Can Pitt Make the Tourney?

The Panthers were 0-7 in Big East play. 0-7. It is such a stunning number that it will stick as one of the crucial facts of the 2011-12 college basketball season.

They are now 3-7 in conference after winning three straight, including victories at home over Georgetown and on the road last night versus rival West Virginia. Much of the credit for the recent reversal goes to point guard Tray Woodall, who missed 12 games with an abdominal strain. Pitt went 5-7 without their point guard and are now 9-2 with him. Woodall scored 24 last night as Pitt has now won three of the last four played on the road in this heated rivalry.

But can the Panthers make the tourney? Obviously they have the talent and skill level to win the Big East Tournament and gain an automatic bid, but barring that the Panthers have their work cut out for them. True the conference is not as loaded as last year, but it also does not expect to get nearly the number of bids (11). At the very least Pitt needs to get to .500 in the conference and without marquee out-of-conference wins they may have to do better. With only eight games remaining, they will certainly have their work cut out for them. But with the confidence and hard work on display last night I would not put it past the Panthers to somehow go 7-1 down the stretch and be easily considered one of the hottest teams in college basketball. It is a tall order but crazier things have happened.