Pitt HC Demanding More from Star Player

Pitt Panthers head coach wants better play from his star.

Feb 1, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have struggled in recent games, with many of their best players not performing to the high expectations they have for themselves.

Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe is one of those players, with two poor performances in the 76-74 road loss to Wake Forest on Feb. 1 and the 73-57 embarassing home defeat to Virginia on Feb. 3.

He scored 14 points vs. the Demon Deacons, but shot 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-4 from 3-point range. This included a long 3-pointer that clanked off the rim early in the shot clock, as the Panthers trailed 68-65 with a minute remaining.

Exactly 2 weeks apart… https://t.co/hgpLXMgQVf pic.twitter.com/Es97jql9iV

— The Loyal Sons (@TheLoyalSons) February 1, 2025

Lowe then scored a season-low seven points in the defeat vs. the Cavaliers, shooting 3-of-9 from the field and 0-2 from 3-point range.

Pitt, as a whole, has lost six of their past eight games, which includes a four game losing streak. They suffered a blowout 76-47 defeat to then ranked No. 4 Duke on the road on Jan. 7, a close 82-78 defeat to Louisville at home on Jan. 11, ending a 15-game winning streak at the Petersen Events Center, a road loss, 82-70 to Florida State on Jan. 15 and a loss at home to Clemson, 78-75 in overtime on Jan. 18.

They looked like they got back to winning ways, with back-to-back wins over Syracuse on the road, 77-73 on Jan. 25, and vs. North Carolina at home, 73-65 on Jan. 28, but recent loss have dropped them from a sure lock in the NCAA Tournament, to on the bubble and unsure of their postseason destination.

Despite his recent struggles, Lowe still ranks amongst the best in the ACC when it comes to his play and stats.

He leads the ACC with 35.5 minutes per game, ranks tied for third with 87.5% foul line shooting, fifth with 5.5 assists per game, tied for fifth with 1.8 steals per game, 10th with 17.0 points per game, tied for 16th with a 1.8 assist/turnover ration, 20th with 38.0% shooting from the field.

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel wants more from Lowe and that he needs to get back to his best play, as he is a leader on the team and has higher expectations on him than others.

Capel also took responsibility for not getting the team up to par and for the recent losses, which he apologized to the fans for following their defeat to Virginia.

“He’s gotta play better, period," Capel said on Lowe following the loss. "He’s got to play better. When you’re a good player, there are expectations and when there are expectations, you have to step up to them. That’s the responsibility of a leader.

"As a head coach I have to, as a good player you have to, as a writer you have to. In whatever you do, if you’re expected to do something, then you have to step up and do it.

"And it’s not just him. It’s me, it starts with me. I have to do a better job with the team. I have not done as good a job that’s required for us to be the team that I think we can be, I thought we could be, I still think we can be. 

"We, collectively, have to do a better job, but it starts with me. I have to do a better job."

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