Dutelle’s Take

Pitt fans should know by now that whenever the Panthers hook up with St. John’s, the game… Pitt fans should know by now that whenever the Panthers hook up with St. John’s, the game itself isn’t all that pretty. In fact, recent games have been downright ugly, and this year could be more of the same.

The Panthers are a far better team than St. John’s. Their guard play is superior, and their defense is improving each game. St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts’ bunch has proven that talent isn’t the deciding factor, though. As seen by recent wins over Syracuse and Notre Dame, two teams that are clearly better – on paper at least – than the Red Storm.

St. John’s makes you play ugly. They are physical, rebound the basketball well and hang around much like that uninvited guest who won’t leave your party. Lamont Hamilton is a tough matchup, and he hits the boards hard. Remember that Hamilton poured in 24 points and snatched eight rebounds to key the 55-50 upset of then-unbeaten Pitt last January.

All that said, St. John’s is still out-matched. Forcing Pitt to play ugly, turn the ball over and struggle on the boards isn’t enough to merit a colossal upset – the Red Storm would have to play out of their minds. The Panthers are capable of playing sloppily in victory, especially at home. Pitt will win this one comfortably, but the early stages of the game will be anything but comfortable.

Pitt 73, St. John’s 59