With its 96-76 win over Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, Pitt not only overcame one of its most troublesome opponents in recent years but also turned some heads and helped its case for an NCAA tournament berth. Specifically, Pitt jumped 16 spots in the NET rankings, going from 64th to 48th. It also dropped Syracuse from 49th to 61st.
The occasion marks the first time that Pitt has cracked the top 50 this season, and it comes at a point when the team has played to a 7-2 record, with a 2-0 mark against Quadrant 1 opponents and a 2-1 mark against Quadrant 2 programs.