Preview: Pitt Looking to Snap Streak Against Syracuse

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers head into their next matchup against Syracuse, amidst a recent losing streak.

It started with a 76-47 blowout at No. 4 Duke on Jan. 7. Then, with a chance to bounce back, Pitt let up down the stretch and fell 82-78 to Louisville at home on Jan. 11, ending a 15-game winning streak at the Petersen Events Center in 15 games.

The streak continued with junior forward Cameron Corhen's return to Florida State on Jan. 15, where Pitt lost 82-70, and then fell at home, 78-75 to Clemson in overtime in Jan. 18.

It's the longest losing streak for the Panthers since they lost their final five games of the 2021-22 season.

After starting the season comfortably inside the range to receive an NCAA Tournament bid, Pitt is now in the "Last Four in" in Joe Lunardi from ESPN's Bracketology. As of Jan. 24, they are a projected No. 10 seed facing No. 7 Texas Tech in the South region.

Even though Pitt has lost four straight, Duke, Louisville, and Clemson are all projected to make the NCAA Tournament, meaning Pitt has faced and fallen short against quality competition. The Florida State loss is concerning, but maybe it was an aberration.

A players-only meetingthat commenced at 4:00 a.m. after the Florida State game may serve as what Pitt needed to get back on track. It showed as they played much better vs. Clemson, despite falling short, but they'll need to use that to get a win vs. Syracuse.

Preview: Pitt vs Syracuse

Second-year head coach Adrian Autry has the unique responsibility of replacing one of the most legendary and tenured college basketball coaches of all time in Jim Boeheim, who coached the Orange for 47 seasons.

Syracuse has not received a bid to the NCAA Tournament since the 2020-21 season, meaning the 2025 graduating class could be the first since 1972 to not see a Syracuse team make the Tournament if they don't this season.

Autry has shown the ability to recruit in his shirt tenure. He earned the commitment of Donnie Freeman, the highest-rated recruit since Carmelo Anthony for Syracuse, and Elijah "Choppa" Moore, a top-100 player in the country in the Class of 2024.

He also earned commitments from a pair of top 50 players in the Class of 2025 in Kiyan Anthony, son of Carmelo Anthony, and Dariq White Jr.

Autry's recruiting prowess is needed considering the transfer portal has not been a friend. The Orange lost seven players in the transfer portal after last season and star guard Judah Mintz to the NBA.

Most players who transferred to Syracuse in the offseason haven't produced as much as the Syracuse faithful would hope, leading to a 9-10 overall record and 3-5 record in the ACC.

Syracuse runs as far and fast as junior guard J.J. Starling takes them. Starling transferred from Notre Dame after his first season and his production skyrocketed with Syracuse. However, he wasn't asked to lead considering Mintz was still on the roster.

This season, Starling is the only real ball-handler and is the main scoring threat for Syracuse. He missed seven games earlier in the season due to injury, so he doesn't qualify for the ACC leaderboards, but if he did, Starling would rank fourth in the ACC with 19 points in his 35.2 minutes per game.

Syracuse brought in senior guard Jaquan Carlos from Hofstra, who averaged 6.3 assists and 10.3 points per game last season.

They brought Carlos in as a secondary ball-handler and to allow Starling to play off the ball more, but he hasn't played up to expectations this season. He does lead the Orange with 4.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game.

Outside of Starling's scoring, the Orange don't have many strengths. Senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr. has been a bright spot with his great rebounding, leading Syracuse with 8.3 boards per game.

Freeman had an inspiring start to his collegiate career recording 13.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, but is now out with injury.

As long as Starling scores effectively, the Orange can keep any game close even if it looks like a blowout early.

Syracuse trailed by 16 against Notre Dame at home on Jan. 18 only a few minutes into the game, but rallied and won 77-69, as Starling scored 21. The game prior against Louisville, Starling was held to a season-low four points and Syracuse lost 85-61.

Syracuse struggles in several categories. as they rank 233rd in turnovers per game, 295th in three-point shooting percentage, and 268th in free-throw shooting percentage.

There is no knockdown shooter on the roster unless Starling or junior forward Chris Bell, who shot 42% from deep last season but hasn't found his rhythm this season,

Lucky for Syracuse, the Panthers also have a problem turning the ball over too often and have been significantly out-rebounded in most of their losses. But the Panthers are a much more efficient team on the offensive end and can force many turnovers.

If Pitt can contain Starling and force other players to dribble, they can likely force several turnovers and score easily in transition. It's also possible the Panthers are just a much better three-point shooting team and Pitt runs away with it.

How to Watch: Pitt vs. Syracuse

Pitt vs Syracuse tips off at 12:30 pm on Jan. 25 at the JMA Wireless Dome. The game will be live on ESPN2.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt