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For the first time since the 1968-69 season, Syracuse has fallen below .500 in the month of January. The Orange have suffered three straight conference defeats since the start of the new year, the latest of which was a three-point loss to Wake Forest in overtime on Saturday. 

Now, Syracuse will host Pittsburgh in the first of three consecutive home games. Pitt is one of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams that currently holds a losing record, joining SU, Georgia Tech and Boston College.

Here’s everything to know about the Panthers (6-9, 1-3 ACC) before they face Syracuse (7-8, 1-3) in the Carrier Dome: 

All-time series

Syracuse leads the all-time series 73-47. 

Last time they played

Syracuse suffered a 96-76 point defeat in Pittsburgh on Jan. 16 last season. Pitt bullied Syracuse inside and heated up from beyond the arc, posting 64 points in the second half. Head coach Jim Boeheim, who was in his 45th season at the time, called the Orange’s defense “probably the worst I’ve seen it since I’ve been here.”

“We got no stops,” Boeheim said postgame. “We’re going to have to find some way to be better defensively, going forward. Our defense was not there. We couldn’t get a stop in the second half.”

Guard Xavier Johnson and forward Justin Champagnie capitalized inside, scoring 23 and 24 points, respectively (Johnson was 13-of-13 from the free-throw line, too). The 20-point defeat came just 10 days after the Orange blew an 18-point lead and lost to the Panthers at home. The series marked the first time SU was swept by Pitt since 2015-16. 

KenPom odds

KenPom gives Syracuse an 83% chance of winning with a projected score of 77-66. 

The Pitt report

The Panthers are the worst team in the ACC, according to KenPom. Pittsburgh has had a lot of roster turnover since last year, retaining just 23.1% of its minutes, a clip that ranks 323rd in the nation. 

Pitt has lost four of its top five scoring options since last season, including Johnson, Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney at the end of last season, and Nike Sibande (ACL injury) this November. 

Shooting guard Ithiel Horton had the most minutes for any returning Pittsburgh player, but he was arrested in November and charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, according to The Pitt News. The charges were dropped but later refiled, so Pittsburgh resuspended Horton. 

Forward John Hugley and center Femi Odukale have stepped up, but Pitt’s production has still slipped significantly. The Panthers have four scorers who average double-digits, but have fallen to the 218th-ranked offense in the nation, per KenPom. 

Pitt is coming off a two-point win against Boston College but lost its other three conference games to Louisville, Notre Dame and Virginia, all by three points or less.

How Syracuse beats Pitt

Syracuse has to limit its fouls. Against Wake Forest, center Jesse Edwards fouled out with over nine minutes remaining in regulation. Edwards is a crucial anchor to the Syracuse zone, and without him, Boeheim was forced to go to his small lineup that featured Jimmy Boeheim at center. The head coach said on Monday that backup center Frank Anselem hadn’t shown him enough to earn significant minutes. 

Pittsburgh is excellent at drawing fouls and Syracuse could be in real trouble if it’s not able to limit that. 

The Orange’s defense showed improvement during spurts against Miami and Wake Forest, but SU has struggled to finish out games. It was an inbounds pass away from beating WF and has struggled to play a consistent 40-minute game on both offense and defense, though the latter has been far more problematic. 

The defensive issues aren’t going to fix themselves overnight. But if SU can force Pittsburgh into contested 3-point shots (where the Panthers rank 274th in 3-point shooting), the Orange should have a good chance at ending their own losing streak.

Stat to know: First in free-throw rate

Pitt is the best team in the nation in free-throw rate, meaning it’s good at drawing fouls and converting free throws. On top of that, the Panthers could still improve, as they shoot just 67.8% from the free-throw line as a team.

The Panthers have shot over 20 free throws in their last seven games. Syracuse, on the other hand, allowed over 20 free throws against both Miami and Wake Forest and have had foul trouble as of recent — Edwards has fouled out in each of the last four games. 

Player to watch: John Hugley, forward, No. 23

Hugley is coming off a career-high 32 points against Boston College on Saturday. He shot 8-of-13 from the field and snagged 13 rebounds, one shy of a career-high, while sitting on the bench for just three minutes. 

The sophomore drew 10 fouls against the Eagles and shot 15-of-20 from the line. Hugley leads the Panthers in points (15.7) and rebounds per game (8.2). 

“John was tremendous all game,” Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel III said postgame. “Thirty-seven minutes, probably a little bit too much, but we had to ride him. He made big plays, stepped up and made free throws.”

Published on January 10, 2022 at 4:43 pm

Contact Roshan: rferna04@syr.edu | @Roshan_f16