Tossing this up a bit early. Will be a tight window to get home for the start of the game.

7pm, various RSNs (ROOT, YES, NESN, Multiple FOX Sports) and ACCN Extra/WatchESPN.

I was watching a some games last night — Clemson-VT and Indiana-Iowa, primarily — and it seemed like half the conversation between the announcers (and 100% when they went to the studios) was about how teams needed this win to get off or stay on the bubble. They were talking about 4-10 (now 4-11) Clemson  in the ACC and the now 5-10 in the B1G, Indiana.

I know that bubble talk is always a big driver of interest late in the season. Especially in games with middling to below-average programs. But it is making me a little crazy. I swear, when 6-20 Mizzou was playing their best game of the season against Kentucky (ultimately losing), the game calling crew started talking about how if the Tigers kept this up and made a deep run in the SEC Tournament…

STOP!

There is no basis in reality, but the talking point is all about the bubble. I know in the cases of Indiana (big non-con wins) and Clemson (great numbers in statistical analysis). But in the end these are not good teams. Indiana between injuries and horrid inconsistency. Clemson is just good enough to lose. Painfully, heartbreakingly (possibly Faustian in nature for college football, but I can’t be sure), but still losses. Over and over again.

So, here’s Pitt tonight. 4-10 in the ACC. At Wake Forest — a team, legitimately on the bubble — and I will be subjected to hearing how Pitt is on the bubbble. Sure. Win the rest of their games to finish 19-12, 8-10 in the ACC. With what would include wins over Marquette, Maryland, UVA (twice), FSU and UNC. Then win at least one game in the ACC Tournament. Yeah, then Pitt’s got a good shot.

But not now. Right now, Pitt is a middle-of-the-pack NIT seeded team. Really bad losses to NC State, Clemson and Duquesne. And flat out embarrassing blowout losses to Miami and Louisville.

Okay, done ranting.

How’s going to beat Wake Forest?

That includes more contributions from the little-used bench, less freedom on offense and better defense.

After holding Florida State’s leading scorer, Dwayne Bacon, without a point, Pitt next tries its luck with Wake Forest’s 6-foot-10 sophomore John Collins, who is averaging 19 points.

“What jumps off the page about Wake Forest is its ability to score inside and outside,” Pitt coach Kevin Stallings said.

“John Collins is as good, if not better, than any post player in the league, and they have terrific 3-point shooting to go around them (third in the ACC at 38.5 percent).”

Stallings said beating Wake Forest starts with good defense.“You have to start with trying to figure out a defensive plan to where you can, hopefully, get enough stops to keep yourself in the game.”

Relying on defense? Crap.

Using more of the bench with Ryan Luther still out? Umm…

There were downsides, however, to that increase in playing time. Only two of the six players — Nix and Smith, the latter of whom played only in the game’s final minute — had a non-negative plus/minus rating, which measures the difference in points between a player’s team and its opponent while he is on the court. The sextet had a combined plus/minus of minus-22.

Their limitations were best exemplified when four of them were on the court at the same time early in the second half. With Pitt leading, 58-43, Milligan, Wilson, Kithcart and Nix were on the court with star forward Michael Young for 1:21. In that brief time, Florida State got within 10 points and forced two turnovers.

That followed the VT game where Pitt didn’t use the bench at all in the second half (which, honestly, was not something I disagreed) and lost. When Kevin Stallings did that mass substitution at that point, it almost seemed like an overreaction to criticisms thrown his way after the VT loss — or to prove the point as to why he didn’t go to the bench.

What will help Pitt tonight? If they can keep getting meaningful offensive contributions from the starters not named Jamel Artis and Mike Young.

It’s been part of the reason we’ve had a chance to win some of these games,” Pitt coach Kevin Stallings said. “Mike and Jamel have carried us so much this year that the defenses have obviously become very focused on them. It’s nice to have [Cam Johnson] or Sheldon jump up and take the lead in that department and take some pressure off of those two guys. We need to continue with that.”

In that three-game span, Pitt’s three starters other than Young and Artis — Jeter, Johnson and guard Chris Jones — have accounted for 53.8 percent of the points while its top scoring duo has scored 42.2 percent. In the 24 previous games, Young and Artis had scored 46.7 percent of the points while the other three starters accounted for just 30.2.

Much of that recent uptick has been due to Johnson and, especially, Jeter. In Pitt’s past three games, Jeter has averaged 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while making 26 of his 41 shots (63.4 percent). In that span, his scoring average has increased from 6.8 points to 8.4.

Johnson also has regained his excellent shooting form, draining 13 of his past 21 3-pointers while averaging 16.3 points per game. His surge comes after a nine-game lull in which he finished with at least 10 points just three times.Before that slump, he had scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games.

“It’s not a two-person show anymore,” Jeter said. “Now, you’ve got four or five people who can score over 10 points any game. I’m finally starting to be aggressive, Cam’s hitting his stride, Chris is still making plays. It’s relieving pressure off Mel and Mike. Now, the whole defense can’t just focus on them. They have to respect me, Cam and Chris as well.”

The one caveat I will add, is that the past three games have been at home.  Can the other guys be consistent and score outside the Pete. As this game and two of the final three games are on the road.