Jeff Capel enters his eighth season at the University of Pittsburgh after being announced as the 16th men’s basketball head coach in program history March 28, 2018. Capel owns a 276-217 record as a head coach at Pitt (2018-present), Oklahoma (2006-11), and VCU (2002-06) with four NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight trip with Oklahoma in 2008.
He has been instrumental in the development of 19 first-round picks in the NBA Draft during his coaching tenure, including 11 lottery picks. Capel has also recruited 23 McDonald’s All-America selections and helped build six top-10 recruiting classes.
Pitt posted its third consecutive winning season in 2024-25, finishing the year with a 17-15 overall record. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 18 in the AP Poll before struggling over the final two months of the season. Jaland Lowe earned Third Team All-ACC and Second Team NABC All-District (Mid Atlantic) honors after averaging 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. The Panthers season was highlighted by wins over Ohio State, West Virginia, LSU, Syracuse and North Carolina.
In 2023-24, the Panthers posted a 20+ win / 10+ conference win season for the second consecutive campaign. Pitt finished 22-11 overall, including a 12-8 mark in ACC play, and reached the ACC Tournament Semifinals. Pitt earned the double bye in the ACC Tournament with its highest seed (4) since joining the league and became the first team in ACC history to start 1-5 or worse through six games and finish regular-season ACC play with a winning record. The Panthers went 12-4 over the final two months of the season to match North Carolina for the best record among ACC teams from Jan. 20 through the start of the NCAA Tournament. Pitt was one of the last four out of the NCAA Tournament, despite posting nine Quad 1/Quad 2 wins and finishing 40th in the final NET, before declining a bid to the NIT.
Pitt led the ACC in three-point field goals (9.6 3pg.) and finished with 317 threes on the season, second most in program history. Blake Hinson earned First Team All-ACC and Second Team NABC All-District honors after averaging 18.5 points per game and making a school record 110 three-point field goals. He also earned National Player of the Week recognition after matching a Petersen Events Center record with 41 points as well as matching his own school record with nine three-point field goals, in mid-February win over Louisville. Carlton Carrington (All-Rookie Team, Honorable Mention All-ACC), and Ishmael Leggett (Sixth Man of the Year) also earned ACC accolades following strong seasons in the backcourt. Carrington, the only freshman in the country to average at least 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, went on to get selected in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery (No. 14 overall) by the Washington Wizards (via Portland).
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