Pitt at Virginia Tech: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are back on the road this weekend. They'll travel to the notoriously difficult Cassel Coliseum to face. Pitt will put their six-game winning streak on the line against a Virginia Tech team that is dangerous at home.
Game Info
Opponent: Virginia Tech (15-11 overall, 5-10 ACC)
Time: 5:00 PM EST
Location: Cassel Coliseum; Blacksburg, Virginia
Broadcast: ACC Network and 93.7 The Fan
Odds
The Panthers are 4.5-point underdogs on the road at Cassel Coliseum.
Three Storylines
Comforts of the Road
Pitt's 6-1 road record in ACC play is the best in the conference, but Virginia Tech is 11-3 in games played at Cassel Coliseum. The Panthers probably wouldn't be underdogs on a neutral court to these Hokies, but oddsmakers clearly believe in the ability of their homecourt to give them the edge. Panthers head coach Jeff Capel said he knows what kind of environment his team is walking into and underscored the need for his team to communicate.
“It’s very difficult. It’s a great environment," he said. "They have a great fanbase. It gets loud in there. It helps that they’re good so I think they feed off of each other.”
Defense Must Rise to Occasion
If there is one thing Hokies head coach Mike Young has built his career on, it's coaching schematically sound offenses. Young has them as the 32nd-most efficient offense behind the 34th-most assists per game and the 53rd-highest assist rate in Division I. They move the basketball well and it opens up easy looks for their good shooters.
"I think one of the things that makes them so good is that they get into a really good rhythm," Capel said. "The ball has energy."
Team defense and communication while rotating will be paramount for the Panthers. They will have to play with cohesiveness to disrupt the Hokies' chemistry on the offensive end.
On the Verge of Clinching
Joe Lunardi has already said he thinks Pitt is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament and he reaffirmed that belief in his latest bracket prediction. He has the Panthers among the 37 teams with an 85% or greater chance of making the field.
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