PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s been over seven years. A lot has happened to the Pitt basketball program since the last time they were ranked in the AP Top 25 in 2016. Now they are back.
This week’s Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll includes the first-place team in the ACC, the 21-8, 14-4 Pitt Panthers are 25th. Virginia dropped to 13th, Miami to 16th.
“I’m sure there are people that are excited about it,” said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel when asked previously about the Top 25. “I’m sure it’s a cool thing.”
Capel said the focus is finishing the season strong. The Panthers play at Notre Dame on Wednesday and then at Miami on Saturday.
Pitt was picked to finish 14th in the conference and now their 14 wins in the ACC is a program record.
“It’s what we expected,” said Panthers transfer forward Blake Hinson on the Pitt Panthers Radio Network and 93.7 The Fan. “When we got this team together we all agreed we are going to do something none of us have ever done before. Some of us have been to the tournament, we all agreed to make something special out of this year. We are trying to win more.”
Before this ranking, the Panthers were ranked at least one week in the Top 25 for 13 straight years. Most years the issue wasn’t being ranked, but feeling they were under-ranked. After a long draught of nothing, 371 weeks later, Capel has this program back in national prominence.
“We are in the moment,” Capel said. “We are concentrating on right now.”
He was an assistant coach at Duke when Jeff Capel first started as a player. Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey backed up what he said two weeks ago on Monday with his thoughts on the job Capel has done this season.
“I’m so pleased because we have all been in that position where you are fighting uphill a little bit, trying to turn it and you go through it,” Brey said on the ACC coaches conference call. “I’m been through it a couple of times. I’m just so proud of him that he’s done it and just kept grinding.”
“I had the opportunity to be around him at Duke. He’s the son of a coach.
He’s the son of an educator. He’s a great communicator. I’d want my son to play for him, because he gets it and he knows how to handle young people. I’m really thrilled for him because he’s done a fabulous job.”