Joe Lunardi projects Pitt as an eight seed in early 2013-14 ESPN Bracketology

Believe it or not, ESPN's Joe Lunardi put together a bracket for the the 2014 season ... already. It is insanely early to start thinking about these things, but as we have seen top 25 preseason picks are already surfacing. As previously noted, Pitt did not crack an ESPN 25, but they do find themselves in Lunardi's field as a No. 8 seed.

We should all know it is insane to start thinking about next season, let alone next March. The dust is just starting to settle on the early departures and recruiting isn't even over yet, either. It's hard to say who will be in the tournament or not this early, but you have to imagine Lunardi did some research for this thing, so it's worth a mention.

Pitt will be returning three starters and three key bench players from a 24-win team in 2013. They will also welcome talented power forward recruit, Mike Young, into the rotation. Still, the roster is in flux and Pitt still needs to add a few more bodies. I would say the pick in the early season bracketology is a testament to Jamie Dixon and the program. Pitt often finds itself in the big dance, and obviously Lunardi has confidence that Dixon will guide them there once again.

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