PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pitt head coach Jeff Capel said he wished Au’Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson well in leaving the program, adding while there are early depth questions. He believes it will be ok.
Capel said they will miss Johnson more than Toney because they’ve played without Toney before and likely with his concussion, Au’Diese could have missed the rest of the season anyway.
“Long term-I don’t see any effects to be honest with you,” Capel said during his radio show on the Pitt Panthers Radio Network and 93.7 The Fan. “That’s not saying anything to diminish them.”
“We have to recruit. We have to get guys. We have to continue to develop the young men that are in our program.”
“I totally understand what coach is doing and what he is trying to do,” said ESPN college basketball analyst and former Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg on the Pitt Panthers Radio Network. “He is doing the right things. In my opinion, you have to have non-negotiables. You gotta have core believes and you have to have a standard for everything in your program.”
“As a coach, you are just trying to help your guys be better for the rest of their lives. It’s like parenting. Sometimes you have to do things that are difficult. I know things ahead are going to be really exciting for Pitt basketball.”
Capel said they had one of their best practices of the year on Thursday. He talked with his team, now consisting of two upperclassmen on scholarship.
“Sometimes you go through adversity,” Capel said of his message. “You go through difficult times. But I told them two of the greatest feelings I think a human being can have is number one-a comeback. A lot of people fall. You find out who you are. You find out who is with you. You find out who is in your corner. You find out what you are made of.
“To come back from an adverse situation that’s a great feeling. You love a great comeback story. I think of Tiger Woods winning the Masters the last time.”
“One of the second greatest feelings is when you finish something. We have a chance to finish the season strong. It’s an opportunity for other guys. I know for me one of the greatest feelings was when you finished final exams. Even if I bombed, I was just glad it was over with. We have a chance to finish strong.”
Overall, Capel is being optimistic about moving forward.
“I look at it that it gives us two more scholarships to go out and to get guys who really want to be here,” Capel said. “Be a part of what we are doing.”
“That program is in good hands,” Greenberg said. “Sometimes people need to just take a step back to move forward. If you ever give in to your core believes and your non-negotiables, than you have no culture.”
Capel had a top 30 recruiting class last year. He’s got more room and more work to do to get those steps moving forward again.