Falling short of the NCAA Tournament, Pitt men's basketball says it will decline all postseason invitations

After missing out on an NCAA Tournament berth for the second year in a row, Pitt basketball will decline any other postseason opportunities, athletic director Allen Greene announced Friday.

Greene, who added that coach Jeff Capel is in agreement, said the immediate focus of the program will be on the future. Pitt also declined an NIT invitation last year after finishing 22-11 and in fourth place in the ACC.

“Coach Capel and I are fully committed to positioning Pitt basketball for sustained success in the ACC and NCAA Tournament,” Greene said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to relentlessly evaluate and enhance every aspect of our program, ensuring it reflects the championship spirit of our city. Because that work is already underway, we’ve determined that the best path forward for our program is to forgo postseason tournaments this year as we build for the future.”

Pitt ended this season with a disappointing 17-15 record, its third consecutive winning record but far below expectations after starting 12-2. The Panthers (8-12 in the conference regular season) were the No. 13 seed in the 15-team ACC Tournament, losing to Notre Dame on Tuesday, 55-54.

Capel, who has led Pitt into the NCAA Tournament once in seven seasons, faces a crucial offseason in which improving the roster with stronger rebounders and shooters will be a top priority. Also, Capel and Greene must ensure the best players currently on the team keep their names out of the transfer portal. Getting a head start on those pursuits was determined to be more important that participating in lower-level tournaments.