Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
TV schedule: Wednesday, February 3, 7:00 pm ET. ACC Network
Arena: Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Two weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Panthers were flying high as a program. They defeated rival Syracuse by 20 points, before landing a big win over Duke. At that moment, Pittsburgh was viewed as a team firmly in the NCAA Tournament conversation and near the top of the ACC standings.
Things have severely changed since, with the Panthers suffering losses to Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Notre Dame. Two of those are dreadful losses in terms of Bracketology, leaving the team with a record of 8-5 and 4-4 in league play. All hope isn’t lost though for Jeff Capel’s team, as they can still go on a late run to land some signature resume victories.
That will have to start on Wednesday against Virginia Tech (13-3, 7-2). The Hokies are tied for second in the league and are coming off a win over the first-place team Virginia. The final score was 65-51, led by 29 points and 10 rebounds from Keve Aluma. It was a needed performance from the Wofford transfer forward, as he was struggling in ACC play before Saturday. And with Tyrece Radford still suspended from the team, the Hokies will need more of that from Aluma going forward.
He’ll also have his hands full on the defensive end whenever he’s matched up against Justin Champagnie. The Pitt star is averaging 20.1 ppg and 12.1 rpg on the season and has scored 17+ in all but two games. But the Panthers will need more than Champagnie to win this matchup. Guards Au’Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson are the team’s only other double-digit scorers on the season and their play will determine whether or not Pittsburgh will be in this one.
With the wins over Virginia and Villanova, Virginia Tech is in great shape to get an at-large bid for the 2021 NCAA Tournament and could afford a road loss. Pittsburgh on the other hand is desperate and needs a Quad 1 home victory to warrant any kind of consideration.
Next. Latest top-25 power rankings. dark
In my opinion, this game will come down to how Pittsburgh defends Aluma. If he goes off, the Panthers have no shot at getting the win. However, keeping him in check makes this a battle on the perimeter, something they’ve shown to be capable of winning. At home and in bigger need of a win, look for the Panthers to hold on late.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 74, Virginia Tech 70