showing here, too.