2. Pittsburgh Panthers - 12-2 (3-0)
Pitt’s non-con schedule had an important five-game stretch, where they went 3-2. The home win over West Virginia has looked great as time went on, while also having wins over LSU and Ohio State. They also lost games to Wisconsin and were blown out at Mississippi State.
After surviving Virginia Tech on the road to open league play, the Panthers hosted Cal and Stanford. They were without leading scorer and rebounder Ishmael Leggett against the Bears and it showed early, down by as much as 16 points in the first half. Pitt did come back to win 86-74, led by 27 points and eight assists from Jaland Lowe, along with 19 points and 11 rebounds big Cam Corhen.
Leggett returned for the weekend matchup versus Stanford and ended up as the top player, scoring a game-high 21 points and six rebounds on a perfect 9/9 FG shooting from inside the arc. Lowe chipped in with 16 points, five assists, and four steals.
Pitt has an important week coming up, one that could solidify its odds at making the NCAA Tournament. They take on Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, before hosting Louisville at home this weekend.