5 observations from Pitt's 1st 3 ACC games

No one expected Pitt to win even half of its 18 ACC games this season, and the 86-80 loss at N.C. State made it clear why expectations are low.

Even when Pitt plays well, which it did for much of the game …

Even when the opponent hands the Panthers a bright, shiny opportunity to steal a victory …

Even when Terrell Brown continues to provide strength in the paint (he’s averaging nine points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.5 blocks in the past four games) …

Pitt (11-4, 1-2 ACC) still lost.

Here are five observations from the Panthers’ first three ACC games:

1. Excellence expected

Coach Jeff Capel knows his team is inexperienced, and he doesn’t want to be reminded of it.

Capel grew up in a culture of expected excellence at Duke.

“That excuse is not for us,” he said after the N.C. State game. “It’s the middle of January. We have 16 games under our belts, and these guys have played some heavy minutes.”

It looks like that will continue.

Because of the shortage in experience, four starters played at least 31 minutes, and Xavier Johnson was on the floor for 24, even with early foul trouble. He scored a season-high 25 points, but the unanswered question is how might the game have changed if he had played those missing seven minutes.

“X has got to stop committing fouls that are not smart,” Capel said.

Capel used only six players for most of the game. Even junior Malik Ellison’s minutes were reduced to nine, and he was scoreless for the first time this season after averaging 10.2 points through the first nine games.

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2. Too many empty trips

Pitt committed 17 turnovers, the most since they threw away 24 potential scoring chances at West Virginia a month ago.

Before Saturday, Pitt was 228th of 351 schools in turnovers (14.1 per game), and it got worse at N.C. State. Much of the blame can be placed on the opponent — N.C. State is ranked 15th in the nation — but this is the ACC, and North Alabama is no longer on the schedule. No. 13 Florida State is in town Monday night at the Pete.

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3. Not enough rebounds

Pitt needs to keep opponents away from the glass, especially after they miss a shot.

The Panthers are willing rebounders, but the other team is usually equally diligent and, often, with bigger bodies.

Again, Capel doesn’t want to hear excuses.

Brown and Kene Chukwuka, who only played three minutes Saturday, are the only regulars taller than 6-foot-6. Brown, only a sophomore, figures to improve over the rest of this season and the next two. He’s already gotten better through the first half of this one. Even at 6-foot-10, he’s yet to reach his ceiling.

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4. Where’s Wilson-Frame?

Jared Wilson-Frame is slumping, and he knows it.

After shooting only 21.4 percent overall in the past three games (4 of 20 from beyond the 3-point arc), Wilson-Frame went on Twitter and issued an apology and a vow to do better.

As a team, Pitt is shooting 34.2 percent from long range.

Outside shooting is not Pitt’s best asset — that’s why you see so many drives to the basket through a crowded lane — but Wilson-Frame has shown the ability to hit the long ones. When he gets hot, the path to the basket might open up for his teammates.

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5. Defensive breakdowns

Is defense lacking, or is it just the opponents?

Pitt was holding opponents to an average of 62.2 points through the nonconference portion of the schedule. Then, the ACC happened.

North Carolina, Louisville and N.C. State scored 85, 86 and 86. The N.C. State game must have been especially frustrating to Capel after the Wolfpack played most of the game without starters Wyatt Walker (ejection) and Markell Johnson (back injury).

Pitt was leading N.C. State with under six minutes left in the game until the defense got sloppy.

“We had a couple of breakdowns when we didn’t see a guy in the corner and didn’t bump correctly,” Capel said.

Understandable when the other team has talented athletes and a deeper bench, but not acceptable in Capel’s eyes.

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Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.