Staff Picks: Pitt and Syracuse meet in key ACC showdown
The Pitt Panthers and Syracuse Orange will restore their historic rivalry today with a 5:00 p.m. tip at the Petersen Events Center. Pitt is in the midst of an ACC title chase and needs to win this game to keep pace with first place Miami, while Syracuse needs to turn it on in a hurry and go on a run in order to even make the NCAA Tournament.
The two teams met back in December with Pitt edging Syracuse by a score of 84-82. It was a game where Pitt led by as many as 18 points in the second half, but needed a multiple defensive stops down the stretch to preserve the victory.
Syracuse comes into this game with a 16-12 overall record. The Orange have lost two straight including a 91-73 setback to Clemson earlier this week. Despite their record, this can be a very dangerous team. The Orange feature veteran point guard Joe Girard as well as talented freshman and one-time Pitt commit Judah Mintz in the backcourt. Both players are averaging 16 points per game.
Since a little two-game losing streak at the beginning of January, Pitt has now won 9 of its past 11 games. The Panthers even featured a season-long six-game winning streak. Pitt is coming off of a hard-fought 76-68 win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday. In that game, the Panthers were led by 22 points from senior point guard Nelly Cummings.
Prior to today's game, Cummings, along with fellow seniors Jamarius Burton, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande will be honored in front of a sold-out Petersen Events Center. The senior class helped turn Pitt's fortunes around quickly this season and they will get one more chance to play in front of the Oakland Zoo.
Pitt is chasing an NCAA Tournament berth and an ACC title. It's senior day and the home finale. Syracuse and Jim Boeheim are in town. Nothing more needs to be said. It's a big game at The Pete and the Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks on the game.
Stephen Gertz (20-8): The Pittsburgh Panthers are going to have a little more incentive to win this one after Jim Boeheim's comments about them buying a team a few weeks ago. That does mean it is going to be easy. I partially feel that Syracuse is due for a win after getting blown out by the Duke Blue Devils and Clemson Tigers recently. But the Orange have yet to beat anyone of consequence on the road and the Pete is going to be rocking for the final home game of the season. This Pitt team does not struggle against the 2-3 zone like past ones, and they are due to have another hot shooting game. They are going to need to connect from the outside as Syracuse is going to make life difficult for the Panthers around the basket. If Federiko Federiko can play Jesse Edwards to a draw, that will go a long way towards Pitt having a sizable advantage in this one. I like the combination of the other four Panthers against the two-headed scoring duo of Joe Girard III and Judah Mintz.
Prediction: Pitt 78, Syracuse 68
Houston Wilson (19-9): Pitt welcomes Syracuse to town today as Pitt try’s to stay atop the ACC Standings. Year after year recently it seems like Syracuse is stuck right in the middle off the ACC and this year is no different. There are some interesting storylines to follow tonight as well because of Jim Boeheim’s comments a few weeks back and Syracuse guard Judah Mintz, who was once a Pitt commit, will play his first game ever at Pitt. I think Pitt is going to be extremely fired up for this one and will dominate from start to finish. I expect Pitt to do well against the Syracuse zone as Pitt has the shooters that are capable of making a lot of shots against it. It will be a big game for the Pitt guards as they will be the ones leading the charge tonight.
Prediction: Pitt 83, Syracuse 74
Matt Steinbrink (15-13): This environment today could be quite special. On top of the fact that it is a must win game for Pitt to keep pace for the title and it is Syracuse, it is also senior night. For the first time in a long time, Pitt actually has meaningful seniors to honor. All of this energy in front of a sold out crowd and it has all the makings of an elite atmosphere. That is also where some of my concern lies. I am worried that a couple of Pitt's guys will come out early too amped up and they get into a small hole. Of course the noise and atmosphere will also impact Syracuse but I just think Pitt has a couple of players that may want to make a 10 point shot right off the jump ball. As the game wears on and the players settle in, it should be another great game between the two teams. Syracuse shot the three poorly in the previous matchup and Pitt shot it well. They outscored the Orange from behind the arc by 21 points. That was essentially the game. The fact that Syracuse came back and made it that close was concerning. However, we are onto a completely new game despite the familiarity here. Syracuse has a strong back court and a very nice presence at center, so it will not be easy. The wing and power forward spot is where Pitt will need to win, as well as off the bench with Nike Sibande. This Pitt team has not played very well for a little while now, but I think this crowd could re-energize them for the push for the regular season title. I could see the team being a little too tight but this group just seems too experienced and mentally tough to let this one slip.
Prediction: Pitt 75, Syracuse 72
Jim Hammett (20-8): It has been a long time since the Pete was rocking, but that should be the case this afternoon, and for good reason too. This Pitt team has really done the unthinkable and gone from a team expected to finish next to last in the conference, to a team fighting for an ACC title with three games to play. When Pitt beat Syracuse 84-82 back in December, it was one of the first times we saw how this Panthers team can be very effective offensively. In the games since, they've done everything to reinforce that, especially at home. Pitt is a really good offensive team and they are capable of draining 10-15 threes a game when they are on, and they have been especially dangerous at shooting the ball at home of late. Pitt has won five straight games at home and during that stretch they are averaging 12.8 makes from deep. Given the hype of this game and how well Pitt plays at home, I have to lean with the Panthers here. The Orange have some pesky players and will keep it close like the first meeting, but Pitt has to much to play for and I don't think the seniors will let the team lose today.
Prediction: Pitt 84, Syracuse 80
Chris Peak (20-8): Today’s game has all the makings of a great story: Pitt and Syracuse, the home finale, Senior Night and an electric crowd should make this the best atmosphere of the season. But can the home team take care of business? I am of the mind that they can and will. It’s really about the shooting, since good shooting is the key to cracking Syracuse’s zone. I think Greg Elliott and Blake Hinson will make their presence felt early in this one, and I think Nelly Cummings and Nike Sibande will hit some shots from outside, too. Syracuse is a desperate team at this point in the season, so I don’t think the Orange will run away if Pitt takes a lead; as such, the Panthers will have to keep scoring throughout this one. And if Syracuse starts to pressure the basketball like it did in the second half of the last game, guys like Cummings and Jamarius Burton are going to have to protect against turnovers. I think the Panthers are up to the challenge today. I think they feed off the energy of the crowd and hit the final week of the season with a strong and convincing win.
Prediction: Pitt 82, Syracuse 71