Home / Sports / SMU's NCAA Hopes on the Line at Pitt
SMU's NCAA Hopes on the Line at Pitt
7 Feb
Summary
- SMU seeks to avoid jeopardizing NCAA Tournament chances.
- Pitt struggles with depth, size, free-throw shooting, and turnovers.
- Pitt's athletic director expressed disappointment with the team's performance.
SMU, ranked 34th in the NCAA's NET rankings, faces a crucial Atlantic Coast Conference matchup against Pitt on Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs are aiming to avoid a damaging loss that could jeopardize their NCAA Tournament prospects. SMU has recently experienced a two-game losing skid, including a narrow 84-83 home defeat.
Pitt, conversely, sits at the bottom of the ACC standings with a 2-8 conference record and a NET ranking of 114. The Panthers have also lost their last two games. They have grappled with issues such as lack of depth and size, poor free-throw shooting at 66.1%, and a high turnover rate, evidenced by 17 turnovers in their recent loss.
Recent comments from Pitt's athletic director, Allen Greene, highlight the team's underperformance this season. Greene stated that the program has not met expectations and acknowledged that changes might be considered if improvement is not observed, indicating potential pressure on the coaching staff.
