Preview: Syracuse at Pittsburgh

Fourth ranked Syracuse heads to The Pete for a Big East match up with the fifth ranked Pitt Panthers on Monday night (7:30 pm EST, ESPN).

Significance: The two teams are both 5-0 in the Big East and tied atop the conference standings. A win for Syracuse would keep them undefeated and give them a quality road win, while a win for Pittsburgh would like vault them ahead of Syracuse in the rankings.

Three pointers:

1. Pitt's offense vs. Syracuse's defense: The Orange's vaunted 2-3 zone defense has been dominant as usual, allowing under 60 points per game this season. However they are going up against a balanced Panthers attack, which features 6 players scoring 7 or more points per game, led by pre-season All Big East selection Ashton Gibbs (16.3 PPG). Pitt also leads the nation in assists, averaging over 20 per game. If they are able to move the ball effectively as they have all season, it could pose a serious problem for the Orange.
2. Who wins the rebounding battle?: Syracuse averages more than 39 rebounds, but Pittsburgh is 2nd in the nation in rebounding, grabbing over 42 per game. Pitt could exploit the Orange on the offensive glass, where they average over 16 a game. It is usually easier to grab offensive boards against a zone than against man defense, but Syracuse's big men have done a good job so far in boxing out opponents on the glass. If they continue to do so, they will control the boards.
3. The loss of Kris Joseph: The Orange will likely have to play without their leading scorer, who was injured in Saturday's game against Cincinnati. James Southerland is the likely candidate to fill Joseph's shoes. Southerland, a 6'8" sophomore, has logged considerable minutes coming off the bench for the Orange and is 6th on the team in scoring. He is one of the team's better three point shooters, and he will have to hit some outside shots to keep Syracuse in the game.

And One: Pittsburgh has had Syracuse's number over the past few years, especially at home, where they haven't lost to the Orange since 2004.

Prediction: This game will test the maturity and depth of the Orange. It's a tough task to beat a team as balanced and experienced as Pitt in their home arena without your leader scorer. I'm not sure they can.

Pittsburgh 68, Syracuse 62