Pitt Basketball Declines Postseason Chances, Ends Season

On Friday, Pitt announced that it would not be pursuing any postseason basketball tournaments after finishing this season 17-15 (8-13 ACC).

This is the second-straight year that Pitt has declined postseason tournament play after not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.

“Coach Capel and I are fully committed to positioning Pitt Basketball for sustained success in the ACC and NCAA Tournament,” Pitt director of athletics Allen Greene said in a press release. “Our responsibility is to relentlessly evaluate and enhance every aspect of our program, ensuring it reflects the championship spirit of our city. Because that work is already underway, we’ve determined that the best path forward for our program is to forgo postseason tournaments this year as we build for the future.”

Pitt began the season 12-2 overall and 2-0 in ACC play, but closed out the year with just five more wins across the final 18 games. The Panthers lost their first game in this week’s ACC Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina, falling to Notre Dame by one point in the first game of the tournament. Pitt was the No. 13 seed — out of 15 qualifying teams — in the ACC Tournament.

Pitt did not specify which tournament(s) it declined this year. The Panthers declined the NIT last season shortly after they did not make the NCAA Tournament.

Other postseason events include the CBI as well as the new “College Basketball Crown” event.

Greene clearly states in his message that the Panthers’ athletic department is working to enhance “every aspect of our program.” With several key veterans moving on already (Damian Dunn, Ishmael Leggett, and Zack Austin are all out of eligibility), the Panthers will be active in the transfer portal in their search for talent. The portal officially opens on March 24, but hundreds of players have already declared that they will enter on that date.