Okay, the Orange have their Game Notes available (PDF) for this match-up. This is Syracuse’s first game against a ranked foe since December 7, when they lost to Oklahoma St. at the Jimmy V. Classic. Pitt has them beaten to that by a week, thanks to the UConn game. Since that loss, Syracuse has rattled off 13 wins. They had a huge, gut-check, come from 20 points down win against Rutgers at the RAC. For those Pitt fans feeling cocky about that, consider the RAC Syracuse’s house of horrors, much like Pitt playing St. John’s in NYC.
Strange article from the Daily Orange about a Syracuse athlete, Xavier Gaines, who quit the football team because he couldn’t get far up the depth chart and the team was losing, and rejoined the basketball team where he was a walk-on for a season. He’s not going to get off the bench, but…
Gaines will most likely be on the bench – the place he’s spent most of this season – when Syracuse faces Pittsburgh on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center. He has only appeared in four games for a total of 13 minutes, but Gaines, a junior, is just happy to be on a winning team.
“This is real good,” Gaines said of his situation with the basketball team. “Everybody’s really nice. And it’s a good learning experience with all the coaches and the players.”
He sounds like a quality teammate. Quits the football team because he wasn’t good enough to beat out the stiffs Syracuse had playing QB, but happy to be on the B-Ball team since they are at least winning.
For information from the Syracuse perspective, there are 3 Syracuse blogs to take a look at. Orange Juice is hosted on Syracuse.com. Also hosted at the same place is O-Zone. The newest, and very promising, is SyracuseHoops. All are worth an unfiltered look.
In Syracuse, they seem to like their chances because of turnovers.
Strength:Chevon Troutman played like a first — team all-conference pick in last Saturday’s win at Connecticut. He scored 29 points — 25 in the second half — in a breakthrough performance.
Weakness:Carl Krauser hurts the Panthers with his out-of-control play as much as he helps the team when he’s on. Krauser averages 4.2 turnovers per game — 6.2 in Big East games.
Bottom line:If Krauser keeps his turnovers to a minimum, the Panthers can beat anybody. That’s especially true if Troutman and sophomore center Chris Taft start dominating up front.
On the national scope, this is on everyone’s list of top games over the weekend. Greg Doyel at Sportsline, seems to be giving the edge to Pittsburgh, but his reasoning is suspect.
No. 4 Syracuse at No. 20 Pittsburgh: The Orange (20-1, 7-0) have been eking out wins, scratching past Providence, Georgetown, West Virginia and Rutgers — but still, they’re winning. Now the same can be said of Pittsburgh (13-3, 3-2), which has won three of its past four, including that surprising win at Connecticut. Pitt will win again unless Syracuse finds a way to contain Chris Taft.
I would love to see Taft have a break-out game tomorrow. He let himself be pushed out of position by the frontcourt of UConn, but he should be looking to get closer to the basket for his shots.
At USA Today, the edge is given to Syracuse, because of experience.
Syracuse at Pittsburgh (Saturday)
What it means: The Orange (20-1, 7-0 Big East) have lost only to Oklahoma State and put a 13-game winning streak on the line. They’ve shown an ability to pull out some close ones. Their league schedule gets dramatically tougher starting now. The Panthers look to secure back-to-back wins against the last two national champions and move closer to the top of the league.
What to watch for: The Panthers (13-3, 3-2) are well-rested and have had the entire week to prepare for this one after Saturday’s victory at Connecticut. They will be tough physically and also have a revenge factor working. Syracuse last season gave Pitt its first loss at the Panthers’ Petersen Events Center. The Panthers have lost twice there this season, and the experienced Orange should feel good about their chances.
Then it is Seth Davis’ turn at SI.com. Davis picked against Pitt last week, and does so once more:
No. 4 Syracuse at No. 20 Pittsburgh We won’t know for a few weeks whether Pittsburgh’s comeback win at UConn was an aberration or a turnaround moment. (Or whether it simply revealed UConn ain’t all that.) A win over the ‘Cuse would certainly be another step forward, but I have a feeling it’s not going to happen. It will be harder for Chevon Troutman (29 points, 12 rebounds vs. UConn) to go wild against the veteran Orange and their 2-3 zone. (Pitt only made six 3-pointers against UConn.) Meanwhile, Syracuse staged its own comeback on the road Monday, winning at Rutgers after trailing by 18 at halftime. With Billy Edelin providing an increasing lift off the bench at point guard, the Orange is a very good team still getting better.
Seth’s Pick: Syracuse 77, Pittsburgh 72
Reader’s Pick: Syracuse 75, Pittsburgh 70
I don’t mind Davis doing it, but Yoni as the Guest Picker? I’m hurt. Coming off getting named as one of the best basketball bloggers in another SI.com column, he does this. Disappointing.
