Pitt vs Syracuse: Panthers Aiming for Revenge

The Pitt Panthers will hope to draw even in the season series with Syracuse in a must-win game.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers got a week off in between a beatdown at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils and a return to action at the Petersen Events Center, giving them plenty of time to rest and let an ugly loss stew. 

Now the Panthers try to channel that frusterated energy into a winning effort and deliver some payback to a conference rival that stole a win from them up in northern New York last month. 

Game Info
Opponent: Syracuse (11-5 overall, 2-3 ACC)
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Petersen Events Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast: ESPN2 and 93.7 The Fan 

Odds
The Panthers are 6.5-point favorites over the Orange on their own home floor. Pitt is favored at -300 on the moneyline to +245 for Syracuse. The point total line has been set at 147.5. 

Go For The Kill
Pitt held an 11-point lead with 18:54 to play in the second half on the road against Syracuse just before the turn of the new year. The Orange proceeded to score the next six points, 10 of the next 12 after that and 22 of the first 29 points of the second half, turning a double-digit deficit into a seven-point advantage 

The Panthers had a chance to deliver an early dagger and bury a team that they had outplayed handily to that point and failed to deliver a decisive blow coming out of intermission. 

This is a critical game for Pitt and they can't afford to play with their food. After dropping opportunities for strong wins against Clemson, Missouri and the earlier meeting with the Orange, the margin for error if they want to make the postseason is razor thin and taking advantage of opportunities to put games away early will go a long way towards righting the ship after a 1-4 start to ACC play. 

Will Shots Fall?
The Panthers have struggled to shoot for the past month, posting team field goal percentages below 42% in four of their last five games, with the lone exception being a contest against lowly Louisville. Blake Hinson has been inconsistent, Leggett has been banged up, Bub Carrington's shot-making has been erratic as well and the Panthers have few other players who are providing a consistent offensive punch. 

Pitt and head coach Jeff Capel have been confident that the shots they are taking have been good looks and the problem is just finding the bottom of the net, but against Duke in particular, they allowed the scoreboard to dictate the process, adding more urgency that spilled into poor shot selection. 

This is a decidedly easier opponent and the Panthers will have a chance to get back into a better flow against a team they've had success against in the past, as long as they move the ball and play cohesively instead of trying to go one-on-one. 

Lineup and Health Questions 
The Panthers are close to getting veteran guard Ishmael Leggett back to 100% after he sustained a shoulder injury in the first meeting with Syracuse back in December. He was limited against North Carolina, sat against Louisville and was back in action against Duke. 

Jeff Capel says he thinks Ish Leggett is "close" to 100%.

Yesterday he was full go with contact.

"The biggest thing right now is getting back to game shape. But he's good to go."

— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) January 15, 2024

He's taken some steps forward in being able to take on contact, but Leggett still has some conditioning hurdles to overcome before he's back at full strength. 

The biggest remaining question is whether or not he'll remain in the starting lineup. Freshman Jaland Lowe has started the last two games and played well with Leggett limited and who head coach Jeff Capel turns to tonight for a must-win game will be telling. 

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