Notre Dame looks to snap a two-game skid as it hosts Pittsburgh in an ACC matchup on Saturday at Purcell Pavilion. The Fighting Irish (11-15, 5-10 ACC) are aiming to bounce back from a 97-73 loss to SMU, while the Panthers (16-10, 7-8) are coming off an 80-69 victory over Syracuse.
The Irish have leaned on sophomore guard Markus Burton, who leads the team with 20.3 points per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Forward Tae Davis has been a steady presence in the paint, averaging 15.6 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game. Notre Dame’s offense has struggled at times, ranking near the bottom of the ACC in assists per game (11.9), but it has been effective from deep, hitting 36.2% of its 3-point attempts.
Pittsburgh counters with a balanced scoring attack led by Jaland Lowe (16.6 ppg) and Ishmael Leggett (16.2 ppg). The Panthers have excelled in transition and beyond the arc, averaging 8.4 made 3-pointers per game. They are also strong defensively, forcing 7.3 steals per contest and holding opponents to a 43.7% field goal percentage.
Both teams have had their struggles in conference play, with Notre Dame losing six of its last eight and Pittsburgh dropping five of its last eight. The Panthers have fared better in road matchups, however, picking up key ACC wins against Virginia Tech and Syracuse.
For Notre Dame to pull off the upset, it will need to control the tempo and limit turnovers, an area of concern as it averages 11.0 per game. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will look to exploit its advantage in rebounding, where it holds a slight edge over the Irish.
Tipoff is set for Saturday at 2:15 p.m. ET.
Check out Len Clark's full prediction at the Len Zone!