GameNight: Pittsburgh vs Texas Tech

Preview & Prediction: By Blake Hofstad

One of the most intriguing teams of the young college basketball season has been Texas Tech (5-0). The Red Raiders scored 167 points on East Central. The problem? The 115 points that they allowed. Yes, to East Central. This team has a contrasting style to the physical play of their opponent, Pittsburgj. The team that controls the tempo will most likely win. The leaders of this team include Alan Voskuil, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding as a 6-3 guard. Also in the backcourt are Nick Okorie and John Roberson, two very capable scorers. Roberson can score, but I would classify him as a pass-first guard. Tech’s problem may lie in their frontcourt. No one is a dominant rebounder, and that does not bode well against a team like Pitt.

#4 Pittsburgh (5-0) has roared out of the gates. The Panthers are led by a trio of talented players. If you can manage to stay down on Sam Young’s pump fake, you have defensive talent that words can’t describe. Young is pouring in 20 a game for the Panthers. DeJuan Blair is a workhorse down low. He will cause loads of matchup problems for the Red Raiders, as he and his 13 boards a game may be too much for this out-manned Tech team. Levance Fields has really played well so far this year. His assist to turnover ratio is 7.6/1, something to be very proud of. Pitt has a nucleus of role players who step up and do their job. Guys like Tyrell Biggs, Gilbert Brown and Jermaine Dixon quietly make Pittsburgh tick. They don’t stuff the stat sheet, but their impact is felt.

Pittsburgh controls the game and contains Tech’s high-octane offense.

Winner: Pittsburgh Margin: 10+