Pitt-Syracuse Preview: Everything You Need to Know

On Saturday in Syracuse, New York, Pitt will take on the Syracuse Orange in its first road ACC game of the year.

Let’s dive into the preview.

PITT’S OUTLOOK

Pitt sits at 9-3 (0-1 ACC) after beating Purdue-Fort Wayne handily at home before the holidays rolled in. The Panthers will have had nine days in between the two matchups to rest, recover, and be with family. However, now is not the time to get rusty. The ACC slate is here.

The Panthers did a solid job by the popular basketball metrics’ standards in their non-conference schedule. Pitt is ranked No. 39 in the NET rankings, and No. 45 in Kenpom.com’s ratings: both solid numbers for a team that wants to get to the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Panthers have 19 regular season games left to make their case for the Big Dance, and it starts with the Orange, a team that, on paper, Pitt should beat.

SYRACUSE ORANGE (9-3, 0-1 ACC)

HEAD COACH

Adrian Autry (1st season)

The Orange’s former associate head coach replaces Jim Boeheim after his 47-year stint leading the program. He has Syracuse off to a strong start, winning four-straight games heading into this one (Niagara, Oregon, Georgetown, Cornell). Syracuse has lost to Virginia, Gonzaga, and Tennessee so far this year by a combined 58 points (average loss by 19 points).

LEADING SCORERS

#3 Judah Mintz – 6’4 G

The former Pitt commit is averaging 19.8 points per game (4th in ACC) so far in his sophomore campaign. Mintz has increased his production this year in a smaller amount of minutes per game, and is also shooting the ball significantly better from outside — now shooting 38% from three-point range.

4-Star Guard Judah Mintz Decommits from Pitt

#2 JJ Starling – 6’4 G

Starling, a Notre Dame transfer, is averaging 12 points per game for the Orange. He shoots just 26% from three-point range.

#4 Chris Bell – 6’7 W

Bell is having a strong sophomore year for Autry’s squad, posting 11+ points per game and hitting 2.5 three pointers per game. He is excelling at the Carrier Dome, shooting 43% from three-point range while at home so far this year.

TEAM STATS

Syracuse has hit 46% of its field-goal attempts this year, including 34% of its threes. In addition, the Orange are averaging 37.9 rebounds per game, as well as 13.9 assists, 9.2 steals, and 5.2 blocks per game.

Pitt is shooting 45% from the field, including 35% from three. The Panthers are averaging 42.4 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 6.8 steals, and 5.2 blocks per game as a team.

METRICS

Pitt is ranked No. 45 (down one spot after win over Purdue-Fort Wayne) in KenPom. Com’s ratings. Syracuse is ranked No. 86 in Kenpom.com’s rankings, and No. 82 in the NCAA NET Rankings.

GAME TIME

Pitt Vs. Syracuse tips off at 12 p.m. noon EST.

SPREAD

Syracuse is favored by one point on Draftkings. The over/under is hovering around 149 points.

TV

You can find Saturday’s game on The CW. Pitt has listed on its team website that there is a watch party at Tom’s Watch Bar for this game.