Stanford MBB travels to Pittsburgh

Stanford men’s basketball will face the Pittsburgh Panthers on the road on Saturday, January 4 at 3:30 pm PT on ESPN2. Stanford is 9-4 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, while Pittsburgh is 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the ACC.

Last time: On New Year’s Day, Stanford lost on the road to Clemson by a final score of 85-71. Clemson led 43-41 before pulling away in the second half.

REVIEW: Stanford MBB falls to Clemson on New Year’s Day

About Pittsburgh: The Panthers are off to a strong start this season, with their only two losses coming against Wisconsin and No. 17 Mississippi State. Their two ACC wins come on the road against Virginia Tech and at home against Cal, while their biggest wins come against Ohio State and LSU.

The Panthers are led by two senior guards Ishmael Leggett and in the second year Jaland Lowewho both average 17.5 points per game. Lowe is more of a facilitator, averaging 6.2 assists per game, while Leggett is more of a rebounding guard, averaging 6.1 rebounds per game, so they complement each other well. Forward Cameron Corhen (11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds) and graduate guard Damian Dunn (11.1 points) are also in the double-digit range.

The Panthers are a bit under the weather at the moment. Dunn injured his ankle in the seventh game of the season and has not played since. Based on what I’ve read, Dunn is still expected to miss Saturday. As for Leggett, he didn’t play against Cal due to a lower-body injury (sounds like an ankle) and is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday. If these two guys can’t be there, Stanford has the opportunity to potentially steal a game on the road.

As a team, the Panthers average 84.2 points per game on 49.0% shooting from the field, 35.8% from 3-point range and 76.9% from the foul line. They average 36.8 rebounds, 15.0 assists, 6.8 steals, 4.3 blocks and 9.8 turnovers per game. They have an average rebound margin of +3.5 and a turnover margin of +2.5 per game. Their opponents are averaging 68.4 points per game on 41.7% shooting from the field, 29.8% from 3-point range and 68.5% from the foul line.

Key to the game: Stanford must first get off to a good start. Especially if Pittsburgh is without Leggett and Dunn. Cal got off to a good start against Pittsburgh and then faded. If Stanford can come out with the same energy as Cal, they just need to make sure they finish better than the Bears.

The second thing Stanford needs to do is feed Maxime Raynaud inside. Raynaud is having a fantastic season, averaging 20.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. I’m not sure Pittsburgh has an answer for him. If he gets going and others take advantage, Stanford will be in a really good position.

Ultimately, Stanford has to take good care of the ball. At Clemson they had a whopping 17 turnovers, 16 of which were due to steals. If Stanford has more possession and doesn’t commit as many turnovers, they have a chance to win this game.

Forecast: Since they are at home, I would pick Pittsburgh to win, but I think Stanford has a chance here given the injuries. Pittsburgh 77 Stanford 70 is my prediction. I think the Cardinal will fight hard but come up a little short in the end.

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