#21 Pitt 16-1 (4-0) ACC vs #2 Syracuse 17-0 (4-0 ACC)
4:00 pm
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York
It's finally time for Pitt to play a worthy opponent, though Cincinnati just keeps winning. Syracuse was picked to finish 2nd behind Duke in the ACC preseason poll. Allow me to introduce friend and Syracuse fan @theblumandonly to talk a little bit about his team.
Welcome back to the Carrier Dome Pitt in this Big Eas...I mean ACC battle of the top teams in the conference. The conferences may have changed, but this is still easily one of my favorite college basketball rivalries. So anytime Pitt loses it's a great time. Last time these two teams met it was the Big East tournament and thankfully the Orange held on and won thanks to Michael Carter-Williams free throws 62-59 http://espn.go.com/ncb/playbyplay?gameId=330730221!
Syracuse hasn't exactly been a dominant team for being ranked 2nd in the country. Boeheim said it best, "we could have easily lost a few of those games". This can't be more true since this team doesn't like to have leads in the 1st half and seems to prefer the 2nd half of contests. Maybe a team like Pitt can get lead big enough and sustain it, but just ask the Hurricanes, BC Eagles, and Tarheels about that.
Now it's a different time James Southerland and MCW are now gone, but Cuse has reloaded with sophomore guard Trevor Cooney and the great Canadian recruit Tyler Ennis (no not the one that plays for the Buffalo Sabres). Cooney averages 14 points a game and Ennis is also averaging 11.6 points a game, but he's growing into his role. The main guy to look out for on the Orange is senior forward C.J. Fair putting up 17 a night.
lolPitt.
Since 2001, Pitt owns a 14-5 record vs. Syracuse. Since Jamie Dixon became head coach, Pitt is 10-4 vs. Syracuse and 5-1 vs. the Orange in Syracuse. In games played against SU at the Carrier Dome, Pitt has won four of the last five and six of the last eight meetings. That span also included a five-game Pitt win streak vs. Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. Speaking of the Carrier Dome, for the longest time I thought it was just a name, like Three Rivers Stadium was a name. Apparently, the air conditioner manufacturer Carrier bought naming rights. Fun fact, the Carrier Dome is not air conditioned. That would be like the Steelers serving Huntz ketchup at Heinz Field.
Player to watch: C.J. Fair was the ACC preseason player of the year.
Pitt has a habit of ruining Syracuse's perfect seasons.
2010 - Syracuse would win its first 13 games of the season before falling to unranked Pitt 82-72 at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse would earn a #1 seed in the tourney that season before losing in the Sweet 16.
2011 - Syracuse won their first 18 games before losing to 5th ranked Pitt 74-66 at the Pete.
2012 - Syracuse finally broke through as they improved to 20-0 by beating by far the worst Pitt team since the 1990s. Even then, they only won by 8 at home. Here's what I had to say. Syracuse was so shocked about not blowing their undefeated season against Pitt that they promptly laid an egg against Notre Dame a few days later. They would again earn a #1 seed in tournament before losing to Ohio State in the Elite Eight.
2013 - Syracuse actually lost two games before losing to unranked Pitt at the Pete again 65-55. They would make the Final Four as a #4 seed.
In short, Pitt has dominated Syracuse in the regular season, but they have lost the past two times the teams have met in the Big East Tournament. As Justin mentioned, Syracuse eliminated Pitt last season. The Orange also beat Pitt in the 2006 final. Stupid Gerry McNamara.
This game is in the regular season.
Prediction: Pitt 72 Syracuse 69
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