Pitt Not Doomed in NCAA Tournament Race Yet

The Pitt Panthers aren't out of the NCAA Tournament picture just yet.

PITTSBURGH -- During the first half of Pitt's loss on the road to Wake Forest, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi butted into the ACC Network broadcast with an evaluation of the Panthers' NCAA Tournament chances that surprised many fans. 

Lunardi said that for both Pitt and Wake Forest a win was not only preferred but necessary as both sides pursue an at-large bid. It was a “must-win for both to live and fight another day," according to Lunardi, but it's too early to sink this team's postseason hopes just yet. 

Make no mistake, a 33-point loss to anyone in any venue with any added context is ugly for any team, but this loss was not fatal for a team that had done so much good work in the later half of their regular season. Their margin of error has become razor-thin but the runway is long enough and littered with enough opportunities left for them to remain a serious contender on the bubble. 

Pitt's resume hasn't changed meaningfully after this loss to Wake Forest. It didn't erase their two road victories over ranked Duke and Virginia, nor the five-point win over these Demon Deacons at the Petersen Events Center. They are still 4-7 against Quads 1 and 2 teams and 13-2 against the bottom two Quads. 

Wake Forest was undefeated on the road - 13-0 this season - entering this game and proved why it is so hard to win on their gym. They are comfortable shooting on those rims and play with renewed defensive intensity in front of their home fans. The margin made it look worse, but Lunardi was ready to sink Pitt with a loss regardless of what it looked like. 

The reality is that he Panthers still have enough chances to finish the regular season with a reasonably NCAA Tournament-worth resume. They have a trip to Clemson - another Quad 1 opportunity - coming up in a week, plus home games against Virginia Tech N.C. State to close out the year. That's all before they get into the ACC Tournament, which presents the possibility of a rematch with these Demon Deacons, North Carolina, Duke or Virginia. Not only is there a chance Pitt still climbs to 20 or more wins but does it in style as well. 

Its latest showing in Winston-Salem was demoralizing but not disastrous. It was more fluke than fatal and Pitt has as much time as they need (but albeit, not much more than that) to keep their dreams of a second NCAA Tournament bid in as many years alive.  

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