Duke basketball score prediction vs. Pitt in ACC Tournament: Scouting report
GREENSBORO - The last time a Duke team won the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament without Mike Krzyzewski as its head coach, Jimmy Carter was president, the United States was still reveling in the "Miracle on Ice'' Olympic hockey victory against the Soviets and VHS recorders were all the rage.
The Blue Devils will take the floor in ACC Tournament play for the first time since 1980 without the Hall of Fame coach on the sideline when they meet Pittsburgh in the quarterfinal round of the 70th edition of the event at the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday (2:30 p.m., ESPN).
The game will mark the ACC Tournament debut of Krzyzewski's successor, Jon Scheyer, who directed Duke to a 23-8 overall record and 14-6 league mark during the regular season, going undefeated at home. The Blue Devils earned the No. 4 seed for the tournament, despite finishing with a conference record identical to Clemson and Pitt (21-10 overall).
After receiving a bye into the quarterfinals, Duke will face a fifth-seeded Panther team that overcame No. 13-seed Georgia Tech, 89-81, in Wednesday's second round. Here’s a look at some things to know and a score prediction ahead of Duke’s matchup against Pitt.
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BEWARE OF FLY SWATTERS
Both Duke and Pitt feature two of the ACC's best shot-blockers in 7-foot-1 freshman Dereck Lively II and 6-11 sophomore Federiko Federiko. Duke's Lively is second among ACC players and 12th nationally with 2.34 blocks per game, while Pitt's Federiko is third in the league with 1.84 blocks a game.
Their presence could take away driving shots and force the opponent to rely more on perimeter offense.
AND ABOUT THAT PERIMETER OFFENSE
The Panthers have been one of the ACC's best from 3-point range this season, ranking fifth in percentage (.360) and sixth in total 3s (238). Junior forward Blake Hinson of Pitt's top long-range marksman, converting .386 percent from beyond the arc. Pitt made 7-of-16 3-pointers in Wednesday's win against Georgia Tech.
While Duke isn't necessarily one of the ACC's top 3-point teams, it does an excellent job of defending against the 3. The Blue Devils are second in the ACC in 3-point percentage defense (.306).
DUKE VS. DUKE
The quarterfinal matchup will pit two head coaches who both played guard at Duke.
Pitt's Jeff Capel was a four-year starter for Krzyzewski from 1993-97 and was a third-team All-ACC pick in 1996. Capel was named ACC Coach of the Year this season after directing Pitt to a tie for third place.
Scheyer helped the Blue Devils win ACC Tournament titles in 2009 and 2010 as a player. He was also a major contributor on Duke's 2010 NCAA championship squad.
DUKE VS. PITT SCORE PREDICTION
Duke 88, Pitt 81: The Panthers will hang around because of their 3-point shooting, but Duke's size inside and sticky defense will eventually wear them down. The rapidly improving Blue Devils win for a seventh straight time and roll into Friday's semifinals looking forward to redemption against top-seeded Miami, which blasted Duke 81-59 back on Feb. 6. Of course, the Hurricanes have to get past Wake Forest first.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball score prediction vs. Pitt in ACC Tournament: Scouting report
