Pitt Makes Latest Preseason ESPN Bracketology

The Pitt Panthers made the latest preseason ESPN Bracketology by Joe Lunardi.

Mar 15, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel looks on from the sidelines against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports / Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers still have a little more than two weeks until the start of the 2024-25 season, but many fans and national critics have high expectations for the team this season.

Joe Lunardi of ESPN released his latest Bracketology, which he put Pitt as the last team in, as a part of the "Last Four In."

He predicts that Pitt will play former Big East rival Villanova in the First Four, with both teams as No. 11 seeds. The winner heads to the East Region and will face No. 6 Kentucky in Milwaukee for the First Round. The winner of that game would face either No. 3 Baylor or No. 14 Louisiana Tech, the automatic qualifier out of Conference USA, in the Second Round.

Pitt and Villanova faced off in the 2009 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, with Scottie Reynolds scoring a last-second layup to put Villanova in the Final Four, stunning No. 1 Pitt.

Lunardi has six ACC teams in this latest Bracketology, just one more than the five who made the 2024 NCAA Tournament. This includes No. 1 Duke, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 8 Clemson, No. 9 Wake Forest, and No. 10 Miami, who earned one of the "Last Four Byes."

Miami joins Rutgers, Saint Mary's and Kansas State in the "Last Four Byes" and Pitt joins Oregon, Maryland and Villanova in the "Last Four In."

Louisville, who have new head coach Pat Kelsey, feature in the "First Four Out" with Providence, VCU and Nebraska. The "Next Four Out" incldues Georgia, USC, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Pitt struggled initially in ACC play last season, with a 1-5 start, but managed to win 11 of their last 14 games, finished No. 4 overall in the conference and made the ACC Tournament Semifinals. Still, they missed out on the NCAA Tournament and rejected a bid for the NIT, ending their season at 22-11.

They came close to making the NCAA Tournament, but the Selection Committee chose to go with six teams from the Mountain West, who all lost by the Sweet 16.

The Panthers lost All-ACC First Team forward Blake Hinson to graduation and All-Rookie Team/All-ACC Honorable Mention guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington to the NBA Draft, but bring back an exciting cast of players. 

ACC Sixth Man of the Year Ishmael Leggett returns and so too does star guardJaland Lowe, who excelled in his freshman year, for the Panthers' backcourt. Houston transfer Damian Dunn, four-star guard Brandin Cummings, brother of former Pitt player Nelly Cummings, and Bosnian sharpshooter Amsal Delalic 

Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham will play a role in the Panthers' frontcourt and so will Florida State transfer Cameron Corhen, Zack Austin and Papa Amadou Kante, who sat out last season with injury.

Pitt will look to make it back to the NCAA Tournament, as they did in the 2022-23 season, ending a seven-year drought.

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