Ironically the late season losses and the very close match against UNI may be exactly what propels them over Pitt.
In 1980, Griffith fouled-out against Kansas State, and seldom used Tony Branch came in off the bench where he played a huge role in avoiding what would have been a huge upset to a very underrated Wildcat team. Darrell and others acknowledged later that experiencing the thought of failing to get to the NC game was a significant motivation throughout that tournament.