There are one-sided series in college basketball, and then there is Pitt and North Carolina State. The Wolkfpack have simply owned Pitt with a 21-2 all-time advantage over the Panthers, including a current 12-game winning streak. North Carolina State has been a good program through the years, but it has been shocking how much they have dominated the series with Pitt.
Pitt will look to snap that 12-game losing streak this afternoon when they welcome NC State to the Petersen Events Center for a 3:00 p.m. tip. Jeff Capel's team will also be looking for its second consecutive win after going into Tallahassee and defeating Florida State 56-51 on Wednesday.
In that game, Pitt's Ithiel Horton knocked down seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points. Pitt also received 13 points from Jamarius Burton, with 11 of those coming in the final minutes to help hold off the Seminoles. Seeing those two flourish on the same night was a glimpse as to what this team could have been all season had it not been for Horton's suspension.
We'll see if the Panthers can keep it going on Saturday. NC State is currently one of the two teams below Pitt in the ACC standings. Kevin Keatts' team has lost five straight and come into this one with a 10-15 record. Despite the struggles, this team can present some challenges. Dereon Seabron, a 6'7" sophomore guard, is one of the top players in the conference and averages 18.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Keeping Seabron out of the paint will be key for Pitt in this one, as most of the damage he does is off the dribble.
Can Pitt end this losing streak to the Wolfpack and win back-to-back conference games? Let's see what the Panther-Lair.com staff thinks.
Jim Hammett (17-8): It may not have been the prettiest win, but is was a victory nonetheless for Jeff Capel's team on Wednesday. The Panthers really had to gut out a 56-51 win over Florida State, and did it behind the strength of their backcourt. Ithiel Horton posted a season-high 25 points and Jamarius Burton went takeover mode late in the game with 11 points in the final five minutes. When both of those guys are clicking, then Pitt has a pretty formidable scoring tandem on the perimeter. Throw in Femi Odukale's better play of late, then you have a pretty good set of guards and that's what this team right now with John Hugley having a bit of a slump right now inside. I look for Pitt's guards to step up today and lead the Panthers to another win.
Prediction: PItt 73-65
Stephen Gertz (16-9): I am going with the Pittsburgh Panthers at home against a NC State Wolfpack team that does not have a lot of size. John Hugley is due and Pitt is now getting enough from their three guards - Burton, Horton, and Odukale - to counter what NC State has. Of course because I am leaning Pitt here there is a good chance they let me down, so we will see.
Prediction: Pitt 65-63
Houston Wilson (14-11): Today is another opportunity for Pitt to win back to back ACC games and get a little momentum back. They welcome in a NC State team that has really struggled this year despite having one of the best scorers in the league in Dereon Seabron. NC State definitely should be better than their record shows but there are in a serious funk. I think Pitt makes it two wins in a row today by edging out the Wolfpack. Prediction: Pitt 73-70
Matt Steinbrink (13-12): These are two struggling teams today, as NC State has lost five in a row and is desperate for a win get out of the last spot in the league. It is a team not devoid of talent, but they have not been able to get it together for Kevin Keatts this year. The back court is young but one of the most dangerous tandems in the league. Not even considering these two teams for the moment, it is incredible just how much NC State has dominated the series. Pitt has lost 14 straight and the last time they won was early in the 2014 season. With the way these two teams have been playing, you can easily see how Pitt wins this game. But for whatever reason, they just can’t seem to figure out the white and red. One way to look at the streak is that Pitt should be due. Four games in a week is almost unheard of, but I think this team will be energized and locked in with the game being home.
Prediction: Pitt 70-68
Chris Peak (12-13): Okay, I underestimated Pitt in the last game. Or, put another way, I overestimated Florida State’s personnel situation. Will I make the same mistake again? I’m sure I’ll make some mistake, but I don’t know which one. I look at N.C. State and see a program that has historically controlled the series against Pitt, although that’s not entirely relevant for today’s game. More importantly, I see a Wolfpack team with two of the top scorers in the ACC in Dereon Seabron and Terquavian Smith, plus a guy in Jerricole Hellems who has averaged 13 points per game in his last four contests against the Panthers. And N.C. State has a 40% three-point shooter coming off the bench. The Wolfpack hasn’t been great this season - they only have three conference wins - so there’s an opportunity for Pitt, but when I see a team with talented offensive players, I get concerned. Will the Panthers show up defensively? That’s the key here, and I really don’t know what to expect. Pitt has to keep its opponents under 70; if that happens today against Seabron and Smith, then I think the Panthers will win. It just hasn’t happened consistently enough to rely on it.
Prediction: N.C. State 73-64
