In the fall, Pitt men’s basketball will be featured in the inaugural Greenbrier Tip-Off Tournament that will include Wisconsin and UCF. The fourth team in the event was revealed over the weekend with the final party being LSU, according to Jon Rothstein.
The multi-team event will take place at the world-renowned Greenbrier resort in White Sulpher Springs, W.Va. on Nov. 22-24.
With the stage set, Pitt will have an opportunity to see a trio of teams not often faced.
The Panthers and LSU have only met four times with the most recent matchup coming over 50 years ago with the Tigers winning 120-79.
This past season, LSU finished eighth overall in the SEC standings with a 9-9 conference record and 17-16 overall mark.
Along with LSU, Pitt could face Wisconsin, a team it has seen much more recently. The Panthers and Badgers battled it out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016 where the Badgers gutted out a low-scoring affair, winning 47-43 over the Panthers.
Wisconsin has a 12-7 edge in the series with the matchup dating back to 1928.
The Badgers are coming off of a rather successful season where they made a return to the NCAA Tournament after missing it in 2023. With a 22-14 overall record and 11-9 post in Big 10 play, the Badgers made a run to the Big 10 Championship game where they fell to Illinois, 93-87.
Days later, Wisconsin’s season came to a close when it was upset as a fifth seed to No. 12 James Madison, 72-61.
As for UCF, Pitt has only met them once on the hardwood, which came in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Pitt would beat UCF, 53-44, before taking on Wisconsin in the second round where the Panthers would beat the Badgers.
In its first season in Big 12 play, UCF went 7-11 and 17-16 overall. After bowing out of the Big 12 Tournament in the second round, the Knights did receive an NIT invite where they would fall to in-state rival, USF, 77-83 in the first round.
Pitt will look to utilize this MTE to bolster its non-conference record after competing in the Preseason NIT at the Barclays Center this past November.
The Greenbrier is located in the Allegheny Mountains 250 miles south of Pittsburgh close to the West Virginia-Virginia border. The Greenbrier holds a number of indoor and outdoor activities, numerous shops, five golf courses, 20 dining and lounge venues, signature spa services and an on-property casino on more than 11,000 acres.
Travel packages will be available for Panthers fans looking to attend include game tickets, good for each game of the Tournament, and hotel accommodations on property. Panthers fans interested in securing packages and receiving additional event updates from the Tournament can register to receive email alerts at www.greenbriertipoff.com. Ticket-only packages, based on availability, will go on sale in the fall.
Hands down have to win this tourney.They cannot lose to these teams if they want to make it to the Madness..The loses to Mizzou a d Florida hurt them in the long run
No, what hurt them was Scott Barnes being added to the selection committee. An unheard of number of Mountain West teams were selected to the tournament. Oregon State joins the Mountain West Conference next year. Coincidence, no. And they were all gone by the second round. He has to be disqualified from the selection committee. Period.