Pitt Climbs Up KenPom Rankings

The Pitt Panthers move up in KenPom rankings after a win over LSU.

Nov 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel reacts against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers defeated LSU to open the Greenbrier Tip-Off, which helped them to rise up the KenPom rankings.

Pitt sits at No. 12 in the KenPom rankings, with a +23.05 Net Rating, or adjusted efficiency margin. They also rank No. 11 with a 93.1 defensive rating and No. 21 with a 116.1 offensive rating this season.

KenPom rankings, which statistician Ken Pomeroy created, serve as a way to look at teams and how efficient they are, instead of just purely looking at wins and losses. It favors teams with tougher schedules, lose closer games to better teams and wins game by large margins when possible.

Pitt has won their first six matchups of the season, starting 6-0 for the first time since 2018-19, head coach Jeff Capel's first year at the helm.

They blewout Radford in the season opener on Nov. 4, 96-56, outlasted Murray State on Nov. 8, 83-68, dominated Gardner-Webb on Nov. 11, 83-64, and obliterated rival West Virginia in theBackyard Brawl on Nov. 15, 86-62, with all game coming at the Petersen Events Center.

The Panthers received votes in the AP Poll for the first time since the end of the 2022-23 regular season.

Pitt also easily defeated VMI back on Nov. 18 at home, a 93-48 blowout that saw sophomore guard Jaland Lowe record the sixth triple-double in program history.

Lowe would star again for the Panthers in their 74-63 win over the Tigers. He scored a career-high 22 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field, 4-for-7 from 3-point range and 6-for-7 from the foul line, while also leading the Panthers with eight rebounds and six assists and adding three steals.

Pitt will face off against No. 19 Wisconsin in the Championship at the Greenbrier Tournament on Nov. 24 at 5:30 p.m., with both teams looking to stay undefeated on the season.

The location for the resort is in the Allegheny Mountains, 250 miles south of Pittsburgh close to the West Virginia-Virginia border. The Greenbrier posseses a number of indoor and outdoor activities, numerous shops, 20 dining and lounge venues, five golf courses, signature spa services and an on-property casino on more than 11,000 acres.

The teams will face off at the 1,000 person capacity Colonial Hall at The Greenbrier. The hall hosts extravagant balls, fancy dinners, fun concerts and enthralling conventions. 

Pitt will also face some tough opponents in their following matchups, traveling to face Ohio State (No. 17 KenPom) on Nov. 29, Mississippi State (No. 24 KenPom) in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 4 and Virginia Tech on Dec. 7 in their ACC opener.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

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