Sports Illustrated released its preseason ranking of the 353 Division I men’s basketball teams Wednesday, and although the publication’s estimation of Pitt’s potential improved over the past year, the Panthers still were still placed outside of the top 200 teams in the nation.
Specifically, Pitt was ranked 206th ahead of the 2018-19 season after being ranked 212th before the 2017-18 season. While that may sound like minimal progress amid the fervor surrounding Jeff Capel’s arrival as Pitt’s new head coach, it’s worth noting that last year’s ranking proved too optimistic, as the Panthers went 8-24, finishing 324th of 351 teams.