CBS College Basketball Analyst Doug Gottlieb: Pitt Knows How To Beat Syracuse

PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - CBS Sports college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb joined The Cook and Poni Show Friday morning to preview the Top 25 match-up between Pitt and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Saturday afternoon.

"They know how to play Syracuse," Gottlieb said "They know how to beat that zone."

Gottlieb says that Pitt matches up well and has the confidence needed to take out Syracuse on the road.

"They just need to hit shots," Gottlieb said.

He says it has taken a lot longer than anyone may have expected for Pitt to get into the Top 25, and adds that their lack of schedule had many not voting for them. But that will change if they can get a win over No. 2 Syracuse on the road.

Gottlieb says it hasn't helped that Pitt has played the lower teams in what appears to be a bad ACC.

"The ACC has been disappointing," Gottlieb said. "We thought the ACC had created a super league, but it hasn't happened yet."

He says the Big East teams coming into the conference have held up their end of the bargain, but the elite of the ACC are having down years.

"When your thoroughbred teams stink it makes everyone else look bad," Gottlieb said. "It's not good in the middle or at the bottom, but they still have a couple of teams at the top capable of competing for a Final Four spot."

Gottlieb tells the guys he wishes he could see how Pitt plays tomorrow (vs. Syracuse) before he answered the question on where Pitt's ceiling is for the year. He would say, as of now, they are a team capable of making it to the second week of the NCAA Tournament.