PITTSBURGH - It turns out that the Pitt Panthers let more than a possible No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed slip through their fingers by losing the Big East Tournament final to Connecticut.

The Panthers (29-4), thought by many to be sure to get a No. 2 seed even after Saturday's 61-58 loss to the Huskies, were seeded No. 3 and will face No. 14 seed Central Florida in Milwaukee in the opening round of the East Rutherford Regional on Friday.

"I think it's disrespectful and I think we deserve better, but that last loss to UConn in the tournament hurt us," said Toree Morris, a 6-10 senior center. "And also, I believe the loss at home to Syracuse (49-46 in OT on Feb. 29) hurt. Other than that, I believe we should have been a number two seed. I definitely don't think we get respect."

In this year's tournament, the regionals are named after the city in which the regional finals will be played and, unlike past years, each 16-team bracket is ranked by its respective No. 1 seed. The top seed in the East Rutherford Regional, Saint Joseph's, is the fourth-ranked No. 1 seed overall. That means Pitt, as the No. 3 seed, could be seen as the 12th-best team in the tournament. Pitt entered the Connecticut game ranked No. 6 nationally by The Associated Press.

First-year coach Jamie Dixon said he couldn't explain the mathematics behind the seedings.

"I don't know how it works," Dixon said. "We're not in there on the (tournament selection committee) meetings and how they do that. I don't know where they would have had us before (the Connecticut loss). We had a great year. We had more wins than anybody in the country and it all comes down to doing it on the floor."

Oklahoma State (27-3) got the No. 2 seed in the East Rutherford bracket. Tournament organizers said the Cowboys' 65-49 victory over Texas in the Big 12 Tournament final wasn't a factor in their selection because the game started too late on Sunday.

If Pitt beats Central Florida (25-5), which earned an automatic tournament bid with its Atlantic Sun Tournament championship, the Panthers will play the winner of the No. 6 Wisconsin-No. 11 Richmond game. Wisconsin (24-6) would figure to have almost a home court advantage if they advance to Sunday's game.

Guard Carl Krauser didn't seem concerned about that scenario.

"That would be fun. It would be just another road game," Krauser said. Pitt lost just two regular-season road games, against Seton Hall in overtime and by 3 points to Connecticut.

If it's any consolation to Pitt, although Connecticut got a No. 2 seed, the Huskies will have to travel through Phoenix to get to the Final Four. Connecticut (27-6) opens the tournament much closer to home, however, in Buffalo, N.Y. on Thursday against No. 15 Vermont (22-8).

If Pitt makes it to the Final Four out of East Rutherford, they'll play the St. Louis Regional winner. The St. Louis bracket includes the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament, Kentucky (26-4). But first, Pitt must make it past Central Florida, which is making just its third trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Golden Knights were 11-18 when they slipped into the 1996 tournament by winning the Atlantic Sun tournament. Central Florida was knocked out in the first round by Marcus Camby and top-seeded Massachusetts, 92-70.

The Golden Knights earned the program's third NCAA berth Saturday with 60-55 victory over Troy State in the Atlantic Sun tournament championship. Central Florida earned its first tournament berth in 1994.

Pitt, which has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the last two years, fell last year to a squad from Milwaukee - Marquette, 77-74. The Panthers were upset by Kent State in the 2002 Sweet 16.