Opportunity Opens For Pitt With Wake Forest Loss

The Pitt Panthers have played themselves into a favorable position in the conference standings.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers' 88-73 win over Florida State on Tuesday night has locked them into the top half of the ACC standings with room to climb even further as the regular season reaches its swan song, thanks to Georgia Tech's last-second upset of Wake Forest. 

Pitt currently sits in a two-way tie with Clemson for fourth place at 11-8, though the Tigers hold the tiebreaker over the Panthers after sweeping them. Pitt also can no longer finish any lower than seventh in the conference, meaning they will avoid playing in the first round of the ACC Tournament and have clinched at least a single-round bye. 

The Panthers remain within striking position of a top four seed and the double bye that comes with it, but their chances all hinge on a number of key results falling in their favor over the coming days. 

In the best interest of both its NCAA Tournament hopes and its final placement in the conference standings, it is imperative that Pitt comes away with a win over NC State on Saturday night (7:45 EST, The CW). If it does, it can simultaneously move up the bubble and place as high as third with a 12-8 record depending on the outcomes of several matchups elsewhere around the league. 

The most important piece of the puzzle is what occurs in Clemson's bout with Wake Forest (6:00 EST, ACC Network). The Tigers would clinch a 12-8 record in conference play and either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed with a win while also eliminating the Panthers from contention for either of those spots. On the other hand, a Demon Deacons victory would net Pitt one of those two placements if it also earned a win. 

Virginia's matchup with Georgia Tech (8:00 EST, ACC Network) has major implications for the Panthers as well. The Cavaliers, who have lost three of their last four games, are currently in third place in the ACC with a 12-7 record. 

If Virginia were to lose while both Clemson and Pitt win, the programs would enter a three-way tie at 12-8. In that case, the Tigers (2-1) would be awarded third place while the Cavaliers (1-1) and Panthers (1-2) would finish in fourth and fifth, respectively, based on tiebreaker rules outlined by the ACC that are based on round-robin records. 

When two teams are tied in the standings, the record against the top team in the league - moving down the standings to each progressive team - are compared to break the tie. When three teams are tied, the teams' round-robin winning percentages against one another are used to break the tie. 

However, if Virginia and Clemson both were to lose while Pitt wins, the Panthers would be granted the No. 3 seed. On a similar note, if Pitt and Virginia both win while Clemson doesn't, the Panthers would earn the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament. 

A Panthers loss and Clemson win would land Pitt in sixth place at 11-9 in the conference while Syracuse, also 11-9, would pass it and finish in fifth based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

A Pitt loss (1-5) and Wake Forest (3-1) win would result in a four-way tie between those two programs plus Clemson (4-1) and Syracuse (2-3) with the Panthers finishing in seventh place in that scenario, their lowest possible placement in the standings. 

A lot is riding on how Pitt closes out its regular season. If things break right, it could find itself with one of the top seeds heading into the ACC Tournament. If their plans go awry and they don't finish with a double bye, the Panthers will still earn an extra chance to make a statement and boost their resume ahead of Selection Sunday. 

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