Pitt Hoops Is Back and It Feels Oh So Good
Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Andre Curtis. Follow him on Twitter @AndreTheRegular
Ever had that feeling when you are about to watch your team play, yet deep down you know they’re going to lose? You still watch anyway of course. It’s your team, and you’re a true fan. It’s like flipping through the channels late at night on TV, finding a movie you’ve seen one-thousand times that you don’t really want to watch, and then watching it anyway just because you have nothing better to do.
C’mon, we’ve all done it.
Unfortunately, that has been the feeling for Pitt basketball fans since the team joined the Atlantic Coastal Conference in 2013. One could make the argument that it has been since former head coach Jamie Dixon left the school in 2016 after 13 years at the helm.
That’s when it got ugly.
Pitt hired head coach Kevin Stallings and proceeded to go 4-14 in ACC conference play the next season. The year after that they went 0-18 in ACC play. Kevin Stallings was non-coincidentally fired.
The ugliness didn’t stop there.
Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Pitt hired Jeff Capel to be their next head coach. Capel had worked under Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) at Duke University and had seen great success there, including multiple NCAA Championships. Yet, that success didn’t translate immediately when coming to Pitt.
The Panthers limped to a 3-15 ACC record in Capel’s first season as head coach. Then a 6-14 record the following year, then 6-10, and then 6-14 again. This stretch also included a 24-game road losing streak in ACC play that stretched back to the Kevin Stallings era.
Pitt basketball was…consistently atrocious.
Somewhere in that timeframe, I want to say 2021, I saw Jeff Capel and his coaching staff at The Porch restaurant in Oakland. Being the sports fanatic that I am, I walked over, said hello and wished him luck for the next season. To my mild surprise, Capel got out of his chair, extended his arm, shook my hand, and said “thank you, son”.
I’ve been a huge Jeff Capel fan ever since.
This Tuesday evening, Pitt basketball is playing the Louisville Cardinals at the Petersen Events Center. If Pitt wins, they will be tied for 1st place in the ACC.
Pitt is led by senior Jamarius Burton and junior Blake Hinson. With these guys and a slew of others, the Panthers are on an absolute tear this season. They are currently 9-3 in ACC play and hold a 16-7 record overall.
Check out Burton’s and Hinson’s stats that Pitt basketball’s Twitter posted recently:
Only 1️⃣ player in the ACC averaging at least
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) February 5, 2023
16.0 PPG
4.5 APG
50.0% FG @JamariusBurton pic.twitter.com/AZ5QIGwbXM
And Hinson's:
Only 3️⃣ players in the ACC average at least
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) February 5, 2023
15.8 PPG
6.5 RPG
He’s one pic.twitter.com/VmVAJACf6s
Oh, by the way, they’ve beaten some pretty darn good teams too. Pitt has beaten Virginia, Miami, North Carolina (twice), and North Carolina State to name a few. According to Bracketology Watch: Pitt Makes Small Gains in Computer Rankings, Pitt has four Quad 1 wins which are tied for 12th most in the nation. Pitt also beat rival Syracuse on the road.
Feel it, Jim Boeheim.
Pitt even had their first sellout crowd since 2019 during an epic home win vs No. 20 Miami.
With just eight regular season games remaining and the Panthers on a surge, fans think they may see the team’s first NCAA tournament appearance since the 2015-16 season. I believe Pitt is even going to top that and achieve their first NCAA tournament win since the 2013-14 season.
Although, the Panthers still have some work to do. Firstly, they cannot have any more “bad losses” as they say. If they lose Tuesday night vs the Louisville Cardinals, that will be a terrible loss. Louisville has an abysmal 3-20 record overall this season and sits at last place in the ACC standings. I’ll be at the game.
Secondly, Pitt must stay healthy for the rest of the season. Their depth and scoring off the bench has been key for them all season. If somebody like Burton or Hinson is out for a few weeks, this will be a completely different team if one of those guys goes down with an injury.
Lastly, Pitt has to continue playing with the swagger and tenacity that got them to this point. This team just doesn’t back down from anybody. Every player competes with fearless passion and hustle. More importantly, they play for each other and for coach Jeff Capel. It is truly a brotherhood. It reminds me of watching guys like Dajuan Blair, Sam Young, Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown, and Levance Fields playing for Jamie Dixon around 2010.
There is just something special about this team this year. I’m not just flipping through the channels and finding an old movie or TV show anymore. Now, I’ve found an exciting, brand-new show that I look forward to every week.
The Oakland Zoo is roaring, Jeff Capel’s not snoring, and Pitt basketball is pouring (three-pointers). Ah yes, Pitt basketball is back and it feels oh so good.
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