Jeff Capel, Nelly Cummings and Blake Hinson met the media after Pitt's blowout win over Boston College on Tuesday night. Here's a full rundown of their remarks.

Capel: First and foremost, big-time win for us. Really proud of our team for how mature we were. We settled into the game. I knew that it would take a little bit, just because of how physical they are. That’s something that we can’t simulate in practice, especially this time of year. We have to stay fresh for the games. So it took us awhile to get used to that, you know, the physicality. We talked about it, but it’s one thing to talk about it and then to come out and to actually play against it. I thought that's why, uncharacteristically, we had nine turnovers in the first half. I thought once we settled into it, we got into a good rhythm offensively, we were able to make some shots and get a lead, and I thought we came out in the second half and went on a couple of runs to extend that lead.

I thought our defense throughout the game was outstanding. In particular, I thought Federiko on Post was big-time. We have so much respect for him as a player, you know, as a player to be shooting in conference play almost 57% from the field, he’s 40% from three and 86 from the foul line. That’s big-time, those numbers, especially for a post guy because it’s not right there at the basket if you look at his shot chart, and I thought we did a really good job - Federiko of pushing him off the block but then the rest of our guys of digging, taking up space and we did a really good job there. I thought our defense throughout the game was outstanding, and I thought that was why we were able to get a lead.

So really proud of it. Again, like I always say, we’ll enjoy it tonight and we’ll move on to the next one.

Nelly, you only played six minutes in the second half at Florida State Saturday. Your coach talked about how you’re a little banged up on Monday during his conference call. How are you feeling today? Was that ankle bothering you at all?
Cummings: No, I’m all good, man. I’m a warrior, man. Nothing wrong with me. I’m good.

Nelly, those early possessions, it looked like you guys were feeding Fede to go after Quinten Post and it seemed like you guys showed a lot of confidence in the game plan to attack him. What goes into how Fede has worked to go up against a player like that?
Cummings: I think it’s every day. Fede comes in every single day and works hard and he works on the right stuff. Coaches, they put him in the right position to do the right things, and Fede’s going to do them.

Nelly, all five starters in double figures tonight, eight assists for you. What do you think was the biggest point of your offense’s success tonight?
Cummings: I think we just played together. I think we’re at our best when we play together and I think the assist numbers show that we played together today. So it worked out for us.

Did you feel like you guys were getting under their skin when they were being physical and then you guys eventually got physical back with them? Because I saw little scuffles here and there sometimes.
Cummings: We pride ourselves on toughness. I think any team that’s going to bring the toughness to us, we always like that type of stuff. That gets us going.

Nelly and Blake, what does Fede’s defense allow you guys to do defensively?
Hinson: It gives us a lot of confidence to just guard one-on-one, in general, because he’s always got our back. So it’s a good person to have on the team.

It looked like the twins were also helping when they came off the bench. They were also still helping, even against Post in some of the positions. Having all three of those guys being able to come in, what does that do for you guys?
Hinson: It’s the same thing. They’re so big and long at the basket. It gives us all the confidence to really guard one-on-one.

Blake, when your point guard is really cooking like he was midway through the first half, when he’s making shots and he’s finding everyone wide open and creating so much, how much easier does it make your job on the offensive end?
Hinson: Yeah, it makes my job very, very easy. It gets me to focus on what my job is. Great luxury to have, this man right here.

Blake, this is the second game in a row at home where you guys won by more than 20. What’s it about playing in this building that gives you that extra energy to go out there?
Hinson: I love the Oakland Zoo. Shout out to the Oakland Zoo. I talk to some of the main guys all the time and they do a good job of packing this place out.

Jeff, what does it say about your guys that Boston College did have an 11-0 run and you’ve often talked about the importance of being able to stay present in the moment and battle back. What does it say about your guys to battle back like that?
Capel: I think this team is better at it than we have been and maybe it’s maturity, but I do think another big thing is just the closeness, how much they believe in each other, how together we are and how much they believe in what’re doing. So we’re able to sustain when we get punched in the mouth or when a team goes on a run. These guys, I hear them in the huddle, what they’re saying to each other, the positive energy they’re giving each other, it’s different from what we’ve had here in the past.

You mentioned Nelly’s injury in the coaches call and everything. He says he’s a warrior, but I mean, what’s it mean to you to see him play so gutsy like that and just battle through?
Capel: I’m not surprised by it. He is a tough kid and he’s a fighter, and so, you know, there’s a difference between being hurt and being injured. He’s just hurt. He was hurting a little bit. He’s not injured, where he can’t play. And if Nelly’s able to play, he’s going to give it everything he has. I thought he did a really good job the past couple of days of getting a lot of treatment. I asked him in shoot-around today, he said it’s the best he’s felt in awhile, so that was good to hear. We have to keep him on that treatment plan.

You mentioned Fede’s defense. Can you elaborate on what he allows the other guys to do or how it impacts their play?
Capel: You know, number one, we haven’t had to double the post as much, so we’re not in rotations as much because he’s done a pretty good job there. He does a really good job in ball screen defense. He’s able to get out and show hard or if we go to drop, which we don’t do much, but he also can clean some things up. If guys maybe get beat, he’s able to be there and block shots; he had three blocks tonight. He’s alert, he’s active, he gives great energy and it’s a big-time thing for us.

What intangibles has Nelly brought to you guys this season?
Capel: Leadership, toughness, competitive spirit, great teammate, winner, all of those things. And a really good player. I just think all of those things. He’s been an outstanding teammate to the rest of these guys and an example of what a good player, a winning player should look like.

You mentioned the turnovers but you guys only allowed 14 points off of 16 turnovers. What allowed you guys to not let Boston College capitalize on your mistakes?
Capel: Well, we were probably just a little bit fortunate. They aren’t a team that plays with great pace; they normally just walk it up. We did try to make an emphasis on transition defense, so I thought when we had some of those turnovers, especially the live-ball ones, we were able to get back and get our defense set.

I’m sure you’ve seen some teams that are having success playing a team that’s not having much success, you have to talk to them a little bit. Did you have to say anything to these guys about, ‘Don’t let up just because they lost by 30 last week?’
Capel: No. No. If anything, we told them that they were going to come in - I know that coach and I know what he’s trying to build there, and getting beat like that, I knew they were going to be revved up, which they were to start the game. The physicality and things like that. But the thing we talked about all year - it may be boring; it’s not to us - is just one game at a time. We talk about just trying to go 1-0 and just to focus on what’s right in front of us. Today, that was Boston College. When we get back together on Thursday, we’ll focus our attention after we do the feedback on the next game.

You brought up how you were able to neutralize Post, especially throughout that second half. What was your biggest concern about him coming into today? And would you say that biggest concern was taken care of?
Capel: I thought we did an outstanding job on him. My biggest concern was that he’s a really good player and he has the ability to impact the game in a lot of different ways. Obviously he can score with his back to the basket with either hand. He’s very skilled down there. Because he can do that, he’s able to draw fouls and he’s an outstanding free throw shooter. He’s able to stretch the floor and go out to three. So I was concerned about that with us getting in foul trouble. And just his talent. I thought we did an outstanding job on him.

This is now Fede’s fifth straight game with three or more blocks and six out of the last seven that he’s been able to do that. Would you say he’s putting an exclamation point on his work now with the extra stuff that he’s done? Because we saw him play well early in the season, but now it seems he’s able to do the fundamentals and start to make bigger plays for you guys.
Capel: I just think he’s comfortable. I just think he understands what’s required at this level. Federiko did not get here until the end of August, and so right away, everything was new: the speed, the physicality, just everything. The work. All of it was new. And I think as we’ve gone on, he’s become more and more comfortable, which normally makes you confident, more confident, when you kind of understand what you’re doing, what’s required and the work that it takes to do that.

I think he’s been as good of a defender in this league, especially since conference play has started. I think he’s done an outstanding job. We need him to continue to do that. But he’s a guy that works. He’s incredibly, incredibly low-maintenance, and he’s just a joy to be around every day.

And then he gives you guys plays like when he had the defensive rebound, quick transition and then he’s on the move and he gets a dunk on the other end and it seems to light your bench up. I know that he doesn’t talk a whole lot, but it seems like there’s energy still behind everything he does.
Capel: I mean, there is. The way he plays, he plays with energy. He allows his actions to show. He is not a guy that talks a lot, but he’s an incredible kid. Smart, inquisitive, wants to learn, not afraid of work and he has been incredibly invaluable for our program.

In your experience, how unusual is it for a young guy like that to get acclimated so quickly?
Capel: Yeah, I mean, it takes awhile. It normally does. But when you have a work ethic like him, when you’re smart and you’re low-maintenance, it can happen quicker. And we’re fortunate that it’s happened quicker for us. Again, I think there are different levels that he can continue to get to after being with him now and working with him and seeing him, and we want to continue to try to push.

What do you mean by low-maintenance?
Capel: He’s easy to deal with. He’s low-maintenance. He’s not a problem off the court.

In the first 10 minutes of the game, JB started 0-for from the field and had a couple turnovers, the offensive foul, and then he’s able to settle in. He goes 2-for-5 from the field the rest of the game and pitches in a few assists. What was his ability to turn that around and just to keep that calm demeanor throughout even a bit of struggle there?
Capel: Well, he’s a mature player. He’s a winning player. He’s a guy that impacts winning, even if he’s not scoring, with his leadership, his defense, his ability to create things for other guys. He’s also, because of his maturity, he’s able to read a game. He’s able to understand what a defense is trying to do and to understand how to pick his spots, when to attack, when to look for his stuff. He’s gotten a lot better at being able to figure that out.

24 fast-break points for you guys tonight. How much of an emphasis do you guys put as a staff on getting out quickly and making the right decision in transition?
Capel: Yeah, we want to do that a lot. I think we would have had more if we would have valued the ball a little bit more today. 16 turnovers is not where we need to be. But we’ve talked to our guys a lot. I think we’ve been a pretty good defensive team once we’ve gotten to conference play. We’ve not been a consistently good rebounding team, defensive rebounding team. If we can become consistently good there, that allows us to get out in transition, and that’s what we want to do. We want to continue to try to become consistently good at defensive rebounding. I think if we’re able to get out, we’re able to play against a defense before it’s set. We have guys that can shoot the basketball. We have guys that can create. Obviously we talked about Federiko’s ability to run and get out. So we feel like we can be pretty good there, but we have to finish it with first-shot rebounding.

Blake goes 6-of-11 from three but he also collects seven rebounds. How is he able to just shift from inside to out and play that stretch four? What makes him stand out in that way?
Capel: Well, he’s talented, he’s confident, he’s a guy that can shoot the basketball, he’s learning how to use his shot fake and get to spots. We need him to be a good rebounder for us. I thought he defended well today. That’s something that’s he not done as well the past few games. I thought he did a really good job of understanding the game plan. Their fours were not shooting fours, so his ability to help off and kind of be in those gaps on drives but also to be in a little bit of eye space when Post had it, I thought, was really, really big for us.

You mentioned him with his ball fake. Do you think he’s getting more comfortable handling the ball in those situations once he gets a catch and maybe it’s not a catch-and-shoot but a catch-and-find-a-shot?
Capel: I think he’s getting better at understanding, when guys are running at him, to show a shot fake, get to a spot. I think he’s getting better at that.