PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It's been a tough season for Pitt basketball and not just the number of losses, but the entire story. From a suspension, pair of knee injuries, recruit de-commitment and the manor of some of the losses.
"I wish we had better news there," said Pitt Director of Athletics Heather Lyke on Monday. "It's tough. It's tough rebuilding it."
The Panthers are 8-15 on the season at times playing with just one scholarship guard. A couple of blowout losses early in the year, then a stretch of 'gut punches' as described by head coach Jeff Capel. Holding a lead with three seconds left in losing to Minnesota, leading with a second left, losing at Virginia followed by one-and-three-point losses to Notre Dame and at Louisville.
Pitt would get wins over the Cardinals and Syracuse before some really bad stretches in losses to Boston College, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. The last on Saturday, trailing by 27 at half to the Hokies, only to cut it to a one-possession game late.
"This is a team that cares about one another, unselfish," Lyke said. "They believe in Coach Capel and what he is teaching them. He has not lost the team by any stretch. They are dialed in. They responded well in the second half. There is a desire to win. I'm not sure we are at the talent level we need to be."
Panthers are at Virginia Tech Monday night followed by games Wednesday (at Florida State) and Saturday (NC State). Over the last two years, Capel lost his best four players, one to the NBA as a sophomore and the others to the transfer portal.
As the transfer portal takes, it also gives. Pitt landed a couple of impact players in senior guard Jamarius Burton (one more season of eligibility left) and forward Mouhamadou Gueye (final season) this past offseason. With the ability to poach players in today's college basketball environment, a couple more good decisions could lead to a quick turnaround.
Pitt was patient with football coach Pat Narduzzi and in his seventh season he produced an ACC Championship. Capel is in year four, is 48-63 overall and under contract through the 2026-27 season on an extension signed in January of 2020.
Is the patience shown to Narduzzi an example Lyke will follow with Capel?
"No two sports are alike, no two coaches, no two situations, but when you believe in the coaches," Lyke said. "They are coaching for the right reasons. You see the relationships they have with the student-athletes. That locker room, they are connected."
"I have confidence in them. Yeah, there is a timeframe that makes sense. We will play out that timeframe right now. There is no question, I believe they can do it. It's just going to take a little longer than expected."
"Nobody wants to win more than Coach Capel."
