WVU basketball will matchup with it's first power conference opponent on the young 2025-2026 season as two undefeated teams will clash on Thursday night in Morgantown at Hope Coliseum.
On Thursday, WVU basketball, led by first-year head coach Ross Hodge, will take on its biggest rival Pitt comes to Morgantown for the basketball edition of the Backyard Brawl. Both teams are sporting a 3-0 record, meaning one team will not only leave Thursday’s game with a loss to a rival, but will leave with their first overall loss on their record for the 2025-2026 season.
Pitt has started its season with wins against Youngstown State, Longwood, and Eastern Michigan. Here, we will examine the Pitt players and the areas of concern that WVU needs to focus on.
Playmaking guards: Brandin Cummings and Demarco Minor
Leading the team in points per game (18.5), three-point percentage (58.3%), and in a three-way tie for the lead in steals per game, Pitt’s guard Brandin Cummings is the engine that gets the Panthers going. In three games this season, Cummings is also averaging two rebounds and two assists per game, while also shooting 50% from the floor.
The 6-foot-3 guard is in his second season at Pitt and averaged 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game in his freshman season (2024-2025). He missed the Eastern Michigan game for the Panthers earlier this week, and will be a game-time decision for Pitt.
Demarco Minor is second on the team for points per game (15.5 points per game) while also adding two rebounds per game, a team-leading three assists per game, while also shooting 50% from the three-point line and 53.8% from the court.
Inside threat: Cameron Corhen
A threat on the inside, Corhen also cleans up on the glass at a high level early on this season. The 6’10’ forward is leading the Panthers in rebounds so far through three games, grabbing 12.5 rebounds per game. Averaging a double-double with 14.5 points per game, Corhen is also a threat to get shots at the rim and convert at a high level. As the most consistent shooter for the Panthers, Corhen is shooting 69.2% from the floor as he is third on the team in points per game.
Rebounding might be an issue
The Panthers have two players who average at least nine rebounds per game: Corhen and forward Papa Amadou Kante. Amadou Kante is a 6’10” forward from Senegal. Amadou Kante grabs nine rebounds per game despite only averaging 21 minutes of playing time per contest.
Leading the team in rebounds, Corhen is not only a threat on the offensive side of the court but is also going to be a factor in the game on defense. Adding to his value as a rebounder, Corhen is averaging two blocks per game. The Allen, Texas, native will be a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the court for WVU.
Getting a great rebounding contribution from guard Minor, a 6’0” guard who is averaging an impressive six rebounds per contest from the backcourt position.
To compare rebounding numbers to WVU, the Mountaineers only have one player grabbing more than nine rebounds per game. Forward Brenen Lorient, a transfer from North Texas who followed Coach Hodge that might remind some WVU basketball fans of a former favorite, is the best rebounder to date for WVU. No other Mountaineer is averaging more than six rebounds per game, with-7-foot center Harlan Obioha averaging just 5.3 rebounds per contest. Forward Treysen Eaglestaff (4 rebounds per game) and guard Morris Ugusuk (3.7 rebounds per game) are the next leaders in rebounds.
It will not be a cakewalk for the Mountaineers on Thursday. But it should be a tight competition between WVU and Pitt. Fans can watch the game on FS1 with tip-off scheduled for 6 PM EST on Thursday.