The Pitt Panthers split a pair of games in Brooklyn and their five-game run against power-five competition begins tonight. Pitt is set to host Missouri in the first-ever ACC/SEC Challenge tonight at the Petersen Events Center. The game will be shown on ESPNU and is set for a 7:30 tip.
Pitt lost for the first time this season last week, when the Panthers had a 76-51 setback to Florida in the NIT season tip-off in Brooklyn. The Panthers then bounced back and crushed Oregon State 76-51 to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Missouri is the challenge tonight for Pitt, and the Tigers should prove to be a formidable opponent. Dennis Gates is in his second year on the job guiding Missouri. He led the team to 25 wins and a second round NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
The Tigers enter this game with a 5-2 record. Missouri has a 15-point loss to Memphis and also lost to Jackson State by one point. The best win to date is a 70-68 win over Minnesota back on November 16th.
Missouri is led by senior guard Sean East II, a 6’3” senior who was the team's sixth man last year, but has elevated his game this year and is averaging 15.4 points per game.
Can Pitt make it two wins in a row? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (5-1): After running into an underrated Florida Gators team, the Pittsburgh Panthers rebounded with an impressive win against a lackluster Oregon State Beavers squad last week. How will they stack against their third, Power Five opponent? Pretty well in my opinion. While the Missouri Tigers will likely be the second best team Pitt has played thus far, they should not press the Panthers the way that Florida did. Their top-five scorers have all come via the transfer portal, and Pitt should be familiar with former Clemson Tigers guard Nick Honor. But they do not have a lot of size, something that I think favors the Panthers. Missouri does turn away a lot of shots at the rim and forces turnovers via steals, but Pitt has been pretty good at protecting the ball through six games. Ultimately, I think the Panthers have seen better competition more recently, while the Tigers lost to the Jackson State Tigers less than 10 days ago. Throw in the fact that this game is at the Pete and I expect the freshman to play with a little more momentum and confidence while Pitt's depth wears out a rather shallow Missouri team.
Prediction: Pitt 80-68
Jim Hammett (5-1): Pitt had a productive trip to Brooklyn. Sure the Panthers did not win the Preseason NIT, but they did face off against a good team and learned where they need to improve and then beat the brakes off a power-five opponent. A perfect weekend? No, but a solid showing in New York. Pitt continues its stretch of five straight games against power-five competition, and I think this is another opportunity for a win. Missouri is better than Oregon State, but I don’t think quite as good as Florida. Also the game is going to be played in front of the Oakland Zoo, which should be a plus for Jeff Capel’s squad. Missouri does not have the same type of front court Florida had and I think Pitt simply has better players than the Tigers on the perimeter.
Prediction: Pitt 78-66
Matt Steinbrink (5-1): The Tigers have a solid and experienced back court, and are also solid at the forward spots. Gates also has a lot of length to go to, but it has not been very functional yet. If Pitt is going to be a serious team again this year, this is a game that they need to win at home. The Panthers should be able to out produce in the back court and dominate up front. The guards just need to take care of the ball and shoot it better. Returning to the home runs should help.
Prediction: Pitt 80-74
Houston Wilson (5-1): Pitt has a good opportunity to add a win to their resume against a power five opponent tonight against Missouri. Missouri comes in with a 5-2 with one of those losses coming to Jackson State. Playing at home will be a major advantage for Pitt tonight as we have seen how different of a team they can be at home in previous years. I believe Pitt has a more talented and athletic roster, which will help them prevail in this game. I think Pitt will shoot the ball well on their home floor and all the guards will have impressive performances.
Prediction: Pitt 79-67
Chris Peak (5-1): Missouri shoots almost as many three-pointers per game as Pitt does (the Tigers average almost 28 attempts per game; the Panthers average 30) and Dennis Gates’ group is one percentage point better than Jeff Capel’s from beyond the arc. Overall, Missouri doesn’t have a ton of size, but that could create some interesting matchups, as the Tigers will go with three guards plus 6’6” forward Noah Carter, who is the team’s second-best three-point shooter. The only real size in Mizzou’s starting lineup comes from Connor Vanover, a 7’5” giant transfer from Oral Roberts who will challenge Federiko Federiko with as much length as Pitt’s center will see all season, but Vanover is still getting up to speed after missing the first three games of the season, and he has averaged 1.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in the last four contests. That will be a good battle for Federiko, but this game will probably be decided in the backcourt: are Bub Carrington, Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe (and Zack Austin) ready to defend a guard-heavy lineup? I think Pitt will rise to the occasion, and I think we’ll see Carrington bounce back from a tough trip to Brooklyn.
Prediction: Pitt 75, Missouri 64
