Game Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: Clemson
Head Coach: Brad Brownell (12th year)
Conference: ACC
Current Record: 10-8
Last Game: 91-78 loss vs. Syracuse
2020-21 Season: 16-8 (10-6, fifth in ACC)
Pitt will head down to Littlejohn Coliseum in South Carolina on Saturday night to take on a struggling Clemson team that has dropped its last three games. With that said, Pitt enters the game amid struggles of its own, as it was dealt a 66-61 defeat by Virginia three days ago. In the matchup, the Panthers will hope to get another solid showing out of top scorers John Hugley and Jamarius Burton, but they will also need supporting players Femi Odukale and Mouhamadou Gueye to show up as well.
Meanwhile, Clemson will lean heavily on top scorer P.J. Hall, who is averaging 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season, and another player to watch will be David Collins. Collins is Clemson’s top rebounder and second most productive scorer, with 6.8 rebounds and 11.9 points per game. Collins is also a product of First Love Christian Academy outside of Pittsburgh, and he was overlooked by Pitt during his recruitment, never receiving an offer. So he may be particularly motivated to put on a solid performance on Saturday night.
Despite Clemson’s recent struggles, oddsmakers have them set as a nine-point favorite, and given Pitt’s recent play and history with Clemson, that’s not unrealistic. However, if the Panthers can get a consistent effort from all of their key players at once, they could make their matchup with the Tigers interesting.