NCAA Tournament 2023: Top 10 most likely 2nd round upsets to happen

7. 11 Pittsburgh over 3 Xavier

The story of Pittsburgh is a bizarre one, but Jeff Capel has gone from the hottest of hot seats to a pair of NCAA Tournament wins and there are far fewer complaints among Panthers fans. This season did not turn out as anyone expected, especially after the pieces that Pittsburgh has replaced this season, even losing John Hugley during the year. However, the Panthers are here after an unexpected 59-41 win against Iowa State in the first round, but can they continue that momentum?

Their win over the Cyclones was ugly basketball on both sides, but it also represented their finest defensive effort of the season. Two ugly wins still count the same, even if the Panthers aren’t exactly shooting the ball at a high rate this past week. They outshot and outworked the Cyclones, but cannot commit 15 turnovers if they want to beat this talented Xavier squad, needing Jamarius Burton to step up after making just one field goal against Iowa State.

This is a matchup of two offensive-minded programs, though Pittsburgh absolutely has to shoot down Xavier’s outside game. If the Musketeers catch fire from beyond the arc, then we’re not sure the Panthers have what it takes to claw back into the game, especially with the talent in Xavier’s starting rotation. The keys to the upset are for Pittsburgh to take care of the basketball and play smart offense all while limiting the amount of extra possessions they give away to the Musketeers. Perhaps someone like Blake Hinson can have another breakout performance?