Jeff Capel’s message to Pitt’s Greg Elliott during his scoring slump: Keep shooting
Share this post:
Jeff Capel loves to see passion from his players. He wants them to care when problems arise and erase their frustrations by searching for answers.
Just don’t let anyone see you sweat.
That was the Pitt coach’s message to Greg Elliott, who fell into a shooting slump in the four games before Pitt defeated Northwestern on Monday night.
“He couldn’t make a shot,” Capel said of Elliott missing seven of nine against VCU on Nov. 17.
That started a string of four games over which Elliott shot 27.5% from the field (8 of 29).
“That (VCU) game, he was demonstrative on the court, with expressing his frustration,” Capel said. “I told him afterwards, he can never do that. He should always have the mindset if he misses, he’s going to make the next three or four.
“You can’t show (frustration) because the opponent sees it. If it’s a good opponent or a good player, they pounce on it.”
Elliott is one of six first-year Pitt players who have helped the Panthers (5-3) win four in a row prior to their first ACC game Friday night at N.C. State’s PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.
Jeff Capel, comparing Northwestern, a team he defeated, to N.C. State, his next opponent. pic.twitter.com/SxiqNhxYRP
— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) December 1, 2022
He snapped out of the slump against Northwestern when he hit five of eight and finished with 18 points. Elliott was one of five Pitt players who scored in double digits in the 87-58 victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
“(Capel) just said to keep shooting because it’s our shot. It wasn’t Greg missing. It was Pitt missed,” Elliott said. “It came down to they stayed confident in me. I stayed confident in myself.
“I continued to put the work in and kept shooting the basketball. I knew at a certain point, if you shoot 40% for your career (from 3-point range), eventually you’re going to make some shots if you keep shooting. So, I kept shooting.”
Pitt has had no trouble scoring in consecutive victories against Alabama State, Fairleigh Dickinson, William & Mary and Northwestern, averaging 80 points.
Junior forward Blake Hinson, another new face, has been a big part of that scoring blitz, pumping up his season-long scoring average to 16.8 (best on the team, seventh in the ACC). He also leads the Panthers in rebounding (6.6), 3-point field goals (18) and steals (11). Guard Jamarius Burton has the highest shooting percentage from the field (54.2%) among players who have started at least seven games, but Hinson is close behind (52.4%).
It’s been a remarkable return to the court after he missed the past two seasons. He hadn’t played since starting 27 games and averaging 10.1 points for Ole Miss in 2019-20.
“I was hoping he’d be a really good player,” Capel said. “Looking at his tape from Ole Miss, I thought he was pretty efficient. And I believe in our ability to help guys get better as long as the guy works. I think we’ve helped him. He’s certainly helped us.”
Capel labels Hinson with the most attractive of character traits.
“He’s easy to coach,” he said. “You can coach him hard. He accepts the truth. He wants the truth. He doesn’t shy away from it. He doesn’t make excuses.
“I do think he’s grateful (to get his career back). Just the opportunity to be back out on the court and be able to play and be able to have a role, whatever that role is. For us, that’s a pretty big role.”
With John Hugley averaging less than 20 minutes while he recovers from a knee injury, guards Elliott, Burton, Nike Sibande and Nelly Cummings have picked up much of the scoring load. They combined for 60 points, 15 rebounds and 17 assists while hitting 9 of 15 3-pointers against Northwestern.
Actually, almost while no one was looking, Capel assembled one of the most productive backcourts in the NCAA. The four players — all transfers — have combined for 4,621 career points and 556 3-pointers. Pitt, Notre Dame and UAB are the only schools in the NCAA with three 1,000-point scorers in the backcourt — Sibande (1,601), Cummings (1,167) and Burton (1,091).
There has been plenty of positive moments through the four-game winning streak, but N.C. State will present Pitt with its most challenging test.
The Wolfpack lead the ACC with an average of 83 points. Sophomore guard Terquavion Smith is one of the conference’s best players (16.1 points), but he’s only N.C. State’s second-leading scorer. That distinction belongs to guard Jarkel Joiner (17.3).
Smith might have been drafted into the NBA this year — possibly in the first round — before he decided to return to school.
“It’s really surprising that a guy comes back when you think you’re a first-round pick or have a really good shot,” Capel said.
“They play the fastest pace in the league, by far, and they score in bunches. They score from turnovers. They really punish you there. We’re going to have to be incredibly connected, defensively.”
It will be difficult to get an accurate read on Pitt until the schedule gets more demanding, and that starts Friday.
“Our mindset’s good. I hope it’s good. I think it’s good,” Capel said. “We’re going to need it to take it on the road with us again.”
Elliott appears to be ready.
“You come to the ACC for matchups like this,” he said. “I feel like me, personally, I’m ready for that challenge. My teammates are ready for that challenge, as well. We’ll have a fight on our hands. Let’s get to it.”