The No. 18 Pitt basketball team took a humbling loss on Wednesday night with a 90-57 defeat to Mississippi State in the SEC/ACC Challenge. The Panthers won’t have to sit on that outcome for too long, as they are back in action today.
Pitt (7-2) will be in Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech for the ACC opener, set for a 2:00 p.m. tip on ESPNU. Today concludes a five-game stretch away from the Petersen Events Center for Jeff Capel’s team. The Panthers have split this stretch so far with wins over LSU and Ohio State, and losses to Wisconsin and Mississippi State. Pitt will have this standalone league game today and then two more non-conference games before the full ACC slate ramps up on New Year’s Day.
Virginian Tech comes into today’s matchup with a 3-5 record and sits as the No. 230 team in the NET rankings, good for last in the 18-team ACC. The Hokies have lost five straight games, all by double figures, including an 80-64 defeat to Vanderbilt on Wednesday as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Virginia Tech is led by sixth-year head coach Mike Young. In his first five years, Young has a pair of NCAA Tournament berths, and two NIT bids to his credit. The current Hokies’ season was somewhat doomed from the start. Hysier Miller scored 15 points per game last season for Temple, and was expected to be one of Virginia Tech’s top players, and one of the best transfers in the ACC, but he was dismissed from the team in the preseason due to investigations into a gambling probe by the NCAA involving Temple basketball.
In Miller’s absence, Virginia Tech’s two best players have been 6’9” Myljael Poteat and 6’8” Tobiu Lawal, who are both averaging 11.4 points per game. The Hokies have been a dreadful shooting team, shooting just 41% from the field, and 31% from deep.
Pitt’s season is still off to a strong start, despite Wednesday’s blowout loss to Mississippi State. The Panthers are No. 11 in the NET rankings and should be favored to win their next five games, which should create some momentum when conference play heats up next month.
Can Pitt get back on track? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (6-3, 3-6 ATS) - I need to get back on track here in the staff standings and the Pittsburgh Panthers need to rebound after their brutal loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road. The good news for Pitt is they are playing the "worst" team in the ACC in the Virginia Tech Hokies. Of course, they cannot take them lightly, but the Panthers will no longer have to deal with the backcourt of Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla. In fact, Virginia Tech's backcourt is no longer their strength. Instead, they have a pair of forwards in Mylyjael Poteat and Toibu Lawal that are each averaging just under 12ppg. That should be a good test for Pitt having to defend an aggressive frontcourt, but they will have a massive edge at the guard position. I do not see Ishmael Leggett having two poor games in a row and everyone not named Jaland Lowe is due for some positive reversion to the mean. The Hokies have not played all that well at home and are currently in the midst of a five-game losing streak which I think the Panthers will extend to six.
Prediction: Pitt 75-63
Jim Hammett (7-2, 5-4 ATS) - Virginia Tech is usually well-coached and can be a difficult team to play thanks to head coach Mike Young. I just don’t think he has the team this year to be all that competitive in the ACC. The Hokies have been struggling from the start to this year, and this is exactly the type of team Pitt should feel good about facing after a tough loss. Pitt is not as bad as it performed on Wednesday and the Panthers still have aspirations of being one of the best teams in the league. This has been a tough stretch of games for Jeff Capel’s team, but it should ease down a bit over the next few contests. I think Pitt can start stacking a few wins and it starts today. I think Ishmael Leggett has a nice bounce-back game and propels Pitt to a double-digit win.
Prediction: Pitt 76-62
Matt Steinbrink (6-3, 1-8 ATS) - This afternoon tip can’t come soon enough for the Panthers. They were embarrassed and taught a lesson at Mississippi State. How will they respond now after such a message? This Virginia Tech team is really struggling to find an identity right now. They have lost five games in a row, one of which to Jacksonville. The starting front court is active and solid enough with some length. Schutt is also a bit dangerous at times from the wing. With that being said, this is a game that Pitt should dominate. They need to establish Corhen inside again and get Leggett going. Even though they are on the road, I think Pitt wins their first conference game rather easily.
Prediction: Pitt 82-68
Houston Wilson (7-2, 4-5 ATS) - Pitt aims to shift focus from their disappointing loss earlier this week against Mississippi State as they open ACC play this afternoon. They’ll face a struggling Virginia Tech team that has dropped five straight games and lacks the depth and talent of the Panthers. Look for Pitt to get out and run with their guards in this one as Virginia Techs transition defense has been a problem this season. Expect Pitt to bounce back and make a strong statement in today’s matchup.
Prediction: Pitt 81-71
Chris Peak (7-2, 5-4 ATS) - I’m with everyone else and picking the bounce back. Mississippi State crushed Pitt by pushing the Panthers around, but I don’t think every team is going to be able to do that. I also think Ishmael Leggett returns to form after a tough game and Jaland Lowe will keep playing at a high level. I think we’ll see Pitt take out its collective frustration from that loss on the Hokies today.
Prediction: Pitt 84-72
