5 Things to Know Before West Virginia vs. Pitt

West Virginia and Pitt will play in the 189th edition of the Backyard Brawl on Friday night at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. Let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

WVU-Pitt Dealing with Injuries in Frontcourt

Heading into Friday’s game, both teams will be dealing with injuries at the frontcourt position. West Virginia forwards Tre Mitchell (foot) and Pat Suemnick (knee) have been dealing with preseason injuries throughout October. Mitchell came off the bench in WVU’s win on Monday against Mount St. Mary’s. The Pittsburgh native scored 13 points in 14 limited minutes.

Mitchell has begun practicing again but will participate in the Backyard Brawl, but is still in need of getting into game shape. Suemnick’s availability for Friday is unknown.

Pitt HC Jeff Capel cleared forward John Hugley (knee) of non-contact activities on Wednesday. It seems unlikely that Pitt’s returning leading scorer will play important minutes against WVU, if any. WVU HC Bob Huggins thinks Hugley will play, though.

Can West Virginia’s Young Players Step up Again?

On Monday, a bright spot in West Virginia’s win was how physical the underclassmen played. Mohamed Wague recorded a near-double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Wague, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, will look to make an immediate impact this season off the bench for the Mountaineers.

Freshman Josiah Harris and sophomore James Okonkwo also showed toughness against Mount St. Mary’s. The two combined for 10 rebounds, five each. Okonkwo had two blocks that resulted in fast break opportunities.

This is Pitt’s Most Talented Team Under Jeff Capel

Capel and his coaching staff brought in a respectable transfer class, featuring Nelly Cummings (Colgate), Greg Elliott (Marquette) and Blake Hinson (Iowa State). Pitt also returns leading scorer Hugley, starter Jamarius Burton and role player William Jeffress. Capel also brought in 4-star guard Dior Johnson, who will miss the game due to the team suspending him.

This Pitt team has the potential to compete in the middle of the ACC this season.

Betting Lines

The spread for the Backyard Brawl game is -2.5 WVU. The over/under is set at 137.0.

Where to Watch

West Virginia and Pitt will tip off at 7 p.m. inside the Petersen Events Center on Friday. The game will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra. Mountaineer Sports Network will broadcast the game on the radio, with Tony Caridi and Jay Jacobs once again calling WVU games for the entirety of this season.