Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers are set to begin their second season of play in the ACC and according to many of the writers covering the conference, the Panthers will be just an average team in 2015.
Pitt was selected by league media members to finish sixth out of 15 schools during the ACC’s preseason media day held Wednesday in Charlotte.
The Panthers finished sixth with 592 total points. Duke was selected to finish first with 935 points and 41 first place votes, followed by No. 2 North Carolina (870 points/12 first place votes), No. 3 Louisville (847/3 first place votes), No. 4 Virginia (824/7 first place votes), No. 5 Syracuse (706/2 first place votes) and No. 6 Pitt.
It is the second consecutive year that Dixon’s team was predicted to finish sixth in the conference.
Pitt finished their inaugural ACC season fifth in the standings.
The Panthers return three starters (Cameron Wright, James Robinson and sophomore Michael Young) and 11 letter winners from a team that finished 26-10 overall last year, making it to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons.
In other news coming from ACC Media Day, North Carolina’s Marcus Paige was selected the preseason player of the year, while Duke’s Jahlil Okafor was named preseason rookie of the year.
The preseason All-ACC team included Paige, Okafor, Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon and Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant.
Pitt is scheduled to host Indiana, Pa. in its first exhibition game on Friday at the Petersen Events Center.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
