On Saturday, Pitt will conclude its five-game road trip with a matchup in Blacksburg, Virginia against the Hokies of Virginia Tech.
Let’s jump in to the game preview.
PITT’S OUTLOOK
The Panthers are coming off a beatdown. They lost by 33 points to a tough Mississippi State team that bullied them from the tip in Starkville.
Now, it’s time to rebound. Rebound from the loss, and, well, rebound the basketball. Pitt’s players above 6-foot-8 only grabbed a combined five boards against the Bulldogs, who out-rebounded Pitt by 22 as a team and scored a whopping 52 points in the paint.
VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (3-5)
HEAD COACH
Mike Young (6th Season)
VIRGINIA TECH PREVIEW
After opening the season 3-0 with wins over Delaware State, USC Upstate, and Winthrop, the Hokies have dropped five-straight games since then. In that span, they have lost to Penn State, Jacksonville, Michigan, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Young’s squad hasn’t won since Nov. 11, nearly one month ago.
Two forwards lead the team in scoring: Mylyjael Poteat and Tobi Lawal. However, those are the only two players averaging double-digit scoring for the team. Duke transfer Jaden Schutt is the shooting threat from outside, shooting 38% from deep with 19 makes on the year.
METRICS
Pitt is ranked No. 11 in the NET rankings, while Virginia Tech is ranked No. 230 — the lowest in the ACC. This game will be a Quad 3 opportunity, as it is an away matchup against a team ranked in the range of 135-240 in the NET.
GAME TIME
Pitt Vs. Virginia Tech will start at 2 p.m. est. on ESPNU.
SPREAD
Pitt is an 8.5-point favorite, per DraftKings. The Panthers moneyline is -395, while Va. Tech is +310 to win straight up. The over/under is hovering around 142 points.
TV
You can find Saturday’s game on ESPNU.
RADIO
Pitt Vs. Virginia Tech will be live on 93.7 The Fan as well.
