After a rough week for Pitt's 2021-2022 basketball roster, Athletic Director Heather Lyke gave a clear message of support and belief Wednesday in Jeff Capel and his weathering the program through several storms.
"I've got great confidence in Jeff Capel," Lyke said. "I don't know we expected quite the volume of transfers, but we have 13 scholarships, 10 kids committed and three to find. They're recruiting after it."
Between February and March, Pitt saw five players, including three starters, enter the NCAA Transfer Portal to find new basketball programs. The wave of players leaving left the Panthers without two of their top three scorers, and then their leading scorer, Justin Champagnie, declared for the NBA Draft Monday, leaving the Panthers with only a few players with considerable starting experience.
Lyke, a recent nominee for Athletic Director of the Year by the Sports Business Journal, sees Champagnie as a positive story for the program.
"I think Justin is a positive story," Lyke said of Champagnie. "Unfortunately, you don't want players to leave your program before they graduate. But that's the reality, because that's basketball, right? He's a tremendous story with his development. When he walked in the door I wouldn't have said he's ready for the NBA. I think it's a real testament to his work ethic as well as our coaches' development of him."
Lyke sees a distinct advantage to Pitt's recruiting returning this summer to help replenish departures like Champagnie, as restrictions on recruitment are lifted by the NCAA.
"One of the best things about Pittsburgh is coming here and visiting it," Lyke said. "Not having the opportunity for recruits to come to Pittsburgh and see what Pitt is about, what the vibe of the city is and how much this city supports sports, that's a real asset for us. That opportunity being lost was challenging. But we're excited because now we're able to bring recruits here this summer. I know coach is focused on the relationships with the students than the stuff they get to see. That's an asset that Jeff brings, his ability to build relationships with kids. He and his staff are working hard at it."
Capel came to Pitt in 2018 with a reputation for building strong relationships with student athletes to help bring in superstar players like Zion Williamson for Duke. That hasn't manifested for Pitt basketball yet, even though it almost did when he was close to bringing five-star recruit Efton Reid this Sunday before the 7-foot-1 center picked LSU, but maybe things would've been different if it wasn't during a pandemic and Capel would've had the advantage of more in-person time with Reid and other prospects as well as been able to bring them to Pitt.
But even without getting the superstar recruits, reasonable questions can be asked about the relationships around the team after players who showed significant improvement at Pitt like Xavier Johnson and Au'Diese Toney transferred just weeks before the season ended.
"This past year was harder than any other year with the time they get to spend with our student athletes," Lyke explained when asked about the chemistry of Pitt's basketball program. "I know coach Capel picked a home in Shadyside because he wanted to make it convenient to have our student athletes at his house, and he obviously couldn't do that at all this year. So there are relationships during COVID that were strained all across the country. You weren't able to build those relationships that you normally do."
Capel has been outspoken for not just his own players, but student athletes across the country and their struggles dealing with the pandemic while training and performing in the NCAA. He doesn't shy away from their in-game struggles and their need to improve them, but he has called for those outside the program to offer those players grace to have time to grow during a time with numerous challenges. Lyke was more than willing to give that grace to Capel, he went throughs several challenges coaching during the pandemic, including testing positive for the coronavirus.
"There's no question he took over a tough situation," Lyke said of Capel. "We were 0-18 my first year, but that's not to say it can't be done. We also had a women's soccer program that had never won an ACC game when coach (Randy) Waldrum got here, and we had 11 wins this year. It takes time, but you have to build it the right way. College basketball is a challenging environment, and there's no question that we're going to do things right under coach Capel's leadership. Recruiting's going to be tough sometimes, but he's going to do it the right way."
"Jeff knows what that needs to look and feel like with this time," Lyke continued. "We'll have eight kids coming back next year and that group is a great group that's committed to Pitt and committed to the team concept. I think the trajectory is good and a few team chemistry issues that hurt, but there's no doubt that I'm confident he can prepare and develop our student athletes."
Pitt has acquired four new players for the program, including one high school prospect in three-star sharpshooter Nate Santos, and three players through the NCAA Transfer Portal in Daniel Oladapo, Jamarius Burton and standout junior college transfer Chris Payton. But with Division I college basketball reaching an unprecedented 1,580 players in the Transfer Portal Wednesday, when the previous record was 1,025 set just last year, Lyke also offered thoughts on the direction of the sport.
"I think men's basketball is suffering," Lyke said. "I don't know if that's too strong of a word, but they're dealing with the challenge of the Transfer Portal. We're managing it. It's tough. The numbers are high and It's hard on the coaches. I spent the last two days at the ACC spring meetings with all our men's basketball coaches. They're not excited about the state of men's basketball."
"It's going to be challenging," Lyke continued about the rapid rise in transfer players. "The culture of when things aren't perfect that you can easily leave, I'm not sure that's teaching all the right things for young people. But they have the ability to transfer if they want and we wish them well. I just hope they think long and hard about the decision before they make it."
