1) Dior recruited Pitt because literally no one else would take him. He had zero options because of his anger issues (kicked out of 2 schools for fighting, but framed as leaving on his own) that manifested itself quickly at Pitt. Capel was gonna roll with this team as of June 15. The constant crying about Dior not being reinstated yet is annoying. Capel never planned on Dior. It was a last minute thing.
2) I don’t applaud my dog for taking a shit outside. She is supposed to. I don’t applaud basketball coaches of the teams I root for recruiting decent enough players to beat shitty out of conference teams. That isn’t the standard here anymore. Pitt can recruit ACC -quality players with almost any coach as evidenced by Stallings having Marcus Carr.
3. I don’t give credit to someone or excuse someone for bringing a knife to a gun fight. In the recruitments mentioned, Davis and Reid, you’re saying he was outbid. So he was either a) playing the game or b) thought his Duke background and relationships would win out. If it’s B, he’s an idiot. If it’s A and he didn’t have enough ammo, he’s also an idiot. I would expect someone as smart as Capel to do whatever it takes at that point even it means coming out of his own pocket (coaches, especially assistants, used to do this all the time). If Orlando Antigua got another shot, do you think he’d hire his brother again? Do you think he’d think he could go after same caliber of player he was because he USED to coach at Kentucky and have Cal as a closer? I’d hope he would learn both of those lessons.
The team in general is fine, an improvement on his and Stallings teams. But they’re at best an NIT team and after 5 years and assembling one of the oldest teams in the country I’m not gonna throw a parade for a guy who has been paid over 15 million (and gifted his brother and his friends over 1.5 mill each) for perhaps garnering one NIT bid. That’s not good enough.
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