After a week off, the Pitt Panthers return to action tonight when they host Syracuse at the Petersen Events Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip. Pitt is coming off of a disastrous 75-53 loss to Duke last Tuesday, but has had a whole week to prepare for tonight.
The extra preparation may be welcomed. Pitt enters this game with a 10-6 record overall and just a 1-4 mark in ACC play. It is the middle of January, but this season could get away from the team which essentially makes this a must-win game for the Panthers.
Syracuse is coming off of its own rough defeat. The Orange went into Chapel Hill and got smacked by North Carolina 103-67. Syracuse brings a 11-5 record and 2-3 ACC mark into this game, making it equally important for them as well.
Pitt and Syracuse met back on December 30th, which went in favor of the Orange by an 81-73 decision. The game featured a good stretch where Pitt was leading, but 15 turnovers and 46% free-throw shooting ultimately cost the Panthers.
Can Pitt get this season turned around? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (13-3): At this point, every game is a must win for the Pittsburgh Panthers. With Pitt heading on the road for three consecutive contests after this one, a confidence building victory would go a long way. I think the Panthers will be able to avenge their loss to the Syracuse Orange from last month. They did a good job limiting the effectiveness of Judah Mintz and JJ Starling, and they were able to involve Naheem McLeod in enough actions that it forced the 7'4" center to the bench. I do not think that Blake Hinson will foul out of this one, and a healthy Ishmael Leggett is not likely to go 2-10 again. They could miss their fair share of free throws again but 13 seems like a stretch. I do expect Syracuse to struggle shooting from beyond the arc again, which will help keep the Panthers in the game. Pitt must do a better job limiting turnovers this time, especially in the first half. They also need to try to create an advantage on the glass as the Orange are not a great rebounding team on either end. Lastly, I do not think the Syracuse bench will erupt on the road like they did in the JMA Wireless Dome (this name is dumb).
Prediction: Pitt 75-68
Jim Hammett (13-3): In Pitt’s two recent losses to Duke and North Carolina, it definitely felt like those teams had the upper hand in terms of talent. They both are obviously top ten teams and it showed, but the defeat to Syracuse back on December 30th was more about Pitt simply not executing. The Panthers held a second half double-digit lead, but let it slip away with some costly errors. So with that line of thinking, I am going in with the mindset that these are two evenly matched teams and Pitt started Tuesday morning as a 6.5 favorite, which suggests that. The Panthers have to take advantage of the opponent here because another game with Duke looms this weekend. Pitt needs to play with more urgency and I believe they will given their recent stretch of defeats. This game and season for Pitt ultimately comes down to two things. Hinson and Carrington need to start making shots consistently and the team has to play better post defense. That is it. If they can improve in those two areas then a lot of good can happen. I don’t expect those areas to be clicking on all cylinders tonight, but it should be better than whatever happened last Tuesday.
Prediction: Pitt 77-69
Matt Steinbrink (14-2): These are two comparable teams as far as talent goes. Syracuse is more challenging to me with a smaller lineup. Their guard play is comparable to Pitt and the Orange provide a challenge at the forward positions. With all that being said, Syracuse really struggles to shoot the ball from three. They are basically the worst three point shooting team in the league. Chris Bell is their biggest threat from three at the four position, but Blake Hinson should feel comfortable in that kind of game. Given their shooting struggles and the fact that the game is at the Pete, this is a game Pitt has to win. They just simply cannot get swept by this version of Syracuse this season.
Prediction: Pitt 77-72
Houston Wilson (12-4): Pitt has entered must win territory as they are set to host Syracuse tonight. If Pitt wants to save their season and have any shot of making the NCAA Tournament, they have to win tonight. Like most of the teams in the ACC, this Syracuse group is a totally different team on the road than they are at home which obviously bodes well for Pitt. The most important thing for Pitt is going to be getting off to a hot start because once this team gets down big, I don't think they are destined right now to play well from behind. The few days off should have helped Pitt and I think they take care of business tonight against a very streaky Syracuse team.
Prediction: Pitt 79-74.
Chris Peak (11-5): We're going for the sweep here because Pitt absolutely needs this win and probably should get it. The Panthers' trip to Syracuse on the penultimate day of 2023 was a comedy of errors, particularly from the free throw line. And Blake Hinson was in a full-blown slump, scoring just 11 points and making just three field goals - with none of those coming in the second half. That all combined to turn an eight-point halftime lead into an eight-point loss, but I just can't see those elements conspiring against Pitt again. I think Hinson comes out of the week off and makes a splash. I think Bub Carrington and Jaland Lowe continue to evolve. I think Zack Austin gets more of the "chaos" points he has been providing of late. And I think the Panthers less less than 16 points at the free throw line - all of which comes together to get a much-needed win in a must-win game.
Prediction: Pitt 73-61
