The Pitt Panthers return to action today and this is a team very much in need of a win. On Monday night, Pitt sustained its worst loss of the season with a 73-57 setback to a below .500 Virginia team at home. It was a game in which the Panthers were 13-point favorites, but the Cavaliers took it to Pitt for nearly 40 minutes.
Jeff Capel’s club now sits with a 14-8 overall record and a 5-6 mark in ACC play and starts today No. 47 in the NET rankings. If you are to believe the bracketology experts, Pitt is still hanging in NCAA Tournament discussions, but things are fading quickly. This is a team that could use a win of any kind, but especially one that will help their tournament resume, and the challenge today at least presents that opportunity for the Panthers.
Pitt will be in Chapel Hill this afternoon with a 4:00 p.m. tip against North Carolina with coverage on ESPNU. The Tar Heels only hold a 13-10 record, but sits with at No. 45 in the NET, making this a Quad-1 opportunity for Pitt. The Panthers are 1-5 in such chances this season, and a win here would be a shot in the arm to the resume, but also the team itself.
Pitt has struggled for the better part of a month now, and the 12-2 start seems very much in the past. This is a team searching for an identity and answers, and perhaps some prior confidence could be a boost this afternoon. These two teams met back on January 28th, with the Panthers prevailing 73-65 over UNC.
Can Pitt snap out of this rut and get the season sweep over the Tar Heels? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks below.
Stephen Gertz (14-8, 7-15 ATS) - Both teams have had a few to reflect on their current two-game losing streaks. Both teams now desperate for a win. Neither team is great, but each does something well and something frustratingly poor. With that in mind, I’m going with the home team here. I just do not see the Pittsburgh Panthers going into North Carolina and winning which would also be a regular season sweep.
Prediction: North Carolina 78-74
Jim Hammett (16-6, 12-10 ATS) - Here is the thing, Pitt is capable of beating North Carolina, because it just happened. The only problem is, this team is also capable of playing how it did on Monday. Pitt is just a roller coaster right now, and the game-to-game effort and execution is just a coin flip these days. I think Pitt will bounce back, at least effort wise, to make this a competitive game. But after seeing how Monday unfolded, I need to see them make the adjustments before I predict them to win.
Prediction: North Carolina 76-69
Matt Steinbrink (15-7, 7-15 ATS) - This is a matchup of two teams that are struggling. After facing a slight deficit at home in this last matchup, Pitt was able to lock in defensively and win by a score of 73-65. Carolina will have PJ Washington available now, with revenge on their mind. They are also coming off of a loss against Duke. The fact that they are home for this one is significant. It is also very difficult for me to pick Pitt right now after watching the offensive struggles they had against Virginia.
Prediction: North Carolina 80-73
Houston Wilson (16-6, 9-13 ATS) - With Pitt’s loss to Virginia, their tournament hopes may have taken a hit, leaving them on the wrong side of the bubble. A win at UNC could help offset that setback. Meanwhile, UNC is also battling to keep its NCAA Tournament chances alive. Having already beaten UNC once, Pitt knows what it takes to get the job done. This game serves as a crucial wake-up call, and I expect Pitt to respond by securing a key road victory.
Prediction: Pitt wins 82-78
Chris Peak (16-6, 9-13 ATS) - It seems like we’ve been talking about bounce-backs a lot lately. A lot more than we should, and certainly more than we expected to before this season started, but that’s where Pitt is today, and so the eternal question remains: Can the Panthers bounce back? They’re coming off the worst loss of the season, arguably the worst loss of the Jeff Capel era and quite possibly one of the worst losses in the history of the Petersen Events Center, and in a lot of ways, that game was a culmination: all of the bad things Pitt has been doing this season were taken to the extreme last Monday night, and the team was left at a crossroads. Would they have a valuable week of practice and come out looking like the team they’re supposed to be tonight at UNC? Or would they simply slide into more of those bad habits and watch the season slip away? For today - and this might be the last time - I’m betting on the former. The sliver of hope that remains is derived from the players on this team: I still believe Jaland Lowe is and can be a more efficient player than he has been. I still believe Ishmael Leggett can get Pitt the tough shots it needs. I still believe Damian Dunn can be an effective scorer and plus-defender. I still believe the Diaz Graham twins can shoot. I still believe Zack Austin can be the 3-and-D guy he has developed into this season. I still believe Cam Corhen can offer enough inside scoring to force teams to account for him. I still believe these things, and I think we’ll enough of them to get the Panthers a must-have win tonight.
Prediction: Pitt 77-74
