A sure-fire way of getting into the NCAA Tournament is by beating fellow NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season.
Pitt has done that, but games against No. 20 Miami on Saturday and at North Carolina on Wednesday can really bolt the Panthers into the good graces of the selection committee come Selection Sunday.
Prior to Saturday's 4 p.m. tip-off against the Hurricanes at the Petersen Events Center, Pitt is still in a good position in that regard, but every game is looked at in real time thanks to the NCAA NET Rankings. As of this posting, Pitt (14-7, 7-3 ACC) rests at 62nd, while Miami (16-4, 7-3) is 37th, just outside of the threshold of 30th for this to qualify as a "Quadrant 1" game for the Panthers.