Pitt is in its best position entering an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in terms of top seed, but there is still work to do. The fourth-seeded Panthers will meet fifth-seeded Wake Forest, a 72-59 winner over Notre Dame in the second round on Wednesday, in the ACC quarterfinals Thursday afternoon in Washington. Pitt (21-10), which has a three-game winning streak, received a double bye into the tournament for the first time since joining the league. That put the Panthers in the quarterfinals for just the third time in 11 seasons in the ACC. “Hopefully we’ll be fresh and rested,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. This will be the rubber match between the teams after splitting two regular season games, each winning at home. Pitt rallied to earn a 77-72 victory on January 31 before Wake Forest posted a 91-58 blowout on February 20. The Demon Deacons (20-12) have won two straight since a three-game losing streak loomed. to derail their season. The subject of the NCAA tournament looms around this match. “I don’t worry about all these other things, and neither do they because we don’t know what these people in the (tournament selection) room are thinking,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said . “We don’t know where we are right now. They’re the only ones who know. What I do know is we have a great opportunity to play the Pitt Panthers.” Pitt star Blake Hinson has topped 20 points in each of the last two games, giving him 14 20-point games this season. He averaged a team-high 18.8 points. “We’re playing Pitt, who we broke up with, and they’re really, really good,” Forbes said. “Blake Hinson is one of the best shooters in the country.” Panthers’ Ishmael Leggett was named ACC Sixth Man of the Year. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over the last 14 games. “He adapted to that (role) pretty quickly,” Capel said. “He’s had an incredible journey to where he is today. Not just to embrace the role, but to thrive in it.” Pitt averages an ACC-best 9.65 shots per game from 3-point range. –Field level media
