Pitt Earns A No. 3 Seed In The 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships The Panthers face Wright State on Thursday in the first round.
March 11, 2007
PITTSBURGH--The University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team earned a school-record sixth consecutive invitation to the NCAA Tournament as it will travel to Buffalo, N. Y., as a No. 3 seed. An at-large qualifier, Pittsburgh (27-7, 12-4 Big East) will play No. 14 seed and Horizon League Co-Champions Wright State (23-9, 13-3 Horizon League) on Thursday, March 15, at the HSBC Arena. Game times will be announced at a later time. All games are televised on CBS.
The Pitt-Wright State winner will advance to the NCAA second round to face the winner of No. 6 seeded Duke (22-10) and No. 11 seed VCU (27-6). That contest is scheduled for Saturday, March 17. Time is TBA. Saturday's winner advances to the West Regional and NCAA Sweet Sixteen competition. Those games are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday, March 22 and 24 in San Jose, Calif.
Pitt is making a school-record sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance after earning berths in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and now 2007. Prior to that run, Pitt appeared in three straight NCAA Tournaments in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Additionally, Jamie Dixon has guided Pitt to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first four seasons as head coach. He becomes the first coach in school history to guide Pitt to four straight NCAA Tournaments.
Pitt is one of only 12 programs nationally and the only Big East team to advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons. Those schools include: Arizona, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pitt, Southern Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin.
Pitt returned to town Sunday after advancing to the Big East Championship title game for the sixth time in seven seasons. The Panthers won two games before dropping a 65-42 decision to Georgetown in the tournament final. The No. 3 seeded Panthers defeated Marquette (89-79) in the Quarterfinals and Louisville (65-59) in the Semifinals. Leading Pitt with a 13.0 point per game average, Antonio Graves earned All-Tournament honors.
Pitt, which has won seven of its last 12 NCAA Tournament games, is making its 19th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. Pitt is 15-19 all-time in 34 NCAA Tournament games.
Pitt seniors Aaron Gray, Antonio Graves and Levon Kendall become the fourth, fifth and sixth players in school history to advance to the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons. Chevon Troutman, Mark McCarroll and Carl Krauser are the three players to achieve that distinction.
All fans can get their postseason tournament shirt at the Pittsburgh Panthers Team Store in the lobby of the Petersen Events Center or on-line at
www.PittsburghPanthers.com.
PITT'S 2007 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
* Pitt advances to the NCAA Tournament for a school-record sixth consecutive year.
* Pitt is making the school's 19th all-time NCAA Tourney appearance, the fourth straight year under Head Coach Jamie Dixon. The Panthers have now received at-large bids in 16 different seasons. Pitt has qualified automatically in three years: 1981, 1982 and 2003.
* Pitt has advanced to the NCAA Tournament's "Sweet Sixteen" in three seasons: 2002, 2003 and 2004.
* Pitt is one of only 12 programs to advance to each of the last six consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Those programs include: Arizona, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pitt, Southern Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin.
* Aaron Gray, Antonio Graves and Levon Kendall become the fourth, fifth and sixth players in school history to earn four straight NCAA Tournament berths.
* In its 19th NCAA Tournament appearances and 34 games, Pittsburgh owns a 15-19 all-time record in the tourney. It is 5-5 in its last 10 games and 10-10 in its last 20. Head Coach Jamie Dixon is 3-3 in his previous three appearances in NCAA Tournament play.
* Pitt finished its regular season with a 27-7 overall record and a 12-4 Big East record. Pitt won 20-plus games for a school-record sixth straight season and 14th time in school history. Pitt also won 10-plus Big East games for a school-record sixth straight season.
* Pitt is the only Big East school to surpass the 20-win and 10-win Big East regular season totals in each of the last six seasons. Pitt owns the league's top records for league play (71-25) and overall games (160-40).
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