What MATTers : Panthers in Prime Position for March Madness Down the Stretch

What MATTers: Panthers in Prime Position for March Madness Down the Stretch -
The Pitt men's basketball team traveled to Charlottesville, VA this past Monday in hopes of earning a marquee road win. The #2 Cavaliers shunted the Panthers' hopes of an upset by playing smothering defense. Pitt was held to 15 points at the half, one of the lowest offensive outputs in the team's history. As a result, Pitt fell, 61-49, in a game that was much closer than the score.
Despite the defeat, Pitt's computer numbers took big, positive strides. The Panthers moved into the Top 50 in the ratings percentage index (RP)I, and into the Top 75 in strength of schedule (SOS). This improvement is favorable for the Panthers' hopes of qualifying for March Madness. However, Pittsburgh's resume is still lacking wins away from home. Including this afternoon's triumph at the Carrier Dome against the Syracuse Orange, the Panthers stand at 2-7 in true road contests. The number in the win column must only rise. The good news? Pitt has two more opportunities. It plays at Wake Forest on March 1 and at Florida State to close the regular season on March 7. Playing hypothetical, two wins there would raise the road win total to 4. When one factors in that Pitt is 2-1 in neutral site games, 5-8 does not look all that bad. Plus, Pitt will be playing in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, NC. A couple of wins or more, and Pitt could run its road/neutral record to close to .500. Thus, the Panthers are in good position to address this weakness. Further, Pitt must accumulate additional wins to improve its profile.
A game that possesses a large implications is the home finale on March 4 against Miami (FL). The Hurricanes, like the Panthers, are fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The winner there likely knocks the other from consideration. A win over the Hurricanes would provide the Panthers with another RPI Top 100 victory. At the moment, the Panthers are a mediocre 4-8 against the RPI Top 100, another mark Pitt must improve upon.
If the Panthers finish the year at 11-7 in the ACC, they will likely earn a middle-of-the-conference seed in the Conference Tournament. The positive there is Pitt will likely have opportunities to play against additional RPI Top-100 foes. Dates with the upper echelon of the ACC would be likely.
The opportunities lie ahead for Pitt. With this afternoon's win over Syracuse, Pitt controls its own destiny in qualifying for March Madness. We will see what Jamie Dixon's team is made of, who will rise up, and whether Dixon can instill a drive to achieve the rest of the way. It's going to be quite a ride for Panther fans.
Keep Calm and Hail to Pitt!
Summary of Pitt's NCAA Tournament resume (as of 02/20/2015):
-Record vs. D-1: 17-10
-Strength of schedule: 26
-RPI (ESPN's calculation): 44
-Road win/loss record: 2-7
-Record vs. RPI:
Top 25: 1-5
Top 50: 4-8
Top 150: 9-8
Remaining schedule -
Tuesday, February 24: vs. Boston College (RPI 154)
Sunday, March 1: at Wake Forest (RPI 122)
Wednesday, March 4: vs. Miami (FL) (RPI 65)
Saturday, March 7: at Florida State (RPI 112)
References:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...i/_/teamId/221