ESPN's Joe Lunardi still tabs Pitt as No. 9 seed in latest bracket

Since Pitt's loss to Louisville, there's been lots of angst that the Panthers are slipping - some folks even think they might not make the NCAAs. The fact is, though, that as I said afterwards, Pitt's still in pretty good shape for making the tourney.

Think about it for a second (and try to flush the missed free throws from your mind if you can) - Pitt has 17 wins already. With games still left against Seton Hall, Villanova, DePaul, St. John's, and South Florida, it's easy to see another four wins there. Pitt could also knock off a team among Syracuse, Marquette, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame. That would Pitt to 22 wins and 10-8 in the Big East. Hard to see them missing the tournament under that scenario. And that's even before the Big East Tournament where Pitt could grab another win or two.

Simply put, Pitt is still in pretty good shape to make the NCAAs - even if they can't beat Syracuse this weekend. Not time to panic yet, peeps.

Don't believe me? I've buried the lede miserably here, but ESPN's Joe Lunardi came out with his latest bracket. In it, he's got Pitt squarely at a No. 9 seed, even after the Louisville loss. That's where he had them last week, so the team didn't even drop a seed because of the loss.

The Panthers aren't a guaranteed tourney team yet, but things are looking good so far.

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