Bracketology Watch: New Projections Send Pitt to First Four

The Pitt Panthers appear to be headed to Dayton, Ohio for the First Four.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers did not make their chase for the program's first NCAA Tournament bid in seven years easy on themselves. They lost four of their final seven games leading into selection Sunday, including a blowout loss to Duke in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament. 

As a result, the Panthers fell from their safe position inside the projected NCAA Tournament field and onto the bubble. No one but the Selection Committee knows exactly where Pitt will land, but new predictions from Joe Lunardi of ESPN and Brian Bennett of the Athletic have them on the right side of the cut line.

Lunardi still has Pitt as one of his "Last Four In" teams. He predicts they'll play Mississippi State in Dayton, Ohio - the sight of the First Four games. It'll have to earn the right to play in the official first round. Beat the Sun Devils and the Panthers will head to Albany, New York to play six seed Creighton. The winner of the 14-3 game between Kansas State and Furman awaits the winner of that game. 

Bennett also has Pitt heading to the First Four in his final bracket prediction of the season. There, they would meet Arizona State, with the winner also heading to Albany for a date with a six seed, but Bennett thinks it'll be St. Mary's. a 14-3 game between UConn and Furman would decide who plays the winner of the Gaels vs. either Pitt or Arizona State. 

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