Pittsburgh Basketball: 3 keys to beating Clemson in battle for 1st place

When Pittsburgh Basketball started the season 1-3 with a pair of 20+ point losses, it looked as if the postseason was going to be a big reach for the program. Of course, they decide to win 10 of 11 games, with the lone loss being by one point on the road at Vanderbilt. Heading into last week, the Panthers were 2-0 in ACC play but had a pair of ranked opponents to deal with in North Carolina and Virginia, part of a brutal four-game stretch that also included Clemson and Duke after.

Pittsburgh was able to beat the Tar Heels in come-from-behind fashion, thanks to 31 points from Jamarius Burton. The team this week had to deal with No. 11 Virginia and the usual elite defense. That ended up being an issue, scoring 23 points in the first half.

But what’s become, a pattern with this team is its second-half explosion, scoring 45 points in a balanced effort to come back again and beat the Cavaliers, 68-65. That pushed the Panthers to 4-0 and on top of the ACC. And after Miami was upset on the road at Georgia Tech, that left the list of unbeaten teams in league play to two.

That other team is the Panthers’ next opponent Clemson (12-3 (4-0). The Tigers have wins over Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, NC State, and Virginia Tech in league play, with the latest a 68-65 victory over the Hokies. They were another team that has overachieved to this point, projected to finish in the bottom half of the ACC.

This is an important game for both sides. 1st place is on the line in the ACC standings, along with a potential top-25 AP ranking on Monday for the winner. And both programs are now in the NCAA Tournament picture, with a Quad 1 or 2 victory at stake. Even ESPN2 is taking this game on in a loaded Saturday slate.

A lot of things will have to happen for Pittsburgh to win. Here are some keys for it to happen.