Gameday: Pitt vs Maryland Terrapins

Pitt 13-1 (1-0 ACC) vs Maryland 10-5 (2-0 ACC)

7:00 pm

Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA

ACC basketball comes to Pittsburgh for the first time.  Maryland was picked to finish 6th in the ACC this season, one spot ahead of Pitt.  Maryland went 25-13 last season and lost to Iowa in the semi-finals of the NIT.  After an opening game loss to Kentucky, Maryland took advantage of a soft schedule to win their next 13 before being exposed as a pretender in ACC play.  Like Pitt, Maryland also had a inconsistent big man leave school to be a lottery pick.  Sophomore Alex Len was drafted 5th overall by the Phoenix Suns last summer.  He stinks and has bust written all over him.

Last meeting:  Maryland 89 Pitt 57, November 28, 1998

Pitt upset #13 Xavier and defending champion #4 Kentucky on their way to the finals of the Puerto Rican Shootout.  Then they ran into a buzzsaw of Steve Francis, Laron Profit and Maryland.  The Terps had a 20-0 run in the first half.  Six of the players from that team would eventually be drafted, which was impressive in those days.  Since I've been watching Pitt basketball (16 years approximately) there have only been two games where I've seen Pitt be thoroughly manhandled and more closely resemble a Division II team.  This is one, and the other was Pitt's 22 point loss to Boston College in the 2001 Big East Championship, which did however serve as a springboard for Pitt's return to prominence.

Player to watch:  Despite Len's presence, the Terrapins leading scorer last year was guard Dez Wells.  Wells likes to drive as an astonishing 50% of his field goal attempts are taken at the rim.  For comparison, Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State (a player of the year candidate) takes only 26% of his shots at the rim.

Prediction:  Pitt 72 Maryland 62

Hail to Pitt,

J.O.