1/6
- Thread starter BballinsiderfromPitt
- Start date
Not in my opinion.
NIL is a new beginning and Capel has shown, albeit briefly, that he's capable.
NIL is a new beginning and Capel has shown, albeit briefly, that he's capable.
We made the Round of 32 last year, not First Four, and had a better regular season this season. Didnt make the tournament due to 5 bid stealers plus every other bubble team beating every Top 10 team imaginable. This was an NCAA Tournament team. So even if Capel has a bad season next season, he gets 2025-26 because this is essentially like 2 NCAA Tournaments in a row. Then 2026-27 is the last year of his contract. So next year determines whether you extend him or just see how 2025-26 goes.
Capel is definitely trending in the right direction and has some juice now to recruit. Not sure about whether we have the pay for play dollars but we'll see. If Lowe and Bub (longshot) stay, this is a Top 15 team and certainly an NCAAT team. He just needs to tidy up the schedule and the entire ACC needs to hire a NET scheduling consultant. How have they not done that? I'd do it for free.
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At the beginning of the season, when we were something close to awful, last year was looking like a massive aberration. But we turned it around and ended up having a good season. That resume probably gets you in the tournament many years. So two consecutive good seasons kind of feels like this is heading in the right direction. Let's see what he can do with some financial support that will enable us to go with someone a little more effective than Fumbleriko.
I did not expect to make the tournament this past season (even before we lost Johnson, etc.). He came a lot closer than I expected.
I did not expect to make the tournament this past season (even before we lost Johnson, etc.). He came a lot closer than I expected.
You know absolutely nothing about basketball with your Austin post proving what we have known all long.
Well they were team 67 last year after the exact opposite of what happened this year (bid stealers). So they were in the first four.
By definition, this was not an NCAA tournament team. So they’re 1/6. Next year is make or break. If Meleek goes elsewhere (likely) and you don’t go to the NCAA’s again, time to cut bait. 7 years is enough time.
The talent level on this year’s team was the best we have seen in the program since 2011. The guard talent is the best since Knight and Page. The team got better as the season progressed each of the last 2 seasons. I would have been fine if Heather got rid of him after 2022, but I do think he has earned the opportunity to play out his current deal given his uptick in recruiting and how well he has done with the Portal.
I know what you are saying. Looking back we were definitely picked 9 or 10 in ACC in preseason so you would have no expectations of making tourney based on that. But Miami also received first place votes and well.
And to be fair we did lose ą lot of experience from last year. So a team decline would not have been shocking.
BUTTTTTTT it has taken a long time to even get here.
If next year goes similar to this past from a record, performance, and outcome standpoint, are you really suggesting getting rid of Capel and staff? What coach would want to come in and replace that?
You have to look at it as 2 different eras. The Johnson/McGowens/Toney era was a failure. They had NCAAT talent when you throw in Champagnie but those guys hated each other. Reminds me a bit of RJ Davis and Caleb Love. I dont know those guys' feelings toward each other but you couldn't have them on the court at the same time. Together, they couldn't even make the NCAAT, apart they are players of the year in their conference and 1 and 2 seeds. Ultimately, the roster is the coach's responsibility but once those guys left, we've been good. So I dont think you can just Capel on that era. There's a bit of bad luck that went in on that.
Hopefully, he replaces Hinson and Bub adequately and this is a moot point.
After the second loss to Syracuse and the 1-5 start, I was admittedly done with Capel. We reeked of pre-2023 Pitt basketball at that point. Last year looked like a total aberration. But he proved me and a lot of others wrong after the turnaround. There's no way he's going anywhere now. Not after a 4th place finish and being runner-up for Coach of the Year. Everyone knows we should have been in the tourney. Everything, unfortunately, went against us this past week.
Time to put this stuff to bed, IMHO. He's going to be here for the remainder of his contract, unless Scheier sh*ts the bed at Duke next year. Then you'll be hearing the 'Capel to Duke' drums pounding a year from now.
Time to put this stuff to bed, IMHO. He's going to be here for the remainder of his contract, unless Scheier sh*ts the bed at Duke next year. Then you'll be hearing the 'Capel to Duke' drums pounding a year from now.
I think we need to face reality. Pitt will be expected to improve next year and be a solid NCAAT team. No excuses. Not play-in games which in my mind are not NCAAT games. They shouldn't even exist. I mean a top 8 seed and a shot at going to the Sweet 16 or beyond. That must be the expectation. If it doesn't happen for whatever reason (Bub and Jaland leaving, poor portal), then his position at Pitt will be scrutinized.
He's done a great job developing THIS team, but this team is gone now. Let's see what he can do with next year's team. That will be year 7 and NCAAT appearances should be a Pitt expectation at this point. Maybe not every year, but certainly 3 out of 4 years. No excuses any longer. This is about results, not hope.
He's done a great job developing THIS team, but this team is gone now. Let's see what he can do with next year's team. That will be year 7 and NCAAT appearances should be a Pitt expectation at this point. Maybe not every year, but certainly 3 out of 4 years. No excuses any longer. This is about results, not hope.
I cannot stress enough how little of a chance that Duke will replace a guy who has had a top 4 seed every single year he's been at Duke with a guy who has been as mediocre his entire coaching career as Capel. Not sure how anyone could still think that. He left because he wasn't K's choice to be his successor and it would be a disaster of a hire for Duke. Recruiting isn't their problem. The actual coaching and execution of the games is their problem.
If they shit-can Scheyer, highly unlikely they would hire Capel. Nothing about what he has done at Pitt is any indication he could live up to Duke standards.
If next year follows the exact same script as this one, would you move on?
I don't think so. Just my opinion.
I think he has to get back to the NCAA tournament next year or be shown the door. March is what college basketball is all about for the pl;ayers, coaches and fans.
Obviously with all the automatic bids now the OOC scheduling needs to be smarter/better, and Capel needs to have his team ready to start stronger and more purposeful, and not keep digging a hole that they have to climb out of.
Watching this team play early in the year, especially in those first 6 ACC games, there was a lot more wrong with it than just not having enough Jaland Lowe. They played aimlessly and selfishly and were disorganized and disconnected at both ends of the floor. Bub seemed to have a full time green light to do whatever he wanted and that seemed to be to take as many low percentager contested shots as he could. By the last half ot the seaosn they were moving well, passing the ball well, playing team basketball at both ends, and were much better with shot selection, etc.
There's absolutely no reason they could not have started stronger and played better earlier, and to me that's on Capel.
Not sure, a lot would depend how the entire season goes and how he replaces Bub and Hinson and if there's significant momentum towards staying in that middle to top of the ACC.
Declining the NIT sends a clear message that the program views itself as an NCAA or bust type of program though.
The simple and clear answer is no. You don't fire coaches who finish with 20+ wins and top 5 finishes in the ACC.
We were never going to be able to get very far with the roster of "bigs" we went to war with this year.
Capel needs to add lot more length, twitch and athleticism up front. Not so much for scoring, but for a strong defensive and 2-way rebounding presence up front, players who can defend the other guys' bigs and keep a possession alive with O rebounds.
Yeah he would never be on their list. Their fans would mutiny.
It's like the football board guys who think that every time there's an opening at a better P5 program, Narduzzi is on the list for it, and he never is.
Like when they thought ND would fire Brian Kelly, who was literally perfect for that job, and hire Narduzzi.
I wondered who would be the first person on this board to cite this season as a knock against Capel. Surprised it was you.
There's a fired coach coaching in the NCAA tournament right now. Coaches get almost no leash nowadays. if they miss the tournament next year and have been to 1 tournament in 7 years, what does any of the other stuff matter?
??? The goal of college basketball is to make the NCAA tournament. It isn't a knock against Capel more than it would be any of the other 270 coaches who didn't make it. From Duke loss at home on, he did his best coaching here.
And you don’t start a thread like this either. It should be deleted. Asinine.
LOL. How dare we discuss the state of Pitt basketball program after making the NCAAT once in 6 years. You do realize the goal is to make the single elimination tournament for the national title, correct?
I've come to expect clown posts from you, so this thread is totally unsurprising.
1/6. At least we'll only have to replace a historical great first team all ACC guy and a first round draft pick though.
What he took over and the initial struggles are well documented here. Rehashing them reeks of trolling and/or agenda driven. As far as we all should be concerned, last year everything reset and he can be judged from that point forward. The program is back and relevant again. It’s a different era now and he should be measured against other coaches and programs in the ACC. Being in the top 1/3rd of the league for two straight years is pretty damn good considering all the programs who haven’t. Shall I list them?
Being in the top 1/3 means nothing if you don't make the NCAAT? THAT is the goal. Play Duquesne.
I look at it as 1/4 due to the shitstorm Capel inherited from typical Lower Campus dullards. But finishing fourth and going 12-8 in conference with some bad luck on Saturday can easily make it 2/4 in my eyes.
I’ll never get over coaches wanting no part of the job when Dixon left. These coaches know if a Pitt player jaywalks he’s suspended until the case is resolved. Who wants to work for those kinds of administrators? Luckily, Capel does.
I’ll never get over coaches wanting no part of the job when Dixon left. These coaches know if a Pitt player jaywalks he’s suspended until the case is resolved. Who wants to work for those kinds of administrators? Luckily, Capel does.
Better coaches than who we hired were interested and available after Dixon left.
That isn't true. Matt Painter inquired about the job and Barnes had already picked who Todd Turner asked him to pick. Do you guys really think if Pitt fired Capel there wouldn't be 1000 coaches waiting in line to make 23 million dollars over 7 years? I don't think you understand what drives the coaching industry.
Pitt has an inside track to the tournament if he can retain talent and beat all the conference newcomers. The real question is, what do we do if we end up in this position next year? Does context matter? Are we ok with becoming a Wake Forest-esque, 20 wins per season but no tournament brand?
correct. Yet so many are afraid of this question they just dive into dumb diatribes and personal attacks.
If you're a P6 not making the tournament in March regularly, if not almost every year, you're kinda pissing in the wind. What's the point?
20-win, bubble seasons are OK in phases. No program in the P5 should sit there more than 2-3 years maximum if the University is dedicated to the sport and a program is rebounding .
My worry, as it has been with Football in past years, is that the University invests at a "bubble" level. All the while, we as fans, expect excellent/elite level. Complete divergence on reality/expectations.
Technically it’s 1/5 because there wasn’t a tournament in 2020. Just saying!
