Pitt had a challenging task Friday night in the ACC tournament against North Carolina, a likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Tar Heels pulled away late for a 72-65 victory to send the Panthers out in the semifinals.
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Analysis | NCAA tournament bracketology: Nonconference schedules could be a real issue
It’s a tough spot for Pitt (22-11), which did a remarkable job of turning around its season after falling to 10-7 in mid-January. The Panthers won at Duke, when Blake Hinson memorably channeled the dreams of so many ACC players, past and present, by running over to the student section and taunting the Cameron Crazies after a victory, then picked off Virginia in Charlottesville and rolled up a 7-4 road record.
The Panthers are 4-6 in Quadrant 1 games, not elite but also not disqualifying. They’re 9-9 in games in the top two quadrants, and like pretty much everyone at the edge of the field, have one or two results that look questionable (a Nov. 28 loss at home to Missouri is especially glaring in retrospect).
Yet the number that sticks out the most on Pitt’s team sheet is 343 — its nonconference schedule strength out of 362 Division I teams.
Going back to 2007, there have been 28 power conference teams that reached Selection Sunday with a winning overall record, a .500 or better mark in league play and a nonconference strength of schedule in the 300s.
Just 11 of them made the NCAA tournament. Two earned automatic bids, and eight more landed a No. 9 seed or better. The lone outlier was 2019 Iowa, which was rated as the top No. 10 on that year’s seed list.
That list of teams will grow considerably tomorrow night. Nebraska (305th), Texas Tech (311th), Iowa State (324th), Texas Christian (328th) and Northwestern (330th) also meet the criteria — only those teams’ overall profiles are better for various reasons.
There is some hope for the Panthers, more than there would have been a few years back. In 2021, Drake became the first team from any league with a nonconference strength of schedule in the 300s to earn an at-large berth as a No. 11 seed since Air Force in 2006. That, though, could be chalked up to the vagaries of a season played during a pandemic and filled with greater scheduling demands than usual.
But the next year, the committee let in an Indiana team that finished 20-13 overall, went 9-11 in the Big Ten and played the No. 308 nonconference schedule. Even though the Hoosiers won a play-in game, it was still a massive outlier and not in line with how committees have treated such teams over more than 15 years.
There are two ways things could wind up going for Pitt: Either it might not be getting enough credit from analysts for the considerable amount of good work it has done, and consequently lands comfortably inside the field. Or it will be hosting an NIT game sometime next week.
Because for teams of the Panthers’ profile, there’s almost never an in-between.
Saturday’s games to watch
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SEC semifinal (Nashville): No. 6 Florida vs. No. 7 Texas A&M, approx. 3:30 (ESPN)
Has Texas A&M (20-13) done enough — with its victories over Iowa State, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Florida and now twice over Kentucky — to overcome its five Quadrant 3 losses. The Aggies stand out in a bad way on that front; no other team in the top 70 of the NET has so many defeats outside the top two quads. Coach Buzz Williams’s team owns the most complicated résumé among realistic at-large contenders, and it is all but certain at this point to be a Selection Sunday lightning rod unless it wins the SEC tournament.
Bracket impact: Every win Texas A&M might add to its critical mass. The Aggies were 15-13 a few weeks back, and now they’re in the hunt. It’s almost the same as two years ago, when they won eight in a row before an SEC title game loss and still got sent to the NIT at 23-12.
American Athletic semifinal (Fort Worth): No. 2 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 11 Temple, approx. 5:30 (ESPN2)
The Owls (25-7) of Boca Raton eventually dispensed with North Texas in Friday’s quarterfinals, and they now face the Owls of Philadelphia, who are 15-19 but have won four in a row. That includes each of the past three days, the latest victory an upset of third-seeded Charlotte.
Bracket impact: Florida Atlantic remains the team every borderline team is rooting for. If it can win the American, it won’t need an at-large bid and it will open a spot in the field for someone else. That is and will remain the most compelling big-picture element of this tournament.
Mountain West final (Las Vegas): No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 6 New Mexico, 6 (CBS)
Listed in this section more out of caution than anything, the Mountain West title game features one team safely inside the field (San Diego State) and one that should be after beating Boise State and Colorado State the past two nights (New Mexico). The Lobos entered the week on the edge of inclusion; now, they’re 40 minutes away from locking up an automatic bid.
Bracket impact: San Diego State could realistically end up on the No. 5 line in the NCAA tournament with a victory, though a No. 6 would make sense as well. New Mexico arguably has played its way out of Dayton; could the Lobos wind up in an 8/9 game if they win the Mountain West? Possibly.
Big 12 final (Kansas City, Mo.): No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Iowa State, 6 (ESPN)
The top two seeds in this tournament are pretty much locked into No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, for the NCAA tournament. The two most efficient defenses in the country according to KenPom.com (Houston No. 1, Iowa State No. 2) split two regular season games, with the home team winning both. There’s a title at stake, but as good as the game should be, it won’t change how the NCAA bracket looks.
Big East final (New York): No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 3 Marquette, 6:30 (Fox)
Connecticut (30-3) swept the season series from Marquette (25-8), and the Huskies pretty much locked up the No. 1 seed in the East region a week and a half ago. Marquette has ended Villanova’s NCAA tournament hopes and endangered Providence’s, and it will aim for its second consecutive Big East tournament title. The Golden Eagles appear to be on the No. 2 line, and a loss to U-Conn. shouldn’t damage their profile.
ACC final (Washington): No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 10 N.C. State, 8:30 (ESPN)
There will be keen interest in several parts of the country. Specifically, there will be plenty of folks rooting against N.C. State channeling its inner 2011 Connecticut and completing a five-games-in-five-days run in D.C. Making this even more ridiculous: The Wolfpack hasn’t won five in a row since the end of the 2020-21 regular season.
Bracket impact: North Carolina has probably already pinned down the last No. 1 seed. N.C. State is an unadulterated bid snatcher. Its only path to the tournament is winning Saturday night, and after beating Louisville, Syracuse, Duke and Virginia over the past four nights, the Wolfpack has earned its opportunity to emerge as a spoiler.
Pac-12 final (Las Vegas): No. 3 Colorado vs. No. 4 Oregon, 9 (Fox)
The Pac-12 gave us one final surprise with its late-night hoops product, as Oregon (22-11) surged past top-seeded Arizona and Colorado (24-9) won its eighth in a row to knock second-seeded Washington State from the field. This ensures at least a three-team contingent from the Pac-12, and Oregon might be able to make it four.
Bracket impact: Colorado began the week as a borderline team, but the Buffaloes have probably done enough to avoid too much Selection Sunday stress. That makes them the team for other edge-of-the-field teams to root for, because the Ducks are not a viable at-large contender. A bid could be thieved in the Pac-12 for the third time in the past five tournaments (2019 Oregon and 2021 Oregon State).
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Last four included: Oklahoma, Virginia, Providence, Texas A&M
First four on the outside: Indiana State, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Pitt
Next four on the outside: Wake Forest, Ohio State, Villanova, Oregon
Moving in: Fairfield, Howard, Texas A&M, UC Davis, Western Kentucky
Moving out: Indiana State, Norfolk State, Quinnipiac, Sam Houston, UC Irvine
Conference call: Big 12 (9), SEC (8), Big Ten (6), Mountain West (6), ACC (4), Big East (4), Pac-12 (3), American Athletic (2), Atlantic 10 (2), West Coast (2)
Bracket projection: Midwest vs. West; East vs. South
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(1) BIG TEN/Purdue vs. (16) SWAC/Grambling-BIG SKY/Montana State winner
(8) Colorado State vs. (9) Florida Atlantic
(5) Texas Tech vs. (12) Providence/Virginia winner
(4) Alabama vs. (13) COASTAL/College of Charleston
(3) Baylor vs. (14) OHIO VALLEY/Morehead State
(6) Florida vs. (11) SUN BELT/James Madison
(7) Washington State vs. (10) Northwestern
(2) Marquette vs. (15) CONFERENCE USA/Western Kentucky
Even with a loss in the Mountain West semifinals, Colorado State remains an excellent candidate to land in an 8/9 game next week. … What’s the argument for Virginia? It didn’t mess up. No bad losses, a .500 record away from Charlottesville and top-40 results-based metrics. The Cavaliers probably didn’t earn a bypass of Dayton, though. …
Baylor is tied with Houston for the most Quadrant 1 games played this season (at least until Houston plays Saturday night). The Bears went 10-9 in those games, and they look like a solid No. 3 seed. … If Pitt is indeed in trouble, Northwestern arguably should be as well. If there’s a team feeling really good about its chances that could be left out, the Wildcats are it.
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(1) ACC/North Carolina vs. (16) MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC/Howard-NORTHEAST/Wagner
(8) Nevada vs. (9) Texas Christian
(5) Brigham Young vs. (12) AMERICAN ATHLETIC/South Florida
(4) SEC/Auburn vs. (13) SOUTHLAND/McNeese State
(3) Kansas vs. (14) HORIZON/Oakland
(6) Utah State vs. (11) MISSOURI VALLEY/Drake
(7) Dayton vs. (10) Michigan State
(2) Arizona vs. (15) METRO ATLANTIC/Fairfield
Howard goes for its second consecutive MEAC title after an upset-filled couple of days in Norfolk. The Bison beat top-seeded Norfolk State and will face sixth-seeded Delaware State, which beat the No. 2 and 3 seeds to reach Saturday’s final. … South Florida breezed into the American semifinals. The Bulls’ only viable path to the field of 68 is through winning the conference tournament. …
Utah State slips down a line after losing to San Diego State, effectively flip-flopping spots with the Aztecs. That group of Mountain West teams could easily end up bunched together between the No. 5 and No. 9 lines. … Can definitely make the case for Arizona as the last No. 1 seed even with its loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 semifinals. The Wildcats would also make sense as the No. 2 seed in the West rather than having to go out of their region.
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(1) BIG EAST/Connecticut vs. (16) ATLANTIC SUN/Stetson
(8) Texas vs. (9) Nebraska
(5) WEST COAST/Saint Mary’s vs. (12) WESTERN ATHLETIC/Grand Canyon
(4) Kentucky vs. (13) SOUTHERN/Samford
(3) Duke vs. (14) PATRIOT/Colgate
(6) Wisconsin vs. (11) IVY/Princeton
(7) South Carolina vs. (10) New Mexico
(2) Iowa State vs. (15) SUMMIT/South Dakota State
Nebraska ranks 37th or better in all five team sheet metrics and has no questionable losses. The Cornhuskers would be a fine fit in an 8/9 game. … It’s been a month since Kentucky last put together a defensive performance that can be described as stingy (Feb. 17 against Auburn). The Wildcats’ profile suggests a No. 4 seed; their recent play is cause for pause. …
Wisconsin has a chance to add a high-value victory in the Big Ten semifinals against Purdue. The Badgers project as the top No. 6 seed. … That South Carolina/New Mexico game would include two teams that could credibly state a case to be up at least a line. South Carolina has a pair of top-20 results-based metrics, a contrast to its NET of 52.
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(1) BIG 12/Houston vs. (16) BIG WEST/UC Davis
(8) Gonzaga vs. (9) Mississippi State
(5) MOUNTAIN WEST/San Diego State vs. (12) ATLANTIC 10/Virginia Commonwealth
(4) Illinois vs. (13) AMERICA EAST/Vermont
(3) Creighton vs. (14) MID-AMERICAN/Akron
(6) Clemson vs. (11) Oklahoma/Texas A&M winner
(7) Boise State vs. (10) PAC-12/Colorado
(2) Tennessee vs. (15) BIG SOUTH/Longwood
UC Davis takes over the Big West’s automatic slot after top-seeded UC Irvine fell to Long Beach State on Friday night. … NET rankings of the four teams remaining in the Atlantic 10 tournament: 71 (VCU), 82 (St. Bonaventure), 85 (Saint Joseph’s) and 89 (Duquesne). Whoever wins two games in the next two days will be a No. 12 or No. 13 seed. …
Tomorrow’s research project: Figuring out how many teams have landed seven Quad 1 victories since the quadrant system was introduced that have been left out of the tournament. Texas A&M enters Saturday with seven of them. … Colorado assumes the Pac-12’s automatic bid, and the Buffaloes will probably end up as a No. 9 or No. 10 seed if they beat Oregon on Saturday night.
The state of Washington is getting a seventh temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Marysville Washington Temple was announced Sunday night during a devotional in the Marysville Washington Stake by Elder Hugo E. Martinez, a General Authority Seventy in the church’s United States West Area Presidency.
“We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Marysville, Washington,” the First Presidency said in a statement. “The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and express gratitude for such a significant blessing — one that will allow more frequent access to the ordinances, covenants and power that can only be found in the house of the Lord.”
The other temples in Washington are the Columbia River, Moses Lake, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver temples.
The church has 214 temples in operation. Plans for another 170 temples have been announced; many of those temples are in various stages of planning and construction.
Sunday’s temple announcement follows the new practice of the church’s First Presidency, which determines where temples will be built — and when and how they will be announced.
The First Presidency directed a General Authority Seventy to announce the first temple in Maine at a fireside there in December.
In January, church President Dallin H. Oaks said the Maine announcement set the pattern for future temple announcements.
“The best place to announce a temple is in that temple district,” he told the Deseret News.
The First Presidency will continue to decide where future temples will be built. It then will “assign someone else to make the announcement in the place where the temple will be built,” he said.
This pattern came to him as a strong impression after he assumed leadership of the church in October, following the death of his friend, President Russell M. Nelson.
This came as a strong impression to him shortly after he assumed the leadership of the church, President Oaks said.
The church remains in the midst of an aggressive temple-building era. President Nelson announced 200 new temples from 2018 to 2025. All but one were announced at general conference.
Five dozen temples are now under construction.
President Oaks now has overseen the announcement of two temples, neither at a general conference.
At the October conference he said that “with the large number of temples now in the very earliest phases of planning and construction, it is appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples.”
Ten new temples are scheduled to be dedicated in the next six months.
- May 3: Davao Philippines Temple.
- May 3: Lindon Utah Temple.
- May 31: Bacolod Philippines Temple.
- June 7: Yorba Linda California Temple.
- June 7: Willamette Valley Oregon Temple.
- Aug. 16: Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple.
- Aug. 16: Cleveland Ohio Temple.
- Aug. 30: Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple.
- Oct. 11: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
- Oct. 18: Managua Nicaragua Temple.
Two-thirds of the 170 temples still to be built are outside the United States.
Temples are distinct from the meetinghouses where Latter-day Saints worship Jesus Christ each Sunday. Temples are closed on Sundays, but they open during the week as sanctuaries where church members go to find peace, make covenants with God and perform proxy ordinances for deceased relatives.
On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.
“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”
The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”
Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.
While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.
Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.
On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.
Spring practice notebook
- Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
- The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
- Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
- Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
- The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.
“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
- Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.
Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.
The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.
Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.
She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.
Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.
“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”
Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.
“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”
Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.
Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.
Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”
“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”
Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.
She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.
Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.
Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.
Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.
At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.
“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.
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