Take 5: Pitt's Jeff Capel says team has 'bonded' as season end approaches

Only a handful of games remain for Pitt in another losing ACC season, but it seems different this time.

In his chats with reporters and on his radio show, Jeff Capel seems relaxed — content is not the right word, but he’s eager to continue rebuilding his program in the coming months. He enjoys telling stories about his players, many of whom appear to be locked into the rest of this season, their teammates and the future. There could be more offseason movement, but maybe the worst of it is behind them.

“Sometimes when you go through tough things (and) you go through adversity, it maks you closer,” Capel said Thursday night on 93.7 FM. “This group over the past week has really bonded. They believe in each other. When you have a group that believes in each other, you have a chance to do some really cool things.”

Believe it or not, there still are opportunities to do “cool things” this season, starting Saturday at Clemson. The game will be televised on AT&T Sportsnet+. Here are five thoughts as the end of the season approaches:

1. Tourney time

As the team boarded its flight Friday for Clemson, S.C., Pitt (10-10, 6-9) looked like the No. 11 seed in the ACC Tournament next week. Pitt would drop to No. 12 only with a loss and a Notre Dame victory against Florida State on Saturday. Not even a victory against Clemson would lift the Panthers into ninth and give them a bye into the second round.

Most likely, Pitt will play either Wake Forest or Miami in a first-round game Tuesday in Greensboro, N.C.

Looking ahead to the second round (Capel would object, but there are no restrictions in this space), Pitt would not have to play one of the three ACC teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25: No. 11 Florida State, No. 21 Virginia and No. 22 Virginia Tech. The top four seeds get double byes into the quarterfinals.

After the Clemson game, Pitt will stay in the Carolinas and go directly to Greensboro.

2. Nike’s coming back

With only two seniors on the roster, Pitt has a chance to bring almost everyone back. Guard Nike Sibande, whose 23 points led Pitt to a victory against Wake Forest on Tuesday, said he will use the NCAA’s bonus year of eligibility and return for the 2021-2022 season.

Sibande came to the same conclusion that 11 Pitt senior football players realized after last season: college isn’t a bad place to be.

3. Champagnie vs. Hurt

One sidelight to the final games of the season will be the scoring race in the ACC.

Duke’s Matthew Hurt is the current leader over Pitt’s Justin Champagnie, 18.9-18.67. Because of his knee injury early in the season, Champagnie (18 games) has played three fewer games than Hurt (21), who has 61 more points (397-336). The champion will be based on average points scored.

When Pitt beat Duke at Petersen Events Center in January, Champagnie scored 31 to Hurt’s 13. At the time, the duel meant something to Champagnie.

“Before the game, I kept saying to myself, ‘I don’t think he’s better than me,’ ” Champagnie said after the game, “and I went out there and kind of proved it.”

Duke/North Carolina will tip off Saturday about four hours after Pitt/Clemson ends, but if Champagnie can’t get around a TV, someone will let him know Hurt’s point total.

“People always tell me how many points he scored,” he said. He insisted, however, “The scoring title’s not that big of a deal to me. I want to win. I want try to finish this year strong with the guys we have.”

4. Bro vs. Bro

Don’t expect Champagnie to surpass his twin brother, Julian, who leads St. John’s in scoring (19.8). Julian has scored 456 points in 23 games.

Perhaps Justin will get a crack at his brother next season when the Panthers meet the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden, renewing the friendly rivalry they had growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“I’ve been wanting to play Julian for a long time because I know what I’ll do to him on the court,” Justin said on “The Jeff Capel Show.”

Pitt fans — and Capel — hope the NBA doesn’t get in the way of that matchup.

5. What about Clemson?

The Tigers (15-6, 9-6) are getting votes in the AP poll and are No. 36 in the NCAA Net rankings. They were 5-1 in February and had their five-game winning streak stopped at Syracuse on Wednesday, 64-54, dropping them to a No. 8 seed in ESPN’s most recent Bracketology.

Clemson is second in the ACC in scoring defense (61.8) and is led by senior Aamir Simms (6-foot-8, 245 pounds). He is averaging 13.2 points, but was held to six in 37 minutes by Syracuse.

“Tough matchup for Karim (Coulibaly) and TB (Terrell Brown),” Champagnie said. “As long as we stay together and fight together, we’ll be good.”

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