Jeff Capel says Pitt will face ‘chaotic’ pressure against Missouri
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Pitt coach Jeff Capel sees progress from his young team, but he’s smart and savvy enough to understand a lot can happen between November and March.
He will continue to learn more Tuesday night in the ACC/SEC Challenge when Missouri (5-2) visits Petersen Events Center.
“I think we’re pretty good,” he said after practice Monday. “I think we have a chance to … ”
At that point, he stopped short, trying to avoid saying something that might sound like boasting or might put too much pressure on his players.
“I think we have a chance,” he said, simply, “and I’m excited about our growth opportunities going forward.”
Capel expects Missouri to present the same type of problems Pitt (5-1) faced in Brooklyn, N.Y., last week in a 86-71 loss to Florida.
“Florida, they were the first team to really come after us (defensively),” he said. “Binghamton did a little bit, but the level was different. And they really went after (freshman point guard) Bub (Carrington).”
The good news is the coaches and players recognized their shortcomings and put the fixes into action less than 48 hours later in a 78-51 victory against Oregon State.
“I think they’re going to come after us. I know that,” Capel said of Missouri. “It will be in a different way from what we’ve seen and we have to be able to handle it.
“The one thing about our league (the ACC), there are different styles and you have to be able to adjust and adapt to whatever style teams are playing.”
The schedule gets increasingly more demanding in the next week. Pitt will play its first ACC game Sunday against Clemson at the Pete before a trip to unfriendly territory Dec. 6 in Morgantown, W.Va.
Capel understands the challenges, but he was pleased with how the team answered the first one of the season in Brooklyn.
“I learned we are resilient, were able to come back less than 48 hours after that (Florida) game and to play as hard as we did and have a decisive win,” he said.
“To correct some of the things we talked about after Florida. We watched tape on Thanksgiving Day, and to be able to put that into practice in real-live game situations, I was really, really pleased with that.”
“We’ve handled a little bit of success well,” he added, referencing the season-opening four-game winning streak. “Now, we’ve beaten a Power 5 team. How do we handle that when we come back?”
Missouri defeated Minnesota 70-68, and its losses were to Memphis 70-55 and Jackson State 73-72.
Pitt must beware of the Tigers’ shot-blocking ability. They have blocked 50 in seven games, led by 6-foot-8 Aidan Shaw (16) and 6-6 Noah Carter (12). A total of 11 players have at least one block.
“They play a chaotic style that is very different,” Capel said. “They’re going to pressure. They play really, really hard. They have good size and athleticism. We’re going to face a well-coached team that defensively constantly pressures, picks you up full-court. They’ll play 12-13 guys. They’re going to be relentless coming after you.”
“It’s going to be really important for us to have poise, to be strong, to not get sped up, to make sure we’re organized offensively and defensively and to play with the toughness and physicality that’s necessary in that type of game.”
Although Florida defeated Pitt with physicality, the Panthers have shown their toughness on the offensive glass. Pitt is first among all ACC teams with an average of 16.2 offensive rebounds.
“One of the pleasant surprises for me this year,” Capel said. “Probably more so in the two games in New York, how we were able to rebound against high-major teams. That was one area in (loss to Florida) that I thought we did a really good job.”
Winning is important for postseason consideration, but Capel looks beyond the scores for less visible improvement.
“The results are wins and losses, but for me, I look at growth,” he said. “Are we getting better? How we handle situations. Are we getting better in practice? Do we have the right attitude?
“If we take care of that stuff, that helps the result take care of itself. I’ve been pleased with that. I’ve been pleased that we got off the mat. That was the first time we’ve gotten punched. That’s a really, really good sign.”