Pitt not only secured a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday, but they also avoided being shipped out West. This was really a win-win for the Panthers as they picked up a top seed, but they also stayed somewhat close to home.
I didn’t expect Pitt to be as high as the third No. 1 seed, but that certainly benefitted the Panthers. The fourth No. 1 seed, Duke, will play their opening round games at home in North Carolina, but will then head out West. Pitt, meanwhile, will get its later games in the Southeast region and there will be more of a chance fans can travel to those games (should Pitt make it that far, obviously).
Having the third overall No. 1 seed may have given the Panthers the best of both worlds. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but Pitt may have gotten a slight advantage by staying on the East coast.