Here's everything Jeff Capel said after Pitt's 100-52 win over North Carolina A&T at the Petersen Events Center on Monday night.

Capel: Well, first and foremost, it was great to be back out there and especially to be in front of our students. Man, they were incredible. When I walked out of the tunnel and saw both end zones filled and right behind the benches and to feel their energy right away, it was really cool to be back and to kind of have a continuation of where we finished off last season with their support right now tonight.

Really proud of our team. I thought we played really hard, and that’s the thing that I’m most proud of. I thought probably for about the first 30, 32 minutes, I thought we played really, really hard. There was a moment there in the first two and a half minutes of the second half where I didn’t think we were playing hard; that’s why I called the timeout. It was actually about 16:06, it was right before the media, but I didn’t like the way we were playing and I was really pleased that we were able to snap out of it and come back out and do that. I thought our attention to detail defensively on the game plan and the scouting report - I thought all of our guys followed it to a T. That led us to get out in transition to get some plays. I thought we executed very well in the half court.

We had a period there where we couldn’t make shots. I think we were stuck on maybe about 28 points or something for a little bit, and then this guy, Jorge, got us going, making a couple three’s and that kind of opened the basket for us.

Obviously, Bub was terrific. I was really pleased and impressed with how he just let the game come to him. He didn’t hunt stuff. He continues to play the game the right way, and that’s important for that lead guard position. He can score the basketball, but he also has a really good feel and I was really, really impressed at how cognizant his teammates were of being close to a triple-double and then how excited they were that he was able to get it.

So, really proud of our guys. It’s a great opener. We were able to get out without any injuries and we’ll take the day off tomorrow and get back to it.

Jeff, we talked about Bub’s offensive performance already, but on the defensive end, what did you see from him and Jaland as young guards coming into their first college games?
Capel: I thought they did a really good job. We thought coming in that that team would be guard-heavy. Normally at that level, sometimes you don’t have a lot of size but you have guys who can put the ball on the floor, a little bit older, the two JUCO guards, Duke is a senior, so we knew that they would try to attack us from there. And I thought those two guys - Ish - I thought they did a really good job of moving their feet. I thought we were in the gaps early and we were able to contain penetration. So I thought Bub and Jaland did a really, really good job of guarding the basketball.

You talked last week about teams would force you guys to communicate on defense. You talked about the scouting report, too, and how they responded to it. Where does this rank as far as performances when you get that kind of offensive performance but that kind of detailed defense?
Capel: Yeah, it was good. It was good. But I’m not going to overreact about good or bad. Like, we didn’t shoot free throws well; I’m not going to overreact. It was good tonight. We’ll study it and go through it and figure out how we can be better. But we know that the competition will continue to increase, and my thing for us is for us to get better every day. And I think we’ve done that.

Look, if we wouldn’t have performed well, I would have trusted what we’ve done up to this point. But we did perform well, we defended, we made shots, we shared the basketball, we had 21 assists on 40 field goals, so I’m pleased with how we played tonight. Now we have to handle it right and be ready to play against a Binghamton team that has some older guards.

Is there something to be said about gelling so quickly into game one, given the amount of roster turnover and losing some guys from last year?
Capel: I think it helps that we do have guys back. I know a lot’s been made about the guards that we lost, and there’s no one that wishes we still had them more than me. But we do have a lot back. We have our leading scorer and rebounder from last year back. We have a guy that I thought was the best defensive big in the league back. We have two guys in the twins that I thought were playing their best basketball at the end of the year and have gotten better. And then having Will back. Even a guy like KJ. So they have that DNA from those guys that we lost. They still have it.

You know, I thought it was great that, for the majority of the summer, Nelly, Greg and Jamarius were here. And there would be times when I would come in my office and I would see Greg working the freshmen out, like doing stuff with them. I would see Nelly grabbing them and talking to them. They’d play pickup and I’d see J.B. talking to them. So you have guys that have ownership. They have ownership. They didn’t want to just be good last year; they want us to continue to be good. The guys that were a part of that last year, they want us to continue to be good. The new guys that we have, they want to be good. They’re kind of smart, so they listen to the guys that were here and that accomplished - you heard Bub say that.

So am I surprised? I’m not. We have been together for a little bit. We took a trip to Spain; that certainly helps. But I’m pleased where we are right now.

Fede’s increased offensive presence - we saw him take the ball at the top of the key and drive and get a shooting foul.
Capel: Yeah, you know, it’s - some of it, Fede has gotten better. I thought his work with the Finnish national team this summer really helped him. He was the last cutoff the World Cup team. And I thought those guys did a really good job in the midst of them practicing and playing in the friendlies of working with him on the things that can help us. We had great dialogue with their coaches. And then since he’s been back, he’s really, really worked. He’s a good player and he’s going to continue to get better. We hope. Now, we know that as we play against bigger people, you know, more size, then how will that look? Certainly, they didn’t have great size today and we were able to take advantage of that. But we need Fede to be a really good defender, to anchor our post, to protect our basket, to screen, to roll, to lob, catch lobs, be in the dunker’s spot, and then when we do throw it to him, to have a go-to move, and if they try to take that away, to have a counter. Those are things we’re continuing to work with him on.

What qualities about Bub allow him to have a night like this in his first start?
Capel: I just think - one of the things I was impressed with was that he didn’t force it. He didn’t force anything. The game just came to him. I’m looking at the stat sheet at halftime and he had seven, seven and five, and I’m thinking, ‘I don’t remember him getting that many rebounds, I don’t remember him shooting’ - I think he was three-for-six at the half.

Even in the second half, he didn’t go hunting, like, ‘Oh, I have this, I’m trying to get a triple-double.’ I mean, the last play he did because we wanted him to. But he just played the game. I think he’s talented, but he just played the game and he has a really good feel and instinct for playing.

In the first half, Blake picked up a second foul; how do you think your team responded to that situation of being without him?
Capel: Yeah, I thought we responded well, but I think the main reason that we responded was that we defended. Like, that’s the big thing. I think they had 15 points at halftime, a little bit over 14% from the field. I thought we just continued to defend.

I put Blake back in the last little bit under two minutes; I wanted him to play with two fouls. There are going to be times this year when he has two and we’re going to play him, so he’s got to be able to play and still play hard without fouling in those situations, and I thought he handled that well. I thought we handled it well.

Zack went to the locker room after he hit the table. What happened there? I’m assuming he’s okay.
Capel: He’s okay. It was his shoulder. That’s what I was told in the moment. I don’t know the extent of it, but obviously he was able to come back and play.

I’m sure you’ve been witness to a lot of triple-doubles in your time. Who are some of the great ones you’ve seen do it?
Capel: You know, I don’t know in college if I’ve seen one live. I think maybe when I played, I think Bob Sura from Florida State maybe had one. Maybe. The last one I saw live in college was my brother. He had one against Buffalo. I can’t remember what year he was at Carolina, sophomore or junior, but that’s the last one I saw in person.

Coach, your thoughts on your team’s ability to shoot with 12 three-pointers.
Capel: Yeah, I think we can shoot the basketball. That’s something we’ve tried to be mindful of in recruiting the last couple of years. I thought we could have had more. We missed some that we’ll make. G missed some that were wide open that he’s been making. Blake missed a couple. Zack missed a couple. As long as we’re generating good shots, I’m happy with it, and I feel confident that we’ll make those shots.

How did you feel about Ishmael’s presence on the court in his first game as a veteran?
Capel: I thought he was terrific. The kid Glasper had 23 points in their exhibition game and he was one-for-16, and a big part of that was Ish. I thought he hunted him, I thought he went after him, I thought his antenna was up, so I thought he did a really, really good job there. And offense, for the most part, he let it come to him. He’s a guy that can drive and get fouled and we think he can be a really efficient player with the guys we have around him.