Staff picks: Can Pitt make it three wins in a row?
The Pitt Panthers return to the Petersen Events Center to host Florida State after a three-game road trip. Pitt's next three games will be in front of the Oakland Zoo, where the Panthers have an 8-2 record this season. Following consecutive tough losses to Clemson and Duke, Pitt has bounced back nicely with a pair of double digit wins over Georgia Tech and Louisville.
In Pitt's 75=54 win over Louisville on Wednesday, the Panthers made 14 three-pointers, led by 23 points from senior guard Greg Elliott. The Panthers may need another strong outside shooting performance today, because they face a team with plenty of size in the Florida State Seminoles.
Florida State enters this game with a 6-13 record. The Seminoles got off to a poor start, but have salvaged it some with an early 4-4 mark in the ACC. They are under the guidance of longtime coach Leonard Hamilton, who has been guiding the program since 2002 and has led Florida State to 8 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Despite the poor record coming in, Florida State certainly has some capable players that will push Pitt on Saturday afternoon. They have four players scoring in double figures with 6'7" sophomore Matthew Cleveland leading the way. He averages 14.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Darin Green is a lights out three-point shooter, and Caleb Mills is a steady veteran point guard.
Pitt enters today's game with a NET ranking of 50. The Panthers are firmly in the NCAA Tournament discussions here in late January, and in order to remain there, they have to keep winning and avoid bad losses. The Seminoles have a NET ranking of 207, so this would certainly qualify as a bad loss. Pitt has a 15-6 edge all-time over Florida State.
Can the Panthers keep pushing forward? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (14-5): Another game that the Pittsburgh Panthers can ill afford to lose. A win would move them a half step forward, but a loss would set them two steps backwards. The good news for Pitt is that the Florida State Seminoles are not very good and the Panthers are 2-2 against better Florida State teams under head coach Jeff Capel. The blueprint is also there. The Seminoles do not defend the three-point line well and do not force turnovers. Even if Pitt cannot take advantage of the offensive boards that FSU hemorrhages, it should not matter at home. I expect every starter not named Federiko Federiko to have a better game today with Nike Sibande contributing heavily off the bench. The Panthers are also catching Florida State at the right time with recently suspended and highly-touted prospect Baba Miller still getting his feet wet. The Seminoles do have one of the bigger backcourts that Pitt has seen, so maybe Jamarius Burton cannot bully them the way he has other guards this season, but I still think the Panthers will be too much for them at home.
Prediction: Pitt 76, Florida State 65
Houston Wilson (13-6): Pitt returns home after three games on the road and is set to host a Florida State team that has been struggling all year long. I do firmly believe FSU is better than their record shows but it is still a team that should not worry Pitt fans. Pitt has been great at home this year and I think they will jump on on the Seminoles from the opening tip and not look. This is a game where a lot of Pitt players could go off and I think it will be a balance attack with Pitt winning.
Prediction: Pitt 77, Florida State 64
Matt Steinbrink (10-9): Florida State typically has one of the most impressive rosters in the country from a physical standpoint under Leonard Hamilton. That is still the case to a degree, but it has definitely been a down year or the program. While they are scoring 69.5 points per game, the defense is surrendering 73.8. The offense is okay, but so much of it relies on Darin Green's outside shooting. The main issue has been on the defensive end, as this group is not nearly as strong on that end. This rotation is still long and athletic, but they do not have the rotating trio of 7 footers. They only have one this season, and that has been missing around the rim. This is a team that is slowly improving as the season goes on, but Pitt has been in a much better place this season. They have also played well in this series. The line late Friday night that has Pitt favored by 10 seems a bit large to me. This game will likely be a close one that goes back and forth most of the afternoon. Pitt has been able to withstand spurts for the most part this season, so I think they stay consistent and end up shooting the ball better at home. Think Pitt wins this one but by a closer margin.
Prediction: Pitt 74, Florida State 69
Jim Hammett (12-7): It is getting late in the season, and this Pitt team is towards the top of the ACC standings and firmly in the NCAA Tournament discussion. The Panthers have had two solid road wins in as many games where they asserted control in the second half and handled business like they were expected to. The Florida State game, despite being at home, will be a little trickier. The Seminoles definitely have some talented players and they always have size inside. Pitt struggles to rebound, so that is certainly a concern for Jeff Capel today. I think Pitt's combination of veteran leaders at the guard spots and playing at home will be the difference in this one, but I expect a tight game inside The Pete today with coming out with a narrow win.
Prediction: Pitt 73, Florida State 69
Chris Peak (13-6): Florida State may or may not be better than the Seminoles' 6-13 overall record indicates, but I'm also becoming more and more convinced that Pitt truly is as good as the Panthers' 13-6 record shows. Sophomore Matthew Cleveland is a star for FSU, but he's only one player; as a team, the Seminoles are averaging less than 70 points per game while giving up the third-most three-pointers in the ACC. FSU most recently beat Notre Dame on the road, but the team's four conference losses have come against Duke, Wake Forest and Virginia twice. The Seminoles don't have a good win in ACC play this season, and I don't think they break that trend today with Jamarius Burton leading Pitt in a game where any Panther could step up and make shots at any point. I think Pitt gives the home crowd - which should be lively - a treat.
Prediction: Pitt 77, Florida State 64