After Pitt’s hard-fought road loss to Duke on Tuesday night, head coach Jeff Capel and wing Barry Dunning Jr. stepped up to the mic and gave a candid breakdown of what went right, what went wrong, and where the Panthers stand heading into the heart of February.
Capel on the Fight - and the Flaws
Let’s start with Capel’s opening thoughts: he gave Duke credit for being the kind of high-level team that can flip a game in a matter of minutes. That’s exactly what happened early in the second half.
Pitt entered halftime down just six, but Capel admitted the Panthers didn’t close the first half the way they needed to. It was a two-point game with just over three minutes left in the half - then things slipped.
Coming out of the break, Pitt had its chances. They missed a layup, two free throws, and a wide-open three.
That’s three golden opportunities to cut into the lead or even take control, but instead, those misses turned into fast-break points for Duke. Suddenly, Pitt was staring at an 11-point hole.
Still, Capel liked the response. After a timeout, Pitt clawed back and got it down to five.
But against a team like Duke - loaded with talent, discipline, and momentum - you can’t afford too many “my bads.” And Pitt had too many of them.
“We were in a position… it was a 10-point game; if we make a couple more shots, make a couple layups, make a couple of free throws, maybe we put a little more game pressure on them,” Capel said. “But kudos to them for stepping up and making big plays.”
Defending Boozer and Evans: The Game Plan
Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans both made their presence felt - no surprise there. Boozer continues to look every bit the part of an ACC Player of the Year candidate, and Evans hurt Pitt with a barrage of threes in the second half.
Capel said the plan was to double Boozer and try to disrupt Duke’s interior presence. In the first half, though, Pitt got burned on backdoor cuts and off-ball movement - something Duke does as well as anyone in the country. At halftime, Capel and his staff made the necessary adjustments, and he felt the second-half execution was much sharper.
Finishing at the Rim Remains a Sticking Point
When asked about Pitt’s struggles finishing at the rim, Capel didn’t sugarcoat it. “We’ve not been good at finishing all year,” he said. “I hope we can be better, but we probably aren’t going to be.”
It was a brutally honest moment from a coach who knows what February basketball is all about. At this point in the season - 20-plus games in - teams tend to be who they are. And for Pitt, that means a continued struggle to convert through contact at the rim.
Capel emphasized that this is a contact sport, and by now, his players should know what to expect. The hope is that they’ll find a way to finish stronger down the stretch, but he’s not banking on a sudden transformation.
Shot Selection and Spacing vs. Duke’s Size
One stat that jumped off the page: Pitt took 20 threes in the first half alone. That wasn’t entirely by accident. Capel explained that Duke’s size at every position made it tough to get into the paint, and when the Blue Devils started switching on defense, it disrupted Pitt’s rhythm.
Early on, Pitt moved the ball well and generated quality looks. But as the half wore on, the offense got stagnant - something Capel acknowledged.
He said the game plan included popping their bigs to create spacing and attacking the second side of the floor. That led to some good looks, but not all of them were the kind of shots they wanted.
Barry Dunning Jr. Finds His Stroke
One of the bright spots for Pitt? Barry Dunning Jr.
The sophomore wing had been in a bit of a shooting slump, but he found his rhythm in this one. Capel was pleased to see Dunning knock down shots and play with confidence again.
“He’s a good player, and he had a good night,” Capel said.
Roman’s Defensive Mindset
Capel was also asked about Roman, who continues to draw the toughest defensive assignments. On Tuesday, that meant matching up with Boozer - no small task. But Capel praised Roman’s strength, toughness, and mindset.
“Roman accepts every challenge,” Capel said. “He’s not going to back down from anybody.”
That kind of mentality is what keeps Roman on the floor in big moments. He’s learning, improving, and showing he can hold his own - even against the best players in the country.
Looking Ahead
This wasn’t the result Pitt wanted, but there’s no shame in losing to a Duke team that’s hitting its stride. The Panthers showed fight, they made adjustments, and they had moments where they looked like they belonged on the same floor.
The next step? Cleaning up the mistakes, finishing through contact, and turning those “almost” moments into wins.
Because in a conference as competitive as the ACC, “almost” doesn’t cut it in February.