Pitt-Wake Forest Preview: Everything You Need to Know

On Tuesday night, Pitt will play a crucial ACC matchup on the road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Panthers will take on Wake Forest, a fellow NCAA Tournament bubble team.

PITT’S OUTLOOK

Pitt beat Wake Forest at home on Jan. 31, and since then, has not lost another game. Pitt is now up to 17-8 overall and 8-6 in ACC play, and Tuesday night’s game has massive implications as it comes on the road in a Quad 1 environment.

Pitt is 6-2 on the road this year and is looking to cement itself in the NCAA Tournament discussion. Wake Forest comes into this game having lost two-straight games, and now, is desperately looking to hang on to its bubble spot.

WAKE FOREST (16-9, 8-6 ACC)

HEAD COACH

Steve Forbes (4th Season)

LEADING SCORERS

Hunter Sallis – Guard – 18.4 PPG

The Gonzaga transfer went 9 for 20 from the field in the first matchup between these teams, scoring 22 points and grabbing six rebounds as well.

Kevin “Boopie” Miller – Guard – 15.4 PPG

Miller was four for eight from the field, scoring 11 points and dishing out just one assist Vs. Pitt.

Cam Hildreth – Guard – 13.6 PPG

Pitt did a great job defending Hildreth last time out, holding him to just four points on 2-for-5 shooting. He grabbed seven rebounds and fouled out of the game.

Andrew Carr – Forward – 13.6 PPG

Carr hit four of his eight field-goal tries last time out, scoring ten points and blocking three Panther shots.

EFTON REID STRONG INSIDE

Efton Reid has been a huge addition to the Demon Deacons’ front court this year, and against Pitt last time out, he dominated the paint. Reid scored 14 points, hitting 7 of his 11 field-goal attempts in the loss. He also grabbed ten rebounds — five coming offensively — in the loss. Reid, a 7-footer, excelled at tipping the ball back out to his teammates for second-chance opportunities.

However, late in the game, Pitt decided to guard Reid with smaller forward Will Jeffress. This move was key in limiting Wake’s consistency inside down the stretch, and certainly played a big role in the Panthers’ win.

If Reid’s name sounds familiar, you may remember his roller coaster recruitment out of high-school as a five-star prospect. Reid eventually chose LSU and played there for one season, then transferred to Gonzaga. Then. this offseason, he chose to transfer again, this time to Wake. Read about his recruitment and Pitt’s involvement here.

BUBBLE IMPLICATIONS

Bracketologists all over the country have the Panthers on the bubble, but at this point, none seem to have the Panthers comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field yet in their projections. Recently, Fox Sports Bracketologist Mike DeCourcy joined PSN to break down the Panthers’ chances at an NCAA Tournament bid. Check out the story below.

Mike DeCourcy Breaks Down What Pitt Must Do To Dance in March

Wake Forest is listed as the No. 4 team in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s “First Four Out” category of his most recently bracketology update. Pitt is listed as the No. 4 team in his “Next Four Out” category.

METRICS

Pitt is ranked No. 52 in KenPom. Com’s ratings, while Wake Forest is ranked No. 26. The NCAA’s NET rankings have the Panthers at No. 47 and the Demon Deacons at No. 40.

Because this is an away game against an opponent ranked within 1-75 in NET, this is a Quad 1 game for the Panthers.

GAME TIME

Pitt Vs. Wake Forest will start at 9 p.m.

SPREAD

Wake Forest is favored by 6.5 points in Tuesday night’s game, per DraftKings Sportsbook (as of Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.). The over/under is set at 145.5 points. You can bet Pitt money line at +220 or Wake Forest ML at -270.

TV

You can find Wednesday’s game on ACC Network and on the radio on 93.7 The Fan.