Pitt Basketball Season Preview
Panthers Aim to Leverage Toughness to Surpass Expectations
The Pitt men’s basketball team, under the leadership of head coach Jeff Capel entering his eighth season, is focused on returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2022-23 season and the second time during his tenure.
The Panthers bring back three key contributors from last year but have overhauled their roster significantly with numerous transfers and freshmen. Although this squad ranks among Capel’s least talented on paper, it boasts increased size, toughness, and physicality to help offset talent disparities in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
“We can’t be a team that thinks we can just show up,” Capel said after the team’s second exhibition game. “There is a certain way that we have to show up. We aren’t one of these teams that is just going to out-talent you. We have talent but we don’t have the type of talent that some of these teams do. But if we are tough, and we are together, and we play with an edge, then we can be a really good team.”
Key Returnees and Roles
- Guard Brandin Cummings and forward Cam Cohren, both important contributors last season, aim to secure starting positions.
- Forward Papa Kante is expected to be a key rotational player.
- Cummings participated in 31 games as a freshman and started four of them.
Despite a roster in transition, Pitt’s emphasis on grit and unity appears central to their strategy to compete strongly in the upcoming season.
Summary: Led by Coach Jeff Capel, Pitt basketball aims to compensate for limited talent with increased toughness and cohesion as they pursue an NCAA Tournament return in 2025-26.