A single victory does little to erase the lingering disappointment for Pitt coach Jeff Capel, his players, and Panthers fans amidst what has been a largely frustrating season.
Nevertheless, Capel welcomes any positive momentum as the Panthers (10-17, 3-11 ACC) battle to secure a spot in the upcoming conference tournament, a competition open to the top 15 out of 18 league teams.
Pitt ended a five-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating Notre Dame 73-68, providing a crucial morale boost for Capel’s team.
“I’m incredibly proud of their effort,” Capel stated. “It’s a great feeling to win, and I hope we can use this as a foundation. We’ve faced considerable adversity this year, and everyone—players and coaches alike—will grow stronger from it. We’re learning valuable lessons that will contribute to our improvement as a team and as individuals.”
To capitalize on that win, the Panthers must now defeat Stanford (16-11, 5-9) in an away game on Wednesday.
This marks Pitt’s first trip to Stanford, California, despite having played the Cardinal twice before. Both prior encounters—in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4, 2025, and in Brooklyn during the Legends Classic on Nov. 26, 2014—ended in victories for the Panthers.
Beyond overcoming the time zone change, Capel’s primary concern on the court will be containing Stanford’s freshman point guard, Ebuka Okorie. Okorie is currently second in ACC scoring with 22.3 points per game, trailing only Duke’s freshman Cameron Boozer (22.6).
Okorie boasts a 44% field goal percentage, alongside contributing 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest.
He attempts nearly eight free throws per game, converting them at an impressive 83.1% rate.
“He’s truly remarkable,” Capel remarked about Okorie. “I’d heard about his impressive stats earlier in the season. One evening, while scouting an opponent playing Stanford, I found myself captivated by him, realizing I was supposed to be focusing on the other team.”
“He exhibits dynamic play with the ball, possessing exceptional confidence and composure. He is, without a doubt, an outstanding basketball player.”
Stanford also relies on key contributions from forward Chisom Okpara (13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds) and guard Benny Gealer (10.6 points).
Capel is especially keen for Pitt to replicate their strong second-half offensive showing against the Fighting Irish in Wednesday’s game.
Despite scoring only 23 points in the first half, the Panthers exploded for 50 in the second, their highest single-half total since putting up 57 against Binghamton on December 17.
“Achieving 50 points, with 16 assists on 22 successful field goals, demonstrates excellent ball movement and sharing. This enabled us to create open shots,” Capel explained. “We also converted crucial free throws under pressure late in the game. It was satisfying to see the ball distributed well and to witness shots falling. Scoring 50 points in a single half is something we haven’t accomplished in quite a while.”
Nojus Indrusaitis’s performance against Notre Dame was equally promising, especially given that sophomore guard Brandin Cummings was recently sidelined for the rest of the season due to ankle surgery.
As the sole Panther substitute on Saturday, Indrusaitis delivered a season-best 17 points, shooting 5-of-8 overall and an impressive 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
“It was incredibly important to have another player capable of scoring,” Capel commented. “Our scoring has been a challenge all season, and with Brandin’s absence, who is a known scorer, it was vital for someone like Nojus to step up. His confident play, shooting, and strong performance were a massive boost for us.”
“Hopefully, seeing his shots fall and performing well will give him the confidence to maintain that momentum moving forward.”
Buoyed by a much-needed conference win and an opportunity to secure consecutive victories for the first time this season, Pitt embarks on a road trip to California. After the Stanford game, they are scheduled to play Cal-Berkeley on Saturday.
“I’m enthusiastic about this chance to head out west,” Capel concluded.