Pitt kicked off the 2024-25 season with a blowout victory. The Panthers took down Radford 96-56 on Monday night at the Petersen Events Center. Following the game, Pitt head coach Jeff Capel, along with players Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe met with the media. Here is video and full transcription of everything they had to say.

Capel: Well, it's great to be back. It's great to get our first win. It's great to play against someone else. And we're here now, the season's upon us, we're excited about it. I thought we did some really good things today. I thought we were, the first 14-15 minutes of the game, I thought we were anxious, and we did some good stuff, but I just thought we were anxious, and it showed. I thought the last five minutes of the first half, we really settled in, and more importantly, we started passing. And it just opened up everything for us offensively, and it got us into a great flow. And I thought we played that way the rest of the half.

I think at halftime, if I remember right, I think we had seven assists on 13 made field goals. And so in the second half, we had 20 made field goals, and to have 11 assists, we were able to get some breakaways. But I thought these two guys beside me were terrific. They led us, Jaland with six assists and no turnovers, Ish with 12 rebounds, one impressive tip dunk, but also defending Moss, who's a guy that we had an awareness for. He was 3-for-12, so I thought we did a really good job there. I thought some individual guys, it was good to see Dame score the basketball. I thought G had some really good minutes, Cam was terrific in his minutes. I thought our bench did a really good job, obviously Beebah. These guys know he can score, but I thought he did a good job of defending and picking his spots.

I thought Jorge, man, to have two rebounds, two steals in his minutes, and then let the game come to him. Obviously, Papa was nervous to start, but he settled in there at the end. And I love the fact that those guys competed, even the last possession, to not let them score. So some good stuff for us tonight. Obviously, a lot to work on and continue to get better with, but a really good start for us.

As guards, even with Damian and Beebah in it, you guys got combined for 14 assists and just two turnovers. What does that say about the work that you guys have put in to control the basketball?

Leggett: That's been one of our main focuses during preseason, just taking care of it, getting a great shot every time. And I think we executed that to perfection.

Lowe: Yeah, I mean, I think we know how important it is to take care of the ball. That's a huge vocal point for us, and we really gotta set the tone with that this year, and we gotta carry that on.

I think they didn't have a basket the final seven minutes of the first half, like 12, 13 steals. How important is it to have defense going this early in the season?

Lowe: That’s huge. I mean, like I said, it's a tone setter. We wanna carry it on for the rest of the season. But that right there is just what we like to focus on, finishing halves out strong. I'm proud of my guys, and we did that.

You guys had 50 points in the paint tonight, a little bit of a different look than last year's box scores. What does that say about this group, and was that a point of focus for you guys?

Leggett: Yeah, definitely. We have a lot of guys who can create for others and create for themselves. So it showed tonight, and our paint touches, it created for others. And with those, they executed with them.

What did Cam add offensively that maybe you guys didn't have last year?

Lowe: I mean, he's just a well-known inside presence that can do a little bit of everything. He can shoot the ball, play one-on-one in the post. And that's something that we need from him and that he provides for us, and we're glad to have that.

I think you guys were one of eight from deep to start, and then I think you made seven of 15 after that, with the two at the end and then in the second half. Was there anything that changed about your three-point shots, or they started falling?

Leggett: Yeah, I just think we settled in, like Coach said, it was a little bit of anxious energy. But after we settled in, first couple minutes, I think we shot our shots with confidence, and they just fell.

I don't think we saw any kind of dunks like that last year. What was that all about?

Lowe: Hey, man. Yo, we ain't never seen that one before.

Leggett: Legs just feeling good. Yeah, legs just feeling a little better today. Shout out D.A., shout out Vince.

Beebah finished with 11 points tonight. Seems like he plays pretty fearless out there. How would you describe his play tonight?

Leggett: Fearless, honestly. We know he's a dog. Whoever's in front of him on the offensive or defensive side, he's gonna take that matchup personally, and he did exactly that tonight. So I can't wait for you guys to see more of Beeb.

Jeff, your favorite stat probably is 31% shooting for the other team, right?

Capel: Yeah, and to hold them under 60. I like the fact that we had 18 assists and only eight turnovers. So that was really good. I thought the ball really had energy. Like I said, the last four or five minutes of the first half and really throughout the second half.

The minutes ended up being similar for them. But Zack started the point part game, Dame started tonight, what kind of led to that decision?

Capel: It’s just something that we saw in practice. We started Dame the second half of Point Park, just to see. Started Dame in the scrimmage against Cincinnati and just went with that. I look at Zack as a starter also.

What was your message to the team in those last four or five minutes to kind of shift the mentality from being anxious to just being relaxed and allowing the team to be themselves?

Capel: Being who we've been since we've been together. Being who we've been in practice, and to really move the basketball. Just pass, find guys that are open, make the simple play. And offensively, we're good, we'll make shots. But we gotta unlock passing to make sure we're getting the right shots.

What do both Ish and Jaland unlock as far as that, as far as creating shots? Or in those moments when everyone else is wondering who's gonna make the play? It seems like they continue to be those guys….

Capel: Yeah, well, those two guys have the ability to make plays with scoring and with passing and creating for others. It's great to have that two experienced veteran. Jaland’s, I guess you would say he's a veteran, but just good guards. And to surround them with other good players. Those guys are really competitive. They're really smart. And they were able to take advantage of some things tonight.

Guillermo had 10 points, nine rebounds. How does his game and responsibility on the court change when he plays the four as opposed to last year at five?

Capel: He's a good player. And so just to figure it out, he can stretch the defense even at the four. We feel like if they switch, we've really tried to work with them on posting smaller guards. We can bring Cam away from the basket, 15 to 17 feet, he can shoot it. I think Cam can make threes. So we didn't see that a lot tonight with them switching and getting that matchup. But G had a great one dribble pull up right in front of our bench. We know teams, he is over 40% three point shooter.

So they're gonna try to run him off the line. He's really worked on his game to show that. We need him to continue to rebound. We need Cam to rebound better. We collectively as a team need to rebound the basketball better. But Guillermo’s a talented kid and we're gonna continue to work with him to help him get better.

Jeff, this wasn't one of your better outside shooting games, but I think you had seven guys make a three. I mean, is that who you guys can be this year?

Capel: Yeah, I think so. I've said it over and over. I don't think we'll have one guy make over 100 like Blake did. But I think we can make as many or more than we have the past couple of years. I think we have a team full of guys that I have confidence, as long as they're good shots, that can make shots.

Did you see an improvement in rebounding from the Point Park game?

Capel: Not really, not the way that I think. I mean, at the start of the game, they got two offensive rebounds. Now, I think they had two at halftime, so maybe we were a little bit better. But then they get them in spurts, and I don't know if it's we get tired, but we gotta get in there. Like they shot an air ball in the second half, and we relax. We have to continue to get better, because as we move up, different types of athletes, different types of size, that's something that people will really try to take advantage of.

Cam's ability to kind of possess the ball and get out of his feet and use it to set up scoring chances, is that a unique skill that sets something up different that you guys haven't really had for a while?

Capel: Yeah, well, he has an offensive ability that we haven't had in a few years. He can score with his back to the basket, but he can put the ball on the floor. He can pass it. I think he's really good, 15 to 17 feet. He was more ball-friendly than I thought he was when we got him. And we're gonna continue to work on those things and try to utilize those to help us. But he's still a lob threat. He can do that. He can finish around the basket. He's been in his career a really good offensive rebounder. We need to challenge him to continue to do that at a high level. He didn't do it as well tonight, but he's gonna continue to get better for us.

Jeff, what allows Ish to be a stat filler?

Capel: Competitive, talented, low-maintenance, worker, believer. Since he's been here, man, he's been locked-in. We wouldn't have been the team last year if we were if it wasn't for him not just accepting the role, but staring the role. And because of that, he was terrific. And I think it's why he'll be terrific this year, because he embodies all of those things.

How vital can Beebah be as a scoring option off the bench for you guys?

Capel: Yeah, he can really score. And one of the big things I love about, he's not afraid. And I think that's from where he's from, where he grew up, who he was around. Having an older brother that is a really good player and a really competitive guy, I love their relationship, how close they are. Beebah was a guy that did some stuff in the summer, in the past, in AAU, but not a lot. He just quietly worked on his game. He's a guy that's really quiet off the court, unbelievably low maintenance, really, really smart. But when he crosses those lines, it's like he's this manic, competitive guy. And we need that, and we need him to continue to be that for us.

You talk about low maintenance guys a lot in the last couple years. How have you been able to find these low maintenance guys?

Capel: I don't know. We've gotten lucky, I don't know, gotten lucky. Hopefully, they continue to be low maintenance.