Wednesday, 27 February 2013 15:01

Written by Ray Fittipaldo

Season record: 7-8

So Pitt wins seven of eight and I pick the Panthers to win at Marquette. They lose by 10. That’s OK. They’re coming home for a game vs. Notre Dame. I pick them again. They lose by nine.

I start to question the Panthers and pick against them at St. John’s. They win by 16.

Can’t figure them out and not sure what the postseason will have in store, but I have a pretty good idea about tonight’s game. I can’t screw this one up.

The Panthers should win this game in easy fashion.

South Florida has been off for a week, but its most recent game was against St. John’s. The Bulls got down, 33-17, at halftime and lost, 69-54. Pitt’s most recent game also was at St. John’s and the Panthers won, 63-47.

The only cautionary flag I see is the comfort level factor for the Bulls. They return four key players who beat the Panthers twice last season, including a 56-47 contest at the Petersen Events Center. That should carry some weight, and it might make the game close for a while, but it can’t matter in the end.

It just can’t. South Florida cannot score. The Bulls are in last place in the Big East and have lost the past five games by almost 19 points per game. They average 59 points per game, which ranks 330^th among 345 Division I teams. Pitt is giving up 54.9 points per game and is the top defensive team in the Big East.

For the Panthers, this is literally where they should take the Bulls by the horns. Other than the DePaul game, there hasn’t been another blowout at home. The Panthers allowed Seton Hall, another lower-rung Big East team, to hang around. If they are really making strides as March approaches that won’t happen in this game. If they are going to be a factor in March this is a game they win by double figures.

Pitt 64, South Florida 50

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