The Pitt Panthers had an aptitude for the dramatic all season long and naturally that continued on Tuesday night in Dayton. Pitt escaped with a 60-59 clutch over Mississippi Advise within the First Four, the team’s seventh clutch by three facets or much less on the season. The victory despatched the Panthers to Greensboro for this day’s first round sport within the NCAA Event towards sixth-seeded Iowa Advise.
Iowa Advise enters this sport with a 19-13 overall legend. The Cyclones started the year hot with a 13-2 launch out of the games, nonetheless finished 6-11 down the stretch. Iowa Advise did prepare to beat Baylor twice this month, nonetheless otherwise get a 2-7 label for the explanation that starting up of February.
Iowa Advise is coached by TJ Otzelberger, who’s in his 2nd year with this technique. He guided this technique to the NCAA Event final season, and had old stops at South Dakota Advise and UNLV. The Cyclones are led by two proficient senior guards: Jaren Holmes and Gabe Kalscheur. Holmes is going to rating extra within the lane, whereas Kalscheur is rarely any doubt extra of a risk from the outdoors.
Total, Iowa Advise is rarely any longer a in reality talented offensive team. They were approach the underside of the Wide 12 in scoring, three-level self-discipline targets, and even rebounding. What they do excel at is defense, as they easiest renounce 62.8 facets per sport, which topped the Wide 12. Iowa Advise can point out an identical challenges that Pitt noticed on Tuesday towards Mississippi Advise, nonetheless they’re more than seemingly the next team top to bottom.
Can Pitt continue to do a push within the Wide Dance? The Panther-Lair.com workers previews this day’s sport.
Stephen Gertz (25-9): The web site of Federiko Federiko is once extra a part. However after staring at so many groups launch leisurely as nerves within the atmosphere are in disagreement to the relaxation, the Pittsburgh Panthers enjoy already bought those jitters out of their plot. On the opposite side, the Iowa Advise Cyclones shall be relying closely on their upperclassmen to precise the ship. This sport may perhaps perchance perchance note a an identical script to Tuesday with the exception that Iowa Advise isn’t a awful shooting team. To me, this comes all of the tactic down to turnovers. If Pitt can expend care of the ball again, they enjoy got a legit likelihood to preserve dancing. They moreover want to do the most of their free throw opportunities – slowly changing into a local – as the Cyclones aggressive vogue that forces turnovers moreover ends in fouls. Jamarius Burton is going to pray to be on the flooring for 35+ minutes this time around. It’s fundamental that the Panthers enjoy two gamers that may perhaps perchance assist dictate tempo as ISU likes to play leisurely. Styles do fights and so long as Pitt can money in pushing in transition whereas being tidy within the half of court docket, I judge they do it to Sunday.
Prediction: Pitt 72, Iowa Advise 67
Houston Wilson (24-10): When the reliable bracket came out, I without lengthen talked about right here’s a favorable plot for Pitt to do a stagger. They’ve extensive momentum coming into todays sport with Iowa Advise after winning on Tuesday night and I put a query to that to assist Pitt salvage off to a upright launch this day. One more thing that I put a query to to assist Pitt is their age. These are the form of moments where you need older gamers and we know Pitt has that. If Pitt can salvage Federiko assist this day that can enhance Pitt even extra nonetheless although he doesn’t play, I worship Pitt’s chances to advance to the next round.
Prediction: Pitt 72, Iowa Advise 68
Matt Steinbrink (20-14): It’s reasonably evident how an identical Iowa Advise is to Pitt’s final opponent on Tuesday night. The Cyclones are on the entire the identical roughly team nonetheless better at shooting the three and with out the singular dominant center. They are conception to be more than seemingly the predominant experienced groups within the country and play nearly exclusively seniors all the tactic by approach to their entire rotation. Pitt desires to make the most of their journey edge at level guard and shoot the three effectively. I put a query to but another sport within the 60’s that may perhaps perchance perchance fling either method and shall be mostly a half of court docket contest. Iowa Advise has so many big our bodies to rotate inner and the Panthers don’t rebound effectively when Federiko is on the flooring. In the event that they’re with out him again, it may perhaps perchance perchance lift as much as them. If you sight at the stats of the Mississippi Advise clutch for Pitt, it’s fabulous that they won the game. They want to peaceable be sharper and extra together on the defensive discontinuance this day within the event that they want to preserve having fun with. I judge this may perhaps perchance be very shut and competitive with a selection of lead changes, nonetheless the dimension and journey of the Cyclones is factual too unparalleled to beat for a Pitt team that’s de facto down four gamers from their current top 8 this season.
Prediction: Iowa Advise 68, Pitt 63
Jim Hammett (24-10): I judge Pitt bought a quite upright plot right here in round conception to be more than seemingly the most NCAA Event. That’s no longer a knock on Iowa Advise as a team, nonetheless when having a sight at the actual individual matchups on the flooring, this feels worship an 8 vs. 9 sport, no longer a 6 vs. 11. They are quite an identical from a expertise standpoint and stylistically, right here’s a team Pitt can play with or beat. As we noticed final week towards Duke, there are explicit groups and gamers that may perhaps perchance give Pitt distress, and I am no longer seeing that form of standout player for the Cyclones. Iowa Advise is, on the opposite hand, a hard, bodily team that survived and fought by approach to a complex convention time desk this year. They’ve some upright, experienced guards and as a team they’ll play extensive defense. They would no longer enjoy a commanding put up presence inner and they’re no longer a critically extensive offensive team. Does that do a straightforward sport? Pointless to state no longer. That is the NCAA Event and the game shall be decided in crunch time, unparalleled worship it used to be on Tuesday night. I factual worship Pitt’s chances right here. Iowa Advise did play in a upright convention, nonetheless we’re talking about a team that’s 3-7 over its final ten games. Pitt plays quite unparalleled in tight games and they enjoy got an x-part worship Blake Hinson. I judge the Panthers stay to fight at least one extra day.
Prediction: Pitt 72, Iowa Advise 64
Chris Top (24-10): One more NCAA Event sport, but another hard matchup towards a upright defensive team. On Tuesday, Pitt bought the better of Mississippi Advise; this day, the Panthers face Iowa Advise, the final note defensive team within the final note convention within the country and conception to be more than seemingly the most discontinuance 10 defenses nationally. That’s no longer a straightforward narrate, nonetheless I’m making a bet on Pitt right here. This isn’t the first upright defense the Panthers enjoy faced this season. Northwestern, VCU, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Mississippi Advise – these groups were all amongst the final note defenses within the country, and whereas Pitt didn’t clutch all of those games, the Panthers won most of them. Pointless to state, they misplaced slightly spectacularly to Duke, nonetheless the Blue Devils complemented their extensive defense with in reality upright offense. Iowa Advise isn’t as upright offensively as Duke; the Cyclones are extra alongside the traces of Mississippi Advise, and Pitt used to be in a self-discipline to emerge victorious on Tuesday. If the Panthers limit turnovers, do their three’s and support Jamarius Burton on the court docket, I judge they salvage it completed again and switch on to Sunday.
Prediction: Pitt 65, Iowa Advise 62
