Wrestling enjoying most success in new conference

Aside from the Pitt wrestling team, which is ranked seventh in the nation, not much is currently known about Pitt’s other winter sports teams. But with crucial stretches of games approaching for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, it’s only a matter of time until their true colors are revealed.

No. 7 wrestling (10-1, 4-0 ACC)

Pitt men’s wrestling has made the most successful move to the Atlantic Coast Conference out of any Pitt program. In each of their four conference matches, the Panthers have notched emphatic victories against Maryland, North Carolina State, Duke and No. 13 Virginia.

Since the Panthers’ victory against then-No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State, Pitt has risen into the nation’s top 10 programs. That win ranks as one of the best in the program’s history.

Pitt’s only loss this season came on Dec. 8 at No. 1 Penn State, when the Nittany Lions picked up a 28-9 victory. Despite the loss, the Panthers have vaulted to the top of their new conference in their inaugural season as members of the ACC.

Conference matches against North Carolina and defending ACC champion Virginia Tech remain this season, along with a matchup in Morgantown against the rival West Virginia Mountaineers on Feb. 1.

No. 18 men’s basketball (18-3, 6-2 ACC)

Pitt men’s basketball has experienced mixed results in its first year in the ACC, though the Panthers are currently tied for third among the ACC’s 14 teams. The Panthers have proven they belong in the nation’s best basketball conference, which will only get better next season when Louisville becomes a member.

Highlights of conference play thus far include a hard-fought victory at Maryland last week and double-digit wins over Clemson, NC State and Wake Forest.

But with losses to No. 17 Duke and at No. 2 Syracuse, it remains to be seen where the Panthers truly rank among the conference’s elite teams. On top of their loss to Cincinnati at Madison Square Garden, the Panthers have yet to defeat a team ranked in the nation’s RPI Top 50.

Pitt, ranked No. 21 in the RPI, still has a chance to prove its merits as a top-flight ACC team, though.

Virginia will pay a visit to the Petersen Events Center Sunday afternoon, and the unranked Cavaliers rank No. 19 in the RPI. Later in the month, Pitt will have a chance to avenge a loss when Syracuse comes to the Petersen Events Center, and on Feb. 23, RPI No. 25 Florida State will also make the trek north.

Women’s basketball (9-11, 1-5 ACC)

The women’s basketball team has found the move to the ACC beneficial after failing to win a single game in Big East play in its final two seasons with the conference. Pitt has made huge improvements, as evidenced by its 79-75 win at Virginia Jan. 5.

Pitt’s win marked its first in conference play in almost three years, with the last one coming against South Florida, 63-60, in the first round of the Big East Tournament on Mar. 4, 2011.

And even better, at least in the context of the women’s basketball program, the Panthers do not occupy the ACC’s basement: Virginia Tech is 0-6 in conference play.

While some of the success may be conference-related, the hiring of head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio seems to be paying dividends, most notably in the form of the No. 15-ranked recruiting class she signed in November, which includes Naje Gibson, Yacine Diop, Stasha Carey and Aysia Bugg.

The Panthers have also taken some lumps this year with an 111-67 loss at No. 3 Duke on Sunday and a 109-66 defeat at the hands of No. 2 Notre Dame. As the season approaches its halfway mark, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Pitt probably won’t rise to the top of the conference in its first year as a member.

But early signs indicate the move to the ACC and a new coach should cause the Panthers to steadily improve their standing within the conference.