While dealing with covid threat, Pitt's Jeff Capel prepares to hit road with his players

Jeff Capel is pleased with how Pitt has improved since the beginning of the season, recovering from an embarrassing loss to St. Francis (Pa.) to win two games while scoring in the 80s.

But it’s a small sample size and even smaller consolation, compared to what lurks outside Petersen Events Center.

Capel said Pitt has had no covid-related “disruptions” since the start of practice, but he added, “I’m holding my breath until I hear the (test) results.”

With covid-19 numbers surging throughout Allegheny County and much of the nation, Pitt players will climb aboard a bus and airplane Tuesday for the first of three road games this month, starting Wednesday in Evanston, Ill., against Northwestern in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Two ACC games are scheduled for Dec. 16 in Coral Gables, Fla. (Miami) and Dec. 29 in Durham, N.C. (Duke).

“For a lot of us, it’s the first time out of Pittsburgh (during the pandemic),” said Capel, who said he hasn’t traveled since July. “It’s going to be interesting to travel with covid.”

Interesting and, perhaps, scary.

Capel raised that point Monday in his Zoom conference call with reporters.

“If you look at the numbers back in March when the season was canceled, the numbers are worse right now,” he said.

“Something just doesn’t feel right about it. It seems like every day it’s getting worse. I don’t know why you cancel it in March, but you say it’s OK to do it right now. But what do I know? I’m no expert in anything.”

When he was asked if delaying the start of the season until January would have been wiser than trying to play eight games in November and December, he said, “If you look at the numbers, yes.”

“You have (players’) families struggling back at home. Yet, they’re here. They’re in school. They’re going through finals. They’re practicing. They’re going out competing. Now, we’re getting ready to start traveling.

“I think it would have been wise (to delay). But one of the things Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski, Capel’s coach at Duke) used to say when I worked there, one of the biggest problems in our sport is we have no leadership. You don’t know where to turn to to get answers or who’s looking out, truly, for the best interest of the men and women who are out there competing.”

Capel is wrestling with how to handle the Christmas break with his players, who have games three days before and four days after the holiday.

“The NCAA mandates you have to give guys three days off,” he said. “But there are a lot of programs that are not allowing their guys to go home for Christmas. For me, I’m really struggling with that. Of all the years that a kid should be with his family, 2020 is at the very, very top of that.

“I don’t know who the leadership is. I have no idea. But maybe they would think about a little bit of a pause just so kids can be with their families, coaches can be with their families and, most importantly, what is going on in the country right now.

“These numbers are staggering.”

Capel said he tries to help his players as much as he can.

“My door is always open. My house is always open,” he said. “I’m a phone call away. Whatever they need. If they need to talk. If they need to get away.

“I feel for these young people. I don’t think anyone can say anymore that these young men are amateurs.”

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