It’s time to Brawl.
On Wednesday night, Pitt will take on the West Virginia Mountaineers down in Morgantown. Let’s dive into the preview for the game.
PITT’S OUTLOOK
After advancing to 5-1 with a win over Oregon State in Brooklyn, the Panthers appeared to be back on track following their loss to Florida. However, Pitt has now dropped its last two games — one to Missouri, and one to Clemson — and it faces another challenge on Wednesday night against a feisty West Virginia squad in Morgantown.
While it’s still early in the season, it feels as though Pitt needs a win on Wednesday night to stop the bleeding. The Panthers, so far, have beaten all of the (really) bad teams, and lost to all of the good teams on their schedule. While the Mountaineers are not at full strength (Kerr Kriisa – suspension, Raequan Battle – awaiting eligibility waiver, Akok Akok – injured), they are a high-major team who has something to prove in Wednesday night’s rivalry matchup.
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (3-4)
This offseason was a loaded one for West Virginia, with Bob Huggins resigning (according to the University) from his position on June 16 following a DUI charge in Pittsburgh. After the University decided to move on from Huggins, assistant coach Josh Eilert was elevated to head coach.
Bob Huggins Addresses DUI, WVU Departure for First Time on Radio Show
HEAD COACH
Josh Eilert (1st season as interim head coach).
STRONG TRANSFER PORTAL GROUP
West Virginia’s top two scorers are both transfers — Quinn Slazinski (Iona) and Jesse Edwards (Syracuse). Slazinski is currently leading the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game (and shooting 38% from three), and Edwards is right behind him at 15.7 (and ten rebounds per game).
The Mountaineers will be without two (and most likely three) of their top-ranked transfers on Wednesday, as Kerr Kriisa is still out due to suspension and Raequan Battle is out due to eligibility reasons. UConn transfer Akok Akok has also missed every game this season after collapsing on the court in a preseason exhibition against George Mason. Eilert updated Akok’s status on Tuesday.
Eilert Thinks WVU F Akok Akok Could Return Soon
OTHER TOP SCORERS
#2 Kobe Johnson
Johnson is a 6-foot-3 guard out of Ohio who is averaging 11 points per game. He struggles from three-point range, shooting just 24% this year from beyond the arch.
#14 Seth Wilson – 6’2 G
Wilson is shooting just 22% from the field this season, scoring more than six points per game.
METRICS
Pitt is ranked No. 59 (down 7 after loss to Clemson) in Kenpom.com’s ratings, while West Virginia is ranked No. 109. This week, the NCAA released its NET rankings, which has the Panthers at No. 56, and the Mountaineers at No. 209 overall.
GAME TIME
Pitt Vs. West Virginia will start at 9 p.m.
SPREAD
Pitt is favored by 4 points in Wednesday night’s game, per DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 138 points.
TV
You can find Wednesday’s game on ESPN2 and on the radio on 93.7 The Fan.
Watch: Eilert, Naveh Preview Backyard Brawl Against Pitt
May lay off this one on Fanduel. Tough to handicap an interim coach vs a dummy. If it gets bet up to 6.5 I’ll probably keep riding against the dummy lol