In Monday’s AP Poll, Pitt basketball missed the top-25 once again.
The Panthers received 27 votes in the poll, ranking 33rd out of all teams. Pitt received one more vote than West Virginia this week.
Pitt’s best wins have come against Ohio State, LSU, and West Virginia. The Panthers own a 2-1 road record and a 1-2 record in Quad 1. Pitt has not lost a game to a Quad 2, 3, or 4 opponent so far this season.
The Panthers are coming off of a massive win over Sam Houston, defeating the Bearkats 110-78 to head into the holiday. Five different players scored in double figures for the Panthers in Saturday’s victory, with Ishmael Leggett and Zack Austin leading the way with 23 points apiece. Jaland Lowe added 18 points and 11 assists, while Cam Corhen also contributed with 15 points. Beebah Cummings scored ten points off the bench, going 2 for 5 from the field and 5 for 6 from the free-throw line.
The Panthers are ranked No. 11 in the nation in the NCAA’s NET rankings, which are used in the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s selection process. Pitt is currently 10-2 on the season and 1-0 in ACC play with a road victory over Virginia Tech. Pitt’s two losses have come to No. 19 Mississippi State (11-1 on the year) and Wisconsin, who received nine votes in this week’s AP Poll.
The following teams have at least three losses and are ranked in the AP Top 25 this week: UConn (10-3), Gonzaga (9-3), Houston (8-3), Purdue (8-4), Illinois (8-3), and Baylor (7-3).
Pitt has the entire week off, and will play next on Jan. 1 against California at 1 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.
