The Pitt Panthers enter tonight’s game against Boston College on a five-game winning streak. Pitt has had three separate five-game winning streaks this season, but has yet to win six in a row, and the Panthers will look to change that tonight.
Boston College enters this game with a 12-14 record and a 6-9 score in ACC play. The Eagles are led by sophomore head coach Earl Grant. Boston College has an experienced lineup led by 7’0″ center Quinten Post. The big man from the Netherlands is having a fantastic senior season and is one of the top interior players in the ACC. He averages 16.8 points per game and 6 .8 The Eagles also boast veteran guard Makai Ashton-Langford, who racks up 12.4 points per game and leads the team with 2.8 assists per game.
The Eagles have not had a successful season, but they have proven to be a tough team for some during ACC play. Boston College has had recent setbacks from the likes of Clemson and Virginia Tech, but the team is suffering a 30-point loss to NC State this weekend.
The Panthers have moved all the way up to first place in the ACC standings with three weeks left in the season. Despite a current five-game winning streak and an extended 17-4 streak since their 1-3 start, Jeff Capel’s team still can’t crack the Top 25 rankings. Can Pitt make it six in a row? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives a preview of tonight’s game.
Stephen Gertz (17-8): Another must-win game for the Pittsburgh Panthers who I think are going to win. The Boston Eagles have had some impressive wins lately, beating the Clemson Tigers at home and also beating the Virginia Tech Hokies on the road last week. However, they lost by double digits at home to the NC State Wolfpack and Syracuse Orange. Translation: You can’t take this inconsistent team lightly. In Pitt’s favor, the fact that Boston College doesn’t shoot or defend as well against three-pointers works. The Eagles are among the worst teams in the country in both categories. But they don’t allow opposing teams to reach the free throw line and protect the rim pretty well. The Panthers cannot allow a player with a last name that contains “Langford” to start. Both contributed heavily, beating Pitt in two of their three encounters last year. For the players still on the roster, I see them playing with a chip on their shoulder. This is a completely different team than a year ago. One that is able to exploit BC’s weaknesses and collectively better defend the key pieces at Boston College.
Prediction: Pitt 77, Boston College 66
Houston–Wilson (17-8): Pitt has a very good chance of winning tonight against Boston College at home. BC is still struggling this year, but has shown some improvement in Earl Grant’s sophomore year. I think this game will be closer than some people think. Grant will have his men ready and Quinten Post is one of the top scorers in the league. At the end of the day, Pitt should be fine as they remain in first place in the ACC.
Prediction: Pitt 78, Boston College 70.
Matt Steinbrink (12-13): You can talk yourself into just about any conference game that is a trap or challenge. Tipping 9:00 in mid-February may not be the most exciting game, but Pitt has been good at home and their roster of older players has kept this group focused. With Miami’s victory over North Carolina last night and Virginia hot on Pitt’s heels, the Panthers can’t afford to drop any gimme games. The spread of this game started at 9am which is probably perfect in my opinion. This Boston College team has some quality players, but they lack a real point guard and don’t shoot the ball well. Quinten Post can arrange a lot inside, but if there’s one place this staff wants to worry about, it’s a center opposite. First, the position is almost extinct in the college game and most coaches are fine with giving up contested twos now after analytical progress. The other reason is that Federiko Federiko is developing into an all-encompassing legitimate center who has become one of the best domestic defenders in the ACC. So as long as he makes post work for his points and the Panthers don’t let multiple Eagles get rhythm, he should be fine.
Prediction: Pitt 81, Boston College 70
Jim Hammett (17-8): One of the better qualities of this Pitt team is that they just keep playing. Jeff Capel has done a good job keeping this team focused for much of the season so while Pitt fans may be making a lot of noise for not being ranked I think the team will show up and play their game and it will. to talk. Boston College is not a very good team, but they do have some good pieces and they are capable of ruining this game. I just think the way Pitt is playing, especially at home, will lead the Panthers to an easy win. Pitt hit the ball really well while playing for the Oakland Zoo. The Panthers have made 44 3-pointers in their last three home games and I expect another big night tonight.
Prediction: Pitt 83, Boston College 66
Chris Peak (18-7): Pitt just keeps running things. The Panthers did it last Tuesday against Louisville at home and on Saturday at Florida State, and I think they’ll do it again tonight when they host Boston College. The Eagles were recently ravaged by NC State 92-62 in a game where the Wolfpack shot 15-of-30 from three; NC State only averaged 8.6 three-point field goals per game, so the Wolfpack nearly doubled their season numbers against the Eagles. Boston College is bottom of the ACC in defense three-point field goal percentage, and the only team in the conference to have allowed more three-pointers than the Eagles this season is Florida State. BC big man Quinten Post worries; he had 20 points in the loss to NC State, but other than that there’s not much to worry about, and I’m curious to see how Federiko Federiko and Guillermo Diaz Graham meet that challenge. But even if Post goes off, I think Pitt will keep rolling.
Prediction: Pitt 88, Boston College 70
