Inside The Panthers

Drake Win Complicates Pitt's NCAA Tournament Path

The Pitt Panthers didn't get help from the Missouri Valley Conference champions.

Stephen Thompson

Drake Win Complicates Pitt's NCAA Tournament Path
Drake Win Complicates Pitt's NCAA Tournament Path /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are still on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament field as they wrap up the regular season and look forward to their ACC Tournament run. 

But while the Panthers rested and recovered from a long regular season over the weekend, conference tournament action around the country gave a major shakeup to the NCAA Tournament bubble. Drake, already a bubble team, upset Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game, giving them an automatic qualifier spot but also dropping the Sycamores down onto the bubble.

In theory, swapping bubble teams shouldn't change the calculus for the Panthers. Drake was considered a "First Four Out" team by ESPN's Joe Lunardi entering the MVC title game while Pitt sat a tier below them as one of the "Next Four Out". 

Assuming Indiana State takes their place - and it's likely the selection committee views them even more favorably than they would have a non-conference champion Drake team - the path to an at-large bid for Pitt becomes even more complicated. 

Indiana State ranks 29th in the all-important NET rankings and 43rd in KenPom behind a 28-6 record. They have avoided many bad losses and own a 22-1 record against Quads 3 and 4, but have just one Quad 1 win to their name in 2023-24. There aren't many opportunities for marquee wins in the MVC, a mid-major league. 

The Panthers are 44th in the NET and 46th in KenPom. They have seven wins in Quads 1 and 2 compared to five for the Sycamores. Pitt went 14-2 against Quads 3 and 4. 

Pitt has been knocked for their non-conference schedule strength, which ranks 340th in all of college basketball, according to KenPom, but the Sycamores aren't far ahead at 304th. 

Whether Pitt or Indiana State has the more compelling resume is open to interpretation but one thing isn't - adding the Sycamores to the bubble conversation doesn't help the Panthers. 

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Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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