Mark Madden: Pitt should have made the NCAA Tournament, but what would that have really meant?

Pitt basketball fans enjoyed wallowing in despair Tuesday night when Virginia got beat by 25 points in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Virginia scored just 14 points in the first half of a 67-42 loss to Colorado State.

This was evidence that Pitt should have gotten into March Madness, they bleated. Pitt won by 11 at Virginia last month.

That contest, it must be noted, was not designated a play-in game to reach Tuesday’s play-in game. Pitt fans think it should have been.

The difference between Pitt and Virginia is negligible.

Pitt finished one game behind Virginia in the ACC standings. Virginia was 23-10 overall in the regular season, Pitt 22-11. Each lost in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

Virginia’s inclusion at the expense of Pitt was not a crime against humanity.

Pitt should have made the tournament. The Panthers’ record combined with their finishes in the ACC’s regular season and tournament clearly merited.

But what would that have meant for Pitt?

Pitt was likely to exit early, just like Virginia. It would have been a wasted 48 hours, or week, or whatever.

Besides, “personal issues” experienced by players that kept Pitt out of the NIT surely would have prevented them from playing in the NCAA, too. (What a crock. Like they all had problems at once. What a coincidence.)

Pitt would not have won the NCAA Tournament, obviously, or even come close. Every year, there’s only 10 to 12 teams that have a legit chance to win the NCAA. Probably less.

Everybody remembers when Villanova won as a No. 8 seed, or N.C. State as a No. 6. But that’s extremely rare.

It’s not about making sure that the 68 best teams are in the tournament. Over 50 are just there to make up numbers.

It’s about representation and making sure the tournament reaches everywhere. At smaller conferences, smaller schools, smaller towns, everywhere. The buzz should cover maximum geography.

Pitt is in a medium-sized market. A team from that market made the tournament by winning a conference. So no need for Pitt.

Teams like McNeese State, Drake and Grand Canyon are better stories. If a school like that pulls an upset, it’s a better story still. If not, they’re one-and-done just like Pitt likely would have been. So what’s the difference?

Pitt fans will maximize any excuse to play the victim. That’s probably a major at Pitt.

Pitt basketball just reaped what it sowed.

Pitt refuses to play Duquesne in the City Game, a tradition from 1932-2018. Pitt snubs Duquesne basketball just like Penn State snubs Pitt football. Except Pitt justifies the former and whines incessantly about the latter.

Pittsburgh isn’t a basketball town, nor a college sports town. The City Game was a common point in both regards. It got casual fans interested, if only for a day.

But Pitt won’t play Duquesne because occasionally losing to a local program deemed inferior would bruise egos.

But this year Duquesne was very good, winning the Atlantic 10 tournament and making the NCAAs.

Pitt beating Duquesne in the City Game might have given the Panthers additional cachet for getting into the NCAAs.

At the very least, it would have given Pitt fans reason to complain even louder if the Panthers got snubbed. “We beat Duquesne! We’re better than Duquesne!” Pitt should move to the A-10. Pitt would have a chance there.

Duquesne winning the A-10 gave that conference an extra NCAA bid. Dayton was ranked No. 24 nationally but got upset by Duquesne in the A-10 quarterfinals. Dayton was going to the NCAAs no matter what. If Dayton wins the A-10 Tournament, Dayton is that league’s only representative.

Did Duquesne take Pitt’s spot in March Madness? There’s no way to know for sure, but it’s fun to imagine. Basketball justice.

Pitt just can’t get out of its own way. Declining the NIT bid was stupid and petulant. It didn’t undo being omitted from the NCAA. It bypassed an opportunity for more revenue and some tournament experience. The players indulged ego, and the adults in charge allowed it.

Pitt postures as being much more important than it is. The NCAA Tournament won’t suffer one bit by Pitt’s absence.

Nor will the NIT, for that matter.