Field Level Media
14 Mar 2023, 02:35 GMT+10
A pair of No. 11 seeds looking to rekindle past NCAA Tournament success meet when Pittsburgh battles Mississippi State on Tuesday in a First Four game at Dayton, Ohio.
The winner will advance to play No. 6 seed Iowa State in the first round of the Midwest Regional on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.The Panthers (22-11) earned their first at-large bid since the 2015-16 season and their 27th overall tournament appearance by virtue of a 14-6 record inside the Atlantic Coast Conference, good for third place in the regular season. The team lost in the ACC tournament quarterfinals to Duke, 96-69.
"I'm really just happy for these guys because they've worked, they fought and we've won, and I think it's something that's earned," said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel. "For this group, to be the group to kind of get back to the big dance is a pretty cool, doggone thing."
Pitt is led by All-ACC performers Jamarius Burton (15.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists) and Blake Hinson (15.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Both players have scored in double-figures 28 times this season. ACC Sixth Man of the Year Nike Sibande is averaging 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds.
This is the first postseason appearance for the Panthers in five seasons under Capel, and the fourth time he has led a team into NCAA Tournament play. Capel was named the ACC Coach of the Year and is also among the top candidates for the Naismith National Coach of the Year.
Pittsburgh's 11-game win improvement overall is tied for the second-best mark in program history, while their eight-game upswing in conference play is a program record.
Under first-year coach Chris Jans, Mississippi State (21-12) will make its 12th tournament appearance, eight of which have come since the 2001-02 season. The best run for the Bulldogs came in 1996 under then-head coach Richard Williams, when State defeated Virginia Commonwealth, Princeton, Connecticut and Cincinnati during its NCAA Final Four run.
The Bulldogs finished the season as one of the SEC's hottest teams, winning nine of their last 13 games. The run has been highlighted by a trio of NET Quad 1 wins over No. 11 TCU, at Arkansas and against No. 25 Texas AM.
"It was surreal," said senior forward D.J. Jeffries. "A lot of teams were watching that didn't get selected that thought they were. For us to be selected is a blessing. I thank God that we were in this situation and have this opportunity to be able to go dancing. Now we've just got to go take advantage of our opportunity."
Only Will McNair Jr., who reached the tournament with Jans last season at New Mexico State, has experience in the tourney.
"It felt like a big relief off my back," Jeffries said. "You've been fighting and striving since your freshman year to get here, and I finally got here after three years. It's a blessing and I'm excited. I'm just ready to get to business and go out there and play on the big stage for the first time."
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Albuquerque Express news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Albuquerque Express.
More InformationEVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...