Pittsburgh Basketball: Jeff Capel’s expectations in second season with Panthers

Jeff Capel took over Pittsburgh Basketball rebuild last season after a successful tenure at Duke. The Panthers remained last in the ACC but has the Panthers trending in the right direction. Better days and bigger expectations are ahead for Capel and the program.

Jeff Capel and Pittsburgh Basketball continue the rebuild of a program and after year one and his first recruiting class, it’s safe to say the Panthers are headed in the right direction. Pitt’s 14-19 (3-15) record last season may have seemed underwhelming especially surrounding the hype of Capel and success he’s had with Duke, but after what the program’s been through with Kevin Stallings anything would be considered an improvement.

Capel’s Panthers competed and didn’t quit, unlike Stallings team. At the Zoo, Pitt was at its best. The Panthers won 11 games and lost seven while going winless on the road in 11 attempts. There is no excuse for not winning even one road game but they were impressive in neutral court games.

Pitt won three consecutive neutral floor games with victories over Saint Louis, Duquesne, and Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament. The only loss came to Syracuse in the ACC Tournament the following round.

The rebuild began in 2016 with the failed experiment of Stallings replacing Jamie Dixon. The entire hire was a mess from the beginning and put into question-based off Sheldon Jeter’s transfer and the fact Stallings was on the verge of being fired from Vanderbilt. Jeter left Vanderbilt to escape Stallings and Pitt hired him shortly after causing instant negative team chemistry in the locker room.

At first glance, the Panthers 12-2 start with Stallings before conference play seemed like an almost transition-less process post-Dixon but then the collapse began. They won one game out of the next 10 and finished the season 16-17 losing to Virginia in the ACC Quarterfinals.

If that wasn’t enough of a sign, the 8-24 record and an 0-18 conference record the following season really ended attendance in the Oakland Zoo before Capel brought it back to life. Capel’s team scored more points (69.9), allowed less (68.7), and improved in about every single stat category you could think of.

Pitt returns four starters including two sophomores that average double figures this season and attaining a record of .500 or better for Capel and the Panthers should be the respectable goal with higher aspirations. Capel’s first recruiting class is in the books and the focus heading into 2019-20 is having a winning second season and landing the potential three and four-star 2020 recruits.