Jeff Capel on Returning to Duke: "Once Competition Starts, Man It's Competition"

Coach Jeff Capel returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium as a visiting coach for the first time when Pitt played Duke on Tuesday, losing by 12.

Capel played four years for Duke and served as an assistant to Coach Mike Krzyzewski for seven, occasionally filling in as interim coach for the team. He left prior to the 2018-19 season to take over the Panthers program.

“It was great being back, to be honest with you,” he said. “We came in here last night and shot a little bit and it was a little weird walking in here, a completely different entrance, being dropped off at a different place, and just being in here not with Duke. But, once competition starts, man it’s competition. It was great seeing so many familiar faces, so many people that I care about and that care about me. That was really cool.”

The Panthers struggled to defend Duke on the inside, as Vernon Carey Jr. scored 26 points. Pitt rallied, cutting an 18-point second half deficit to three. Capel was happy with the progress but is still seeking more. “They really killed us inside, especially Vernon,” he said. “Very difficult cover, very efficient, and they do a great job of getting him the basketball. I’m proud of my team, I thought we fought and we put ourselves in a position where we had a chance late. I thought we were able to handle their pressure. I thought we were able to get downhill and get to the basket and get some shots. Au’Diese [Toney] had a great game. It’s the best game he’s played here, so I’m proud of that, but it’s not good enough and I want our program to get to the point where we’re not satisfied with being close. We have to get to a point where we can minimize the mistakes and capitalize when we have opportunities. We’re not there yet but we’re getting close. Again, I’m proud of our effort and congrats to Duke.”