Backyard Brawl Tonight: WVU Basketball Battles Pitt—TV Channel, Start Time & Can the Mountaineers Stay Undefeated?

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU basketball fans are bracing for a sold-out Hope Coliseum tonight as the 192nd edition of the Backyard Brawl tips at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. The West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) host the Pitt Panthers in a rivalry that paused for a decade before being revived in 2022 and now returns to Morgantown with postseason stakes already in focus. First-year head coach Ross Hodge’s squad is riding early momentum after double-digit wins over Mount St. Mary’s, Campbell and Lehigh. Senior forward Brenen Lorient erupted for a career-high 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting in Sunday’s 69-47 victory, flashing an inside-out skillset that will test Pitt’s rebuilt frontcourt. Lorient leads WVU at 21.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while 7-foot center Harlan Obioha (10.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg) anchors a defense holding opponents to 35% shooting. Hodge has emphasized tempo, and the Mountaineers are averaging 74.0 points with a +14.7 scoring margin. Freshman point guard Jasper Floyd (5.7 apg) keys the uptick in pace and will match up against Pitt veteran Dior Johnson, whose 18-point average paces the Panthers’ 3-1 start. Beyond bragging rights, Thursday’s clash offers an early NET boost before WVU enters a daunting Big 12 schedule that now includes Arizona and Houston powerhouses. After Pitt, the Mountaineers face Lafayette on Nov. 17 and Clemson in the Greenbrier Tipoff on Nov. 21, setting up a potential matchup with Xavier or Georgia during Thanksgiving week. On the women’s side, Mark Kellogg’s unbeaten Mountaineers travel to The Greenbrier for a neutral-site showdown with No. 12 Duke on Saturday, providing another marquee stage for WVU hoops during a sizzling November stretch. Key storylines to watch tonight: • Can WVU’s length disrupt Pitt’s pick-and-roll action? • Will Lorient extend his hot perimeter shooting (56% from 3) against Panther pressure? • Which bench unit—led by WVU sharpshooter Seth Wilson or Pitt swingman Guillermo Diaz-Graham—provides the decisive spark? With College Gameday-like buzz building on campus and national eyes on the Big 12 newcomer’s trajectory, a statement win over an ACC rival could cement West Virginia’s case for a Top 25 debut as early as next week. Expect a raucous coliseum, high-tempo basketball, and another fiery chapter in one of college hoops’ most storied feuds.