Staff picks: Can Pitt rebound tonight against Georgia Tech?
The Pitt Panthers saw their six-game winning streak come to a close over the weekend with a 79-72 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies. The defeat dropped Pitt a game behind Virginia in the ACC standings, but the Panthers are still very much in the thick of the title race, but they have much less room for error now.
Pitt welcomes Georgia Tech to town tonight for a 7:00 p.m. tip inside the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers traveled to Atlanta back on January 14th and defeated the Yellow Jackets 71-60 behind a solid 21-point effort from Nike Sibande.
The January loss to Pitt for Georgia Tech was part of a nine-game losing streak that lasted a little over a month. Things have been better for Josh Pastner's club of late, however. The Yellow Jackets have won 3-of-4 including a 77-70 victory over the same Virginia Tech team that just beat Pitt over the weekend.
Pitt's push for an ACC title is clear at this point, but its potential bid for an NCAA Tournament is still a little murky. It appears the Panthers' loss to Virginia Tech kept them in the field from the bracketologists, but a loss to Georgia Tech could really alter the outlook. The key for Pitt right now is to avoid bad losses, and losing to an 11-win Georgia Tech team at home would qualify as that.
Can Pitt rebound from Saturday's loss and win its 20th game of the season? The Panther-Lair.com staff previews tonight's game.
Stephen Gertz (19-8): The worst team left on the Pittsburgh Panthers regular season ACC schedule is the Georgia Yellow Jackets. Pitt has already handed Georgia Tech a loss this year, beating them by 11 a little more than a month ago. This time, the Yellow Jackets are going to have to come to the Pete armed with one of the most inefficient offenses in the nation. Additionally, they also do not get to the free throw line a lot, so foul issues should not mount against the Panthers tonight. To complete the perfect recipe, GT does not defend the three-point line well and does not turn teams over. Everyone not named Nelly Cummings is likely to have a better game tonight than they did over the weekend. Pitt knows they need to take care of business here and I expect them to do just that.
Pitt 75, Georgia Tech 60
Houston Wilson (18-9): After a tough road loss at Virginia Tech, Pitt is back in action tonight as they host Georgia Tech. To be completely honest, this should be an easy bounce back game for Pitt. Josh Pastner could only have a few weeks left at the helm in Atlanta as it has been another rough year for the Yellow Jackets. I expect Pitt to roll in this one with the scoring being very balanced as a lot of players should have a good opportunity to get themselves in the scoring book. Pitt picks up their 20th win tonight after beating Georgia Tech.
Prediction: Pitt 81, Georgia Tech 68
Matt Steinbrink (14-13): This is a must win game for Pitt if they want to make a run for the regular season title. The last stretch of the season is not all that easy, with this game being perhaps the easiest one left. The Panthers were able to beat Georgia Tech about a month ago despite not shooting the three well. That was a good sign for this team, and likely an indication that they will shoot it better this time. On the flip side, GT shot the lights out for them. That is a good sign going into this one. If the teams shoot closer to their averages and the free throw attempts are more balanced, the Panthers should be able to get back on the winning side in convincing fashion.
Prediction: Pitt 79, Georgia Tech 65
Jim Hammett (19-8): I think one of the best qualities of this Pitt team is that they have a short memory when it comes to bouncing back from losses. Pitt has not let a single game determine how they play the next night, and that has been an issue over the years for this program where a single loss could fester and turn into a losing streak. I think we see a case of that tonight. Yes Pitt had a frustrating loss to Virginia Tech over the weekend, but I expect them to come out clicking on all cylinders at home. Pitt is 12-3 at home this season, including four straight victories. The Panthers have been shooting the lights out when they play in front of the Oakland Zoo as well. I just expect a bounce back from Saturday, and also a continuation of what this team has been doing at home. I see Pitt makes 10 or more three-pointers tonight and this one does not end up being all that close.
Prediction: Pitt 83, Georgia Tech 67
Chris Peak (19-8): I’m not going to overthink this: Pitt should win tonight. Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech was a tough one, for a variety of reasons, but I think it will refocus this team (in case any focus had waned). In particular, I’m looking for a bounce-back on defense and from Blake Hinson and Nike Sibande. Neither Hinson nor Sibande played well in Blacksburg, with Hinson making just one basket and Sibande waiting until the final 4:50 of the game to score a point. Those two combined for 34 points in Pitt’s win at Georgia Tech last month. Sibande scored a game-high 21, and he’s due for another good performance off the bench. What’s more, Georgia Tech’s Deivon Smith, who led the Jackets with 15 in the last game against the Panthers, isn’t playing tonight. I think Pitt gets back to its winning ways with big-time performances from Hinson and Sibande and takes the penultimate home game of the season by more than a dozen.
Prediction: Pitt 77, Georgia Tech 61