Pitt’s Jeff Capel Previews Second Matchup Against Brad Brownell, Clemson

Back on Sunday, Dec. 3, Pitt lost its second-straight game and its first ACC game of the year to Brad Brownell’s Clemson Tigers.

The Panthers went on to lose their next two ACC games and five of their first six conference matchups. However, months later, Pitt now stands at 9-7 in conference play and its next opponent is Clemson, this time on the road.

So, after a dramatic turnaround this season, how much can Pitt head coach Jeff Capel really take into this battle from that first matchup against the Tigers?

“Really not much,” Capel said on Monday. “I’ve gone back and watched some of it, it was actually really difficult to watch just because I think we’re so much better. I think they’re better. It was so early. They played well, we did not play well, they made us not play well. We still had some opportunities, but I think we’re very, very different now. I think they’re different. So, I like where we are right now, just excited about the opportunity to go down and play a really good team.”

In that game, Pitt lost 79-70 as Clemson’s PJ Hall posted a monster 22-point, 11-rebound game. Alongside Hall, starting forward Ian Schieffelin grabbed a jaw-dropping 17 rebounds in the win, including seven offensive boards. Former Syracuse guard Joe Girard III shined for the Tigers as well, dropping 25 points on 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the three-point line. Overall, Clemson won the rebound battle 40-33 over the Panthers in the win.

“Clemson is a really good rebounding team, they’re a very good defensive team, they’re a very physical team, and they’re a really good offensive team,” Capel continued. “The kid Schieffelin is maybe as improved as anybody in this whole league when you look at the numbers he’s putting up, especially the rebound numbers. He’s the ultimate glue guy. He’s probably the new Leaky Black. He’s really, really good. He has a great spirit about how he competes, so does PJ, obviously you know that with him. But we really have to do a better job defensive rebounding, defending in the post, our ball-screen defense, our transition defense, because we were really bad the last time we played them in those areas.”

At the time of the first win, Clemson was 7-0 and 1-0 in ACC play. Now, the Tigers are 19-8 overall and also 9-7 in ACC play. The Tigers are a projected five seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament according to Fox Sports’ Mike DeCourcy, and are ranked as the No. 23 team in the NCAA’s NET rankings. 

“Number one, you know they’re well coached,” Capel said about Brownell’s teams. “You know they’re going to be really, really physical. You know they’re going to be very efficient offensively. They’re going to make it difficult for you to run your stuff. They’re very well-prepared with guarding your actions, and they make you work for everything.

Brad is a really, really good coach. He’s done an unbelievable job at Clemson over his time. He and I go back to the CAA days when I was at VCU and he was at Wilmington. We had some unbelievable games there. He’s been an outstanding coach wherever he’s been, whether it’s Wilmington, Wright State, and certainly the job he’s done at Clemson.”

Pitt Vs. Clemson will tip off at 7 p.m. on ACC Network on Tuesday. Feb. 27.