‘It’s about getting to the Sweet 16:’ Excitement builds as Pitt prepares for Xavier

CBS News Pittsburgh Live

GREENSBORO, N.C. (KDKA) – The Pitt Panthers’ storybook basketball season is going to get at least one more chapter. 

The Panthers will take on Xavier today just after 12:00 p.m. after their upset victory over the Iowa State Cyclones on Friday. 

Even in the early morning hours in Oakland on Pitt’s campus, the excitement was palpable. 

Pitt, of course, got into the NCAA Tournament as a bit of an outside. 

They had to win a pre-tournament “First Four” game against Mississippi State to qualify for the full tournament. They did so, 60-59, giving the program its first tournament victory since 2014. 

If you’re one of those people that doesn’t count the First Four as the tournament, the Panthers went on to stun Iowa State in the Round of 64 on Friday, 59-41. 

Today, the Panthers will move on and see an old friend once they tip off against Xavier in the Round of 32. 

Xavier’s head coach is Sean Miller, a Western Pennsylvania native and former Pitt point guard. 

“I love Pitt, but it’s about winning the game and getting to the Sweet 16,” he said to ESPN in an interview on Saturday. 

As of this morning, Xavier is a five-point favorite to win. 

These Panthers are no strangers to being underdogs so it’s just another game and the excitement on campus is only expected to build as the morning goes on. 

You can catch the game right here on KDKA-TV at 12:10 p.m.! 

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