Pitt basketball returns to No. 1 rank in polls

For the third week this season, the Pitt men’s basketball team climbed into the No. 1 slot in… For the third week this season, the Pitt men’s basketball team climbed into the No. 1 slot in both polls on Monday. Pitt, which was ranked No. 4 last week, catapulted back to the top after taking care of then-No. 2 Connecticut while Oklahoma and North Carolina were both upset on Saturday. The Panthers were previously ranked No. 1 in early January for two weeks before dropping a close game at Louisville. This time, though, Pitt has an idea of what opposing teams will throw at them as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. ‘Being number one, that’s what comes with the territory,’ said senior guard Levance Fields. ‘With us going through it the first time, I think we’re better suited now.’ Fields said he and the rest of Pitt didn’t let the No. 1 ranking get to their heads the last time, and he doesn’t see it as a problem now. ‘We just played a tough Louisville team at Louisville,’ said Fields. ‘And they knocked us off.’ Fields added that while being ranked at the top in late February is nice, the main focus is still centered around continuing to play well the rest of the season. ‘We just want to play the best down the stretch and get ready for March,’ he said. Fields and the rest of Pitt’s seniors know that their collegiate careers are coming to an end, and they could think of no better way to end their time at Pitt than to finish as No. 1. ‘If we can finish off strong and still be No. 1 at the end of my senior year I think that would be perfect,’ said senior forward Sam Young. Pitt received 30-of-31 first-place votes in the USA Today/Coach’s poll, with Connecticut receiving the other vote.’ The Panthers also got 69-of-72 first place votes in the Associated Press poll, with Oklahoma getting two and Connecticut getting one. The rest of the top five is rounded out by Oklahoma at No. 3, followed by Memphis and North Carolina. The Big East was once again well represented at the top of the polls this week as five teams made appearances in the AP’s top 10.’ Louisville is ranked No. 6, Marquette is No. 8 and Villanova earned the No. 10 spot.