Double bye scenarios

Thursday, 28 February 2013 17:11

Written by Ray Fittipaldo

Pitt has two regular-season games remaining and can still clinch a double bye for the Big East tournament.

Here are two scenarios:

Pitt finishes in a three-way tie for fourth place with Syracuse and Notre Dame, in which case the Panthers win the tiebreaker based on their victory against Georgetown, provided the Hoyas, who are currently alone in first place, win the regular-season championship outright.

Or:

The Panthers finish in fourth place by winning their final two regular-season games against Villanova and DePaul. That would give them a 12-6 record. In order for that 12-6 record to mean sole possession of fourth place, Syracuse must lose one of its final three against Louisville, DePaul and Georgetown AND Notre Dame must lose two of its final three against Marquette, St. John’s and Louisville.

There are multiple other scenarios, but those two are the most plausible for the Panthers to get the double bye, which by the way, hasn’t been very kind to them over the years.

Pitt had the double bye in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and lost its first game on each occasion. Other teams have enjoyed more success with it. Louisville won the tournament with a double bye in 2009 and West Virginia did the same in 2010.

The past two years lower-seeded teams have bucked the odds and won the tournament. Louisville was a No. 6 seed and won last year, winning four games in four days. Connecticut was a No. 9 seed in 2011 and won five games in five days.

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