The ACC has been one of the best conferences in all of college basketball for some time now and the additions of Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse, and Notre Dame have only added to the fierce competition. Now it feels like every ACC home game for Pitt is against a ranked or quality opponent. Last year they took on North Carolina, Notre Dame, Louisville and Syracuse all at home. Once again this season will produce much of the same firepower. Here are the biggest ACC home games for the Panthers during the 2015-16 season.
5.Syracuse Orange 12/30/15 9:00 PM
Pitt will be opening up the ACC schedule with this game and there is plenty of intrigue behind it. First and foremost winning this game will give the Panthers a fast start to ACC play. Last year the Panthers stumbled out of the gate, getting crushed at NC State. From there Dixon and company struggled to solidify themselves in the NCAA Tournament bracket. Not only does this game get Pitt on the right track, but also a win versus Syracuse would look good on a tournament resume. It will not be make or break, however anytime a team can add a quality win it is important. Finally, this is a rivalry game and should have the Pete rocking all night long.
4.NC State Wolfpack 1/19/16 8:00 PM
Just like Syracuse a win in this game provides a resume boast for the Panthers. However, this one will be a tougher win to come up with. Last year NC State pulled of a major upset when they downed number one seed Villanova and the good news for them is they still have enough pieces from a year ago to compete at that level. Not to mention the fact the Wolfpack handled the Panthers last year on both contests winning by 18 and 11 points respectively. Revenge should be on Pitt’s mind, since NC State put the final nail in the coffin of their March Madness dreams.
3.Louisville Cardinals 2/24/16 8:00 PM
Coach Pitino and Dixon have been rivals since the days of the Big East. Now that rivalry has simply changed conferences. Last year did not go so well Dixon though, as both meetings ended in defeat. The second matchup last season was much closer than the first, showing a drastic improvement for the Panthers. Louisville lost several key players, while Dixon’s crew is mostly intact from a year ago. However, do not expect Pitt to be the favorite in this matchup, the ‘Ville is just outside the top 25 and Pitt did not receive any votes to be ranked. Once again Pitt will need victory like this if they want to return to playing in March Madness.
2.#6 Virginia Cavaliers 2/06/16 12:00 PM
The last time Virginia visited the Pete they walked out victorious in heart breaking fashion, hitting a three with barely anytime remaining. Hopefully this Pitt team can break through the barrier the last two have not been able to. As well, the fact they are a preseason top ten team adds to the intrigue even more. Dixon was able to upset both Notre Dame and North Carolina at home last year, maybe with some magic Pitt can pull off the shocker. The good news is Virginia likes to keep it low scoring and defensive, just how Dixon likes it too.
1.#4 Duke Blue Devils 2/28/16 2:00 PM
Anytime the Blue Devils come to town it is a huge game. This year’s matchup is even more interesting due to the fact that Coach K brought his team to yet another title last year. Even though several key guys did not return Duke has done an excellent job recruiting. Simply put they do not rebuild they reload. A win at home against a power team in Duke will not only add amazing quality win to Pitt’s resume, but also it is the last home game of year meaning it will be senior night. Momentum of beating a Blue Devil team could carry them on a tournament run. The Panthers need to protect the Pete during games like these in order to secure their dreams of going dancing in March.