Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Pittsburgh preview

It has been a tough start for Pittsburgh point guard Xavier Johnson, who was an ACC All-Freshman selection last season while setting many Panthers records. After getting benched in the first half against Monmouth on Monday, Johnson put together his best 20 minutes of the season after the break and hopes to continue that play Thursday when Arkansas-Pine Bluff visits in another campus game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off.

Johnson has looked nothing like the player who set a Pitt freshman record for points (512), as he entered the Monmouth contest Monday averaging 8.5 points on 31.4 percent shooting with 16 turnovers and 16 assists, prompting the 6-3 guard to make some changes. "I cut off social media. I cut Twitter off because I was reading what other people were saying about me. It was bad," Johnson said. "I was getting really upset about it." Johnson responded to his first-half benching by scoring 13 points and dishing seven assists after halftime to help the Panthers pull away for a 63-50 victory. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been scheduling the big boys this non-conference season and has paid the price, losing to South Florida and Gonzaga by a combined 79 points, before playing much better in a 62-51 loss to Kansas State on Tuesday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (0-4): Marquell Carter, playing in just his second game, scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting with nine rebounds against the Wildcats, but the rest of the starting lineup combined for 18 points on 7-of-24 shooting with no 3-pointers in five attempts. The Golden Lions have struggled shooting thus far, connecting on 39 percent overall and 24 percent from the arc. Shaun Doss (12.3 points, team-high four 3-pointers), the team's leading scorer, did not play against Kansas State.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (3-2): Johnson (9.8 points, 5.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds) scored nine points in the first six minutes of the second half and finished with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-4 from the arc, with a season-high nine assists compared to three turnovers. "Sometimes when you have success it can make you lose your edge, or what you perceive as success. He broke the freshman scoring record; he was this guy last year that was incredibly hungry because no one knew who he was," Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. ... So there is an expectation of ‘Well I could be a pro.’ And success can make you soft sometimes.” Freshman Justin Champagnie (9.4 points, 5.6 rebounds) continued his strong play with 13 points and 10 rebounds in his first start, and Trey McGowens (14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists) continued his stellar play with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds.

TIP-INS

1. A benching may have helped spark a fire under Pitt sophomore Au'Diese Toney, who came off the bench for the first time this season and had 10 points and seven rebounds against Monmouth, but is still averaging just 5.2 points and shooting under 27 percent from the floor in 24 minutes per contest.

2. The Panthers shot a combined 15.7 percent (8-of-51) in the second half of their previous game vs West Virginia and the first half of Monday’s contest.

3. The game with the Panthers ends a five-game road trip for the Golden Lions. After a home contest with Champion Baptist this weekend, they hit the road for 10 more games and don't play at home again until Jan. 18.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 84, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 57