All of a sudden, Pitt basketball is interesting, fun and worth the price of admission.

Amazing what a little three-game winning streak can do. Pitt will try to make it four in a row Saturday against Georgia Tech at Petersen Events Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Pitt has struggled almost from that March day in 2016 when Jamie Dixon left for TCU. But this is not the first positive stretch of basketball in that time frame.

Jeff Capel’s teams twice won five in a row, and he opened his Pitt tenure in 2018 with a six-game winning streak. Even Kevin Stallings can claim a five-gamer and two others that lasted four games.

But none of those involved ACC opponents as the current streak does. Dixon’s 2015-16 team won 10 in a row, but that started with Duquesne (we remember those days, wistfully) and included only three teams from the ACC.

You have to go back to 2013-14 — Pitt’s first season in its new conference — to find an ACC streak longer than three. And that one only lasted four games.

Pitt can match that Saturday. In the meantime, here are some thoughts:

1. Capel’s style comes forward

After growing up with his father, who was a coach, and spending 11 seasons with Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Capel has developed a style that is rooted in both of those men.

When he was asked Friday on 93.7 The Fan about his conversations aimed at getting the most from sophomore center John Hugley, Capel offered interesting insight.

“I think I’m pretty frank with all of them,” he said. “Sometimes, that may get me in trouble because young people today are a little more sensitive than I was.

“My dad was that way. My college coach was that way. Just brutal honesty. You always knew where you stand. I think you can be that way if you have a good relationship (with players). I feel like I have good relationships.”

Capel also opened a window on what he likes about this team. He said in his four seasons at Pitt, he hasn’t always been successful in driving home the team concept. But this year, he believes he hit the target.

“It just seems like everyone is about the team,” he said. “When we are at our best, guys aren’t really worried about who’s scoring or who’s getting attention or someone (is getting talked about) in the press or on social media. We’re just going out to play.

“If you try to fit in, it’s amazing how much you’ll stand out.”

2. Digging up seeds

Combined with Pitt’s current surge, the opponents make the end of the regular season intriguing. After Georgia Tech, Pitt plays three teams jockeying for a favorable seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami (19-7, 11-4) visits the Pete on Tuesday. The Hurricanes are currently a No. 9 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology on ESPN. What happens if Miami loses to Virginia on Saturday and Pitt — currently 159th in the NCAA Net rankings — on Tuesday?

Next up is Duke (22-4, 12-3), currently a lock with a No. 2 seed. It’s hard to imagine the Blue Devils entering the tournament with a lower seed than No. 2, but it’s an opportunity for the Panthers (11-16, 6-10) to test themselves against one of college basketball’s best teams. It’s also Krzyzewski’s final trip into Pittsburgh before retirement.

The last game before the ACC Tournament is at Notre Dame (19-7, 12-3), and the Irish are also a No. 9 before they play at Wake Forest on Saturday.

Would losses to the Demon Deacons and Panthers affect Notre Dame’s seeding? After losing to Pitt, North Carolina fell to a No. 12 seed, with a projected game against Creighton in the First Four.

Pitt won’t be in the tournament, but there is the opportunity to affect the seedings.

3. Free points

Pitt is in the midst of another streak that isn’t as noticeable.

The Panthers haven’t missed a free throw (28 of 28) in the second half of the past two victories against N.C. State and North Carolina. Pitt also made its final three to help defeat Florida State. All three were tight contests well into the second half, with Pitt winning by margins of five, two and nine points.

It’s been a strange season at the foul line for Pitt, standing tied for sixth in the nation in attempts (580) and tied for 18th in made free throws (408). That’s a percentage of 70.3% — 209th (12th in the ACC).

Yet, four Pitt starters — Hugley, Jamarius Burton, Mouhamadou Gueye and Ithiel Horton — are shooting a combined 78.1% from the line. Burton is third in the ACC (74 of 84, 88.1%). Horton has missed only once in 14 tries. Hugley probably should be paying rent there, with 141 made free throws in 195 attempts. Gueye is 39 for 49 (79.6%).

It’s the rest of the team that struggles, shooting only 59.2%.

But give Femi Odukale his due. He’s shooting 64% (89 of 139), including two clutch makes to push back against North Carolina’s furious rally late in the game Wednesday night. Odukale has improved significantly over last season when he made less than half of his free throws (36 of 73, 49.3%).

4. Time to get ‘dirty’

The casual basketball fan might only look at points and rebounds to determine how a game evolved. Capel digs deeper — into the dirt, actually — to find the plays that aren’t put on the scoreboard.

He calls them “dirty-work plays,” and he noted that Pitt made several against North Carolina. They included Burton taking three charges and Noah Collier one, creating turnovers that took the Tar Heels out of their normal offensive rhythm. They also include winning 50/50 balls — whether off the glass or on the floor — and limiting offensive rebounds.

North Carolina’s Armando Bacot reached his average with four offensive rebounds, but Capel preferred to emphasize another stat: The Tar Heels grabbed a total of 11 (which is their average per game), but only two in the second half. And those surfaced late after the outcome had been all but settled.

Capel was pleased that Pitt excelled in areas that have as much to do with effort and alertness as athletic ability.

5. Good things take longer

In his first four games after his suspension ended the second time, Horton barely played half the minutes. Since then, he has turned into a valuable player who needs to be on the floor most of the time.

Over the past three games, Horton has played all but four of the 120 minutes while shooting 48.7% from the field (19 of 39) and 56.5% from the 3-point line (13 of 23).

After the 74-47 loss at Virginia Tech on Feb. 7, Capel decided it was time.

“We knew with him missing so much time that it was going to take time for him to get acclimated, to get his legs, to get used to the rhythm of the season, of competition,” Capel said Friday. “Also us to get used to him. It’s a weapon we hadn’t had all year.”

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