After a 33-point loss to Mississippi State this past week, AP voters deemed Pitt outside of the top-25 teams in the country.
The Panthers were not in the top-25 rankings that came out on Monday afternoon. Instead, Pitt was in the “receiving votes” category, earning the eighth-most votes out of any unranked squad.
Mississippi State jumped into the top-25, holding the last spot, No. 25, after two wins this past week. The Bulldogs are now 8-1.
Pitt Falls in NET Rankings After Lopsided Loss to Mississippi State
Pitt opponent and rival West Virginia also received votes in the rankings, but was not included in the top 25. The Mountaineers received 30 votes, and Pitt received 62. The ACC has just two teams in the top-25 rankings currently, starting with No. 4 Duke near the very top. The Blue Devils sit at 7-2 on the season with star freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel leading the way. Next, Clemson has earned a No. 16 ranking after its 9-1 start to the season. The Tigers, led by head coach Brad Brownell, earned one of the ACC’s only wins last week in the SEC/ACC Challenge, beating Kentucky at home.
North Carolina began the season ranked, but is now outside of the top 25. The Tar Heels, coached by Hubert Davis, received 24 votes in this week’s AP Top 25 basketball Poll.
Pitt now returns home after its last five games came on the road. The Panthers will now host Eastern Kentucky in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the Petersen Events Center. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. est. Pitt will then take on Sam Houston in the final non-conference game of the year, on Dec. 21 at 1 p.m.
