On Saturday, Pitt men’s basketball will take on Syracuse in a need-to-win away game as the Panthers stare upwards through an ACC standings hole that they have dug themselves.
Pitt’s four-game losing streak has placed it at the bottom of the March Madness mountain, and the climb back up starts against the Orange. Both teams currently sit at 3-4 in conference play, and the game stands as a pivotal chance for Pitt to distance itself from the lower half of the group. With worry starting to build surrounding the future of the season, the game also proves as a potential point of emphasis on the Panthers’ path back to winning ways.
Since 1999, Pitt has an exactly even record against the Orange. The Panthers are 23-23 against ‘Cuse and 5-5 in their last 10. The last time the two teams matched up, Pitt fell by 11. This time, Pitt will look to not only avenge its latest showing but take a lead in the all-time series record.
Junior guard JJ Starling is the main dude for Syracuse and averages 19 points per game. He will serve as a pain in the Panthers’ side if he continues to score the ball at the elite clip that he has all season long. The crafty guard has put up 25, 21, 4, 26 and 21 points in his last five games. Pitt needs to hold Starling in single digits, the opposite of the latter dominance he has shown against his other ACC victims this year.
When taking a look at his average minutes and field goal percentage, Starling not only plays almost all of the game, but he is brutally efficient throughout it. In all of his performances north of 20 points, the guard from Baldwinsville, New York, has shot at least 35%, twice over 50% and once at a ridiculous 62.5% split from the field. Pitt shouldn’t get surprised if Starling hits shots — it’s what he does. Keeping his scoring to a minimum, though, by sending double teams and making shot selection tough could go an extremely long way.
To win, Pitt will need to bottle him up and force the ball to other Orange players. Starling doesn’t move the ball well, averaging only 2.5 assists. Additionally, Syracuse as a team does not shoot the ball well at only 30.9% — ranked 294th in the nation. Forcing the ball out of Starling’s hands while rotating around the arc with the same aggression seen against Clemson could make a good strategy for Pitt.
Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe averages 1.9 steals per game, and junior guard Ishmael Leggett is not far behind at 1.7. Head coach Jeff Capel needs to throw these guards on Starling, hopefully turning defense into offense en route to a double-digit Panther statement win.
To say that Pitt needs this game is an understatement. The Panthers currently find themselves in a major pickle, and the only way out is winning. The rest of the season starts now, and if Pitt furthers its losing streak, March will surely taste sour for the Panthers.
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