Pitt vs Florida: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines

The Pitt Panthers face their most challenging test of the season so far in the Florida Gators.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are spending Thanksgiving in Brooklyn, New York this year, hoping to learn more about themselves as they kickoff a stretch of five straight against high major opponents with a late-night contest against the Florida Gators. 

The Panthers didn't dazzle the last time they played at the Barclays Center, but they feel this year is different and will yield some different results. 

Game Info

Opponent: Florida (3-1 overall, 0-0 SEC)
Time: 9:30 p.m.
Location: Barclays Center; New York, New York
Broadcast: ESPNU, 93.7 The Fan, Sirius XM 84

Odds
Pitt opened as a 2.5-point underdog to Florida but the line has shifted to -5 in favor of the Gators. The Panthers now sit at +175 on the moneyline, according to Action Network, compared to -210 for Florida. The point total line has been set at 155.5. 

Three Storylines

Seeking Redemption
Pitt's last trip to Brookyln was the undisputed low point of an otherwise very successful 2022-23 campaign. The Panthers lost both games of the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center - one by 31 points to Michigan and another by four to VCU - but head coach Jeff Capel doesn't think it was a completely useless trip. 

"I actually thought after the VCU game that was the turning point of our season. I thought that game was what reinforced to me what I thought before the season that we were pretty good," Capel said. "I felt good leaving there about who we were and what we could become. I’m anxious to get up there this time and see if we can maybe be a little bit better."

He's hoping this time that the Panthers can get off to a better foot in their first action against high-major competition and win while learning a bit about themselves. Pitt is well past moral victories and will hope to preserve their undefeated record by beating the Gators. 

Twin X-Factors
Jeff Capel challenged his post players to be better after Florida Gulf Coast spent much of last week's game holding control over the paint. He said the Panthers responded with better physicality, effort and technique on the defensive end in particular the next time out against Jacksonville, but they will face a whole new task this time against the tall and long Gators. 

For the first time this season, Pitt will face a team that can match their size and length, which rivals just about any team in Division I men's basketball. Florida, which ranks 12th in KenPom's average height metric (Pitt ranks No. 7) uses that size to post the No. 11 offensive rebounding rate, No. 7 defensive rebounding rate, No. 2 block percentage and No. 13 steal percentage in all of college basketball. They also shoot the eighth most free throws per game in the country. 

That all adds up to a tall task for Pitt starting center Federiko Federiko, one that he won't be able to handle alone, meaning that Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham will be crucial to helping the Panthers survive against the Gator bigs - Tyrese Samuel, Micah Handlogten and Alex Condon, who combine to average 32.1 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks per game. Some foul trouble seems inevitable and the Twins will need to be stout and smart defensively, plus versatile offensively to create lanes for Pitt's lead scorers - Ish Leggett, Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington - to create offense. 

What Lies Ahead
The NIT Season Tip-Off, this event the Panthers are traveling to New York for, is indeed a tournament. They are in a bracket and will play for a trophy at the end. If it can capture a win, Pitt will advance to the championship and if they lose, the losers' bracket awaits. 

If the Panthers can get past a good Florida team, they will in all likelihood face Baylor in the championship game, which would set up a tantalizing matchup between two of the best freshmen in college basketball this season - Carrington and Ja'Kobe Walter, the Bears' prized five-star recruit and top scorer. 

Assuming a middling Oregon State team falls to No. 15 Baylor, the Panthers would take on the Beavers in an earlier game, with an easier chance to capture a win, should they lose to Florida in this game. 

The next round of the NIT Season Tip-Off isn't until Black Friday. The third-place game tips off at 3:00 p.m. and the championship begins at 5:30 p.m. that afternoon. 

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