Syracuse students agree: Keeping a win streak alive is fun.
Syracuse is currently riding a four game win streak back into the Dome to take on Pittsburgh. The Panthers are a very beatable team, sitting in the bottom four of the league. That means Syracuse must avoid an upset game at home and not lose all the momentum they've built up in this stretch of the season.
Obviously, you know Hughes is now the leading scorer in the league. Pittsburgh shouldn't be able to stop him. But he's not the only one Pitt has to worry about. Girard, Boeheim, and Dolezaj have all stepped up their offense during the streak as well. And Sidibe also added double digit scoring in the last game as well. That makes this offense pretty formidable. Pittsburgh's offense, on the other hand, won't set the world on fire. They basically have sophomore Xavier Johnson, who leads the team in three point shooting. He averages only 12. But you know the long tradition of players going off against the Syracuse zone. Syracuse will have to be committed to stopping him, as well as making sure Pittsburgh doesn't have any easy looks inside. If Syracuse manages to play even passable defense, they should have a nice, easy afternoon. Pittsburgh's defense is very good in the paint, but they are 12th in the league in three point defense, which doesn't bode well for them if one, two, or three Syracuse players get hot from behind the arc. Look for Syracuse to take every opportunity to get shots up from distance. I actually think this matchup, unlike Notre Dame, is extremely favorable for the Orange. I'm taking Syracuse by 14.
This game is available on The ACC Network at noon. John is in the Dome. I'm in the home office. Shit on Pitt and LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
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