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Jon Scheyer finds it 'crazy' Pittsburgh is not ranked

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•about 22 hours•

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Jon Scheyer at the Champions Classic - Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Jon Scheyer at the Champions Classic - Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Monday afternoon saw the release of the latest college basketball AP poll. Duke stayed put at No. 4 but Tuesday’s opponent, Pitt, was not in the top 25. The Panthers were just on the outside looking in, being the first team in the “Others receiving votes” section with 91. For reference, No. 25 Utah State received 119 votes.

Duke took care of business at Cameron Indoor, 76-47, but head coach Jon Scheyer still had high praises for Pitt. He believes they should have been ranked in the latest AP poll and moving forward. Despite the 30-point win, you can tell Scheyer was impressed with how Pitt performed.

“I thought it was a great win, a great night,” Scheyer said to begin his postgame press conference. “A ton of respect for Pitt. I think it’s crazy that they’re not ranked with what they’ve done this season. Obviously, Jeff (Capel) and I know each other really well and he’s an amazing coach.”

Looking at other metrics, Pitt is squarely inside the top 25. The NET rankings had Capel’s team at No. 15 heading into the Duke matchup but the loss caused a five-spot tumble. Outside of Duke, no other team in the ACC is ranked higher than the Panthers.

Duke also earned a Quad 1 victory, their fourth of the season. Only three more of those are currently on the Blue Devils’ schedule before entering the postseason.

KenPom would have Pitt inside the top 25 as well but just barely. As of Wednesday morning, they are No. 25 overall. Both their offensive and defensive ratings rank in the top 50 at No. 22 and No. 43, respectively.

Similar to the NET, Pitt is the second highest-ranked team from the ACC, only trailing to team to beat them on Tuesday night.

Saturday could be a good opportunity for Pitt to prove itself to voters. A big home game against Louisville is next on the schedule, set to take place at noon ET. Louisville is fresh off a win against Clemson and gaining momentum in the ACC.

Getting an impressive win could be just what the voters need to boost Pitt into the top 25. A heavy loss to Duke certainly does not help but Scheyer will campaign for them if he has to.