The Pittsburgh and Miami basketball teams that began ACC play in December are vastly different than the ones that will play in the conference tournament on Tuesday. Seedings for the ACC Tournament were set on Saturday. Twelfth seeded Pittsburgh will play 13th seed Miami at 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday in Greensboro.
Miami will be without sophomore guard Harlond Beverly who is out for the season with a chronic back injury and forward Matt Cross who was dismissed in January. Pittsburgh is without starters Au’Dise Toney and Xavier Johnson who left the team in late February.
Toney scored 15 points and played 39 minutes versus Miami in December. Both teams will have short benches in Greensboro. Miami has sixth played with six healthy scholarship players since late February. Pittsburgh played seven players all but 12 minutes in their 70-57 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.
The Panthers’ victory dropped the Demon Deacons to 14th in the ACC standings. Pittsburgh defeating Wake Forest elevated Miami to 13th, setting up the meeting in the ACC Tournament. Miami has not won an ACC Tournament game since 2019 when they defeated 13th seeded Wake Forest in the first round as the 12th seed.
IT'S TOURNEY TIME.
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) March 7, 2021
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Miami has not won an ACC Tournament game later than the second round since 2016. In the game in December, Pittsburgh pulled away in the second half outscoring Miami 43-30 after leading 27-25 at halftime. Ithiel Horton led Pittsburgh with 18 points and made four of his six three-point attempts.
The Miami basketball team finished the season last in opponents’ three-point percentage at 38.6. Isaiah Wong led Miami against Pittsburgh with 21 points making 6-10 from the floor and 3-5 three-point attempts.
Anthony Walker was the Hurricanes’ other double-figure scorer against the Panthers with 12 and added 10 rebounds. Pittsburgh is a game Miami can win coming off the victory over Boston College on Friday.