After five consecutive games away from home, the Pitt Panthers will be back in the friendly confines of the Petersen Events Center for a 7:00 pm tip tonight against Eastern Kentucky.
Pitt currently holds an 8-2 record and is coming off of a 64-59 win over Virginia Tech over the weekend. The Panthers kept their head above water with a 3-2 record in the five-game stretch away from home, and now will look to build on that and stack a couple more wins before ACC play gets going completely on New Year’s Day.
Tonight’s assignment is against Eastern Kentucky, our of the A-Sun Conference. The Colonels are 5-4 on the year, though two of those victories were against teams outside of Division-1. Despite that, Eastern Kentucky was picked to finish second in its league. The Colonels won 12 games in their league last season, so this is a team that should be competitive at their level.
The scouting report really comes down to two people. Devontae Blanton is a rare five-year player at one school in the transfer portal era, and a pretty good one at that. The 6’6” senior wing has scored 1,655 points for his career and is averaging 16.1 points per game this season. George Kimble, a 6’2” sophomore guard is the other double-figure scorer, going for 14.3 points per game.
Pitt has handled every team it was supposed to beat this season, and it looks like the Panthers have a similar type of game tonight. Will Pitt cover the 20.5-point spread? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks below.
Stephen Gertz (7-3, 3-7 ATS) - This is the last "bad" team that the Pittsburgh Panthers are going to play and should win this one by 15+ points at home. The Eastern Kentucky Colonels do not do anything particularly well. They have one of the worst free throw attempt rates in the country, which bodes quite well for Pitt. On the defensive end, they allow teams to crash the offensive glass and send teams to the free line. I do think Devontae Blanton will have a good game because he is a versatile 6'6" forward, which is the kind of player that gives the Panthers problems. For Pitt, this is the type where everyone should be able to feel good about themselves in terms of output. A chance to build confidence across the board. Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett do not need to score 20, but if they can be efficient in getting 15 while everyone else scores 4-8 points, I think that will help this team in the long run. They cannot play with their food, but some home cooking should allow them to put the Colonels to sleep early in the second half.
Prediction: Pitt 85-62
Jim Hammett (8-2, 5-5 ATS) - I have said all season long, Pitt’s scheduling has been pretty good. For instance, Eastern Kentucky currently holds a higher NET than Virginia Tech and will be one of the top 2-3 teams in its league. If you beat this team comfortably, then that’s another way to skew the metrics in your favor.
For the most part, Pitt has been able to do that this season. The Panthers have taken care of business when they’ve had to, won a few toss-up games, and the defeats aren’t terribly bad. That recipe has Pitt as a top-20ish team at the moment by the computers.
I say it almost anytime I make a prediction, but Pitt has Jaland Lowe and the other team does not. Even if Pitt isn’t playing well, like Saturday’s Virginia Tech game, he can simply kick it up to another gear when it matters. Pitt shouldn’t need that type of late push from him tonight, but it’s nice knowing it’s there.
Prediction: Pitt 82-60
Matt Steinbrink (7-3, 1-9 ATS) - If you have been fading my picks against the spread all season, you’re welcome. You should be able to cover all of your Christmas expenses and then some. After a tough stretch on the road for the Panthers, they now get to return home finally. What Pitt has gone through the last few weeks as a team can help build team character and resiliency. Of course coming back to win at Virginia Tech certainly helps the cause. They avoided disaster and remain in a good spot at 8-2. Now, they get to reset a bit and recharge. After this game tonight, the Panthers don’t play again until the 21st.
This Eastern Kentucky team doesn’t have much of a resume at 5-4, but they did play Clemson fairly well. Devontae Blanton and George Kimble may cause some challenges, but this Pitt team is much better and should be excited to be home. Of course, these games over the holidays can be rather quiet and challenging. This game should be relatively uneventful for the Panthers.
Prediction: Pitt 84-70
Houston Wilson (8-2, 5-5 ATS) - Pitt returns to their home court tonight to face Eastern Kentucky. While this matchup appears favorable for a comfortable win, Eastern Kentucky is a well-coached team that shouldn't be overlooked with A.W. Hamilton at the helm. Pitt’s roster is undeniably more talented and is expected to handle business as they continue to adjust to playing without Damian Dunn. Jaland Lowe has been outstanding for Pitt, and look for his hot streak to continue tonight.
Prediction: Pitt 83-70
Chris Peak (8-2, 5-5 ATS) - Eastern Kentucky is an interesting matchup for Pitt. I don't think the 5-4 Colonels will win - and quite frankly, it shouldn't be very close - but there are a few things EKU does that are of note. Chief among those things are three-point shooting (the Colonels shoot a lot), offensive rebounding (they grab a lot of their misses) and steals (they force a lot of turnovers). Pitt isn't necessarily bad in any of those areas, but extra practice defending on the perimeter, preventing teams from getting offensive rebounds and preventing turnovers is always a good things. Mostly, I'm interested in seeing how Jeff Capel uses his players tonight; with two non-conference games remaining, the exploratory phase with guys like Brandin Cummings and Amsal Delalic is nearing its end; soon enough, Pitt is going to need to know what those guys can do, and tonight is a good place to start.
Prediction: Pitt 90-66
