New AP, Coaches Polls Released: Is Pitt Ranked?

On Monday, both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll were released. Neither included Pitt, despite the Panthers’ strong 12-2 record.

Pitt received the most votes out of any unranked squad in the AP Poll, with 91 votes. Upcoming opponent Duke was ranked No. 4 overall.

The Panthers received the third-most votes out of unranked teams in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Pitt is ranked highly in the NCAA’s NET rankings, sitting at No. 15 overall. The Panthers have three Quad 1 and 2 wins, having beaten Ohio State, West Virginia, and LSU so far this year.

Pitt now takes on No. 4 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7. That game will be televised on ESPN.

Check out what head coach Jeff Capel had to say about the matchup against the Blue Devils here.

Last year, Blake Hinson, Jaland Lowe, and Bub Carrington led the Panthers to a win over the Blue Devils at the historic arena. Now, with Hinson and Carrington gone, Pitt is off to its best start of the Jeff Capel-era at 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the ACC.

Duke and Pitt are two of the three undefeated (in conference play) teams left in the league, along with Clemson. Both teams are currently on extended winning streaks, with Pitt having won five in a row and the Blue Devils eight in a row.

BLUE DEVILS REPORT

Duke is ranked second in the NCAA’s NET rankings and shares a 12-2 record with the Panthers. Duke’s two losses came against No. 19 Kentucky (ranking from the time of the game) and No. 1 Kansas.

Duke has the No. 6 scoring defense in the nation, giving up just 59 points per game on average. The Blue Devils rank ninth in scoring margin, and fifth in opponent field-goal percentage.

For more on the Blue Devils, check here.