PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It got so intense for Justin Champagnie watching his former team he broke a hotel TV watching the back-and-forth of the Panthers 60-59 first-round NCAA win over Mississippi State. It matters that much to former players.
“It’s tough because when I watch them, I envision myself back at school,” Champagnie said. “I love Pitt. When I played here I played with passion. Pitt was it for me.”
Even though he left after just two seasons, Champagnie considers Jeff Capel and the entire Panthers coaching staff family. He appreciates that even though it hurt their careers and their team with him leaving, they were honest to what was best for him.
Sam Young didn’t play for Capel, he spent four years with Jamie Dixon leaving as the program’s fourth all-time leading scorer. Young tells 93.7 The Fan he roots hard for their success and wants them to grow from the mistakes they made. Young also wants them to understand what he and his teammates accomplished.
“Learn from how successful we were and what made us successful and be better,” Young said.
That would be quite an accomplishment as Young won 112 games during his Panthers career. It’s part of Capel’s mentality since he arrived. He’s had numerous former players talk to his team about Pitt tradition. He has them sign a brick that is displayed in the locker room as part of rebuilding the program brick-by-brick.
“I think Coach did a great job, the seniors stepped up and did a pretty good job,” Young told 93.7 The Fan. “I think they started to bring what we had in the past back. I think the fans were happy about last year.”
“For a second, I think Pitt basketball was a little, let me get the right words, I don’t want to sound mean, but we wasn’t ourselves. We weren’t Pitt basketball for a second. I’m glad we are getting back to that. Hard-nosed basketball, tough, grit, Big East-type of basketball, not this ACC stuff.”
A few of the key players who were part of the return to the NCAA Tournament last season are now alumni. They have gathered with fellow former Panthers to play for the ‘Zoo Crew’ in The Basketball Tournament as they play a first-round matchup Tuesday night in Wheeling against ‘Herd That’-a group of Marshall University alums. Now last year’s seniors have had a chance to understand what they accomplished.
“It felt great,” Greg Elliott told The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan. “It was a good feeling especially knowing me and those guys when we came in, that was our goal. We said we wanted to get Pitt basketball where it once was, and we knew it wouldn’t happen without us starting it. We did our part and got it back to where it’s supposed to be now it’s on the younger guys and the guys coming in to keep it going.”
“It feels good,” said guard Nelly Cummings. “I remember having this question a lot whenever I was still playing about the things we were doing at the time. Now that I’m an alum and I can sit back and watch these guys practice. I can finally say I feel like we left the program in good hands.”
Both Elliott and Cummings were one-year transfers, but both continue to support and assist the current Panthers basketball team. Cummings said he’s in a full-circle moment from growing up watching Pitt in the NCAAs to helping lead Pitt back to the NCAA Tournament and now someone that current players look up to.
“They went through a couple of years of rough patches, I don’t want to jinx anything ‘cause I said this when I got here and a jinxed myself and I don’t want to do that again,” Champagnie said as he foresees Pitt returning to the NCAAs this season. “I think they are on the right path of getting back where they should be and gaining the recognition that this school deserves. I’m super-excited to watch them go far this year.”
Former players have gone from being constantly asked about what happened to the program to now referring to Jeff Capel fondly as ‘Coach’ and taking about consecutive NCAA appearances. Quite a change for Pitt basketball.