Things Capel must get right for Panthers’ program

If you thought life has been tough for Pitt coach Jeff Capel since the first days of the new year, even more difficult issues are on the way. And we’re not talking about unhappy fans.

After Pitt lost to Notre Dame on Tuesday in the first round of the ACC Tournament — the Panthers’ 13th in 18 games since Duke blew them out of Cameron Indoor Stadium by 29 points on Jan. 7 — Capel was asked about next season. Or, more specifically, this offseason.

It starts almost immediately, he said.

“You have to go build a roster,” Capel said. “That’s the nature of what we do now. There is no break time, really. It’s free agency after each season. We’ll take some time to try to decompress, but we’ll immediately get into trying to figure out what’s next for us as far as roster management.”

The most important process is roster retention, keeping the most important players on the team for the 2025-26 season. But he also needs to bring in veteran transfers when their names appear in the portal. He made a good pickup last offseason with Damian Dunn from Houston, but Dunn missed half the season with injuries.

Because the program has missed the NCAA Tournament two years in a row and in six of the seven under Capel’s watch, the coach has plenty of important work to do and will especially be on the lookout for:

• Paint personnel after Notre Dame grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in a 55-54 victory Tuesday.

• Three-point shooters and shot blockers with Zack Austin moving on. Pitt shot only 36.2% (21 of 58) from the field and 18.2% from the 3-point arc against Notre Dame.

• Perhaps another guard to replace Ishmael Leggett.

• And the big one: enough NIL money to keep recruits and current players satisfied.

Yes, Pitt lost the opportunity to win the game in overtime because of a questionable foul call on Austin, but a team that scores 54 points seldom deserves to win and Pitt certainly fits that description.

Not only does Capel need to start poring through the transfer portal when it reopens March 24, he must retain the most important players on his roster. Atop that list is sophomore point guard Jaland Lowe, the team’s leading scorer.

After the game, Lowe was asked to reflect on his two seasons at Pitt.

“It’s been a great two years so far,” he said. “My relationship with coach is amazing. I love this coach, man. He gives it his all. He puts his all into us, and we just try to give that back. It’s been an amazing two years so far. I love it.”

Of his teammates, Lowe said, “It’s a brotherhood. I love these guys with everything in my heart, man.”

Earlier in his tenure, Capel guided the program through some challenging times, largely because of unpleasant experiences with players who were unaware of the team concept. Two, actually, left before the end of the 2020-21 season.

The program’s culture has changed dramatically since then, and Capel deserves credit for that. But the failure to reach the postseason can’t be ignored. That’s why the rebuild this offseason is so important, especially with Leggett and Austin leaving.

Austin spoke after the game Tuesday and expressed strong feelings of attachment for his coach, who recruited him from mid-major High Point (N.C.) two years ago.

“I don’t know if I can put it into words,” he said when asked to reflect on the season. “I’m just happy I got to play for a coach like (Capel). We’re real close. It really is a family.”

Pitt’s program slipped dramatically when Kevin Stallings replaced Jamie Dixon in 2016, then recovered for two years before taking another nosedive this season. Actually, Pitt (17-15) won only one more game this season than Stallings did in his first (2016-17).

Capel has an overall record of 114-107 at Pitt, including 55-79 in the ACC. He’s won a total of 276 games, including his time at VCU and Oklahoma. His experience and knowledge of the college game and the strong relationship he builds with his players could help pull Pitt out of the wilderness.

He said he wasn’t ready Tuesday to talk about what might have gone wrong this season after Pitt started 122. It was only a few minutes after the devastating loss to Notre Dame, and the old wounds and some new ones still hurt.

“It’s hard for me to think about the past two months,” he said. “I try to be in our players’ moment, and this was a moment.

“It will take me some time to figure that out.”

He said he felt bad for his players.

“Really feel for them because regardless of what was going on, they continued to show up with really good attitudes,” he said. “We continued to fight in the face of adversity.”

He was asked specifically about Leggett, who the coach said kept up a positive attitude through team and personal heartache. Leggett’s father, Detrick, was disabled by a stroke when Ishmael was a freshman in high school.

“He’s an unbelievable kid,” Capel said. “It’s been my honor to get to know him and to be a part of his journey and to have him be a part of mine. I’ve gotten better from being around him, and I’m going to really miss him, really miss coaching him. But I know we’ll be a part of each other’s lives forever.”