Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
After beating No. 1 Duke, Syracuse looks to finish off a great week at home against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Can the Orange beat a very improved former Big East foe?
TV schedule: Saturday, January 19, 2:00 pm ET. ACCNetwork
Arena: Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York
It was as great a start that ESPN could ask for regarding “Big Monday”, with Syracuse going on the road and shocking the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils in overtime, 95-91. The top team in the country was a bit underhanded with a pair of injuries, but any win in Cameron Indoor Stadium always is highly impressive.
Tyus Battle played every minute for the Orange, scoring 32 points to lead the team. Paschal Chukwu had a huge game off the bench with 10 points and 18 rebounds, nine of them coming from the offensive end. Coming off a bad home loss to Georgia Tech in the game prior, this win over No. 1 Duke is massive for Syracuse’s at-large chances for the NCAA Tournament.
The Orange won’t have the opportunity to take a breather, with a home game against a very dangerous Pittsburgh program. After winning their first ACC game in over a year, the Panthers 12-5 (2-2) got their best overall win in years, beating No. 11 Florida State 75-62.
Freshman guard Trey McGowens had his second 30+ point performance in two weeks, dropping 30 along with seven rebounds, five steals, and four assists to lead all scorers. Fellow freshman Xavier Johnson chipped in 18 points himself. But it was the defense that carried the Panthers to victory over the Seminoles, limiting them to 35% shooting overall and just 2/22 from three-point range.
With only a bad loss to Niagara on the overall resume combined with wins over Saint Louis, Louisville and Florida State, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Pittsburgh can compete for an at-large bid themselves. But they’ll have to continue this momentum throughout the rest of the ACC to truly have a shot.
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Regardless of the talent involved, games between Pittsburgh and Syracuse have always been close contests. This shouldn’t be much different either. But will the young guards be able to overcome the same 2-3 zone that has overcome plenty of veteran playmakers? It’ll be a good learning experience for them, but one that’ll come with costly mistakes that’ll allow the Orange to prevail.