The Pittsburgh Panthers and the Duke Blue Devils will meet in Greensboro to face off in the second round of the ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on ESPN.
Pittsburgh moved to 21-10 after beating Georgia Tech in the first round. The Pirates made quick work of the Yellow Jackets and held on to beat them by eight, 89-81. Pitt is scoring 75.9 points per game, while allowing 69.0 ppg, and shooting 45% from the floor.
Pitt advanced with a strong effort against Georgia Tech, and they’ll look to make a statement here when they face a hot Duke team. Junior swingman Blake Hinson scored 22 points in the home finale win over Syracuse, and he leads Pitt in scoring (16.1), while grabbing 6.3 rpg. Senior guard Jamarius Burton led the team with 21 points in the first round win over GT, and he’s posting a nice line of 15.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 4.5 apg. Colgate transfer Nelly Cummings dished out a season-high 13 dimes against the Orange, and he’s up to 11.2 ppg and a team-lead 4.7 apg.
Duke improved to 22-3 after beating North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils humbled the Tar Heels with another stingy defensive outing, and went back up Tobacco Road with a five-point win. Duke is scoring 72.1 points per game, while allowing 64.0 ppg, and shooting 44.6% from the floor.
Duke beautifully spoiled senior night and completed the season sweep of North Carolina, but they face a very stiff first round matchup with Pitt here. Freshman forward Kyle Filipowski posted a monster 22-point double-double against UNC, and he leads Duke in scoring (15.0) and rebounding (9.2). Junior guard Jeremy Roach continues to come up clutch, and after scoring 20 points in the win over N.C. State, and he’s up to 13.1 ppg and a team-lead 3.2 apg. Duke’s touted freshman class grew collectively down the stretch, with Tyrese Proctor reaching double figures in each of the last four games alongside Roach in the backcourt, and Mark Mitchell and Dereck Lively II beefing up the front line with Flip.
Pittsburgh is 21-9-1 against the spread this season, with a 19-12 over/under record. Duke is 12-19 ATS this year, with a 11-19-1 o/u record.
Despite Pittsburgh coming off a first round bout less than 24 hours ago, they still present a threat to my Blue Devils here. Pitt has the one thing you need to thrive and succeed around this time of year, and that’s talented guard play. The Panthers have multiple options to give Duke trouble on the perimeter, and they also hold a noticeable experience advantage. If fatigue doesn’t set Jeff Capel's squad back, they should give Scheyer’s bunch a run for their money here. I see Duke advancing, but Pitt’s going to make them work, and could even pull off the upset, so spot them the points for this ACC Quarterfinal. The under will be in play as well with Duke defending at a very high level.
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
