Most Memorable Moments from Pitt's 2025-26 Season

After their loss to NC State in the second round of the ACC Tournament, the Pitt Panthers end their season with a 13-20 record and a 5-13 conference record, the worst of head coach Jeff Capel's tenure.

The 2025-26 basketball season had it's highs and lows...mostly lows. But, Pitt was able to string in some good wins even after some of the worst moments in the program's recent history.

Worst Losses

Even before conference play started, Pitt had some shocking losses that foreshadowed what a tough season this would turn out to be.

The first was on Nov. 23 when they lost to Quinnipiac, a team that ended their season fourth in the MAAC. This was Pitt's first home loss of the season, and it ended up being a 83-75 defeat, barely even close in the end. No matter the talent on the roster, an ACC school has no excuse to lose by eight points at home to a MAAC school.

Just a few weeks later, Pitt lost again at home to Hofstra. This was another embarrassing loss as the final score was 80-73; Hofstra remained in control for most of the game. At least Hofstra ended up also beating Syracuse on their home floor and just recently secured a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Still, there's very little excuses for Pitt to lose to a school from the Costal Athletic Conference.

The most damaging ACC loss was to Louisville. After getting their first ACC win on the road over Georgia Tech, it was looking like the Panthers might have been improving as they got ready to host the Cardinals. Unfortunately, they were severely underprepared.

The game was over as soon as it started, with Louisville beginning with a 13-0 run and not allowing Pitt to score double digits until there was five minutes left in the first half. Pitt ended up losing 100-59, one of the worst losses in program history.

Best Wins

Even in such a poor season, Pitt had some impressive wins.

The first was against Ohio State. With the Panthers down by two points on the last possession, Capel ran the exact same play he did the previous year against Ohio State when Zack Austin hit a game winning three against the Buckeyes. This year, it was Damarco Minor taking the shot, but the same result. Pitt walked off Ohio State with their sole buzzer beater of the season. This win has only aged better, as the Buckeyes might end up being a NCAA Tournament team.

Another great win over a Big 10 team was the 80-46 blowout win over Penn State in Hershey, PA. Penn State also had a very bad season of basketball, but it's always nice to see Pitt get a win over one of their biggest rivals. This was a game where freshman Roman Siulepa really showed his potential, scoring 28 points with five three-pointers.

When ACC play started, wins were rare to come by. However, Pitt ended their season winning three of their last five games. This included a blowout win at Cal, a close overtime match at Syracuse to make the ACC Tournament and a miraculous tournament win over Stanford.

The victory against Stanford saw Pitt continue to struggle on offense, but the team refused to back down in the slightest. The Panthers dominated the offensive boards, which included the final possession where 6'0 Damarco Minor rebounded his own miss and put it back in the basket with a layup for the win. This was Pitt's first ACC Tournament win since 2024.

Pitt guard Damarco Mino — Nov 28, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers assistant coach Milan Brown (left) celebrates with guard Damarco Minor (7) after Minor made a game winning three-point basket to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Future

Head coach Jeff Capel took more heat than ever during his eighth year with the program. For most of the season, Pitt's lack of a true offense was very prevalent. The Panthers averaged the second least amount of Points in the ACC with 70.5 per game. Just by watching the team use up most of the 30 second shot clock just to put up a bad shot on most possessions, it was clear improvement is needed.

Capel was dealt a bad hand, dealing with several injuries to key players for most of the season. But, there were still inexcusable losses that can't be defended.

A decision about Capel's future with the team is expected very soon. What Capel has going for him is that he was able to put together a strong end to the season, he clearly knew how to get his players to play hard and he has some very good recruits coming in for next year. It's a tough decision for Allen Greene, Pitt's relatively new athletic director, but his choice could impact the basketball program for years to come.

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