The Pitt Panthers earned their 27th all-time NCAA Tournament bid on Sunday, their first since 2016. Pitt was awarded an 11-seed in the Midwest region and was one of the last at-large teams to make the tournament.
The Panthers are set to take on fellow 11-seed, Mississippi State, on Tuesday night in the 'First Four' in Dayton, Ohio. The game will tip-off approximately at 9:10 eastern on TruTV. Should the Panthers win the play-in game, Pitt will then head back to Greensboro to take on sixth-seeded Iowa State in the first round. That game is set for Friday afternoon at 3:10.
Pitt comes into the tournament with a 22-12 record and a 14-6 mark in the ACC, which placed them fifth in the conference. The Panthers have stumbled a bit down the stretch, as they will head into the NCAA Tournament having lost three of their last four games, including a 96-69 setback to Duke in the ACC Tournament. Despite that, Pitt does own wins over five NCAA Tournament teams throughout the season.
The Panthers are led by the ACC Coach of the Year, Jeff Capel. After four straight losing seasons to open his tenure at Pitt, Capel has now guided the Panthers to the tournament for the first time. Pitt is now the third program Capel has led to Big Dance as a head coach.
As a program, Pitt has missed six straight NCAA Tournaments, but the team has experience playing in March Madness. Four of Pitt starters, Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Blake Hinson, all previously played in the NCAA Tournament at their former schools before transferring to Pitt.
Pitt was selected to finish 14th in the ACC in the preseason. The team outplayed expectations and was in contention to win the league heading into the final weekend of the season. In normal circumstances, a top flight ACC team would be a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but the conference overall was devalued a bit by the selection committee with only five ACC teams in the field, and Pitt grabbing one of the last bids.
At a glance, Mississippi State comes into the tournament with a 21-12 overall record. The Bulldogs went 1-1 in the SEC Tournament this weekend, bowing out to top-seeded Alabama 72-49 on Friday. Mississippi State is coached by Chris Jans, who is in his first season in Starkville. Previously Jans led New Mexico State to the NCAA Tournament three times.
The Bulldogs are led by All-SEC first team selection, Tolu Smith. The 6'11" senior leads Mississippi State in scoring (15.8) and rebounding (8.5). He is the only player on the team who averages double figures.
