Staff picks: Can Pitt make it five wins in a row?

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The Pitt Panthers return to action tomorrow for a noon tip against the Syracuse Orange in the team’s final game before the New Year. The Panthers enter this game having won four straight games, but will be coming off of a 10-day holiday layoff.

The opponent here is of course very familiar, but also different. Pitt and Syracuse will be getting together for the 125th time on Saturday afternoon in the Dome. It will be Pitt’s first look at the Orange without Jim Boeheim manning the sidelines. First year coach Adrian Autry has a talented bunch, albeit on the younger side with four sophomores in the starting lineup and only one senior on the roster.

The headliner for the Orange is Judah Mintz, a 6’4” sophomore guard who was at one time committed to Jeff Capel and the Panthers. Mintz showed right away as a freshman he was very talented, and has only enhanced that this year by averaging 19.8 points per game.

Pitt won both matchups last year against Syracuse, including a similar December showdown in the Dome. Can Pitt keep that success against the Orange rolling? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.

Stephen Gertz (10-2): I am a big believer in reversion to the mean. With every Pitt player struggling offensively last Wednesday, that would suggest a big game from the Panthers. But that is going to be more of a challenge on the road. Syracuse is a young team, but they have a very talented backcourt. That is really going to be the key. Can Bub Carrington and Ishmael Leggett outplay Judah Mintz and JJ Starling? Pitt has done a reasonable job of limiting their turnovers against teams that are adept in that area, especially in the second half. They are going to need to double down on that this afternoon. Blake Hinson needs to be the best player on the floor, at least on the offensive end. The big edge the Panthers should have is on the offensive glass, as the Orange hemorrhage offensive boards. This is going to be a back-and-forth game, so securing extra possessions is…

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Author : Panther-lair

Publish date : 2023-12-29 21:00:00

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