Pitt Draws Wichita State In West Regional Of NCAA Tournament
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- Pitt is entering the NCAA tournament as the No. 8 seed in the West Region against No. 9 seed Wichita State University.
James Robinson and Steven Adams will play for the first time in the tournament as freshmen.
Star player Tray Woodall said he's confidant about the upcoming tournament.
"Definitely, for sure," he said. "I mean, I'm happy that it's a double-A tournament, you know, it's the last one."
The Bulldogs (31-2) were the top seed in the West Region when the brackets for the tournament were released on Sunday. The Bulldogs will open the tournament on Thursday in Salt Lake City against No. 16 seed Southern in the second round.
Earning a No. 1 seed adds another first in a season of new accomplishments for Gonzaga. They enter the tournament with 31 wins, the most in school history. The No. 1 ranking in the AP poll was another first for the Bulldogs and they now have a paved path to the Final Four where they don't have to leave the West Coast.
Fellow Big East teams Notre Dame, Louisville, Cincinnati, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse and Marquette also made it.
Pitt and Notre Dame are the only Big East schools playing in the west.
Louisville, Kansas and Indiana will also start out as No. 1 seeds in the Midwest, South and East regions respectively.
Pitt Men's Head Coach Jamie Dixon joined Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan's Selection Sunday Special with hosts Andrew Fillipponi and Julius Page. Dixon admits that he doesn't know much yet on Wichita State, but remembers from playing the Shockers three years ago.
"Always good" Dixon said. "Play very physical" He said they play like a Pitt team.
As far as what Dixon expects from his own team in this tournament, "We got to play better than we have for 40 minutes. We have got to defend. We did not play the type of defense in the Big East Tournament that we had been playing."
Hear the interview with Jamie Dixon here:
Jamie Dixon
Wichita State play-by-play man Mike Kennedy gave the guys a preview of a team that is probably a surprise to be a No. 9 seed.
"All week long all we heard that we would be looking at a 10 or 11 seed," Kennedy said.
Here is Kennedy's preview of what to expect from Wicita State:
Mike Kennedy
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