Pitt, N.C. State looking to get well after streaks of misfortune

While losing to a mediocre Duke team on Saturday by 16 points, N.C. State committed 18 turnovers.

The next day, Pitt matched the Wolfpack for ball insecurity, turning it over another 18 times in a six-point loss at Georgia Tech.

When the teams get together at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Petersen Events Center, will anyone hold onto the basketball long enough to get the score out of the 50s?

No matter how the game unfolds, it’s a matchup of teams eager to reverse current misfortunes.

Pitt (9-7, 5-6 ACC) has lost five of its past six games while seeing its February/March record over the past three seasons fall to 6-21. N.C. State (8-9, 4-8) has lost eight of its past 10.

“We know we’re going to get a desperate team that’s good, that’s talented, that’s played together, and that’s had success against us,” said Pitt coach Jeff Capel, who is 0-4 against N.C. State, including a 73-58 loss in last year’s ACC tournament.

“I know they are going to be a hungry team.”

He also knows it’s a bad matchup for his Panthers if they can’t protect the basketball. N.C. State leads the ACC in forced turnovers (an average of 16.1 per game).

Pitt’s 18 turnovers against Georgia Tech was a bit out of character — the Panthers are averaging only 12.5 — but the video from that game will be must-see viewing for the Wolfpack.

“I would imagine their game plan will be a lot of pressure,” Capel said.

Capel is paying no attention to N.C. State’s record, recalling his own team losing to Notre Dame and Wake Forest.

Pitt lost to Notre Dame, 83-58, on Jan. 30, Capel’s worst defeat in three seasons. The Irish were 5-9 (2-6 in the ACC) when they entered the Pete that night. Now, they’ve won four of five.

“People thought they (were awful),” Capel said. “Notre Dame is a good team.”

The Wake Forest game was a matchup of 8-2 (Pitt) vs. 3-6 (Demon Deacons). Wake Forest won by a point.

No matter how badly N.C. State is struggling, Capel doesn’t want his team looking at the ACC standings and assuming the Wolfpack won’t be a challenge. Anything’s possible when teams from the bottom half of the conference get together.

N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts doesn’t dispute the desperate designation on his team, but he insists he’s not alone in that area.

“I think every team in this league is desperate now,” he said. “You’re trying to figure out if you can get into the NCAA Tournament. You’re trying to figure out how well your team can play from one game to the other.

“In our case, I’m looking for us just to play better. Let’s start out with that part of it. Our desperation, for me, is to see some of our younger guys start to play a little bit better basketball as far as taking care of the basketball.

“In our league, the talking heads don’t have a bunch of us going to the tournament. So, we’re all fighting to get to the tournament and finish off the season strong.”

Capel is worried about facing N.C. State’s bigs — Manny Bates (6-foot-11), and D.J. Funderburk (6-10) — without a paint presence of his own. But N.C. State 3-point artist Braxton Beverly, Keatts said.

Meanwhile, Keatts said he isn’t sure how to defend Pitt’s Justin Champagnie, the only ACC player averaging a double-double (18.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game).

“He’s playing at a high level. That says a lot about what Jeff’s done with his program,” Keatts said. “He can score the ball inside and out. It’s unbelievable how he’s rebounding the basketball.

“It’s a tough matchup for us. How do you play him? Do you switch screens like we typically like to do? And then chance having a smaller guy over him where he shoots the ball over him.”

For Pitt, the game is the first of five remaining scheduled games, including one more at N.C. State, another with Wake Forest (6-9, 3-9) at home and two against Clemson (13-5, 7-5).

With only three weeks before the scheduled start of the ACC Tournament, Pitt’s postponed games against No. 16 Florida State, Duke, Boston College and Louisville have not been rescheduled.

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