West Virginia and Pitt's men's basketball teams have met every season since 2021 and will write another chapter in the Backyard Brawl on Thursday night inside the Hope Coliseum at 6 p.m.

The historic rivalry was extended last year through the 2027-28 season, with the 2025 matchup being the first for the Mountaineers under new coach Ross Hodge.

Hodge has been preaching to the Mountaineers to embrace the environment and emotions surrounding the rivalry.

"You gotta play with emotion. You can't play emotional," Hodge said. "You can't let the game itself break you down and get you outside of character. You gotta try to execute, regardless whether it's tomorrow night against Pitt or Maryland in a closed scrimmage."

The Panthers and Mountaineers each enter with a 3-0 record, as WVU hopes to m

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