PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ashton Gibbs began the season as the Big East preseason Player of the Year. The Pittsburgh senior guard will likely end it in the NIT.
The Panthers will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001 after losing to Georgetown in the second round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday, putting an exclamation point on the worst season of coach Jamie Dixon’s stellar nine-year tenure.
Pitt finished the regular season 17-16 with a woeful 5-13 record in conference play as an injury to point guard Tray Woodall in November and the sudden departure of freshman forward Khem Birch forced Dixon to get creative with his lineup.
Gibbs spent 10 games playing point guard and slogged through a miserable season in which he struggled with his shot and averaged just 15.5 points a game, the lowest mark since his freshman season.
