#39 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #54 R.P.I. Pittsburgh:

Virginia Tech basketball travels to my hometown of Pittsburgh Pa. to take on the home-standing Pitt Panthers Tuesday night at 7pm on a Saint Valentine’s Day ESPN2 jump.

The Pittsburgh Panthers enter this one at .56o or 14 up and 11 down on the year and with a 3-9 mark inside the Atlantic Coast Conference itself. Coach Buzz and company make their way up to the Keystone State at .7o8 or 17-7 overall and a very respectable and post-season worthy 6-6 in the A.c.c. Thus marking this one as a must win for each squads’ post-season chances. A must win for the NC2A odds of Virginia Tech and a must win for any post-season chances whatsoever for Pitt. That neediness rightfully stated, Pitt does court some individual offensive firepower and yet the Panther D has had a thorn in its paw for most of the season. Thus making this a more outcome friendly match-up on O&M paper from a Hokie point-of-view; though this is not a gimmie out on the A.c.c. road. Not on less than a 48 hour Association ‘esque turnaround for Buzz and company. Moreover, who will win this A.c.c. contest? Read on, to find, … out….

Pittsburgh Head Coach: Kevin E. Stallings: Age=56, 469–294 (.615) overall, 14-11 (.56o)  at Pitt.

Baller Stallings Stallings was born in Collinsville, Illinois. He graduated from Collinsville High School in 1978, where he played guard (6’5″, 190 lbs.) for four years under acclaimed scholastic coach Vergil Fletcher and won three conference championships. Stallings won nearly 100 high school games in three season and Stallings still holds Collinsville records for career assists (665), season assists (284) and season steals (146). After a year at Belleville Area College in where his team went 28–9 and made the N.J.C.A.A. tournament, Stallings enrolled at Purdue and played three full years. His first season, the Boilermakers finished with a 27–8 record under Coach Lee Rose and reached the NCAA Final-4! Purdue reached the N.I.T. Final-4 in Stallings’ junior and senior seasons, during coach Gene Keady’s first two seasons at the helm of the Boilermakers. Stallings started 17 games his senior season and averaged 4.3 points and 2.6 assists per game. Student Stallings received a bachelor’s degree in business management in 1982 and a master’s degree in counseling in 1984 —both from Purdue.

Coach Stallings started out under legendary coach Keady and went to six straight Boilermaking big dances (NC2A’s) and nabbed three Big-10 rings as a Purdue homegrown assistant. After a brief tenure under Roy Williams at Kansas, Stallings got a big whistle job at Illinois State in 1993. All he did at the lesser I.S.U. was notch two conference championships in six years with four post-season bids to show for it. After that coach Stallings went to Vandy where he only made 12 post-season appearances for the perennial revenue sport cellar dweller in So.East terms in 17 campaigns. Coach Stallings even shockingly won the S.E.C. outright in 2o13 and is by far and away Vanderbilt’s winningest coach. Coach Stallings sports three Conference Coach of the Year awards on his resume`.

Coach Stallings team’s have a rep’ for up-tempo fast-breaking hoops, with an emphasis on outside shooting and traditional 3, 4, 5 big man post-play.

Pitt at a glance:

• 67th in Σ FT-makes (4o4).
• 1o5th in scoring O (76.5 ppg).
• 268th in FG percentage D allowed (45.6%).
• 287th in scoring D allowed (76.9 ppg).
• 346th in steals (3.6 spg)!
• Everything else more/less low C— to high C+++.
• 2 injuries reported (God Bless).

Panther Returning Starters=2

Pittsburgh Strengths:

• One #2, (pic) 6’9”, 239 lb. P/F Michael Young (NO relation to the M.l.b.’er) is a strength. So is his team leading 20.9 ppg and his nearly team leading 7.2 rpg, his 1 swat and 2.9 apg as a Four (not a Three or S/F) of an impoverished mans Point-Forward as well. Likewise the fact that young Mister Young has been playing his best offensive ball of the year all-around in the last couple of weeks as this is a guy who is feeling no pain with the ball in his hands. The book on Young says that he needs turnover and rebounding work, although it also says he is a very good passer, a powerful interior scorer and a likely all-A.c.c. candidate. I’d say that counts and I’d say his 47% from the floor and 37% from distance showcases an N.B.A. talent level. Then we see his Atlantic Coast leading 178 FTA’s –on a serviceable 76% from the charity stripe and you can see why this so-called “combo Forward” it said to have: “unlimited potential”. Michael has good handles, he is second in steals (.7 spg) and if anything, upon breaking tape, he looks slimmer/leaner than his listed 239 lbs., at least he does to me. Now mix in the fact that Michael is an all-A.c.c. Academic Team member and also an A.c.c. Academic Honor Roll member and you suddenly have a well rounded human-being on your hands; never mind hoops. As there is a lot to like about this t-senior year kid was no.56 ranked coming outta high school whose New Jersey H.S. team finished national runner-up in 2o13. Technically a homegrown Pittsburgh neighborhood kid (i.e. Duquesne), who has reposed both parents already in the Game of Life; (God Bless).

  

• Final year Sheldon Jeter is a soaring 6’8”, 23o lb., Vanderbilt transfer t-senior Four who leads Pitt on the glass at 7.4 rpg and nets you 7.5 ppg and a block while he is hard at it. Sheldon has a rep’ for athletics and highlight reel dunking, and solid interior defense. Oddly enough, Jeter has been reunited with his former Vandy coach (Stallings); after what was whispered to be a rocky departure from coach Stallings over in the Music City (Nashville, Tn.) itself. Jeter comes from a hoops family where everyone wears the #34 as a hand-me-down jersey numerical tradition goes. His father (Carliss) played basketball for Beaver Falls and led the Tigers to the W.P.I.A.L. championship in 198o. Pops’ now serves as an assistant coach at Beaver Falls and has helped guide the program to three state titles and five state title appearances in the last decade! Jeter’s shot could use a little work a 40% overall and 35% deep; although he is #1 in swats (1 bpg) and Jeter is not out there for his shooting anywho. Sheldon was No.87 outta high school (ESPN) with one Pennsylvanian state title to show for it.
• B’more Maryland native Jamel Artis is easily Pitt’s best backcourter this year as one #1 drops you a silver medal 19.9 ppg, to go with 3.5 dimes (apg), and a surprising 5 full rebounds per contest to supplement all of that. And all of that from a 6’7”, 216 lb., true swing of a S/F who is an over-match for any home position Two (S/G) and just quick enough to give most Three’s (S/F’s) fits as well. That being rightfully said, Artis’ play has been less than artistic of late as he has yo-yoed up and down for a few weeks coming into this one; though make no mistake about it, this is a high octane outburst scorer who can flat out light you up when he gets the biscuit in the basket early on. Art’ is said to court a high basketball I.Q., with a high octane motor to boot. Jamel can score it inside (49%) and out (39%) per enhanced all-around yesteryear type offensive diversity. Curiously enough, Jamel was not listed Top-150 in any of the five major recruiting services countdown lists… oops!
• 6’8”, 2oo lb., r-Soph. year Shooting-G Cameron Johnson is the 3-point specialist who was third in scoring (12 ppg) early on and yet who does have a history of shooting shoulder injuries and surgeries to the same (Godspeed). The pop is that Johnson has mad mad range on his J (25′ at least) | the knock is he only has a deep J and needs a floor game to go with it as a uno-dimensional pure spot-up, pure-shooter. That being said, 48% overall and 43% from beyond the arc is no bad thing; and this Johnson has been very hard on opponents scoring wise of late. Additionally, this kid was his high school class salutatorian; so you’d have to think he will figure what he needs to add to fill his collegiate game out; after having lead Pennsylvania in H.S. scoring at virtually 29 ppg.
• HUGE front-line throwback Big East sized team that runs -of all things- and thereby creates a very oddball post match-up outlying problem.

Pittsburgh Weaknesses:

• Pretty good offensive team that is a pretty not so good defensive team in broad brush terms.
• Rookie year 6’4”, 21o lb., Guard Crisshawn Clark’s season was over quite literally before it even began due to a blow out M.C.L. in his left-knee. God Bless as here is hoping Crisshawn gets that insalubrious left-knee right before 2o18 as this was a kid who was said to be the crown jewel of the 2o16 Pittsburgh recruiting class.
• Pitt has been a dinged and dented team this season; such has mucked around with what line-up synergy and familiarity these somewhat lame Panthers have been able to synthesize thus far.
• Fatigue and/or (potential) foul-trouble as the five Pitt starters are all hovering at 34-35 mpg of P.T. of late.

  

Bench: (depth=2-4)

Justice Kithcart and Rozelle Nix has been the whole entire Panther den of a bench for the last few games in what has become a truncated or  7-man rotation. Kithcart is a 6’1”, 175 lb., rookie year back-up Pt.G., who excels at playing fast and getting to the rim for himself or to drive and dish to teammates and is thus an ideal fit in the tempo needy Stallings’ pet offensive system. Justice is known for his street toughs, and his attacking mentality, he is dropping you a couple of points and assists, albeit it on only 34% on FGA’s and a lowly 20% on his three’s. Justice comes from a hooping and grid-ironing family, he won an A.A.U. youth hoops ring, and volunteers at Thanksgiving and Christmas at his Durham N.c. rescue mission soup-kitchen. Don’t read that kinda urban giveback philanthropy very often, do yah? Nix is a 6’11”, 311 lb. behemoth of a r-Jr. year back-to-the basket, bruising, bellying-up kind Five. Nix is a Jr. College transfer (from: Pensacola State) who sat-out last year just to get, in, shape! Having dropped over 100 or a centennial count in poundage in the last three years!?! Wow and God Bless here. His brother, Roosevelt, is a Fb on the Pittsburgh Stillers … his cousin, Derrick Nix, played basketball at Michigan State. So the Nixsay vote need not apply for any Sporting Genome Project d.n.a. testing here. Nix is getting you 2 ppg, with 3 rpg on just 37%; although if this poor kid can properly cardio pulimanry recondition himself; there just might be an overseas Pro’ here somewhere inside a fitter version of #25, Coach God wiling.

(DOUBTFUL) third year 6’9” 220 lb. P/F Ryan Luther earns spot minutes here and there and is said to be a proficient internal scorer who needs to add work on the boards. However, 6.6 ppg with 4.2 caroms and the team lead at 58% shooting and a handsome 42% from long distance is none too shabby in relief. And Ryan had been coming on back in early January with some medium to medium+ sized offensive outburst type games in relief of his very own (God Bless).

Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:

Number of Panthers who could start @Tech=4 or 5(all upfront).

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… yah; I know, Pitt’s 2o16-2o17 record looks pretty inviting, when playing this one on proverbial paper; however, make no clinical mistake here gents, this is not a good match-up for us; in extremely particular down, low.

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As Pittsburgh might just be our worst post-match-up all season long; and as much as the wannabe Showtime fast-break Pt.G. in me is recalcitrant to authoûr this, …Pitt might wanna slow this one down and simply dump the ball inside and let their overwhelming BIGS do lions den type work in the paint. As you don’t hook with a hooker in boxing and you don’t wanna run with a runner in hoops; either. Although that may be our only alternative in this one; nonetheless, what does data-mining the analytics have to say here?

• Pittsburgh is at home and +1 in rest. EDGE=Pitt.
• Pittsburgh had dropped 9 in a row with just 1 win in the New Year until their recent 2 game winning streak. Whereas VT had oscillated for weeks prior to the big big home win vs. arch rival uva. EDGE=VT, small.
• In overall seasonal terms, things are pretty even, less VT being +6 in scoring margin, +4% in FG percentage margin, although Pitt is nearly +3 in rebounding margin an nearly +3% on FTA’s. EDGE=PUSH.
• In Home/Away split returns, Pitt is +12 in scoring margin, +3% in FG percentage margin, +9% in 3-piont percentage margin, and +13 in rebounding margin. EDGE=Pitt, noticeably.
• In terms of most recent 5-game play, Pitt is actually up +10 in scoring margin, VT defends 3% better, Pitt is +4% ahead of Tech on three’s and Pitt is up +12 in rebounding margin as well. EDGE=Pitt.
• …and yet, with VT having the obviously superior overall record, our friend the handy-dandy so called Forum Guide is merely predicting a 1 point VT win. EDGE=PUSH.

  

Or in other words, this one may be closer than those who have already penciled this one in as an obvious VicTory may think.

Now mix in the injury (Godspeed) to the Hokie’s leading rebounders left knee (C.Clarke, 7.4 rpg and 11.4 ppg); and a blind many can see how that skews rebounding margin in already gargantuan sized Pitt’s favor with his cane.

 ***

As that seemingly impoverished match-up down-low in the paint and on the glass just went from un-good to worse, possibly even, to worst. As yah; me three, as I was all set to pick Buzz and company to win by about 5-10 points here -in particular after the mega feel good emotional shot of sporting B-1 right our beriberi O&M arm(s) after upsetting #11 ranked uva on Sunday night. As we needed that win like a dead man needs a coffin.

Nevertheless, now I’m just not so sure? As Pitt opened as a one (-1) or two (-2) point favorite here and that was prior to any official Clarke news leaking out.

As I had viewed this as a naughty match-up down-low on the inside in the key; and now any cogent member of the sporting cognoscenti has to view it as being even worse –because Pitt has true legit big men to spare and Virginia Tech basketball courts about 1.5 post’s at the max’.

Ergo, therefore, to wit… sorry to have to say it folks, although I gotta keep it above and side with the too tall match-up advantage and pick A.c.c. homesteading (.714) Pitt vs. (.4oo) visiting Virginia Tech here.

(59% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=73, Pittsburgh=82

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**

V.A.D.A. approved