Pitt vs Wake Forest: Marquee Win Up For Grabs

The Pitt Panthers are back at home looking to pickup a massive win.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers snapped a short ACC winning streak with a heartbreaking loss at Miami last weekend, and they'll try to get into the win column at home against Wake Forest. 

The Panthers have played better away from the Petersen Events Center this year, but need their homecourt advantage back in order to make any kind of push at the postseason. 

Game Info
Opponent: Wake Forest (13-6 overall, 5-3 ACC)
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Petersen Events Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast: ACC Network and 93.7 The Fan

Odds
Pitt is a one-point underdog, with moneyline odds of -108 compared to -111 for Wake Forest, according to Action Network. The point total line has been set at 143. 

Marquee Win Up For Grabs
This is a massive game for both teams, who both sit inside the top 65 of the NCAA NET rankings. As of Monday afternoon, the ACC had the third-most teams ranked in the top 75 of the NET but the national perception of how many ACC teams deserve an invitation to the NCAA Tournament at this point lags far behind six. For example, Joe Lunardi included just three teams from the ACC in his latest Bracketology projections. 

To that point, this is a massive game for both teams. The Demon Deacons are floating around the bubble and Pitt has fallen far from even the widest of considerations for a spot in the postseason. These teams have just one Quad 1 win combined (Wake Forest has none) and while a victory would only count as Quad 2 for the Panthers, it would still go a long way towards either squad's resume. 

Who Leads The Frontcourt?
The Panthers have flip-flopped between Federiko Federiko and Guillermo Diaz Graham in the starting lineup when the rest of the first five has remained more or less the same for the majority of the season. Both give Pitt different things and have experienced their own individual peaks and valleys this season, leaving head coach Jeff Capel to make rotation decisions on the fly. 

"It’s always going to be that. I don’t look at it as a benching," Capel said earlier this week. "We sub guys in and out. We get them in there and it depends on how you’re playing and it depends on what the specific game needs." 

It's not ideal for Pitt to have to feel out who's their best fit for a given matchup on gameday but that's where they're at right now. Sometimes they need Diaz Graham's ability to stretch the floor offensively and other times, Federiko's muscle on defense and in rebounding is more essential. And what they'll need as they face a Wake Forest offense averaging 80.2 points per game this season and has 6'11, 238-pound Efton Reid manning the center spot. 

Test For the Defense
Speaking of that Wake Forest offense, it's one of the best in the ACC and the country, which is no surprise because of the man leading them. Head coach Steve Forbes coaches good offense wherever he goes and the 2023-234 Wake Forest Demon Deacons are no exception. 

In addition to scoring north of 80 points per game, they rank 33rd nationally in offensive efficiency, 40th in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in 3-point rate, third in free throw rate and 82nd in turnover rate. They take care of the ball and shoot it efficiently while taking advantage of mistakes from opponents. 

Pitt's defense has been its calling card going back to before the Christmas holiday. While the Panthers' offense has been at the center of attention for most of the year, it will be their ability to defend 3-pointers - something they've done at a top-30 rate in Division I this season - that will determine if they hang with the Demon Deacons. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Future of Pitt's Home Stadium Under Consideration

Bears Hire Former Pitt Assistant Coach

Pitt's Jaland Lowe Learning From Miami Loss

Pitt Fitting Frontcourt With Matchups

Pitt's Next Opponent Dealing With Illness Issues

Former Pitt QB Regrets Shot at West Virginia

• Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt