After playing only four games through 31 days of December, Pitt basketball gets serious starting Wednesday (New Year’s Day) when the Panthers welcome first-year ACC member California to the league. Tipoff is 2 p.m. at Petersen Events Center.

The game is the first of three for Pitt in seven days, with Stanford coming to town Saturday for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff (sorry, it will bleed into the start of Steelers/Bengals). Pitt’s first road game of the new year will be Tuesday at No. 4 Duke.

Here are five thoughts to ponder while Pitt starts its quest for an NCAA Tournament berth:

1. What about Cal?

The game will be California’s first against an old-guard ACC member (if Pitt fits that description after 11-plus seasons in the league). Cal lost to fellow newcomer Stanford, 89-81, at home Dec. 7.

Using the NCAA NET rankings as a guide, California (7-5, 0-1) is closer to the bottom of the conference than the top, ranked 126th. Only five other ACC teams are ranked lower.

It only would be a Quad 3 victory for Pitt — or a loss that can be damaging for the Panthers when tournament bids are discussed in March.

Cal defeated Mercyhurst, 81-55, on Nov. 27 to improve to 6-1 — its best start in eight years — but then lost four of five, including 88-80 at home to Cornell and 71-50 to No. 20 San Diego State.

Keep an eye on Cal’s 6-foot-7 sophomore guard Andrej Stojakovic, who is third in the ACC in scoring (19.1 points per game) after transferring from Stanford. He said he gets inspiration from his father, Peja Stojakovic, who played 13 years in the NBA. “He got to where I want to get to,” he said.

Pitt point guard Jaland Lowe respects the teamwork he has seen from the Golden Bears.

“(Stojakovic) has teammates around him that put him in position where he’s able to play at a high level,” Lowe said.

”They’re not going to make the trip (2,313 miles) over here for nothing.”

2. Austin’s time

Senior forward Zack Austin said he’s playing the best basketball of his career. To prove it, he has an impressive stat line that includes 10 points and four rebounds per game with a total of 18 blocks. He is shooting 44.9% from beyond the 3-point arc (22 of 49) and 85.7% from the free-throw line (24 of 28).

He said Lowe and Ishmael Leggett pass him the ball “right where I need it to be every time.”

“Playing off them is just going to make easier looks for me.”

3. Defense is what really matters

Lowe is having no problem scoring (16.7 points per game, second to Leggett’s 17.5), but he said he wants to “set the tone” for the team on defense.

”Be the stand-up type of player on the defensive end, be locked in the whole time,” he said. “Do the little things on defense to help everybody.”

Pitt is sixth in the ACC in points allowed (67.9 per game).

4. On target

For the moment, Pitt has five players shooting better than 40% beyond the arc. That includes Jorge Diaz Graham (53.3%, 8 of 15), Damian Dunn (52.6%, 10 of 19) and Amsal Delalic (43.8%, 7 of 16).

Austin and freshman Brandin Cummings (41.7%, 15 of 36) have more legitimate claims to that distinction, but perhaps it’s an indication of some shooting potential coming off the bench. Austin is the only starter among the five. Dunn was starting before missing the past five games with a hand injury.

5. Poll results

Pitt is 11th in the NCAA NET rankings, but 33rd in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, higher than North Carolina, Indiana, Clemson, Wisconsin and many other schools receiving votes. Pitt lost to Wisconsin (10-3), 81-75, on Nov. 24.

Only nine of the 61 AP voters placed Pitt in their Top 25, with Louis Fernandez of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., showing the Panthers (10-2) the most love at No. 18.

Coaches pay almost no attention to December poll results, but you can count on some Pitt fans spelling out d-i-s-r-e-s-p-e-c-t on social media.

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