Bracketology Watch: Pitt Solidified NCAA Tournament Standing
GREENSBORO -- The Pitt Panthers arrived in Greensboro, North Carolina looking to do more than just secure their first ACC Tournament win in three years. They also wanted to solidify their NCAA Tournament resume and they didn't need much to do it.
After beating Georgia Tech, 89-81, to earn their spot in the quarterfinals, the Panthers took a big step forward in their pursuit of the program's first bid to the Big Dance, according to ESPN's John Gasway. He thought Pitt entered the afternoon in a precarious spot. They were in danger of falling to the Bubble or even further if they fell to 12 seed Georgia Tech.
"The 40 minutes Pitt played against Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament's second round were going to be vitally important to the Panthers' tournament chances either way," he wrote. "A loss would have exposed Jeff Capel's team to real bubble peril."
But after emerging with a win, Gasway elevated Pitt from his "Work to Do" category up to "Should be In". He is much more bullish on their NCAA Tournament hopes after downing the Yellow Jackets. All that's left is to play competitively against Duke in the quarterfinals.
"The victory propels the Panthers into the relative safety of a game against Duke in the quarterfinals," Gasway wrote. "A respectable showing in a loss to the Blue Devils won't jeopardize this team's fate on Selection Sunday. Conversely, Pitt might very well win and reach the ACC semifinals for just the second time since joining the league nine years ago. Things are looking much more solid for the Panthers."
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