The Pitt basketball team held an open practice on Friday the 13th. Following that session, Pitt head coach Jeff Capel met with the media for a press conference. Here is complete recap of everything he had to say.

What is your overall takeaway on this event, the fans who showed up, how your team played, everything?

Capel: Well first and foremost I’m grateful to be able to do this, more specifically for the students and kids and the young people that are in the Oakland Zoo. They’re a big part of what we do so to be able to have them here, for them to see the team, and to engage and interact is really, really good. For us it gives us a chance here to play with some people in the stands to see kind of how we are. I always felt like it’s different when people are here then when you’re just in practice. I thought we were quieter today than we’ve been. Part of it is at times that it can happen after a day off. We were off yesterday and we had a really good practice on Wednesday, a really demanding practice. We haven’t been able to do much five on five where we get up and down. We haven’t been able to do that because of injuries and guys being out. So the past two practices, today and Wednesday, we’ve done that. The takeaway for me is that we need to do that more. We need to play more to get ourselves in better game shape.

How do you feel about your two young freshmen guards and how they’ve handle the workload and also just taking it step by step?

Capel: I’m pleased with them. I mean, like I’ve said all along, they’re talented. They’re hard workers and they are easy to coach. They want to get better, like they really want to get better and they’ve gotten better. We have a lot of confidence in both of them.

Is it fair to deem Bub the starter right now?

Capel: I don’t think it’s fair. We’re looking at different lineups, just trying to see who can play, whose going to start, and what groups work the best. For me, that’s what it always comes down to. I think the only guy that’s fair to say is Blake.

Did you see anything today that maybe you haven’t seen in previous practices?

Capel: I don’t think it was anything that I haven’t seen. I mean, these guys have been good every day. They’ve had great attitudes, they’ve been about the right stuff, they’ve tried to pick up and learn. They’re quick learners, that’s one of the things that I’ve been impressed with, is that they are able to pick things up pretty quickly.

Will Jeffress talked about being more assertive and I think you talked about that a few weeks ago. Are you seeing that translate on the court right now?

Capel: Yea, I think Will has played really well. He’s definitely more confident than the last time he was out there playing. I think last year was really good for him, although it was tough. I think it was really good for him to sit back and watch and learn and to work on him and to be able to work on his body. He’s had a really good spring and summer and I think that’s translated to the fall. He’s kind of a guy that does a little bit of everything for us and he’s going to be a really important guy for us.

Bub and Jaland both talked about having welcome to college basketball moments earlier this week and they had guys like Blake tell them it’s going to be more physical. How much as a coach is it helpful to have older players be able to instill that into your younger players?

Capel: I’ve always felt like the best teams are player-led. When you have experience on your roster and guys that have won and know how to win and know the rigors of college basketball. If they can impart wisdom to young guys, and I’ve always felt like that’s when you have a chance to be at your best. Those guys definitely listen to me, unequivocally, but sometimes it means a little bit more when it’s coming from a player, especially a really good player and Blake is a really good player. Those guys have been great, I mean Blake, Fede, the twins, WIll, KJ Marshall, who was a part of it last year. They’ve been really, really good with our younger guys.

Have you seen that the weight the twins added affect their game?

Capel: Yea, I have. They made the decision last spring and summer to stay here. They didn’t want to go back and do anything with the national team. They wanted to stay here and work with our strength and conditioning coach and they’ve gotten stronger. Where I’ve seen it is that they’re more confident. They are able to play through physicality better than they were last year and for longer periods than they were last year. More importantly, they’re just more confident in their bodies and their ability.

You guys are losing a lot of outside shooting from last year’s team. I think I calculated 42% from three, obviously in just one practice. Are you satisfied with how they are shooting the ball from the outside?

Capel: I am. That’s been pretty consistent. I think have guys that can shoot the basketball. The thing we want to do is generate really good shots and really good looks. If we take good shots and if we’re able to generate really good shots, then I feel confident with our ability to make them.

It looked like Fede was stronger with the basketball. Would you say he has improved in that regard?

Capel: I think he’s improved. I think one of the things that maybe all of us, and I say us like you guys included, and you look at him maybe at the end of the year where he was hurt and wasn’t himself really after the Georgia Tech game. He got hurt in the Georgia Tech game and he was never the same from that point on. Obviously he’s healthy, stronger, he’s more confident because of experience and success and he’s really worked on his game. His coaches from the national team back in Finland did an unbelievable job when he was back there. Obviously trying to integrate him to what they’re trying to do, but we had a partnership about the things we wanted him to work on for us and they were able to do some of those things in their individual skill work stuff. When he got back he was refreshed, ready to go, and he’s obviously a huge part of what we do.

We obviously talk about the two freshmen guards, but not as much about Marlon Barnes. Where is he and how is he coming along?

Capel: Marlon has done a good job. He’s going to be a good player for us. It’s going to take a little bit more time. He’s got to get a little bit more stronger and really that off-guard, forward position there are a lot of guys. But he can make a shot, he’s a really good athlete, he’s an unbelievable kid. He wants to be really good and he’s a worker.

Does the added weight for the twins add more aggressiveness in the paint area?

Capel: I think so. Look, they’re never going to be these physical specimens. That’s just not who they’re going to be. Their bodies aren’t like that, but they have to be able to block-out, rebound, plat through contact. I think that’s what we’ve seen with those guys and their strength and the work they’ve put in the weight room and continue to put in.

What about Bub’s game makes you think he can play the point for you guys?

Capel: Well I think he’s a student of the game. He learns very quickly and he has a very good feel for the game. Obviously he can play off the bounce, he can create, he’s been really good at ball screens and making reads. He’s done a good job, but so has Jaland. It just happened today that that’s the look that we wanted to go with and earlier we had Jaland out there. Both of those guys are going to play, whoever starts…they both could start. I don’t know. Again, I don’t have Blake set in stone, I just don’t see anybody beating him. So I kind of have that one in stone, but the rest of them, we have good players and they’re competing and as a coach that’s what you want.

What has Ish Leggett brought to you guys in practice so far?

Capel: Well today was his first day back, so he’s been out for a little bit. He had a little knee injury. We just wanted to make sure that there was nothing wrong. He practiced for a little bit on Tuesday, that was the first day since last Thursday. He was able to go a little bit on Tuesday, nothing Wednesday, and we were off yesterday. For him, he’s been really good. He gives us another ball handler, decision-maker. He’s a guy who can create offense off the ball. He can catch and shoot. He rebounds very well for a guard and he’s competitive. He rebounds very well for a guard. He’s been really good, we didn’t see the best version today because there’s rust and getting his legs back and things like that. But we anticipate him being a really big part of what we do.

On the point of him creating off the bounce, that’s got to be important with the guys that you are replacing…

Capel: Yea, no question. We felt like last year we had three guys that create offense for us off the bounce. I feel like we have at least three now, hopefully we can get to maybe one more and then the rest of those guys understanding their roles and doing it at an incredible high level.

Those three would be Blake, Ish, and Zack?

Capel: Bub. Jaland, I think can do it. So yea, those are the guys I anticipate being able to create offense for us.

The guards seemed to rebound well today during practice, is that something you guys emphasize?

Capel: We need to rebound better, everyone. That’s an area where we really have to improve. I think we have an opportunity, so we made a huge jump offensively last year from where we had been. I think have a chance to be really good again offensively, but where I think we can make a huge jump is defensively. We have length, athleticism, and hopefully we have a little bit more quality depth than we had last year. To finish it out, we have to pursue the basketball and rebound. We’re going to need everyone. I tell them all the time. I’ve coach a guy that led the country in rebounding. I’ve coached two guys who have led different conferences in rebounding. So I’ve had guys where I’ve coaches and I could pencil in, ‘OK 11-12 rebounds a game’. I don’t think we have that. I would love to be wrong and I say that to them hoping that one of them will be like, ‘OK, screw you coach I’m going to show you’ but we need to rebound. For us, I don’t know if we have that, so we’re going to have to gang rebound and our guards are going to have to be a big part of that.

It seemed like Jorge was a little more confident shooting from behind the arc, is that just kind of for practice?

Capel: Man, Jorge is better when the lights come on. We scrimmaged Tuesday, that was the first time he’s played five on five continuous since July, since the foot injury. He’s been in practice, but like I’ve mentioned we haven’t been able to go up and down whether its a four or five minute, eight, ten minute, whatever is is. So he’s getting his legs back, but the thing I learned about him last year is he’s different when people are here and the lights are on. I think everyone including his teammates saw that today.

So you’re going to have us around for all the practices?

Capel: Yea, we’ll have people here for all the practices (laughs).

How does Blake Hinson lead from your point of view?

Capel: I think he leads by example. Blake’s a guy who is a worker. He is a believer. He’s a talker. He’s really confident, so I think he leads in all of those ways, by his actions and his words. He’s a guy because of what he’s done, because of achievement and accomplishment that all of these guys look up to and they respect, because they know it’s something that he earned. It wasn’t something that was given to him. He’s a guy that command a locker room, commands a huddle, and we need him to do it his way. It’s something that he’s learning. Last year he had a big voice, but he didn’t have to do it in a manner in which we need him to do it this year. We’re just trying to help him find his way of doing it. It’s not going to be like Nelly or JB or Nike or Greg, it has to authentic to who he is. You guys know him, he has a big personality, he’s an incredibly positive guy and he's a guy that all of these guys respect and look up to.

Have you gotten a chance to watch those guys are doing in Europe?

Capel: Oh yeah. Watch them, talk to them all the time, really proud of them. Really happy for them, they seem to be happy, which makes us happy. They’re all playing well. Those two guys. Mo (Gueye) is playing really well up in Toronto and I know he feels good about his opportunity up there and is going to try to make the most of it, same as Justin (Champagnie) down in Miami. Really happy for the guys and really rooting them on.