It wasn’t the best of seasons for the Division 1 Pittsburgh college Basketball teams, but their seasons have finally come to an end and it’s on to the future.

Some programs have a brighter future than others.

Duquesne finished the season with the best record of the three schools as they exited the season via an 81-68 defeat at the hands of Richmond in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Thursday. The Dukes finished 16-16 in their first year under Head Coach Keith Dambrot and stand to return all but four players from this year’s squad for next season.

Andy Toole’s youthful Robert Morris squad made it to the semifinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament before succumbing to top-seeded Wagner by way of a 75-64 loss to the Seahawks. Next year proves to be an exciting year for the Colonials as they open up a new on-campus arena after playing the 2017-18 season on the road.

Pitt’s dismal season finally came to a halt with both their 3-point loss to Notre Dame Wednesday and the firing of Head Coach Kevin Stallings on Thursday.

An 0-19 record in ACC play while albeit awful, was quite impressive, but the future of Pitt basketball has never been more uncertain than what it is now.

Pittsburgh Panthers

Only three months in to 2018, the year has not been pleasant to Pitt and their basketball program. The losses in ACC play were one thing and the firing of Stallings has been the other.

However, it’s time to move on.

With coaching departures players will look for ways to leave the program for greener pastures and it’s a certainty there will be members of the team who will transfer and look to continue their basketball careers elsewhere.

The coaching search for the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Director Heather Lyke has probably been underway since she got the job seeing as Stallings was not her hire and seemingly one of the many mistakes former AD Scott Barnes made on his way out of town and to Oregon State.

It’s now up to Lyke to right the ship for the Panthers as they look to get back to becoming competitive in the ACC once again. Recruiting in the ACC is never easy especially when you’re competing against coaches such as Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams for any top recruit.

It will be imperative for Lyke and the powers that be at Pitt to find a guy with a strong recruiting acumen as well as success at the highest level of Division 1 basketball. A guy such as Thad Matta, the former Ohio State head coach, would be a logical fit especially having a working relationship with Lyke while she was Ohio State.

Getting a coach in place will be ideal for both scheduling and recruiting purposes as the off-season unfolds.

Duquesne Dukes

For the better part of the season, Duquesne played basketball that proved they deserved to be at or near the top of the Atlantic 10.

In the month of February, that went out the window as they struggled mightily.

A 16-16 record is nothing to scoff at for Dambrot and company especially following up a 10-22 season in 2016-17. Dambrot’s Dukes look to return many familiar faces for next year which bodes well for an up-and-coming Duquesne squad who gained a wealth of knowledge both on and off the court this season.

Familiarity with each other and the Duquesne basketball Dambrot wants to play will give the Dukes an advantage in their second season under their head coach as they look to prove they belong at the top of the A10.

Robert Morris Colonials

Robert Morris’ peculiar season of playing all games essentially on the road as a new on-campus arena is being built has come to an end. A season which featured games played at the Palumbo Center and Ppg Paints Arena can now be used as a tool for growth for the young Colonials as they head into the 2018-19 season.

The buzz around the sparkling new UPMC Events Center, expected to open during conference play next season, is nearing a fever pitch for the Colonial Crazies and should go a long way in helping keep key talent in place for next year.

Up next for Toole and his staff is keeping the team together after they showed spurts of greatness albeit as an incredibly young squad. Dachon Burke and Koby Thomas have the potential to be elite players at the Division 1 level and make a move similar to Marquise Reed a few years ago by transferring to a power five school and leaving the Colonials in the dust.

It will be imperative for the short and long term stability of Toole’s program that he keeps the dynamic duo there and continues the program’s growth with them.

NCAA Tournament

While none of the Pittsburgh basketball teams will be competing in the NCAA Tournament that will not be stopping PPG Paints Arena from hosting first and second round match ups beginning next week.

Teams will be selected on Sunday and those selected to play at the Paint Can will begin play March 15 with the second round being played on March 17 with times to be announced.

Tickets for both sessions are still available.

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