Pitt Can Make Statement by Beating North Carolina
PITTSBURGH -- Over the past seven years, whatever momentum the Pitt Panthers had been able to build during cautiously hopeful offseasons and non-conference schedules has been quickly and cruelly dashed by the cold, harsh reality of conference play.
When the ACC schedule hits, it hits hard and the Panthers are reminded of how far they have fallen. The climb back up has been long, incremental and hardly linear, but there is ample evidence that it is happening.
Pitt begins its ACC schedule in earnest this weekend. They will ring in the New Year a day early by meeting North Carolina on even footing for the first time since the two became conference foes in 2013. It required the Tar Heels to suffer a significant fall from grace, from national runner-up and preseason No. 1 to the fringes of the top-25, but that doesn’t take away from the opportunity the Panthers have in front of them.
With a win over that team - and really, that logo - they can kick off a brutal stretch that includes three games against the league’s perennial powers - No. 25 Carolina, No. 3 Virginia and No. 15 Duke - with a kind of momentum that hasn't been seen since the golden era of the early 2000's and 2010's.
The 2015-16 season was a watershed moment for this program. It was the last time Pitt’s reached March with a winning record, the last time it tasted the top 25 and the last time it started conference play 3-0. These 2022 Panthers can match that mark, which is now separated by two different coaching administrations.
The Jeff Capel era in Pittsburgh has not been completely devoid of optimism. In fact, just about each of his five seasons at the helm has consisted of varying degrees of positive momentum.
None of it has compared to what this year’s team - one that’s lived up to its modest but notable billing as the most talented and experienced of the past five years - has built. Pitt survived a disastrous 1-3 start to the year that included a blowout loss to rival West Virginia and a 30-point drubbing to Michigan to scratch and claw up KenPom rankings and ACC stands
Pitt has proven they can build momentum but it is now time to meet the moment such momentum creates. There haven't been many games like this over the past couple of years for Pitt - big games with high stakes for both teams. Opportunity has come knocking and it's time to answer.
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