March 16, 2008

NCAA History | Quotes

Pittsburgh Press Conference

PITTSBURGH--The 2008 Big East Tournament Champion Pitt men's basketball team earned a school-record seventh consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament as it will travel to Denver, Colo., as a No. 4 seed. An automatic qualifier as the 2008 Big East Champions, Pittsburgh (26-9, 10-8 Big East) will play No. 13 seed and the 2008 Summit League Champions Oral Roberts (24-8, 16-2 Summit League) on Thursday at the Pepsi Center. Game times will be announced on Monday. All games will be televised nationally on CBS.

The Pitt-Oral Roberts winner will advance to the NCAA Second Round to face the winner of No. 5 seeded Michigan State (25-8) and No. 12 seed Temple (21-12). That contest is scheduled for Saturday, March 22. Game time is TBA. Saturday's winner advances to the South Regional and NCAA Sweet Sixteen competition. Those games are scheduled for Friday and Sunday, March 28 and 30 in Houston, Texas.

Pitt (26-9, 10-8 Big East) is making a school-record seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance after earning berths in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and now 2008. Prior to that run, Pitt appeared in three straight NCAA Tournaments in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Additionally, Jamie Dixon has guided Pitt to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first five seasons as head coach. He becomes the first coach in school history to guide Pitt to five straight NCAA Tournaments.

Pitt is one of only nine programs nationally to advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last seven seasons. Those schools include: Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pitt, Texas and Wisconsin.

Pitt enters the NCAA Tournament on a five-game win streak and winners of seven of its last eight contests. Pitt won four straight games including three straight against nationally ranked teams to claim its second all-time Big East Tournament title with a 74-65 win over No. 9 Georgetown. Sam Young was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and Levance Fields earned All-Tournament honors.

Pitt, which has won nine of its last 15 NCAA Tournament games, is making its 20th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. Pitt is 17-20 all time in 37 NCAA Tournament games.

Pitt seniors Keith Benjamin and Ronald Ramon become the seventh and eighth players in school history to advance to the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons. Chevon Troutman, Mark McCarroll, Carl Krauser, Antonio Graves, Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall are the six other players to achieve that distinction.

PITT'S 2008 NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS: Denver, Colo. (Pepsi Center)

Thursday, March 20, 2008
No. 5 seed Michigan State (25-8) vs. No. 12 seed Temple (21-12), Time: TBA (CBS)
No. 4 seed Pittsburgh (26-9) vs. No. 13 seed Oral Roberts (24-8), Time: TBA (CBS)

Saturday, March 22, 2008
Michigan State-Temple Winner vs. Pittsburgh-Oral Roberts Winner, Time: TBA (CBS)

PITT'S 2008 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

* Pitt advances to the NCAA Tournament for a school record seventh consecutive year.
* Pitt is making the school's 20th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, a school-record fifth straight year under Head Coach Jamie Dixon. With its Big East Championship title, the Panthers are making their fourth automatic entry appearance in school history. Pitt has now qualified automatically in 1981, 1982, 2003 and 2008.
* Pitt has advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen in four of the last six seasons: 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007. Only one program (Duke-5) has bested that record and three others have matched it (Kansas-4, Texas-4, Connecticut-4).
* Pitt is one of only nine programs to advance to each of the last seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Those programs include Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pitt, Texas and Wisconsin.
* Keith Benjamin and Ronald Ramon become the seventh and eighth players in school history to earn four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
* In its 19 NCAA Tournament appearances and 37 games, Pittsburgh owns a 17-20 all-time record in the tourney. It is 7-6 in its last 13 games and 10-10 in its last 20 contests. Head Coach Jamie Dixon is 5-4 in his previous four appearances in NCAA Tournament play.
* Pitt enters the NCAA Tournament with a 26-9 overall record and 10-8 Big East record. Pitt won 20-plus games for a school record seventh straight season and 15th time in school history. Pitt also won 10-plus Big East games for a school record sixth straight season.
* Pitt is the only Big East school to surpass the 20-win and 10-win Big East regular season totals in each of the last seven seasons. Pitt currently owns the league's top records for league play (81-33) and overall games (187-50).

PITT'S HISTORY OF NCAA TOURNAMENT SEEDS

Year Seed First Round Site
1981 10 El Paso, Texas
1982 10 Pullman, Wash.
1985 12 Tulsa, Okla.
1987 3 Tucson, Ariz.
1988 2 Lincoln, Neb.
1989 8 Indianapolis, Ind.
1991 6 Louisville, Ky.
1993 9 Nashville, Tenn.
2002 3 Pittsburgh, Pa.
2003 2 Boston, Mass.
2004 3 Milwaukee, Wis.
2005 9 Boise, Idaho
2006 5 Auburn Hills, Mich.
2007 3 Buffalo, N.Y.
2008 4 Denver, Colo.