Pitt Suffers Small Drop in NET Rankings
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers dropped in the NET rankings on Sunday morning even after defeating NC State and securing the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament.
Pitt fell from No. 43 to No. 44 after an eight-point victory at home over the Wolfpack, who registered as a Quad 3 opponent and even jumped from No. 83 to No. 80 following their loss.
The Panthers were leapfrogged by Cincinnati as it blew out West Virginia, a Quad 3 foe, 92-56 at home. The Bearcats were No. 45 at the beginning of the day on Saturday and rose to No. 41 while the Mountaineers fell 11 spots from No. 148 to No. 159, showing just how much the scoring margin influences the rankings.
The Panthers own the fifth-highest NET in the ACC and are one of seven teams from the conference within the top-60. Their placement at No. 43 was their highest during conference play this season, and while they had reached as high as No. 35 in December, they remain in a good position within the rankings as it pertains to their at-large resume.
Pitt, who is 2-6 against Quad 1 teams, is far from an NCAA Tournament lock, however it could play itself into the field with a strong showing in the ACC Tournament. With matchups against No. 5 seed Wake Forest and No. 1 seed North Carolina potentially on the horizon, both of whom would also be Quad 1 opponents, the Panthers control their own destiny in their quest for a bid.
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