Giger: Who would win Pitt vs. Penn State?

It possibly could happen in about a week, a matchup between Pitt and Penn State in an NCAA Tournament play-in game in Dayton.

Both the Panthers and Nittany Lions are on the bubble, and depending on how things go, one or both could wind up playing in Dayton in a First Four game.

Even better, they could end up playing each other, which would be very interesting for our DKPS readers.

As of Monday night, both Pitt and Penn State were among the last four byes in Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology for ESPN.

More precisely, Penn State is listed as the last bye, while Pitt is the next-to-last bye. If that holds, then obviously they wouldn't meet in the First Four.

However ...

If Penn State loses to Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, then if the Lions do make the field, they almost certainly would be in a First Four game in Dayton.

Additionally, if Pitt loses in its first ACC Tournament, game, then if the Panthers do make the tournament, they likely would be in a play-in game.

So, if we really want to see Pitt vs. Penn State, then we would have to hope both teams lose their first conference tourney game. Then again, that very well could knock either team completely out of the field, and that's not an ideal situation.

Anyway, regardless of whether they end up playing or not, we figured it would be fun to debate who would win if the Panthers and Lions were to play. So, Corey Crisan and Cory Giger got together for this fun point-counterpoint.

CRISAN TAKES PANTHERS

This matchup is just juicy from all angles. To begin: Pitt and Penn State are two of the oldest teams in college basketball, have bona fide studs to lean on in Jamarius Burton and Jalen Pickett, and are incredible offensively while being slightly below average defensively.

Watching Burton and Pickett go at it would be worth the price of admission for itself. Pickett has fared slightly better as a scorer this season, but he is also a tremendous facilitator and rebounder in his own right. The exact same qualities could be said for Burton, who is among the best inside shooters in the ACC and has unbelievable command of the floor when the ball is in his hands.

Both teams rank in the top 30 in KenPom in adjusted offensive efficiency, while Pitt is not even a point better in adjusted defensive efficiency when compared to Penn State. Neither team relies on its bench, so expect 30-plus minutes of each of the starters going blow-for-blow in a matchup like this. What could separate Pitt here is a player like Federiko Federiko and Blake Hinson, whose athleticism could help the Panthers gather some offensive rebounds and effort some second-chance points.

But both teams love to let it fly from deep, and the team which makes more 3s in a game like this can absolutely run away from the other. Penn State puts up 10.8 3s per game and makes 38.9% of them, while Pitt hoists 9.4 3s per game and makes 36%. Pitt grabs four more rebounds per game than Penn State (36.6-32.1), but the two are nearly even in terms of assists per game.

The pick: Pitt 83, Penn State 80

GIGER COUNTERS WITH LIONS

Penn State can beat anybody if it makes shots. The Lions are so incredibly dependent on their 3-point shooting with Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk, among others, then their Plan B is to have Pickett attack in the paint, where he's tough to stop.

I predicted back in December that Penn State could make the Sweet 16 since it would be a tough matchup in the NCAA Tournament because of the shooters. But ... if the Lions aren't hitting from deep, then they're actually easily beatable by just about anybody.

I believe Penn State is better than Pitt. This is the weakest the ACC has ever been in my lifetime, and I just have a hard time buying into anybody in the league. Pitt has had an excellent season and deserves to be in the tournament, and the Panthers could make a run if they get good matchups.

I just so happen to believe Penn State would be a tough matchup for Pitt because the Lions are so experienced and, usually, very good shooters. When you add in the fact that Pickett can take over a game at any point and that Camren Wynter has been super clutch of late, I see Penn State coming out on top.

The pick: Penn State 78, Pitt 74

We both ran separate Twitter polls, and Pitt is way out in front in the votes on both.

Who do you think would win and why? Post your thoughts in the comments.