The Miami Hurricanes enter ACC play with a tidal wave of momentum. They are 11-2 and have recorded wins against Georgetown and Ole Miss on the road. They have beaten all the opponents they were expected to beat. Their two losses have come against No. 22 Florida and No. 10 BYU.
Both defeats were competitive and mostly came down to missed foul shots by Miami. Now, UM transitions into conference play, where they have a great chance to punch their ticket to the ACC Tournament. It’s a mostly manageable
schedule with plenty of winnable contests. One of those winnable games is in their ACC opener.
The unranked Pitt Panthers come to the Watsco Center. Going into the new year, it has been an unimpressive start for Pitt, which sits at 7-6. Plenty of questions swirl around them as another inconsistent season seems to be unfolding. This league opener at home is an opportunity to pick up a solid Quad 3 win to roll into the new year.
Game Info:
Date: Tuesday, December 30
TV: ACC Network
Time: 7:00 PM E.T.
Venue: Watsco Center (Coral Gables, Florida)
Fanduel Odds: Miami -11.5; O/U 148.5
ESPN Analytics Matchup Predictor: Miami wins (79.6% chance)
Pitt Panthers Overview:
Pitt has gone through a rollercoaster of a campaign. Under longtime head coach Jeff Capel, Pitt aims to improve on its 17-15 mark from the previous year. The Panthers are in their eighth season with Capel at the helm. He had previous stints at VCU (2002-06) and Oklahoma (2006-11). The program hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament in three years.
As mentioned at the top, they come into this contest owning a modest 7-6 record. Pitt started the season by winning their first three games over Youngstown State, Longwood, and Eastern Michigan. Since then, the team has lost six of its last 10. The best way to describe this team is by calling them the college hoops version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
You really don’t know what you’ll get from this squad. Pitt took down Ohio State at home back on November 28 on a buzzer-beating three from DeMarco Minor. That has been their best moment of the season so far. Another highlight victory came in their rivalry tilt with Penn State back on December 21.
However, Pitt’s worst moments are huge deterrents to its NCAA Tournament resume. The club suffered inexplicable home defeats to Quinnipiac and Hofstra. Aside from their meetings with the aforementioned Big Ten teams, Pitt has also faced West Virginia and UCF from the Big 12, Texas A&M from the SEC, and Villanova from the Big East.
All have been losses. The West Virginia and Villanova defeats were on the road, while the other two were in Pittsburgh. Needless to say, they haven’t put together the best resume for postseason consideration, and their best shot now is to string plenty of ACC wins together.
Up to this point, the Panthers haven’t shown that they excel in one particular area. Quick ball movement hasn’t always been executed. Big leads have been blown. The Panthers have struggled from beyond the arc. Off-ball movement has been suspect. The team has been flawed all around.
However, much of that is due in large part to the inexperienced roster. Capel depends on a few sophomores and freshmen to log key minutes. What’s also lacking for the veteran coach is the team’s overall depth. In comparison with other ACC teams, Pitt is at a massive disadvantage.
Thanks to a combination of these problems, things have been difficult for Pitt at times. However, they have been growing together as a team. The chemistry from the growing pains is rising. The Panthers enter ACC play having won their previous two games, in which they’ve played solid complementary basketball. It’s a great spot to be in, and they hope to build on the recent success by transferring it to league competition.
Players to Watch:
Pitt: Cameron Corhen
The top player for Pitt has been senior forward Cameron Corhen. The native of Allen, Texas, is an ACC veteran. He spent his first two seasons at Florida State before transferring to the ‘Steel City.’ This season marks the first time he’s averaging more than 30 minutes a night.
The 6’10” product has responded by leading the team in scoring (13.3 PPG) and rebounds (8.6 RPG). There is no doubt that Corhen is Pitt’s leading man this season. He has been fairly efficient, shooting 53.3% from the field. He isn’t a stretch big, as Corhen has only taken 16 shots from the perimeter this season.
His damage has come from the more traditional route of inside scoring. Miami’s lockdown frontcourt will be faced with one of its biggest tests in the 21-year-old. He has a strong frame, weighing in at 235 pounds, and is highly athletic. He can rise in the air for a nice flush or for an emphatic rejection.
While Corhen can cause fits for UM, the Hurricanes can match his strength with anyone. Malik Reneau, Shelton Henderson, or Ernest Udeh can lock him up and make it difficult to get comfortable near the basket. Corhen’s best outing so far came against Youngstown State in the season opener.
He poured in 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 72.7% shooting. He has reached double figures in 10 of Pitt’s 13 games. In six of those games, Corhen scored 15 points or more on six occasions. In five games, he grabbed 10 or more rebounds.
Miami: Tre Donaldson
When it comes to Miami, everyone knows that Malik Reneau is the main option for the Canes. However, it won’t be easy to keep relying on him the way UM has. There will be nights when the opposition plans to limit his touches and scoring chances down low.
Ernest Udeh is mainly on the floor for defense and rebounding, and you can’t expect a freshman like Shelton Henderson to take over. So, Jai Lucas will need his backcourt to give some supreme production. Luckily for him, he has a few players who can help carry the load offensively. One of those guys is Tre Donaldson.
The former Michigan star has established himself well in Miami’s team-first system. Being the primary ball handler, Donaldson has found success distributing the basketball and has gotten his teammates heavily involved. However, there are times when he’s going to be more aggressive, and he has done so in certain moments.
Against the tougher competition, he needs to get in the mode quickly and more often. More importantly, he needs to find consistency in his shot from the perimeter. Miami is a team that doesn’t depend on the 3-ball but could definitely use treys from time to time.
The native of Tallahassee has shot 33.3% from beyond the arc this season. It would help if he could knock down a few long-range shots. His performance can be the difference between getting off on the right or wrong foot in ACC play. If Donaldson can pour in an efficient scoring night while continuing his stout defense, Miami will be in a great position to take this one.
Miami’s Keys to Victory:
Defend the Perimeter: As stated earlier, Pitt hasn’t shot the ball very well from 3-point range in several of their games this season. However, they have had some recent success in doing so. Their offensive philosophy has flipped from November to December, and their success on 3-point shooting has given them a new identity.
Over their last five games, the Panthers have averaged 24.4 attempts from beyond the arc per game and have cashed in. Over that stretch, Pitt has made 41.8% of their long-range heaves. Against Penn State last Sunday, Pitt connected on 12 of their 14 3-point shots.
In their last two games, they have made 54% of their attempts from the perimeter. Miami must guard this area of the court heavily. In prior games, the Hurricanes have gotten lit up in this regard by individual marksmen on opposing teams. Now, they will have their hands full, as Pitt runs a rotation that’s heavy on guards, and all can shoot when given the green light.
Force Turnovers: One of Miami’s strongest elements has been its ability to collect takeaways. Their defense is predicated on suffocating the opposition and earning easy points off turnovers. Everywhere you look, there is a player who is capable of coming up with a timely deflection, interception, or steal.
To start 1-0 in ACC play, they will need to force a Pitt team into making untimely mistakes. It isn’t impossible, as the Panthers aren’t the greatest team in terms of taking care of the ball. Currently, they rank 187th in the nation in turnover percentage.
They have posted a 14.8% in that category, which is an estimation of the number of giveaways a team commits per 100 plays. Pitt is also 191st in Division 1 basketball, as they have racked up a total of 150 turnovers. Miami ranks 37th in the country in opponent turnovers, as teams against the Canes have coughed up the ball 195 times. This is an area where the Canes have to excel.
Keep the Pressure On: No matter if UM leads or is behind, the Canes must not take their foot off the gas pedal. Obviously, when Pitt has had its back against the wall, cracks begin to show. Despite Pitt getting a bit better with each passing game, their early shots against fellow power conference opponents haven’t gone well.
They just haven’t proven that they can stay composed in ‘winning time.‘ The Hurricanes haven’t let up on anyone that they’ve played. That trend needs to continue. Pushing the ball up the court, playing relentless defense, and playing mistake-free will get the job done.
Miami’s style of play will lean into the pressure being there, as they do run the floor rather quickly. UM plays at the fifth-quickest pace in the ACC (72.5), and Pitt has faced similar teams in the past. Quinnipiac runs at the same pace, and Texas A&M is 18th in the country in that regard. Pitt struggles against opponents that generate a lot of possessions, and Miami does just that.
