I think there's a huge difference in going to the NIT as an ascending program like in 2001 versus going to the NIT after a decade+ run as a top 10 program like we did in 2015. Pitt won one NCAAT game in the final 5 years of the JD run, against a team missing it's best player, who is now a stud in the NBA. And frankly, none of those teams really had the talent to win more than a game or two, max.
If Jeff Capel only wins one NCAAT game in his first five years here, people will similarly be calling for his removal, right or wrong.
Most importantly, I think Jeff Capel can take us beyond that 3 out of every 5 year NCAAT appearance type of program that we had become, where you're struggling every year just to get in. I think he can assemble the type of talent that gets us back to being a Sweet 16 caliber contender in most years, which everyone at Pitt SHOULD be very happy with - and SHOULD have been happy with over our glorious 10 year stretch from 2001-2011. Beyond that level, we're probably still going to need the ball to bounce in the right direction in the NCAAT to ever achieve much more. Unfortunately, that didn't happen in 2002, 2003, 2009 or 2011, but maybe next time we're in that position, it will.
