Jeff Capel and his team find themselves in a state of anticipation following a missed opportunity. Pittsburgh had a golden chance to edge closer to an NCAA Tournament berth on Friday night. However, despite a late surge, the Panthers succumbed to a 7-0 run and ultimately fell 72-65 to No. 4 North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
“I’m not a bracketologist. I’m not an expert. I’m a basketball coach. I try to worry about my team,” explained Capel, Pittsburgh’s coach, reflecting on the team’s journey. “I know we’ve gotten better. I know if you look over the past — since January 20th — I think we’ve played as well as anyone in college basketball.”
The Panthers’ case for a tournament bid has its blemishes, notably a November home loss to a struggling Missouri team. Despite solid performances in conference play, securing the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament, the lack of standout victories beyond encounters with the likes of North Carolina and Duke leaves uncertainty around their postseason fate.
Pittsburgh showcased its resilience in the quarterfinals by defeating Wake Forest, another bubble team. Against North Carolina, the Panthers battled fiercely, matching them step for step. However, RJ Davis’s clutch 3-pointer swung the momentum in favor of the Tar Heels, ultimately denying Pitt a spot in the ACC Tournament title game.
“There’s no way that you can look at this game and look at Pitt and not say it’s definitively an NCAA Tournament team — and not just an NCAA Tournament team, a team that could go far in the tournament,” praised North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, acknowledging Pittsburgh’s potential. “Extremely well coached. Coach Capel does a fantastic job.”
Last year, Pitt was part of the First Four in the NCAA Tournament and managed to progress to the round of 32 with two victories, indicating their capability to thrive on the big stage.
