The Pitt Panthers are a well-rested group heading into this afternoon’s ACC Tournament game against Wake Forest, and they have work to do. Pitt’s 21-10, fourth place finish in the ACC might have been enough in other years to get into the NCAA Tournament, but apparently not this year. They are not included in the field in any of the major rankings, including Joe Lunardi’s, where they are listed as the first of the “Next Four Out” teams, behind the “First Four Out”, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Seton Hall, and Mississippi State. Lunardi has the loser of today’s Pitt/Wake Forest game out of the NCAA field of 68.
Wake Forest knocked Notre Dame out of the ACC Tournament last night, 72-59.
Pitt coach Jeff Capel says the NCAA should consider expanding the field from 68 teams.
Capel says the ACC, which used to be one of the true traditional power conferences putting eight teams or more into the NCAA tournament, now struggles to get four in, and that’s puzzling.
As for the Panthers and their turnaround from a 1-5 start in the ACC standings this season to a finishing mark of 12-8, Capel says the key may have been when Ishmael Leggett came back from a mid-season injury and went from starter to sixth man, where he eventually earned the ACC Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Pitt beat Wake Forest, 77-72 on January 31st but was blown out by the Demon Deacons, 91-58 on February 20th.
This afternoon’s game is at 2:30. The pregame begins at 2 on WCCS. Should they win, Pitt will play a semifinal game tomorrow night against the winner of today’s game between top seed North Carolina and number 9 Florida State.
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