Bracketology 2024: Pittsburgh, Texas Tech and Kentucky among week's biggest winners

NC State Wolfpack

After losing on the road at Wake Forest, the Wolfpack was without a Quad 1 win still, staying on the edge of the bubble. But in the lone game of the week, NC State managed to get a breakthrough win, beating Clemson on the road in the last second. The final score was 78-77, led by 27 points from DJ Horne.

NC State finally got a Quad 1 victory to move to 4-9 against Quad 1/2 opponents. Without any bad losses and a NET ranking finally getting below 80, there might still be hope for them in the next few weeks. They have two must-win home games this week against Syracuse and Boston College, two teams who got upset wins last week.

Pittsburgh Panthers

One of the hottest teams in the country is the Panthers, who have won 7 of 8. That includes two big wins, including a Quad 1 road win at Virginia, 74-63. It joins Duke as the signature win for the Panthers’ resume, helping offset the two Quad 3 home defeats to Missouri and Syracuse.

The 27-point blowout win over Louisville, led by 41 points from Blake Hinson, also helped out the metrics, giving them a top-50 NET ranking. It has Pittsburgh right on the cutline and they have two more chances to build on its resume, taking on Wake Forest at home, followed by a home battle with Virginia Tech.