The Pitt Panthers return to action today for a 2:00 p.m. tip against South Carolina State at the Petersen Events Center. Pitt had the week off due to finals and will be playing for the first time since last Saturday, an 82-71 win over Canisius.
The Panthers enter this game with a 7-3 record and have won back-to-back games. Pitt has two more non-conference games before ACC play ramps up on December 30th. Jeff Capel’s team will look to fine tune a few things before league play begins and South Carolina State should prove to be a team where they can work on some things.
The Bulldogs are coached by Erik Martin, and his teams should play a familiar style. Martin was a longtime assistant under former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins serving as his assistant from 2006 through 2022. This is Martin's second year leading South Carolina State and enters today’s game with a 3-8 record on the season.
The Bulldogs are coming off of an 86-86 victory over Jacksonville, a team Pitt previously beat earlier this season, and in doing so snapped a seven-game losing streak. South Carolina State was picked to finish last in the MEAC preseason poll. The Bulldogs have five NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, with the last coming back in 2003.
Davion Everett, a 6’6” sophomore forward, is the player to watch here. He is the only Bulldog averaging double figures with 10.4 points per game and also grabs a team-high 7.2 rebounds as well.
Can Pitt take care of business and improve to 8-3 on the season? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (8-2): This could end up as the worst team that the Pittsburgh Panthers play this season. The South Carolina State Bulldogs are that bad. Granted, they just beat the Jacksonville Dolphins in overtime, but I do not think that is saying very much. They have three wins on the year, one of which is against an opponent from the NAIA and they only won that game by eight points. SC State is one of the least efficient offensive teams in the country. As a team, they shoot just 26.5% on three-pointers. That slots them in the bottom-20 in the nation. The Bulldogs also turn the ball over on over 20% of their possessions. The one thing they do well is crash the offensive glass, but I think Pitt is going to win that battle by a sizable margin today. For the Panthers, this is about getting as many players into a rhythm as possible as they look to close out their non-conference schedule. This should and needs to be a game that Zack Austin and Federiko Federiko make a tangible impact. Even if they do not, this should not be much of a contest.
Prediction: Pitt 90-58
Jim Hammett (8-2): In my 3-2-1 Column yesterday, I predicted Pitt would go over 100 points in this game. The Panthers have been shooting the ball well and I think that can continue through the bye week and into today. South Carolina State is also one of the worst defensive teams in the country as the Bulldogs have given up 80 or more points in eight games so far this season. I think that just spells a recipe for success for this Pitt team. The Panthers have a lot of offensive firepower with one of the best scoring trios in the ACC with Blake Hinson, Bub Carrington, and Ish Leggett. I see very little reason to worry about this game and the Panthers should roll easily.
Prediction: Pitt 103-68
Matt Steinbrink (8-2): This South Carolina State team struggles defensively and can't shoot the ball from three. Just looking at the numbers and roster for this season, there isn't a lot to be concerned about from the Pitt side. Coach Martin is still trying to get things established in this program but it is still in the early stages. This game should be a great opportunity to get some of Pitt's reserves more time in order to work on the depth. It has been the Carrington/Leggett/Hinson show recently, and the Panthers need more from this roster. More specifically, Blake Hinson has carried this team and he is not getting nearly the help that he should. Maybe they can find something over these next few games before getting back into ACC play. I think we will see the old Panthers today with scoring across the roster and more fun.
Prediction: Pitt 91-68
Houston Wilson (8-2): After a seven-day break, Pitt is back on the court against a SC State team that is currently ranked 342 on Kenpom. It will be interesting to see how Pitt comes out after a narrow victory against Canisius last Saturday and a week off in between games. There is no reason Pitt should be in any sort of battle today as they need to make sure they secure this win and their next contest before the rest of the season is against ACC competition. I predict that Pitt will dominate from start to finish.
Prediction: Pitt 83-67
Chris Peak (7-3): Pitt looked tired and out of sorts in its last game. But the Panthers have had nearly a week off, and I think they'll come back well-rested and refocused. Expect the regular from Pitt: Blake Hinson hitting a bunch of three's (I'm saying he gets six in this game), Bub Carrington continuing to work on his efficiency and decision-making, the Diaz Graham twins probably combining for four three-pointers and Ishmael Leggett getting 5-7 free throw attempts. Oh, and Pitt will win the rebounding battle comfortably. The penultimate warmup game will go the Panthers' way, and they'll put on a show at the Petersen Events Center today.
Prediction: Pitt 94-72
