MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 187^th renewal of the Backyard Brawl takes place tonight at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.
 
Pitt has already played three times so far this year with victories over Florida State and Robert Morris and a 75-70 home loss to Nicholls last Saturday.
 
West Virginia, meanwhile, has played just once against Akron last Friday night, although West Virginia coach Bob Huggins points to the closed scrimmage against Penn State and the charity exhibition game against Duquesne as valuable outings for his young team.
 
"Our Duquesne scrimmage was really more than just a scrimmage in that you had 9,500 people in there watching, so I think we're okay," he said.
 
The Panthers are using a four-guard lineup with 6-2 junior Ryan Murphy leading them in scoring with an average of 17 points per game. Sophomores Trey McGowens (15 ppg.) and Xavier Johnson (10 ppg) are also averaging double figures, while 6-6 sophomore wing Au'diese Tony shows averages of 5.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
 
"McGowens played terrific in the second half against Robert Morris," Huggins said. "He did everything. He rebounded it. He drove the ball to the basket and he was really good.
 
"And I think Murphy has really added to them because he really stretches the defense (with his outside shooting)," Huggins added. "They really do look to penetrate and pitch it to Murphy, and he's widened things out for them so McGowens and Johnson can get the ball to the basket."
 
Six-ten junior center Terrell Brown is averaging 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and has blocked 11 shots so far this year and now shows 117 for his career.
 
"Brown is one of their best all-time shot blockers in school history, and when you think about that and you go back as far as I go back in terms of following the Pitt program that's saying a lot," Huggins said. "He's active."
 
In its most recent game at Robert Morris on Tuesday night, Pitt fell behind by 11 against the Colonials before storming back behind McGowens' 25 points and Brown's eight points, nine boards and five blocks.
 
Robert Morris was dedicating its new $45 million UPMC Events Center that night and a capacity crowd was on hand.
 
The Panthers' other victory this year came in their season opener against Florida State at the Pete on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
 
Neither team played particularly well, but the Panthers were able to make their free throws down the stretch to knock off the Seminoles 63-61. Murphy and Brown led the Panthers, who shot just 31 percent from the field, with 13 points each.
 
And last Saturday, former West Virginia guard D'Angelo Hunter had a big hand in defeating Pitt 75-70  by scoring 17 points.  Nicholls created 21 turnovers which led to 26 points.
 
West Virginia, meanwhile, is coming off a 94-84 season-opening victory over Akron last Friday night at the WVU Coliseum.
 
Sophomore forward Derek Culver and senior guard Jermaine Haley scored 16 points apiece, while forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. contributed 13 and freshman guard Miles McBride came off the bench to add 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals in his college debut.
 
WVU shot 47.5 percent from the field and made 31 of its 41 free throw attempts in a game that saw both teams attempt a combined 71 free throws. The Mountaineers' bench outscored the Zips 42-9 and Huggins hopes his team's depth can be a factor tonight.
 
Six Panther players got the vast majority of the minutes during Tuesday night's win at Robert Morris, with 6-6 freshman Justin Champagnie coming off the bench to contribute 10 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
 
"We've watched a lot more film than what we normally do of ourselves," Huggins said. "Your good things really stand out in film as well as your transgressions and I think that really helps them."
 
Tonight's game will be the third consecutive meeting between these two schools since the annual series resumed in 2017.
 
Huggins, who played eight games against Pitt as a Mountaineer player and has also coached against the Panthers, admitted there is one major difference between the two.
 
"Helplessness," he said of his role now as a coach.
 
Two years ago, West Virginia held on for a 69-60 victory in Pittsburgh and last year the Mountaineers outlasted Pitt 69-59 in Morgantown.
 
One more game is scheduled to be played in Morgantown next season under the current four-year deal.
 
"If it continues it's going to go back to being the rivalry that it was and I think that's fun for both schools and both fan bases," Huggins said.
 
A 7 p.m. tipoff has been established for tonight's game, which will be televised nationally on ESPNU. MSN's coverage on stations throughout West Virginia will begin at 6 p.m. Mountaineer fans can also follow the broadcast online via WVUsports.com and the popular WVU Gameday app.
 
West Virginia is gunning for its fourth-straight victory in the series after Pitt had claimed four straight from Feb. 12, 2010 to Jan. 30, 2012.