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Boston College at Pittsburgh: 2021-22 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 21, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Mouhamadou Gueye (15) dunks the ball against the Jacksonville Dolphins during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Mouhamadou Gueye (15) dunks the ball against the Jacksonville Dolphins during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Both Pittsburgh and Boston College were projected to finish at the bottom of the ACC this season. Which of them will come out with a needed victory?

TV schedule: Saturday, January 8th, 4:00 pm ET. ACC Network 

Arena: Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

In the preseason, there was a consensus view that the bottom three teams of the ACC this 2021-22 season would be Wake Forest, Boston College, and Pittsburgh. Transfer Alondes Williams has turned the Demon Deacons into a contender so they’re out of the picture. And during the non-conference, it looked as if the Eagles would also be a solid team.

Boston College (6-6, 1-1) had a three-game winning streak that included a shocking 16-point home win over Notre Dame to start out league play at 1-0. Since then, they’ve lost three straight, including at home to Albany and then by 26 points to North Carolina. Jaeden Zackery had a team-high 13 points but the Eagles shot under 30% from the field and took a major step back this season in terms of being competitive.

Speaking of “competitive” that was something Pittsburgh (5-9, 0-3) wasn’t in the non-conference. Blowout losses to Citadel, UMBC, and Monmouth made the team look like the worst power conference team in the country. However, as they gained back some health and played consistent defense, the Panthers became a tough out, including in league play.

Against Virginia, Notre Dame, and recently this week against Louisville, the Panthers lost by a combined five points, including 75-72 to the Cardinals a few days ago. Jamarius Burton, who has been a double-digit scoring run as of late, had a game-high 21 points, while forward Mo Gueye had 15 points.

But the biggest story was the return of sharpshooter Ithiel Horton, who until last week was suspended due to an off-the-court incident. He had 13 points off the bench, all in the first half, and provided a needed shooting lift for a team that ranks towards the bottom of the country from the three-point line. The interesting thing is that Boston College also ranks towards the bottom in attempts from deep but they’re more accurate overall.

Next. Latest ACC power rankings. dark

It’s clear that Pittsburgh and Boston College are the two worst teams in the ACC right now, so the winner would have the on-the-court argument to avoid being dead last. Although they haven’t turned into wins, the Panthers have been playing well as of late and should get even more from Horton now that he’s in game shape. And while the Eagles have a win over the Fighting Irish, that momentum is gone. Hard to see them getting it back on the road this weekend.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 67, Boston College 62