Either Pittsburgh or Wisconsin will be crowned the inaugural winner of the Greenbrier Tip-Off.
TV schedule: Sunday, November 24th, 5:30 pm ET (approx). CBSSN
Arena: Colonial Hall in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
The semifinal games of the Greenbrier Tip-Off were on Friday, both of which were double-digit victories. The first one was Pittsburgh against LSU, where a late run gave the Tigers a one-point halftime lead. However, the Panthers started the second-half with a 13-0 run and held on for the 74-63 victory.
Pittsburgh (6-0) was led by a career-high 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists from guard Jaland Lowe, along with 21 points from guard Ish Leggett. Damian Dunn, who came into the game averaging 15.0 ppg, fouled out in just 11 minutes, scoring two total points. But the Panthers' depth and defense were enough to beat the Tigers, with an even tougher challenge awaiting them.
Wisconsin (6-0) had no problem with UCF in the other game, taking a double-digit lead early and ultimately coasting to the 86-70 win. Four players had at least 13 points, led by 17 from John Blackwell and 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists from John Tonje, who is averaging a team-leading 21.3 ppg through six games. Forward Nolan Winter had 13 points and 10 rebounds as well.
The metrics and analytics, like both of these teams, ranked in the top 20 of most of them. After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, this is likely a Quad 1 opportunity for whoever wins this game. It'll be the battle of quality backcourts and capable frontcourts, with the Leggett/Tonje guard battle likely playing a big role in this one.
One advantage that Wisconsin seems to have is with its depth, playing nine guys compared to Pittsburgh having a 7-man rotation. They were able to beat LSU despite dealing with foul trouble but against the Badgers, that could prove to be fatal. In what should be an entertaining matchup, look for the Big Ten team to prevail.
Prediction: Wisconsin 78, Pittsburgh 71