Amsal Delalic recognizes the difference between basketball in the ACC and basketball in Europe.
“It’s very different,” he said after scoring a season-high 14 points in Pitt’s 74-65 victory against Miami. “It’s a lot more contact, a lot more speed. It’s just all-around — I’m not going to say madness — but it’s a lot going up and down.”
That said, Pitt’s freshman from Bosnia doesn’t want the physical nature of the U.S. game to prevent anyone from declaring his first ACC venture — or Pitt’s 2024-25 season — a success.
“I know what I can bring to the team and I’m going to keep on doing so,” he said.
If that plan plays out favorably over the remaining six games of the regular season and perhaps a few more in the ACC Tournament, Pitt has a better chance to beat the odds and reach the NCAA Tournament.
Delalic and freshman Brandin Cummings stepped up when coach Jeff Capel needed them most and helped end Pitt’s second four-game losing streak of the winter.
Delalic played a total of 21 minutes over the previous four games, but he was on the court Saturday for 28.
“I didn’t go into it thinking he was going to play (28) minutes,” Capel said. “I didn’t feel like we can take him out because of how well he was playing.
“It’s a testament to him. It’s really difficult in the position he’s in — because he’s a good player — to not play, but continue to show up. It’s a testament to his maturity. When his number was called, he was ready.”
At one time, a short bench was one of the reasons the Panthers were struggling. Even while the team was losing at an alarming rate, Capel was reluctant to take out his best guards, Jaland Lowe, Ishmael Leggett and Damian Dunn.
But with Lowe and Dunn injured and unavailable — Dunn won’t play again this season and Lowe might suit up Tuesday — Capel had no choice. Together, Delalic and Cummings scored 25 of Pitt’s 74 points (almost exactly one-third of the total) against Miami.
The regular season is into its final three weeks, and Capel would be wise to use his bench to rest starters more frequently. If Lowe plays against Syracuse after suffering a concussion last Tuesday, perhaps 35 minutes — his average for the season — would be asking too much of him.
The two freshmen were up to the task against Miami, the last-place team in the ACC. Why couldn’t they do the same at Petersen Events Center against the Orange, a team that already lost once to Pitt at home, is 2-6 since late January and 5-10 overall in the conference?
Of course, the other side of that equation is this: Pitt can’t afford another loss.
The Panthers (15-10, 6-8) are woefully short of Quad 1 victories (one in nine tries) and probably need to win at least five of six remaining regular-season games and one or two in the ACC Tournament to catch the attention of the NCAA Tournament committee.
Louisville is the only team left on the schedule with a winning record. Losing even once to a group of five teams that stand a collective 22-49 in the ACC would knock Pitt off the bubble for good.
Capel was right after the game Saturday when he said, “This is not my kid’s basketball league where everyone is going to play the same amount of minutes. You have to earn minutes, man.”
Capel has said many times that he doesn’t hand out playing time. Players earn it. But he said Delalic “has done some good things in practice.”
There is no room for error, but Capel needs to trust his bench — not only when two starters are hurt, but in other strategic spells.
Delalic appears to have the necessary confidence and skill to help, and help is needed.
“When you make a few, the rim starts getting bigger,” he said. “I just wanted to give my all to win this game because we were in a tough situation. I just knew I had to step up. That’s what I did.”