PITTSBURGH, Pa. (PTTP) – When the Panthers heard their name called Sunday evening during the NCAA selection show, everything came together for the men’s basketball team. They had finally proven themselves, and so had head coach Jeff Capel. It had been a tough last couple of years for Pitt, finishing 11th or lower in the ACC in the previous four seasons. This put high pressure on Capel, who started with the team in 2018, to show he could make something out of the talent present.
This season was one that no one had predicted. It has been quite impressive, and you could feel the excitement at every home game taking place at the Peterson Event Center. In the ACC the Panthers went 4-4 in Quad One games, 3-5 in Quad Two games, 5-1 in Quad Three games, and 10-1 in Quad Four games, and finished tied for 3rd place overall in the conference. The team was still slept on, going unranked for the majority of the year.
Pitt competed in one of the two NCAA play-in games to advance to the round of 64 on Tuesday where they came out on top over Mississippi State by a final score of 60-59. The Panthers are now set to play Iowa State Friday afternoon at 3:10 PM. This game is especially interesting as Panther’s forward Blake Hinson formerly was on the roster at Iowa State until he transferred to Pitt in the year 2021.
If the Panthers win and move on to the round of 32, they will face the winner of the Xavier and Kennesaw State game. Pitt looks to showcase their veteran roster and continue to make a run in the tournament.