6 years in the making, Nike Sibande ready to make March Madness debut

DAYTON, Ohio — It’s been a long ride for Nike Sibande to make it to this moment. A moment not many players get to experience and cherish the opportunity to be a part of. Six years after making his NCAA debut during the 2017-18 campaign and recovering from a torn ACL, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year is ready to make his NCAA Tournament debut.

“It means a lot,” Sibande said. “This is my first time being in March Madness and the NCAA Tournament. A lot of emotions. We really wanted this since the beginning of the season. This is a goal that we had and to be here is amazing and surreal.”

The surreal feeling is shared throughout the Panther locker room, a feeling a Pitt team has not felt since the 2015-16 season before Jeff Capel stepped on campus. Pitt will face Mississippi State in the First Four from Dayton, Ohio, Tuesday night – both as No. 11 seeds – with the winner advancing to the round of 64 against Iowa State. The four-hour journey from Pittsburgh presents the opportunity for a conglomerate of Pitt fans to come together and create a raucous atmosphere for its first tournament appearance in seven years.