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Pittsburgh Basketball: 3 keys for Senior Night matchup with Syracuse

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 20, 2022; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Blake Hinson (2) is pressed by Syracuse Orange guard Justin Taylor (5) in the second half at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2022; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Blake Hinson (2) is pressed by Syracuse Orange guard Justin Taylor (5) in the second half at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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Syracuse Orange forward Maliq Brown Pittsburgh Basketball forward Jorge Diaz Graham Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Syracuse Orange forward Maliq Brown Pittsburgh Basketball forward Jorge Diaz Graham Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /

The dream season for Pittsburgh Basketball is coming to a close, at least in the regular season. The team is coming off a 76-68 home win over Georgia Tech, avoiding a bad loss for its resume. The Panthers are currently a projected 9/10 seed and safely in the NCAA Tournament picture, which is a complete shock for a team that’s been without Dior Johnson all year and John Hugley for most of the season.

With Virginia losing to Boston College this week, Pittsburgh now controls its destiny to win the ACC regular-season title, just a half-game back of Miami in the standings. But they have to take care of business first, including their home finale on Saturday against Syracuse, who has been the Panthers’ long-time rival since the Big East days.

These teams have already faced off this season, with the Panthers getting the 84-82 road win. They were up by as many as 22 points in the second half, before the Orange pulled off a near comeback to potentially win the game at the end. They’ve shown to be capable in the ACC, with a 9-8 record in league play.

There are plenty of storylines in this game, including it being Senior Night for the four veteran guards in the backcourt, Pittsburgh needing to avoid a Quad 3 home loss, and a shot at being ranked in the next AP top-25 poll for the first time in seven years.

Most importantly, there are bragging rights involved for this game, which is now sold out in the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburg. Here’s a look at the keys for the Panthers to get the season sweep over the Orange.

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