Pitt ranks ninth in ESPN ACC preseason power rankings

The Panthers are a darkhorse pick to make some noise in the ACC Coastal, but for now, remain near the bottom of the conference by most media sources.

ESPN released its initial preseason conference power rankings and Pitt didn't fare all that well there. Specifically, the Panthers were slotted ninth in the 14-team league.

The Panthers did finish within the top ten, but were behind several Coastal teams, including Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Duke and Miami. Pitt finished ahead of division foes North Carolina and Virginia. The preseason rankings also show the expected imbalance of the two divisions with the Atlantic getting more recognition. Four of the top six teams were from the Atlantic, including No. 1 Clemson and No. 3 Florida State.

We won't know for a while if Pitt is underrated or not, but as we get closer to the season, still not much is being expected from the club in Pat Narduzzi's first year.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.