Pitt HC Jeff Capel Sees 'Misunderstood' Player in Dior Johnson
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PITTSBURGH -- Dior Johnson's path to becoming a Pitt Panther - one that included stops at 10 different high schools and three college commitment announcements -was long and rarely linear. The way head coach Jeff Capel describes it, Johnson "fell into our lap".
Johnson was a consensus five-star talent, garnering interest from the top-tier of college basketball programs early and often. He is, simply put, not the caliber of player that Pitt was expecting to land. But when Johnson de-committed from Syracuse and opportunity came knocking, Capel answered.
He knew about the player and his story - immense and apparent talent combined with uncertainty about what his word was worth. Capel didn't want to turn away a gifted, potentially program-changing player but needed to make sure the personality was good enough of a fit too.
"I didn’t have to look much at that - I knew the talent," Capel said. "The questions were about all the other things - ‘Why have you been at so many different schools?’, ‘Why so much movement?’, ‘What’s the real story with that?’. You’re trying to find out as much about his character as you possibly can."
So Capel and the staff began digging. On a time crunch and without the luxury of being able to bring Johnson on campus, they talked on the phone extensively with Johnson, his family and his coaches - essentially anyone who knew the kid on and off the court - to try and find out what they'd be getting in Dior Johnson, the person.
“You certainly have to look into the background," Capel said. "So you ask a lot of questions. You call people that you feel like have maybe touched the kid in some way as far as coaching him or being around him, whether it’s at a camp or a USA Basketball tryout. Obviously, he has a very different path from the things that he’s been through. And so you do all of that - obviously conversations with him … on the phone, FaceTime, with his family - just trying to get as much information as you can.”
What Capel found was inconsistent with the popular narrative about Johnson. Instead of stories about a flakey, indecisive teenager, he claims to have consistently heard glowing reviews about a player that few knew well and was quickly designated as a quitter and front-runner.
“The one thing that kept coming from everyone that we talked to - and it was a lot of people - was that he’s really misunderstood and I think because of all the movement, he was labeled," Capel said. "Kids get labeled in what we do and he was labeled. Everyone talked about how he’s a really good kid but he is misunderstood.”
The Panthers expect a lot from Johnson. He figures to be an immediate starter and contributor among what Capel thinks is the most talented roster assembled during his time at Pitt, but Capel is approaching this process with patience.
The constantly-changing high school homes left his body and game an unfinished product. The Pitt staff has a tall task ahead of them in developing Johnson into the player every projection and recruiting ranking thinks he can be, but they do not doubt that he has the attitude and showcases the effort necessary to get there.
“Well, it’s going to take time. He was one of the guys who wasn’t here this summer. All of his stuff right when we started school, so there’s a lot to catch up on, especially strength-wise, the conditioning part," Capel said. "But he’s a good kid. He’s working. He wants to be really good. He’s not afraid of the work. He’s had a great attitude so far for us so we expect that to continue.”
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