Inside The Panthers

NET Rankings Movement Helps Pitt's NCAA Tournament Resume

The Pitt Panthers' NCAA Tournament resume got an unexpected lift this weekend.

Stephen Thompson

NET Rankings Movement Helps Pitt's NCAA Tournament Resume
NET Rankings Movement Helps Pitt's NCAA Tournament Resume /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers picked up an additional Quad 1 win and aided their delicate NCAA Tournament resume without playing a game this weekend. 

With N.C. State having picked up one spot in the NCAA NET Rankings and sneaking into the top 75, Pitt's 67-64 win over the Wolfpack at PNC Arena is now a Quad 1 victory instead of a Quad 2. It helps cover for Wake Forest's - who's lost two in a row - recent slide as the Panthers' victory over them falls out of Quad 1 range. 

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N.C. State had lost two in a row heading into last weekend but made up some ground with a massive road win over Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday. But the critical last step to lift them into Quad 1 range came on Sunday, when the Wolfpack were idle. Maryland moving up one spot from 75th to 74th cleared some room for the Wolfpack and so did North Texas falling from 75th to 78th after a 78-62 loss on the road to UAB. 

These Quad 1 wins had been few and far between for the Panthers up until the past three weeks, during which they've knocked off Duke and Virginia on the road. The NET is tricky because Pitt needs Wake Forest back in the top 35 of the rankings for its home win over the Demon Deacons to be considered a Quad 1 opportunity. 

Quad 1 and 2 wins and Quad 3 and 4 losses are what make up the bulk of any team's NCAA Tournament resume. The Panthers now own a 4-6 record against the top two Quads and are 13-2 against the bottom two Quads. They currently sit at No. 47 in the NET Rankings, up 37 spots from where they were at this time last month. 

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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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