ACC Roundup - Miami Has A Dominant Win At Pitt

In Wednesday’s ACC play, Miami beat Pitt handily, 85-64.

This one was all Miami, with the ‘Canes shooting out to a 14-2 lead and hitting 55 percent from the floor.

Pitt shot well at 48 percent, but 20 turnovers makes life hard.

Like a lot of teams, Pitt sent John Hugley right at Miami’s soft middle and he shot 7-9 for 20 points and had seven boards too.

For Miami, it keeps NCAA hopes alive. They’re certainly not projected as a high seed and aren’t likely to go very far, but with a solid backcourt they would have a chance at a few wins.

For Pitt, the loss drops them to 11-18 and the question at that point is does a team keep competing? We think Pitt will and certainly will be ready when Duke comes to town soon.

Wednesday sees four games: Boston College visits NC State, Syracuse heads out to Notre Dame, Wake Forest is at Clemson and the nightcap is the Battle of the Techs down in Hotlanta.

We’re really curious to see if BC can build on the momentum they’ve had lately. You look at their record and think: huh? But toss out the second Syracuse game and despite the losses, they've shown some real progress and spirit. They’re a dangerous team now and you take them lightly at your peril.

You would think that Notre Dame has the advantage of Syracuse but the zone is always a problem for new guys and that means Blake Wesley. If he bogs down against it, then Notre Dame has a problem. Mike Brey loves to beat you with threes. If Syracuse can mess with Wesley and the three point shooting, Notre Dame could have a problem. But we’ll see. They’ve been pretty tough so far.

If Clemson were completely healthy, we’d be all in on the Tigers here. Hunter Tyson is out for the season and PJ Hall is questionable, having come down awkwardly on his already iffy left foot. Wake has been a revelation but we think the Deacs are ripe for a letdown. We could still see Clemson going on a three point binge and pulling off the upset, but it seems unlikely. Props to Hall for wanting to play through. He needs some meaningful rest. Imagine what that guy could do on two feet! Next year he’s going to be a major pain.

We’d have to go with VT over GT right now. The Yellow Jackets have had a tough year and while they still show up and play hard, they’re just not able to win many. So we think Virginia Tech will get this one.

Wednesday’s ACC Action

• Duke @ Virginia || 7:00 || ESPN
• Boston College @ NC State || 7:00 || ACCNX
• Syracuse @ Notre Dame || 7:00 || ESPNN
• Wake Forest @ Clemson || 7:00 || ACCN
• Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech || 9:00 || ACCN/ESPN3

ACC Standings

• Pitt Blown out By Miami at Home, 85-64
• Pitt falls to the Hurricanes, 85-64, in unsightly loss
• PODCAST: Where Pitt basketball stands now
• At his fourth school in sixth years, Charlie Moore is thriving for a surprising Miami team
• Pitt deputy AD Christian Spears leaving for Marshall
• Pitt mailbag: Is the Panthers’ bench really that bad?
• Hurricanes roll past Pitt 85-64 on the road, reach 20 wins for first time in four years
• Daivien Williamson is living out his dream as a starter in his hometown for Wake Forest
• Georgia Tech finishing heavy log of games
• Jim Boeheim wants mask restriction lifted for Saturday’s Duke game: ‘I think it’s about time’
• Watch: Three Reasons Wake Forest Can Win The ACC Tournament
• Three Reasons Wake Forest Can Win The ACC Tournament
• Syracuse is one of 10 ACC schools that still requires masks for basketball fans
• Men’s Basketball: Don’t look now, but regular season is winding down
• March Madness bracket predictions 4.0: Projecting the Field of 68 for 2022 NCAA Tournament