Pittsburgh Basketball: 3 keys for Senior Night matchup with Syracuse
3. Federiko remains on the court this time around
In the first matchup, Federiko Federiko was limited to just 22 minutes played before fouling out. His counterpart at center, Jesse Edwards, also fouled out and was limited to single digits. Considering that Syracuse relies on Edwards, Girard, and Mintz for around 75% If he doesn’t produce, they don’t have much chance of winning.
Federiko has easily been the most-improved player on this Pittsburgh Basketball roster this season. His interior defense has him in the All-ACC Defensive Team discussion and has started to score double figures on offense. He’s going to be guarding Edwards once again and if he limits him, that’ll be an advantage to the Panthers.
Pitt also needs Federiko for not only Syracuse’s big man but also the rest of the roster. There are several slashers to the basket, with Mintz as the obvious example. There are going to be plenty of chances for Federiko to defend but as long as he avoids fouls in the first half, the sophomore big man should be available for most of the second half.
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Don’t be surprised if we see some of Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, both of whom are capable of stretching defenses and scoring on the zone from deep. Jorge played 19 minutes off the bench, scoring five points while Federiko was in foul trouble. If they and even Nate Santos can contribute off the bench, Pittsburgh will be in a good position to win.