Pitt Take 5: Rematch with Florida State no easy pickings for the Panthers
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You’ve heard the axiom about the difficulty of defeating a team twice in the same season. Let’s try another one in a related sense:
The team that won the first game must know something about its victim, which could make reversing the outcome in the rematch difficult.
That’s the situation Pitt will face when it meets Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla. It’s a noon tip on ESPNU.
Florida State won the first game 71-64 on Jan. 21 at Petersen Events Center, Pitt’s only loss in its past six games. Jeff Capel said he and his players went to school on that game — something he said they do, win or lose — and he went into some detail on how the Panthers lost that day.
Let’s get right to it, knowing that the games matter even more in the grind of February.
1. FSU still dangerous?
Capel is paying no mind to Florida State’s record (8-17, 6-8) that includes a 1-4 mark since defeating Pitt.
“Size and athleticism, their defense, their ability to pressure the basketball. Those things concern me,” he said. “Their size gave us some problems.”
Coach Leonard Hamilton can build his front line with freshmen Cam Corhen (6-foot-10), Baba Miller (6-11) and De’Ante Green (6-10). Also, 7-4, 255-pound sophomore Naheem McLeod scored 16 points, with eight rebounds, in 26 minutes Wednesday while FSU lost to Syracuse, 76-67. He played only four minutes against Pitt.
“Hopefully, we can shoot the basketball better and, hopefully, we can defend better than we did last time,” Capel said. Pitt missed 21 of 28 3-point attempts in that game.
“I think we got better from that game. We’re going to have to be a lot better Saturday afternoon.”
2. Memory stings
Pitt’s Greg Elliott said the team has something to prove against Florida State.
“I think the team definitely remembers,” he said. “It was a game we felt like they came out and played harder than us. That’s something we try and pride ourselves on is playing harder than the other team. We didn’t that night. It feels good to know we have a chance to go redeem ourselves.
“We let them get comfortable. They continued to be comfortable the rest of the game, which is something we’re not supposed to allow any team to do.”
3. How to lose 17 games
Before the Syracuse game, Florida State had allowed 86, 82, 94 and 78 points in successive games. Before Pitt’s 91-57 victory against Louisville, the Seminoles defeated the Cardinals on the road, 81-78.
It’s been difficult for Hamilton to adequately replace Pat Williams and Scottie Barnes, who were the fourth overall selections in the 2020 and 2021 NBA Drafts.
”They don’t have the (same) depth,” Capel said. “They usually play 11-12 guys. They’re not doing that.”
4. Scoreboard watching
Fans have had little interest in checking out-of-town scores in recent seasons, but it’s certainly appropriate now that Pitt (17-7, 10-3) is trying to maintain its claim on first place in the ACC with No. 8 Virginia and Clemson.
Clemson, which has lost two in a row, travels to Chapel Hill on Saturday to meet North Carolina and its three-game losing streak. Virginia (8-1 since losing to Pitt on Jan. 3) is home to Duke, which is coming off an 81-59 loss at Miami.
Watch out for the Hurricanes. They are only a half-game from first place and likely will win their fourth in a row Saturday at home against Louisville.
Of course, there’s no figuring the ACC. Virginia Tech beat Virginia before losing to Boston College four days later. Pitt confronts Boston College on Tuesday at the Pete before traveling to Blacksburg, Va., to meet Virginia Tech next Saturday.
5. Bubble watch
Pitt remains a No. 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s NCAA Tournament Bracketology on ESPN.com. Selection Sunday is still five Sundays from now. Playing along, however, that would mean an 8/9 matchup with Auburn in Lunardi’s projected South Region and a game for the winner against No. 1 Purdue.
Actually, a 5/12 game with Jamie Dixon’s TCU Horned Frogs is more interesting, but falling from the No. 8 to the No. 12 line would not be the ideal way for Pitt to end the regular season.
Lunardi’s South Region also projects a possible second-round game that would have Pitt ties — Dixon vs. Xavier’s Sean Miller.
ESPN’s John Gasaway puts Pitt in his “Should Be In” category, which means the Panthers will be OK if their TCB (Taking Care of Business) rate remains high.
Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein projects seven ACC teams, including Pitt, in his field. That’s only one fewer school than what he sees for the Big 12 and the Big Ten, conferences perceived as having better teams from top to bottom.
He projects the Atlantic 10 to get only one berth, automatic qualifier VCU.
Rothstein also has West Virginia in and Penn State out.
The Mountaineers have won four of five after a 1-6 skid. The Nittany Lions have gone from 10-4 after beating Rutgers, 90-72, on the day before New Year’s Eve to 13-11 while preparing to visit Michigan State on Super Bowl Sunday.