Pitt Staying Steady in Recent ESPN Bracketology

The Pitt Panthers are staying steady in recent ESPN Bracektology.

Dec 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Brandin Cummings (3) shoots against the Sam Houston State Bearkats during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers didn't play last week, but stayed steady in the latest ESPN Bracketology from Joe Lunardi.

Lunardi still has Pitt as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but facing the winner of the First Four matchup of No. 11 seeds, Nebraska vs. Vanderbilt, in the First Round of the East Region. The game would take place at the Amica Mutual Pavillion in Providence, R.I., with Providence College as hosts.

The winner of Pitt vs. Nebraska/Vanderbilt would face either the winner of back-to-back reigining National Champions in No. 3 UConn and No. 14 High Point, the automatic qualifier out of the Big South, in the Second Round.

The Panthers are 3-1 vs. the Cornhuskers, with two wins, home-and-away, in 1930, a loss in Lincoln in 1999 and a close, 52-51 win at Fitzgerald Field House in 2000.

They are also 2-3 against the Commodores, winning the first two games of the series in 1923 at home and 1935 on the road.

Pitt suffered one of their most devastating losses in the NCAA Tournament to Vanderbilt in 1988. As the No. 2 seed, they led by three points with less than 10 seconds remaining, but Vanderbilt would tie the game, as Barry Goheen made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send it into overtime.

The Commodores would go on to win that game, 80-74, ending the season for one of the best Pitt teams, which had stars like Charles Smith and Jerome Lane.

Vanderbilt has also won its two most recent matchups with Pitt, including a 68-52 victory at the Petersen Events Center on Nov. 24, 2021 and a close, 75-74 victory in Nashville on Dec. 7, 2022.

Pitt is 10-2 overall and finished their non-conference play 9-2. with just two losses to then ranked No. 19 Wisconsin at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. on Nov. 24 and Mississippi State on the road in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 4.

Their best win came on the road vs. Ohio State on Nov. 29, winning 91-90 in overtime thanks to a 3-pointer at the end from redshirt senior forward Zack Austin.

Nebraska is 11-2 on the season, with one ranked win over rival and then ranked No. 14 Creighton on Nov. 22. Their losses have come vs. Saint Mary's, 77-74 in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 17 and an 89-52 blowout defeat to Michigan State on the road on Dec. 7. They hold a No. 38 ranking in the NET, 11th best in the Big Ten.

Vanderbilt is 12-1 this season, with just one loss coming vs. Drake, 81-70 on Nov. 24 at the Charleston Classic.

They rank No. 31 in the NET, No. 9 in the SEC, and have Quad 2 wins vs. Nevada, 73-71 at the Charleston Classic on Nov. 21 and vs. TCU, 83-74 at the USBLM Coast to Coast Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

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