Staff picks: Can Pitt make it five wins in a row?
The Pitt Panthers return to action tomorrow for a noon tip against the Syracuse Orange in the team’s final game before the New Year. The Panthers enter this game having won four straight games, but will be coming off of a 10-day holiday layoff.
The opponent here is of course very familiar, but also different. Pitt and Syracuse will be getting together for the 125th time on Saturday afternoon in the Dome. It will be Pitt’s first look at the Orange without Jim Boeheim manning the sidelines. First year coach Adrian Autry has a talented bunch, albeit on the younger side with four sophomores in the starting lineup and only one senior on the roster.
The headliner for the Orange is Judah Mintz, a 6’4” sophomore guard who was at one time committed to Jeff Capel and the Panthers. Mintz showed right away as a freshman he was very talented, and has only enhanced that this year by averaging 19.8 points per game.
Pitt won both matchups last year against Syracuse, including a similar December showdown in the Dome. Can Pitt keep that success against the Orange rolling? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (10-2): I am a big believer in reversion to the mean. With every Pitt player struggling offensively last Wednesday, that would suggest a big game from the Panthers. But that is going to be more of a challenge on the road. Syracuse is a young team, but they have a very talented backcourt. That is really going to be the key. Can Bub Carrington and Ishmael Leggett outplay Judah Mintz and JJ Starling? Pitt has done a reasonable job of limiting their turnovers against teams that are adept in that area, especially in the second half. They are going to need to double down on that this afternoon. Blake Hinson needs to be the best player on the floor, at least on the offensive end. The big edge the Panthers should have is on the offensive glass, as the Orange hemorrhage offensive boards. This is going to be a back-and-forth game, so securing extra possessions is going to be key. I think that will add up leading to a narrow Pitt victory.
Prediction: Pitt 71-68
Jim Hammett (10-2): I just think both teams here are pretty similar. They are equally fueled with some offensive firepower on the perimeter, but lack a real scoring punch inside. I think in this matchup, however, Pitt has a few more weapons. Blake Hinson went for 25 points and 13 rebounds in Pitt’s win over Syracuse last year in the Dome, and I believe he will find similar success this year as well. Hinson is playing like a legitimate All-American candidate and I think he will come up with a big game to help Pitt narrowly squeak out a victory.
Prediction: Pitt 75-70
Matt Steinbrink (10-2): It is a big one today at noon for both of these teams looking for their first conference win of the 2023-24 season. Most people seem to have Pitt and Syracuse somewhere near the middle of the conference at the moment, with Pitt losing a relatively close game to Clemson and Syracuse getting blown out by Virginia. These teams have a long history and are quite familiar with each other. Pitt has had some recent success at the dome but there are a lot of new Panthers on this team that have not played much there. The Panthers were miserable from deep last time out at home, and they cannot do that again if they are going to have a chance today. This game today should be a good one that is close throughout. One area to watch is ball security. The Syracuse guards have been loose with the ball and have struggled with decision making at times. Especially against the better teams on their schedule. Pitt's guards will need to apply pressure and be solid on the perimeter, making things difficult for Mintz and Starling. If they are not efficient, Syracuse will struggle to win. With that being said, they are better at home and it is a deep team with a lot of depth. Pitt can certainly win this game, but I think the first game at the dome for Pitt's back court may be a bit of a struggle. As always, Blake HInson can shoot his team to a win against almost anyone if the supporting cast is solid. I think these two teams split this season with each team holding court at home.
Prediction: Syracuse 79-74
Houston Wilson (10-2): After only losing two games during non-conference play, Pitt can't walk away too disappointed with their efforts during the non-conference part of their schedule but there is still a lot of work to be done by them to improve their NCAA Tournament résumé. They will have their chances during ACC play but need to ensure they take care of business when that opportunity arrives. That starts on Saturday against Syracuse. Syracuse comes in with a similar situation to Pitt, both 9-3, with no bad losses but no amazing wins during non-conference. Most importantly, both teams do not want to start 0-2 in league play. Syracuse has some momentum right now, and they will be a tough out at home. For Pitt to win this game they must slow down Judah Mintz. Mintz is averaging 19.8 points per game for Syracuse and their offense runs through him. I expect this game to be super close throughout with multiple lead changes. I predict Pitt to squeak it out on the road.
Prediction: Pitt 77-74
Chris Peak (9-3): I'll take Pitt in this one. It's tough to gauge where these two teams are right now, and when Syracuse visits the Panthers in a few weeks, we'll have a better Idea. But I think Blake Hinson will be the best player on the court on Saturday, and I expect him to announce his presence with a 20-point game. The keys, to me, are how Bub Carrington continues to develop, whether Ishmael Leggett gets on track and if Guillermo Diaz Graham keeps playing well in an expanded role. Syracuse is not a great rebounding team, so I think Pitt will win the boards, get 20 out of Hinson and manage some solid contributions beyond him to balance the Panthers' conference record at 1-1.
Prediction: Pitt 72-66