Inside The Panthers

Pitt Players Blast ACC Disrespect After Tournament Victories

The Pitt Panthers are still fuming that disrespect for their conference kept them out of the NCAA Tournament.

Stephen Thompson

North Carolina v Pittsburgh
North Carolina v Pittsburgh / Greg Fiume/GettyImages

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers narrowly missed out on cracking the 2024 NCAA Tournament, due in no small part to the national perception that the ACC is not what it used to be.

But after four of the five ACC teams to make the field advanced to the Sweet 16 - the most of any conference in America - first-year Pitt players Jaland Lowe and Zack Austin took to Twitter to defend their league pride.

Lowe's gripe with the national conversation about Pitt, the ACC and college basketball at large goes back to Selection Sunday. When it was revealed that the Panthers were one of the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament, Lowe said "There’s A LOT of y’all who don’t actually watch basketball." He echoed that sentiment at the conclusion of the first weekend of March Madness play.

His teammate, Zack Austin implored the country to pay attention to the ACC as well. And fellow first-year transfer-turned-Panther Ishmael Leggett was left speechless watching Virginia, a team Pitt dominated on the road this season who was selected over Pitt to make the field as one of the Last Four In, score 14 first half points in a blowout loss to Colorado State at the First Four.

The sting of a missed opportunity is clearly lingering for the Panthers, who now can only look forward to leaving no doubt next season.

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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