Game Preview: Florida gears up for NIT Season Tip-Off against Pittsburgh

The Florida Gators are hitting the road again to play in neutral territory on Wednesday night, as they prepare to play the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Florida and Pittsburgh face off for the first time since the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, where the Gators struck down the Panthers, 61-45 on the way to a Final Four appearance.

Florida is riding a two-game win streak after taking down in-state nemesis Florida State, 89-68, last Friday night. Gators head coach Todd Golden told the media that he’s looking forward to the matchup with Pittsburgh.

“We’re coming up in the next couple days against a really good team that has blasted every team they’ve played,” Golden said. “I feel like we’re going to have a tough matchup Wednesday in Brooklyn. We’ll try to use that, for sure, as momentum, a little proof in concept that what we’re doing is working, but with that being said we’re going to have to have two really good days of practice before we go into Brooklyn on Wednesday.”

The Panthers annihilated Jacksonville on Friday night by a 51-point margin, 107-56, and will look to move to 5-0 on Wednesday night. Here’s how both teams will line up by tipoff.

Expected Starters: Florida Gators

Starting lineup: Pittsburgh Panthers

Key Player: Tyrese Samuel

Graduate forward Tyrese Samuel has been making an immediate impact since making his start in Gainesville, averaging 12.3 points a game this season and making him the second-leading scorer behind sophomore guard Riley Kugel.

Samuel, however, has been critical coming off the boards, collecting 34 total rebounds with a team-high 21 defensive rebounds.

Both Samuel and Gators big man Micah Handlogten earned double-doubles against the Virginia Cavaliers, becoming the first pair of UF teammates to do so since 2020.

Look for the Montreal, Quebec, Canada, native to infiltrate the paint against the high-scoring Panther offense in order to bolster the Gators’ chances at keeping up with Pittsburgh.

Key Player: Blake Hinson

Ole Miss transfer Blake Hinson is another transfer who’s making a name for himself while adjusting to a new home. Hinson is averaging a team-high 20.5 points and even Florida head coach Todd Golden took time to recognize his game in the media scrum on Monday.

“Blake Hinson, a fifth-year guy that has bounced around a lot and kind of found a home at Pitt,” Golden said. “Played really well last year and is doing so again this year. They’re just a team that’s played really well so far and protected their home floor at a high level. All their numbers are really good on both sides of the ball.”

The Panthers forward can also be dangerous from 3-point land, shooting 40% this season after finding open space from deep range. Hinson is tied for the team’s total defensive rebounds with 16.

Prediction

The game will most likely turn into a Wednesday night shootout in Brooklyn, has both teams have proved to own high-scoring offenses, but the Pittsburgh Panthers are bringing plenty of experience to the floor with only one freshman starting.

Both teams are on a roll, with the Panthers looking to extend its undefeated streak to six games and the Gators are feeling themselves after handily defeating the Florida State Seminoles. Both teams have been blending well and there won’t be a hometown advantage for either team.

The last time Florida competed in neutral territory was when they lost a three-point nail-biter to the Virginia Cavaliers. Both teams will come out firing on all cylinders and the battle could even go to overtime, if the Gators are lucky.

We’ll take the Gators to edge out the Panthers on the rebound statistics and on the scoreboard.

Florida 83, Pittsburgh 79

How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2023

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET

• TV Channel: ESPN2/ESPNU

• Radio: Gators IMG Sports Network

• Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire