The Pitt Panthers have a tough challenge tonight as they take on the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils. Of course, this meeting just occurred back in Pittsburgh, but the schedule makers have this two-game series being played over a two week stretch.
The first game was a forgettable performance for Jeff Capel’s squad. Duke manhandled Pitt from the start and led wire to wire in a 75-53 decision. The Blue Devils look like a team capable of making some serious damage in March and it was fully on display back on January 9th in Pittsburgh.
While Duke seems to be surging, this Pitt team is fading quickly. The loss to Duke was part of the story, but not the entirety of it. The Panthers have been struggling since the start of conference play and bring a 10-7 overall record with a 1-5 mark in league play.
Pitt is 2-7 all-time in Cameron Indoor Stadium with the team’s last win occurring back in 1979. The Panthers are just 1-6 against the Blue Devils under Capel as well, as the Pitt head coach will look for his first win against Duke in Durham.
Can the Panthers pull off a stunning upset? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (13-4): No reason to talk about if the Pittsburgh Panthers can win this game, they pretty much cannot. It really comes down to how badly they are going to lose. Why I did not take Duke at -5.5 last Tuesday is truly upsetting. This is just a horrible matchup for Pitt. They have no answer for Kyle Filipowski, their guards and wings are superior athletes, and they have now seen the Panthers rather linear offensive game plan in-person. There is a chance that Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson shoot the ball better this time around. But it feels like I have been saying something along those lines for the entire month. I also think there is an equal chance that Zack Austin does not repeat his performance, which would be a negative for Pitt. Duke dominated the glass, shot the ball exceptionally well, but did commit their fair share of turnovers last week on the road. I would expect that they can continue those first two things while cleaning up the third at home. I predicted the Panthers to finish 16-15 but have deviated from that at the cost of moving up the staff standings. No more.
Prediction: Duke 80-60
Jim Hammett (13-4): There is nothing really to suggest Pitt can hang on this game. The first meeting is evidence enough, but Pitt’s follow-up performance on Tuesday against Syracuse did not prove this team is in a better place. It’s pretty simple right now, but this team simply can’t score. The Panthers have been held under 60 points in three of the past four games. Both of Pitt’s best offensive threats, Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson, are going through a cold streak at the same time. This team has lacked secondary options from the start of the season, so when you combine the two it looks ugly. Duke has impressed me each time I have watched them play this season. Kyle Filipowski is just a good player and also a tough matchup for this Pitt team in particular with his ability to score from all three levels as a big man. The Panthers showed no ability to slow him down two weeks ago, and I don’t expect it to get any better tonight.
Prediction: Duke 85-70
Matt Steinbrink (14-3): This Duke team will look a little different today as they will implement a more perimeter-oriented attack. Playing at Cameron is never easy and playing them again in less than two weeks is a factor. There is a chance that the Panthers could get out and hang around a bit if they take care of the ball. There is a chance that Duke could enter the game a bit relaxed. We could see the staff change up the defensive approach given the personnel issues. Filipowski is a matchup nightmare for this team and at least changing up looks and getting more physical with him may help a bit. Of course you open up issues with Duke shooting the three and grabbing offensive rebounds in a zone. This is a tough assignment for the Pitt staff and it is imperative that Pitt comes out with some level of confidence to start.
Prediction: Duke 78-63
Houston Wilson (12-5): It doesn't get easier for Pitt today as they have to travel to Duke. These two teams faced off a few weeks ago and Duke controlled from start to finish. Unfortunately, I don't see a different type of game happening tonight in Durham as Duke is playing some of their best basketball of the year and among one of the best teams in the ACC right now. We will see what type of adjustments Jeff Capel and his staff were able to make since the last time these teams faced off but there is no question about it that Pitt faces an uphill battle tonight.
Prediction: Duke 86-60
Chris Peak (11-6): The last game between Pitt and Duke was the worst kind of confluence: Pitt was as bad as it could be and Duke was as good as it could be. The question now is, even if both teams regress to their mean (although I fear that Pitt's "mean" is still being discovered), will it be enough to get a win for Pitt? I don't think so; there are a lot of things I think this team is capable of, but after 17 games, I'm starting to wonder if they can actually do those things. And if they can do them, can they do them at Cameron Indoor? I have a hard time going for that. The Internet tells me Jeff Capel Is 2-0 against the spread at Cameron, so I guess I'll take Pitt with the points, but that's as far as I can go.
Prediction: Duke 75-63
