Pitt is coming off a sound 80-63 victory over West Virginia on Wednesday night. The victory snapped a two-game losing steak and improved the team’s record to 6-3. That game also marked the end of a five-game stretch against power-five competition.
The Panthers return to action tonight when Canisius comes to the Petersen Events Center for a 6:00 p.m. tip with coverage on the ACC Network. Canisius in a member of the MAAC and is under the direction of eight-year head coach Reggie Weatherspoon. The Griffins head coach has a 99-116 mark at the school. The program is in search of its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996.
This year Canisius is off to a 6-4 start. The Griffins knocked off Robert Morris 87-80 on Wednesday. The team is led by 6’6” senior guard Siem Uijtendaal, which is a surprise. Uijtendaal did not make much of an impact in his first three seasons, but is having a breakout campaign with 15.4 points per game and is shooting 41% from three.
Pitt had mixed results in the tough stretch it just went through, but the schedule eases a bit with three non-conference games against mid-majors at home between now and Christmas.
Can the Panthers take care of business at home? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (7-2): There is a chance that the Canisius Golden Griffins - an awesome mascot by the way - will be one of the best mid-majors that the Pittsburgh Panthers face this season. But make no mistake, Pitt should still win this game at home rather easily. The Panthers will need to defend the three-point line and crash the glass on both ends in order to do that. Canisius is the best defensive team against triples that Pitt has seen thus far. But that could be more about the teams they have played against. This seems like a really good opportunity to get Federiko Federiko back in a rhythm as well as Zack Austin. The Golden Griffins routinely get denied at the rim, so both should feast. If they can turn defense into offense then the Panthers should overwhelm their opponent. I expect Blake Hinson to stay hot, Ishmael Leggett not to be in foul trouble in this one, and Bub Carrington to drive the ball more against lesser competition.
Prediction: Pitt 80-62
Jim Hammett (7-2): I think there were lessons learned for this Pitt team through that tough stretch of games they just played and now these next couple of games are about working on ways to correct some issues. I think one of the main things is that Pitt needs to get more offensive production from people not named Blake Hinson, Bub Carrington, and Jaland Lowe. Those three do a bulk of the scoring and will continue to do so, but they need to find more reliable options beyond that trio. I think these next couple of games are about some development there and other guys will have opportunities to make some shots. I’m looking to see the bench build on that impressive performance against West Virginia and stack another good one on top of it. I think Pitt wins convincingly.
Prediction: Pitt 87-67
Matt Steinbrink (7-2): This Pitt team seems to be in a good spot right now, as winning big in the Backyard Brawl should have them in a good mood. With that being said, I'm not sure that I love the state of the current offense. There is not much there other than threes at the moment. That can work when Blake Hinson is on a burner like he is now. Moving forward though, I think they need to build off of that and use that attention to get easier looks and more action towards the rim. This Canisius team is solid and they can shoot it, so it is imperative that they don't take them lightly. I think Blake Hinson can offset the Golden Griffins from deep himself, but he will need some help moving forward. Keep Mitchell off of the offensive glass and don't settle, and the Panthers should have an enjoyable one.
Prediction: Pitt 84-71
Houston Wilson (7-2): Pitt has good momentum going into todays game against Canisius after getting a much needed winning at West Virginia earlier in the week. Pitt has had no trouble at all this year against non power five teams and I expect that to continue today even though Canisius comes in two games above .500. It should be a balance effort for Pitt today as I could see many players having big time performances. This is one of three more non conference games that Pitt must take care of business before heading into conference play.
Prediction: Pitt 80-64
Chris Peak (6-3): Canisius has faced one high-major team this season - Syracuse at the Dome in the opener - and lost that game by 12; in addition, the Griffins have lost to Cleveland State, Bowling Green and Saint Peter’s, and I expect another loss for that group today. My primary interests in this evening’s game are seeing how Pitt translates some of the lessons from the second half at West Virginia - particularly the value of driving and going to the basket - and builds on those lessons moving forward. I think that will be important for the Panthers’ long-term success, and while they may be inclined to heave a lot of three’s again (since that’s what they do), there’s some work they can get done against Canisius. Incidentally, the Griffins have allowed 24% three-point shooting this season, so their perimeter defense might give Pitt a challenge; to me, that’s all the more reason to try to work the ball inside and get to the rim.
Prediction: Pitt 84-68
