The Pitt Panthers basketball team prepares to take on an old foe in the quarterfinals of the 31st and final Big East Tournament for both Pitt and Thursday’s opponent Syracuse, as both programs prepare to head to the ACC next season.
The Orange advanced to meet the Panthers thanks to a 75-63 over Seton Hall in second round action.
Over the course of the years, Madison Square Garden has been the home to some very special tournament moments and with Pitt and Syracuse combining to create their share of memories, it’s almost fitting that the two programs meet for the final time as members of the Big East Conference.
Down the stretch of the regular season, Syracuse has slumped, losers of four of their past five games, while the Panthers have played their best basketball of the season to close out the year, ending the season winners of 11 of their last 14. One of those wins came against Syracuse- a 65-55 victory on February 2 at the Petersen Events Center.
After that game Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim called Pitt the best team in the conference.
Now the Panthers get one more opportunity to prove him right.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Thursday’s game.
Three keys for Syracuse to Win:
1. James Southerland: Southerland didn’t play the first time the two teams met and his absence was felt in a big way. All but eight of Syracuse’s 55 points on that day came from the trio of C.J. Fair, Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche. Southerland brings a who new dimension to the Orange team and can help balance out the scoring. If Syracuse doesn’t get balance scoring, they are in trouble. Southerland has averaged 14.2 points per game since making his return
2. Make Perimeter Shots: The way to beat the panthers is on the perimeter as Syracuse doesn’t have enough inside presence to attack the Panthers length. But they are a good penetrate and kick team, especially with the ball in Carter-Williams’ hands. When the teams first met, Syracuse shot only 37 percent from the floor and went only 3-for-14 from behind the arc. Southerland made 6-of-9 three-point attempts Wednesday against Seton Hall. If Syracuse stays hot from behind the arc, Pitt could be in trouble.
3. Defensive Rebounding: Pitt is a very good offensive rebound team and the Panthers outrebounded the Orange 37-21 in the first encounter. If Syracuse allows the Panthers 14 second possessions like they did earlier, it will be a long day for Boeheim’s bunch.
Three Keys for Pitt to Win:
1. Hold the rebounding edge: The story of the Pitt season is a simple one- when they outrebound the opposition, they win games. Pitt has been outrebounded six times this season and have lost all six games. In their seven losses this season, Pitt has been outrebounded 224-172. That’s about 7.5 rebounds per game. The pressure is on the likes of Steven Adams, Dante Taylor and Talib Zanna to aggressively control the glass. In addition, the Pitt guards must rebound as well and limit Syracuse second chance opportunities. If the Panthers hold the rebounding edge, history this season says they will win the game.
2. Attack the 2-3 Zone: When teams go zone on Pitt, it often takes them some time to adjust. That shouldn’t be the case on Thursday as they know they will get a heavy dose of the Syracuse 2-3 zone. Having an extra ball handler in Lamar Patterson on the floor will prove to be big. Jamie Dixon’s team knows how to get the ball into the teeth of the Syracuse zone and get layups and dunks at the basket. The gameplan should be the same as always.
3. Use their depth: Dixon likes to go 10 deep, with 10 legitimately capable players. That’s a luxury Boeheim doesn’t have as he will go seven or eight deep on a good night. The Panthers bench has made the difference in more than one game this season and if they have a good day, the Panthers have a better than average chance to wear down Syracuse, who played just 24 hours prior. Dixon needs to not only run fresh bodies at the Orange, but needs all 10 guys to produce. If that’s the case then Pitt advances.
Prediction: The double bye hasn’t been kind to the Panthers in the past, but if they play their game and force turnovers, I like the matchup for them. Pitt 64 Syracuse 60
Photo Credit: Associated Press
