With Pitt Advancing, What To Make Of The CBI

by CardiacHill on Mar 20, 2026 8:01 AM EDT in Pitt Basketball

Now that Pitt's won two games in the CBI Tournament, the team has a legitimate shot to bring home a trophy. They've got to go through Butler to do it, but the Bulldogs aren't the same team that ran roughshod on the NCAAs last year.

With Pitt's newfound success, how do I feel about the tournament now? Not much different.

In my book, playing in the CBI is still nothing short of an embarrassment. This isn't the popular opinion, of course. There are those that will tell you it's not so bad. That if Pitt can somehow win, it will ease the pain of a difficult season. Or that Pitt's program will benefit immensely by Cameron Wright getting an extra 30 minutes of game time this season.

Sorry, still not buying it.

If you still don't feel that playing in the CBI is all that bad, then you never will. That's not to stir up an argument, just that we're on different sides of the fence on this one.

The CBI isn't the NCAAs. It's not even the NIT. It's the CBI. Even if Pitt rolls all the way to the finals and wins, it won't change my line of thinking. This isn't some elitist viewpoint - that would be the case if Pitt had strung together two or three good seasons and stuck its collective noses up against this third tier tournament. Pitt has had a dominant basketball program for a full decade. The postseason success hasn't been what we'd like, but the Panthers are one of the winningest programs in all of basketball over that stretch. If going from that to playing in the CBI isn't an embarrassment, then I don't know what is.

This, of course, isn't to say that Pitt's program is in the tank or something ridiculous like that. One down season in 11 is hardly anything to be highly concerned about. But if we're just talking about this year, there's simply no way to paint a rosy picture about this. Pitt is playing in a tournament with the likes of Western Illinois, North Dakota State, and Delaware. Sorry, but if you think that's not so bad, then I don't know what to tell you.

All of that said, now that Pitt's playing, of course I'm pulling for them. If you're going to play, might as well win while you're doing it, right?

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

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Comments

At first

I was upset that Pitt was in it. I wanted the season to just end and for how far the program has come, it was a little embarrassing.

Now, I don’t know, is indifference an option? I’m happy that Pitt seems to be doing well and winning, but I just can’t take it seriously because we’ve played Wofford and Princeton. Not exactly powerhouses.

Cardiac Hill contributor

by oaklandzoo12 on Mar 20, 2026 8:06 AM EDT reply actions

Good point

Indifference should have definitely been an option.

Manager of Cardiac Hill - SB Nation's Pitt Panthers blog
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by CardiacHill on Mar 20, 2026 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Fine with it

More practice time, more game time. This is really no different than the football team going to the Compass Bowl. It’s really all about allowing Jamie to get more time with the team this year.

by ej6687 on Mar 20, 2026 8:11 AM EDT reply actions

Don't hate it

It sounds to me like you are not necessarily embarressed of playing in the CBI as much as you are embarressed of the results of the entire season. The CBI is all that Pitt earned as a result of its bad season-long play, and playing in it just shines a spotlight on that. So, that said, CBI or no CBI you should still be embarressed.

Personally, “embarressment” is too strong a term for me. I’m not proud to be playing in the CBI, but it is what it is. I love Pitt sports, and I love to root for the Panthers. So, I am going to enjoy rooting for them while I can — even if it is just the CBI.

by bridge_guy on Mar 20, 2026 9:07 AM EDT reply actions

CBI

Well, here’s the thing. Down seasons happen, so while it’s disappointing, there’s no avoiding it. Playing in the CBI, however, was a calculated decision. The tournament is third tier and no one without any rooting interest is paying attention.

While it’s true that Pitt certainly didn’t earn anything better, I would much rather see them take the Duquesne approach and pass on this thing.

There’s no real benefit in my mind since this can’t even really equate to tournament experience. The games to this point have been home games and aren’t indicative of what a true tournament is. I get that the young players get a bit more experience, but Malcolm Gilbert’s hardly played at all and even if Pitt makes a deep run and someone like Cam Wright gets an extra ten minutes of four games, does the equivalent of one hour of extra time on a court really help all that much? I’d argue that it does not.

Manager of Cardiac Hill - SB Nation's Pitt Panthers blog
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by CardiacHill on Mar 20, 2026 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't pretend to know ncaa regs

but isn’t the extra practice time more important than the quality of tournament opponents?

by SlingStone on Mar 20, 2026 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Practices

I would certainly think the practice time is valuable - and as you indicate, more valuable than the actual game time.

That said, I’m starting to think of Pitt basketball as an actual brand now with the success they’ve had. I think the association with the tournament tarnishes that brand and outweighs the small amount of good that comes from it.

Just my two cents.

Manager of Cardiac Hill - SB Nation's Pitt Panthers blog
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by CardiacHill on Mar 20, 2026 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions

So was it embarrassing

When we went to Ireland and played even worse competition than this?

Bees Bees Everywhere

by VoteforPedro on Mar 20, 2026 9:17 AM EDT reply actions

Is this why Jamie has Pitt is in the CBI ?

A friend sent me this so I do not know if it is true..but it makes me wonder:
“he has a bonus of 1.5m if he wins 20 games 10 yrs in a row. won 17
this year. did not get NIT bid. CBI approached school and they
declined. dixon went back and said he wanted to play and fund it
himself; 40k per game in costs. he has now won 2 and if he wins
tonight, he gets 20 and the 1.5M bonus. costs him about 140k.

how could the school allow this to happen?
This possible?"

by DNAINC on Mar 20, 2026 12:37 PM EDT reply actions

this is ridiculous

there is no way in hell that he has such an incentive and there is no way that your friend is privy to such information.

This reminds me of when people’s friends who were cops heard about Kordell Stewart’s late night trip to Schenly Park

Bees Bees Everywhere

by VoteforPedro on Mar 20, 2026 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Dixon

I can’t imagine that’s true

Manager of Cardiac Hill - SB Nation's Pitt Panthers blog
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by CardiacHill on Mar 20, 2026 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Cash Bought Inclusion

Of course they’re winning they’re a Big East tested and in with nobody! There is no good reason to be in this tournament except may be money… and I’m not sure how much a little tourney like this can pay. If the NIT is the losers bracket of the NCAA, then what is this? Is the post-conference play pecking order still NCAA, NIT, Collegeinsiders, and CBI?

I like sports, movies, and music!

by jmacgregorny on Mar 20, 2026 12:50 PM EDT reply actions

Cash Bought Inclusion

Wish I had come up with that first

Manager of Cardiac Hill - SB Nation's Pitt Panthers blog
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by CardiacHill on Mar 20, 2026 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmmm

I actually live outside of Indianapolis. I wonder if it would be worth it to get tickets to this game? What channel will it be on?

by PhilsForever on Mar 20, 2026 1:29 PM EDT reply actions

HD Net

Directv only

Bees Bees Everywhere

by VoteforPedro on Mar 20, 2026 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

HDNEt isn’t Direct TV only it’s on Dish and Verizon as well.

by twink on Mar 20, 2026 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Stand corrected...

also on comcast now… Thank you oh great Mark Cuban

Bees Bees Everywhere

by VoteforPedro on Mar 22, 2026 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Okay, what happens if we win this tournament?

Does Pitt put up a banner at the Event Center or is this kind of like winning the Maui Invitational or Great Alaska Shootout and we get like some trophy?

by JCBucs on Mar 20, 2026 11:39 PM EDT reply actions