End of Season Pitt Basketball Thoughts & Other Dribbles ...

[FrogmoreZeke]

I was at the game yesterday (5$ GA tickets for 3 games is hard to ignore). During the technical review, when the ref came up to Capel and was talking to him, I said to my son, "Must be techs on both players because of his reaction". He had no reaction so I figured it was going both ways. Watching all 3 games, all of the coaches bur ours seemed to be engaged..Capel seemed to just be there. He did some coaching but compared to the other teams (and granted this was not exactly coaching excellence all day), Pitt just did not seem to want to be there. To me that's on coaching. Even when GT was getting smashed in the first half of their game, Pastner was coaching non-stop. Capel.... I just hope they can get the buyout down to something reasonable. This can't go on anymore.

I posted regarding this earlier in the thread. Did you notice while the refs were reviewing the Femi tech the BC coach had his guys over by his bench and was coaching and instructing cause it was basically a free time out. Capel was standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed, never brought his guys over or said a word, just stood there. And this review went on for a few minutes. At that point my mind was made up that he had no interest in coaching his team and should be let go. I was on the fence and wanted to wait until the end of the season but that right there showed me that he was not engaged at all.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Really a well thought out synopsis of Pitt bb . Fan apathy is the biggest problem facing Pitt bb right now and that apathy will allow Heather to delay taking any action on JC IMO .

The fan base has already been lost and the cost of replacing JC is astronomical right now . Look at the difficulty she had in finding JC in the first place . I see no reason to believe it will be any easier finding anyone you want to take over a program that quite honestly is horrible .

There is no hire out there that’s going to ride in on a white horse and save the day . Unless Pitt figures out a way to entice better players through NIL deals (or whatever ) it’s going to be a long journey back to Respectability .

Mo was a joy to watch and I think he’s a future NBA guy too .
Hugley with proper support can be a beast .
Burton is skilled but was trying to do too much , a solid player .
Femi needs to be a 3 .
Horton needs to come off the bench .
Collier made some strides but he’s a bench guy .
Nike is a question mark health wise and while he came on at the end of last season who knows what he brings to the table
Unfortunately no one else brings much to the table .
When he says they need more talent he’s 100% correct . Get busy Jeff !

Keep the faith , maybe the portal brings in the players they need to at least be representative next season . If not no way JC survives beyond next season and everyone’s wish will come true . My biggest fear is that we find out it doesn’t matter who the coach is that Pitt just can’t attract the players .

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

I was certainly willing to give JC the benefit of the doubt with the bad eggs on the team last season. I was certainly disappointed when we lost out on kids that he swung for the fences to obtain but at least we were trying. You knew this would be a tough year but if he could take these kids who all bought in, we were told then maybe we would see improvement throughout the season and hope would be there for coming years. But the kids played and he coached like a team that just wanted to destroy any bright light that came out during the year. For the first time ever if they lost I was not unhappy because it meant we were closer to the decision to terminate him

The post game if yesterdays debacle was all I could take. He simply has to go regardless of what the buyout is.

This is an awesome time of year and I simply want to get back to where we put on a decent show in the conference tourney.

Yeah, I rode the Capel train for a long time. Assigned blame to McGowens, X Johnson, Toney, and I still don't absolve any of them for their noted flaws. But I think we've all seen enough now to make a conclusive judgment about the past, present, and future of the Capel regime at Pitt, and it looks despairingly bleak from every angle.

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

Nike is a question mark health wise and while he came on at the end of last season who knows what he brings to the table
Unfortunately no one else brings much to the table .

Table? What table? There is no effing table! We're all squatting down in the gutter eating day-old donuts from the dumpster in the Sheetz parking lot!

 

[NTOP]

When you've lost DT, it's over.

He will be back, hopefully soon. Me too, if I keep processing oxygen. Football let's me wear the colors in public.

 

[xwalker444]

DT’s feelings represent so many of us. Even a sad dribble feels like a worthwhile dribble.

I’ve also felt apathy for Pitt basketball that I haven’t felt in my life. I’m not going anywhere. I just hope my passion is revived soon.

Hail to Pitt.

 

[DT_PITT]

DT’s feelings represent so many of us. Even a sad dribble feels like a worthwhile dribble.

I’ve also felt apathy for Pitt basketball that I haven’t felt in my life. I’m not going anywhere. I just hope my passion is revived soon.

Hail to Pitt.

Right, I'm not going anywhere either. But like I said ... it's just sad.

 

[GomerTV]

** I’ve been thinking about what to write to end this season and thoughts just aren’t coming very easily. Really, what is there to say?

** It would seem only one word is coming to my mind. That word is “sad.”

** It’s sad what has happened to Pitt basketball. It’s equally sad that Pitt Basketball seems so incredible far from getting significantly better. And for me, it’s incredibly sad that my favorite thing, something that has given me a great amount of joy since 1980, basically has provided little, if none at all, over the last six years.

** Sure, there have been a few moments over the last six campaigns. And we’ve watched some fine players, three of whom have played in the NBA.

** At the top of this year’s moments, one I will remember is the sight of Mo Gueye soaring for a rebound or a block. And I loved watching him play in a way that looked like he really, really loves playing.

** It wouldn’t surprise me if Mo finds his way to an NBA floor for a moment or two a few years in the future. I hope so. It would be a great story.

** Another memory from this year were those times when Big John made post scoring look pretty light and easy for such a big man. This certainly wasn’t always. But for his first full year, John did just fine. And he proved that his shoulders were pretty broad for the load he frequently had to carry.

** For a good part of this season, Onyebuchi Ezeakudo was a great story too. He always played so hard, and his contributions were real, not just for a former walk-on. Eventually and unfortunately however, he became all too clear of a symbol of how little talent this team has.

** But that was about it. The rest of our stories seemed like nothing more than the same old story – a story that’s become so sad.

** Sure, last year’s the story went a little differently. It featured some decent talent who achieved a little success to be spoiled along the way by internal strife.

** But this year’s story was not one bit different than what Head Coach Jeff Capel said in his final news conference – we need to get better talent.

** I’ll even go as far as to say that for short spurts in this year, it looked as if Coach was actually getting the most out of his talent. There were games where we did play to the sum of our parts. But when that sum is the combination of some numbers as low as ours, that’s sort of faint praise, isn’t it? And as the season went on, in the final weeks, our men couldn’t even sustain that below mediocre level. They either tired out or stopped caring and whatever buy-in the players once showed seemed to be sold. Whatever the reason, what difference does it make?

** I’ll be brutally honest about the talent. We will return just 6 guys who appear to even have the ability to play at the ACC level. And this includes Nike who didn’t even play this year and even Noah Collier who seem capable enough to hold down a single digit minute role as a backup of the five spot.

** Only John Hugley starts for a majority of ACC teams. Nike, Femi Ithiel and Jamarius don’t. That is a team woefully short on talent. It was a team that finished #158 according to Sagarin and #208 according to Pomeroy.

** Most would say that we liked the hire of Jeff Capel four years ago because he thought would remarkably improve our talent from a program that had just finished with an 0-18 ACC record and a #227 Pomeroy ranking in 2018.

** In short, Capel has failed at the one, most important reason we brought him to Pitt. He has failed to bring in enough talent. Four years after he arrived, he's right about back were he started from. And there no reason to believe this will change.

** As a fan, I wish I could think of one legitimate, reasonable thought that would justify Capel staying for another year, but I cannot.

** Of course, Heather Lyke may not be able to make a move for financial reasons, and while I understand this, to some degree, she almost has to held accountable in way for extending his contract without any real demonstrated success from Capel, putting herself in the situation she is now.

** I’ll close with two personal stories about our last two games. Last Friday night, I was planning my Saturday chores and errands, and I actually forgot about the Pitt game. I forgot. I woke up and somehow remembered and had to change my plans to fit in TV time. And halfway through the second half, I returned to my preplanned chores, because they were much less of a chore than watching to the end.

** And yesterday I didn’t even watch the ACC Tournament game. Since I entered College in 1984, I can’t recall ever not watching a conference tournament game, and I would take days off or make other arrangements to do so. I just didn’t bother yesterday. I just followed along on my phone for a while.

** I will always be proud to be a Pitt Basketball fan of the highest magnitude. But this year, maybe more than any year in the past, I felt that slipping. And that’s a problem, because I can only imagine how it must feel for someone who does not take this as seriously as I do.

** Therefore, something better happen soon. Either we get a new leader, or the current leader must finally show he can start getting better guys. Because where things stand now is sad.

I love Pitt. I love basketball. I love Pitt Basketball. I did not watch this season and don't plan to watch or donate anymore until there is a change.

** I’ve been thinking about what to write to end this season and thoughts just aren’t coming very easily. Really, what is there to say?

** It would seem only one word is coming to my mind. That word is “sad.”

** It’s sad what has happened to Pitt basketball. It’s equally sad that Pitt Basketball seems so incredible far from getting significantly better. And for me, it’s incredibly sad that my favorite thing, something that has given me a great amount of joy since 1980, basically has provided little, if none at all, over the last six years.

** Sure, there have been a few moments over the last six campaigns. And we’ve watched some fine players, three of whom have played in the NBA.

** At the top of this year’s moments, one I will remember is the sight of Mo Gueye soaring for a rebound or a block. And I loved watching him play in a way that looked like he really, really loves playing.

** It wouldn’t surprise me if Mo finds his way to an NBA floor for a moment or two a few years in the future. I hope so. It would be a great story.

** Another memory from this year were those times when Big John made post scoring look pretty light and easy for such a big man. This certainly wasn’t always. But for his first full year, John did just fine. And he proved that his shoulders were pretty broad for the load he frequently had to carry.

** For a good part of this season, Onyebuchi Ezeakudo was a great story too. He always played so hard, and his contributions were real, not just for a former walk-on. Eventually and unfortunately however, he became all too clear of a symbol of how little talent this team has.

** But that was about it. The rest of our stories seemed like nothing more than the same old story – a story that’s become so sad.

** Sure, last year’s the story went a little differently. It featured some decent talent who achieved a little success to be spoiled along the way by internal strife.

** But this year’s story was not one bit different than what Head Coach Jeff Capel said in his final news conference – we need to get better talent.

** I’ll even go as far as to say that for short spurts in this year, it looked as if Coach was actually getting the most out of his talent. There were games where we did play to the sum of our parts. But when that sum is the combination of some numbers as low as ours, that’s sort of faint praise, isn’t it? And as the season went on, in the final weeks, our men couldn’t even sustain that below mediocre level. They either tired out or stopped caring and whatever buy-in the players once showed seemed to be sold. Whatever the reason, what difference does it

I love Pitt. I love basketball. I love Pitt basketball. I did not watch or donate this year and do not plan to until a change is made.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Same for me. Did not watch yesterday and have not missed one prior to this.

I wonder when the last time that none of you, DT and myself watched a Pitt basketball game live? Probably some obscure road non-conference game that wasn't televised anywhere like 15 years ago.

 

[thebadby2]

I wonder when the last time that none of you, DT and myself watched a Pitt basketball game live? Probably some obscure road non-conference game that wasn't televised anywhere like 15 years ago.

15 years ago we watched em all.

 

[DT_PITT]

I wonder when the last time that none of you, DT and myself watched a Pitt basketball game live? Probably some obscure road non-conference game that wasn't televised anywhere like 15 years ago.

The last road game that I can remember that wasn't televised was the South Carolina game in the 2005-2006 season.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

15 years ago we watched em all.

Yep. I wouldn't miss a game. Now I may have watched an entire game this season 3 times, and those included the games I attended in person. Of those games I attended in person, I may have watched an entire game once. It was more interesting roaming the concourses than watching this travesty. Met some good people that way.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

15 years ago we watched em all.

I'm assuming that somewhere along the line there was a road game that wasn't televised. Like that game that we played at Hawaii a few years ago before we played in the Maui Invitational. Was that game even on television?

 

[whirlybird optio]

The last road game that I can remember that wasn't televised was the South Carolina game in 2006.

Does Hawaii count from a couple years ago? I don’t remember that being on TV.

It’s funny, I literally have no memory of that South Carolina game except I imagine I was very ticked off it wasn’t on TV.

 

[PittMBA]

The grossest thing to me is that if you ask our head coach, maybe injected him with some truth serum, he would undoubtedly say the highlight of his tenure at Pitt so far was the pregame ceremony against Duke this year. I’ve certainly never heard him speak so glowingly about his own team.

I know this, whether Capel is gone now, or in 30 games (and those are the only two options) I want the next guy to really care about Pitt basketball. Because our current coach, and the one before him, really don’t seem like they do. They are here for money, or maybe as a stepping stone to Duke, or as a life raft after almost being canned by Vandy…but someone should care about this team. We all do. Is that asking too much?

Really well put. Being a fan is an emotional, almost illogical, relationship. It’s like when Jimmy Fallon’s character in Fever Pitch sees the Red Sox laughing over dinner after a painful loss in the playoffs. Fans need to believe the team they spend so much time and emotional energy on cares too.

There is no such feeling coming from the basketball program - especially the head coach.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Does Hawaii count from a couple years ago? I don’t remember that being on TV.

Yeah, they didn't even play that game on Hawaii's campus. It was at some rinky-dink little gym elsewhere.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Does Hawaii count from a couple years ago? I don’t remember that being on TV.

It’s funny, I literally have no memory of that South Carolina game except I imagine I was very ticked off it wasn’t on TV.

I was listening to that game on the radio like it was 1991 but fell asleep and woke up at 3AM and was so pissed to check the score.

I remember a game at Auburn around that SC game that wasn't televised but it was put On Demand later as part of The Comcast Network

 

[PittMBA]

I was listening to that game on the radio like it was 1991 but fell asleep and woke up at 3AM and was so pissed to check the score.

I remember a game at Auburn around that SC game that wasn't televised but it was put On Demand later as part of The Comcast Network

They also played Hawaii more recently- it was radio only . We got run off the court . I think it was Luther and Cam Johnson’s freshmen season. I recall Luther making a 3 for some reason.

 

[DT_PITT]

Does Hawaii count from a couple years ago? I don’t remember that being on TV.

It’s funny, I literally have no memory of that South Carolina game except I imagine I was very ticked off it wasn’t on TV.

Yep ... good call ... that was indeed not on TV. I kinda forgot about it because I wasn't even sure I was going to listen to it because it was on very late and I had to get up at 4am for my flight to Maui.

 

[DT_PITT]

I was listening to that game on the radio like it was 1991 but fell asleep and woke up at 3AM and was so pissed to check the score.

I remember a game at Auburn around that SC game that wasn't televised but it was put On Demand later as part of The Comcast Network

That Auburn game was indeed on TV. It was December 2006 and I remember watching it.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

The grossest thing to me is that if you ask our head coach, maybe injected him with some truth serum, he would undoubtedly say the highlight of his tenure at Pitt so far was the pregame ceremony against Duke this year. I’ve certainly never heard him speak so glowingly about his own team.

I know this, whether Capel is gone now, or in 30 games (and those are the only two options) I want the next guy to really care about Pitt basketball. Because our current coach, and the one before him, really don’t seem like they do. They are here for money, or maybe as a stepping stone to Duke, or as a life raft after almost being canned by Vandy…but someone should care about this team. We all do. Is that asking too much?

Perfect, whirly. We do care about this program and have shown it for the last X years, depending on our ages. I'm sick and tired of having a coach here who blows smoke at us with platitudes and BS and lies, and who really doesn't care if we win or lose. Capel has now sapped the enthusiasm out of us real fans for his own selfish ends. Hey, when DT feels this way, there is something drastically wrong.

It isn't too much to ask our next coach to actually care about this program, even a little. Capel and Stallings couldn't care less about it. Stallings is gone. We need to toss Capel out in the street now, where he belongs.

 

[whirlybird optio]

I was listening to that game on the radio like it was 1991 but fell asleep and woke up at 3AM and was so pissed to check the score.

I remember a game at Auburn around that SC game that wasn't televised but it was put On Demand later as part of The Comcast Network

Are you thinking of the Auburn game that was on like the weirdest tv channel ever? It was a road game - I swear there was like some random infomercial that played every commercial. It was a channel only very specific cable packages had but I watched it, maybe at PittMBAs house. It was definitely a Sam Young team, I remember he had a good game. Maybe his Sophomore year?

 

[whirlybird optio]

That Auburn game was indeed on TV. It was December 2006 and I remember watching it.

Ok, I’m not dreaming. It was on like the 3rd ABC backup channel only on Comcast or something.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

That Auburn game was indeed on TV. It was December 2006 and I remember watching it.

Not for me, it wasnt.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Are you thinking of the Auburn game that was on like the weirdest tv channel ever? It was a road game - I swear there was like some random infomercial that played every commercial. It was a channel only very specific cable packages had but I watched it, maybe at PittMBAs house. It was definitely a Sam Young team, I remember he had a good game. Maybe his Sophomore year?

It was on The Comcast Network but it wasn't on live for me.

 

[whirlybird optio]

Not for me, it wasnt.

I’m telling you that game was televised. It wasn’t a HDNet game (shoutout CBI), but it was a weird local channel. I 100% watched that game. Now I’m going to go down a rabbit hole of trying to figure out where.

 

[Franb]

Yeah, they didn't even play that game on Hawaii's campus. It was at some rinky-dink little gym elsewhere.

Was that where Jerome Lane's Rinky-Dinks played?

 

[whirlybird optio]

It was on The Comcast Network but it wasn't on live for me.

https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news...tball_Game_to_be_Broadcast_on_Comcast_Network

Hmmm. Weird. I know I watched it live. Maybe you were out of area or something.

 

[DT_PITT]

Perfect, whirly. We do care about this program and have shown it for the last X years, depending on our ages. I'm sick and tired of having a coach here who blows smoke at us with platitudes and BS and lies, and who really doesn't care if we win or lose. Capel has now sapped the enthusiasm out of us real fans for his own selfish ends. Hey, when DT feels this way, there is something drastically wrong.

It isn't too much to ask our next coach to actually care about this program, even a little. Capel and Stallings couldn't care less about it. Stallings is gone. We need to toss Capel out in the street now, where he belongs.

I don't think it's true at all that Capel doesn't care if we win or lose.

And I appreciate his "platitudes" (as you call them) and I don't think he gives any more BS or lies than any other coach.

It's not personal at all for me as it seems to be for you.

I have no personal problem him at all. I just don't think he's a very good basketball coach.

 

[DT_PITT]

https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news...tball_Game_to_be_Broadcast_on_Comcast_Network

Hmmm. Weird. I know I watched it live. Maybe you were out of area or something.

Yes -- I agree -- I'm 100% positive I watched it live.

 

[WillFerrell]

The last road game that I can remember that wasn't televised was the South Carolina game in the 2005-2006 season.

Wow. Great memory DT.

I remember listening to that one on the radio around Christmas time.
Didn’t we go undefeated non-conf that year ?

 

[DT_PITT]

They also played Hawaii more recently- it was radio only . We got run off the court . I think it was Luther and Cam Johnson’s freshmen season. I recall Luther making a 3 for some reason.

Luther's 3's (3 of them) were against Kansas State in Maui.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

I don't think it's true at all that Capel doesn't care if we win or lose.

And I appreciate his "platitudes" (as you call them) and I don't think he gives any more BS or lies than any other coach.

It's not personal at all for me as it seems to be for you.

I have no personal problem him at all. I just don't think he's a very good basketball coach.

I go by actions, not words. Words are cheap. Actions and results are 2 places Capel comes up drastically short. If he cared about Pitt, he'd show it. He hasn't as others have said, and I agree.

 

[DT_PITT]

Wow. Great memory DT.

I remember listening to that one on the radio around Christmas time.
Didn’t we go undefeated non-conf that year ?

We did. We started the year 15-0.

 

[DT_PITT]

I go by actions, not words. Words are cheap. Actions and results are 2 places Capel comes up drastically short. If he cared about Pitt, he'd show it. He hasn't as others have said, and I agree.

I don't see anything wrong at all with his actions. And his words are the words of a coach who is struggling for answers because nothing is working.

It's his results that are the problem for me.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

I don't see anything wrong at all with his actions. And his words are the words of a coach who is struggling for answers because nothing is working.

It's his results that are the problem for me.

The bottom line is we're all Pitt fans and want this program back on solid ground, sooner rather than later. If we disagree with some things about Capel and his approach, that shouldn't be a reason to be disagreeable about anything. We're all frustrated and passionate. That's all it is.

 

[thebadby2]

I'm assuming that somewhere along the line there was a road game that wasn't televised. Like that game that we played at Hawaii a few years ago before we played in the Maui Invitational. Was that game even on television?

I don’t know. Just trying to make a point.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

I don't see anything wrong at all with his actions. And his words are the words of a coach who is struggling for answers because nothing is working.

It's his results that are the problem for me.

Capel shows very little passion on the sidelines during the game. Every good college coach in the game right now is constantly coaching from the sidelines. Capel is aloof at times and it drives me nuts. The officials spent a couple minutes reviewing Femi’s tech and Capel is just standing there like a doofus.

 

[PittMBA]

I’m telling you that game was televised. It wasn’t a HDNet game (shoutout CBI), but it was a weird local channel. I 100% watched that game. Now I’m going to go down a rabbit hole of trying to figure out where.

Lol. We watched that Auburn game together at my old place on the South Side- somehow I had whatever obscure channel on the cable package i had.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

We did. We started the year 15-0.

Blame me for the loss. I went to MSG and watched our 1st loss