DUTELLE’S TAKE

It doesn’t seem to make too much sense, but Pitt-Marquette has the potential to turn into a… It doesn’t seem to make too much sense, but Pitt-Marquette has the potential to turn into a nice rivalry in the coming years. There isn’t much history or any geography behind it, but both groups have a crop of solid young players, and the two meetings between the teams last year were both memorable.

Marquette is an interesting bunch. The Eagles are clearly guard-oriented, headlined by Dominic James and Jerel McNeal. None of them, though, shoot terribly well from the perimeter. Their success instead hinges upon James’ ability to get to the basket and either score or create contact, if not both. McNeal can score but is as much a defensive threat as anything else.

The Eagles are playing better than they did at the start of the conference season (they lost their first two to open Big East play), but this game will be won on the boards. Look for Aaron Gray to have a big day inside, just as he did in both encounters last year (23 points and 27 rebounds in two games). Pitt is too strong inside for this smaller team, meaning the Panthers will continue to assert dominance at home.

Pitt 71, Marquette 64