Pitt's Jeff Capel confronts the unexpected after losing 2 starting guards

Jeff Capel spent the offseason preparing for what he knew would happen.

He was aware of Justin Champagnie’s interest in the NBA.

He was painfully aware of the five players who transferred in the midst of a roster overhaul, two not even waiting for the end of the 2020-21 season.

But what has occurred in the past eight days was unexpected. Both starting guards are gone, the news coming days before the start of a new season.

Nike Sibande is lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in an exhibition game Nov. 1. Ithiel Horton was suspended indefinitely Monday after he was arrested Saturday morning for punching a police officer on the South Side.

Capel is counting on the players who remain to fill the gaps because no one is feeling sorry for Pitt and delaying the start of the season.

Games begin to count Tuesday when Pitt welcomes The Citadel to Petersen Events Center for the first of 11 scheduled nonconference games.

“They’ve had great attitudes,” Capel said. “We talk about next man up.

“We control what we can control. We can control the guys we have and control our attitudes, how we show up, come ready to work. They’ve done that. Hopefully, it shows up (Tuesday). We’re excited to get started.”

Capel had less than a week to prepare for the loss of 40% of his starting lineup. He said sophomore William Jeffress can play guard at 6-foot-7. Also, freshman Nate Santos, 6-7, can help there. Senior walk-on Onyebuchi Ezeakudo, 6-1, can man the point when sophomore Femi Odukale, 6-5, needs a break or moves to the No. 2 guard position.

“Everyone has to step up a little bit more in (Horton’s) absence,” Capel said. “We’ve looked at guys in some different positions. We’ll make some adjustments, and we’ll be OK.

“Guys certainly have an opportunity to step up. That’s what they prepared for. That’s what we’re prepared for. They work every day. They’ve had a great offseason. It’s a tremendous opportunity for them. That’s how I look at it.”

Additional help could arrive when senior guard Jamarius Burton, a transfer from Texas Tech who had a procedure on his knee Oct. 8, is sufficiently healed. Burton won’t play Tuesday, and Capel has put no timetable on his return. He originally was projected to miss four to six weeks.

“He’s been able to do all the noncontact stuff (recently),” Capel said. “He hasn’t done any contact yet. Right now, it’s probably day-by-day. We ramped things up a little bit more (in practice Monday). We’ll see how he responds to that, and we’ll make a decision going forward.”

Capel doesn’t expect Odukale, perhaps the most talented player on the team, to try to compensate for the loss of his two backcourt mates.

“I want Femi to be himself,” he said. “I think he’s playing really well, and I want him to continue to play well and just to be him. That’s it.”

The Citadel had an overall winning record last season (13-12) but was 5-11 in the Southern Conference and was picked to finish ninth among 10 teams this season in a poll of coaches and media members.

The Bulldogs return four starters, play an up-tempo style and like to shoot 3-pointers. They finished 20th in the nation last season in 3-point attempts (720), an average of 28.8 per game with a 35.5% success rate.

The Citadel is led by preseason player of the year choice Hayden Brown, 6-5, who averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Capel called Brown “an elite-level rebounder, an elite-level competitor.”

“We’ll have our hands full. We’ll be ready,” he said.