The Pittsburgh Panthers maintained a share of the ACC’s top leaderboard spot after defeating the Stanford Cardinal 83-68 on Saturday evening. Jeff Capel and team, coming off of a Wednesday win without star guard Ishmael Leggett, dominated Stanford with Leggett back on the court Saturday. The Panthers’ defensive unit struggled with towering French big man Maxime Raynaud, but held the Cardinal as a whole to just around 35% shooting.
Pittsburgh Panthers Attract Belief From Betting World
While Jeff Capel’s Panthers have a been an under-the-radar team for most of the last 7 years, there’s something slightly different in the air about this Pittsburgh team. The nation seems to be gaining some belief in the squad, who has developed the Pittsburgh blue-collar spirit while maintaining an essence of flashiness and creativity on the court. In addition to the intangibles that Pitt brings to the table, they have clearly filled some gaps that have been evident over the past few seasons. Jeff Capel now has a steady rotation of big men who can battle in the paint, a cache of supporting guards off the bench who can score when needed, and a set of leaders that keep the Panthers cool when under pressure. The ability for Pitt to adapt and overcome seems to be enticing to bettors:
BUY STOCK NOW.
Most bet teams to win ACC Regular Season title:
1. Duke
2. Pitt
3. Louisville
4. North Carolina
5. Clemson*Ranking determined by total handle wagered. https://t.co/kmthyNKsz1
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 3, 2025
Pitt’s Missing Puzzle Piece Damian Dunn Could Return vs. Duke
If you had the opportunity to see Pitt and Stanford play live at the Petersen Events Center on Saturday, you may have seen missing guard Damian Dunn warming up with some fellow teammates. Dunn, who has been out for almost six weeks, will have his thumb injury reevaluated in the coming days. Panther fans shouldn’t get too excited as Jeff Capel, in his postgame interview on Saturday evening, cautioned against premature celebration of Damian Dunn’s return.
“No. No. He just wanted to warm up,” Capel said. “He’s been chomping at the bit and he’s been able to do some more stuff in practice. Still has not done any live contact, offensive stuff, but he’s done stuff defensively, he’s done all of our skill-work stuff, so he’s getting back into the rhythm of it and he asked me yesterday, could he go through warmups and so I thought that was a great sign. So, we’ll see.”
All that being said, Dunn being out isn’t a done deal for Tuesday’s matchup in Durham. The senior guard could be a huge key for defending Duke’s taller guards like Tyrese Proctor. Jeff Capel seemed to retain a fairly positive outlook on his status vs. the Blue Devils, who are coming off a dominating and convincing win vs. SMU.
“We’ll know for sure on Monday. He’ll see the doctor again on Monday, and we’ll have a better idea on Monday, but he’s getting close, so it could be.”
Jeff Capel Returns to Alma Mater for ACC Showdown
Jeff Capel is a legend in Durham, NC. The mid-90s fan favorite Capel was a four-year starter for the Duke Blue Devils, his career highlight being a near half court buzzer-beater against arch rival UNC in 1995. Upon Coach K’s departure in 2022, Capel was viewed as a potential heir to the throne at Cameron Indoor Stadium before the announcement was made regarding Jon Scheyer’s hire. While the Cameron Crazies will surely give Capel the respect he deserves on Tuesday evening, I doubt they’ll take it easy. If he can ensure the Panthers play disciplined defense and stay out of deep foul trouble, we should see Pitt give Duke a run for their money.
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