Capel calls out Oats, shows loyalty to Krzyzewski

Jeff Capel doesn't leave any doubts about his allegiances.

After coaching under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke for eight seasons, Capel made sure to defend him after recent comments about the pandemic called into question Krzyzewski's true concerns.

Krzyzewski made his concerns over player safety during the pandemic public last week, calling for the NCAA to be more concerned with the mental health of players.

His comments were very similar to those of Capel's comments from a week ago.

“These kids are away (from their families), they’re out and they’re laying it on the line to entertain people," Capel said Dec. 8. "Something just doesn’t feel right about it right now. The numbers were what they were back in March. I look at it every day, man. It seems like every day it’s getting worse. I don’t know why you cancel it in March, but you say it’s OK to do it right now. But what do I know?”

Coming after Duke's 15-point loss to Illinois, Krzyzewski's remarks drew criticism from Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats. Oats asked a rhetorical question as to whether Krzyzewski would be making those comments if his team hadn't lost two non-conference games, which kicked up a firestorm on social media.

Capel brought his own words into the mix.

"I think that's ludicrous to say that about the person who's won more games in the history of college basketball than anyone," Capel said Monday. "I don't think any games this year is going to affect him. He's won more national championships than any active coach and has done the most for the game."

But defending Krzyzewski wasn't all Capel did with his response when asked about it. He shared a first-hand story of how Krzyzewski helped enhance the career of Oates.

"One of the things that sucks for coach is he takes bullets because of his stature," Capel said. "He's an easy guy to take shots at. I get really upset by it because of how much I care about him. But also after working for him for seven years, I know how much he does for the game and how much he does for other coaches. I've seen it. The one coach who, in particular, made a comment, it was interesting because I know exactly what coach did for him. I know it because I was the one who helped facilitate it. It's disappointing."

Yikes.

Krzyzewski, 72, not only boasts a long list of accomplishments with five national championships and three Naismith Coach of the Year awards, but also an extensive coaching tree. Capel was one of his eight former assistants who was a head coach in either the NCAA or the NBA in 2019.

In a sport with several legendary current coaches, Capel thinks more respect is owed the likes of Krzyzewski. 

"It's something as a young coach myself that you have a reverence for coach (Jim) Boeheim, (Tom) Izzo, and guys who have done things that we couldn't have done," Capel said. "There's a certain level of respect that should be there like it was back in the day for Coach (John) Thompson. The thing that bothered me the most was he was asked a question after the game about I comment I made and he told me what I said was right." 

"Then they asked him about my comments and he said that. Now, he's said that for a while, but that's what happens when you're the best. Mostly everything that happens (in life) I know a Jay-Z song or lyric that goes with it. For this, there's a song by Jay-Z called 'Most Kings.' I sent it to coach when I worked for him and told him this was about you."

If you've ever listened to the song, you'd know you didn't even have to read all of the lyrics to get the meaning. Jay-Z had the audio of his responses in an interview that conveyed what he, and Capel, meant:

"You know you've become a star because you're the biggest target out there. When everyone's on the court, they're coming for you. When the opposing player walks into that arena, they're thinking about upstaging you. You're like a trophy to them. They're thinking, 'if I'm better than this guy then the spotlight turns on me.' So, you know you're a superstar because you're a marked man and everyone's coming for you."

• Capel said that even with the NCAA eligibility waiver expected to be announced Wednesday, Pitt can't be sure whether it will be in time for Nike Sibande to play in the team's first ACC game against Miami that night at 6 p.m.

"If he's cleared he'll play right away," Capel said of Sibande. I don't know the timetable of everything. I don't know anything. I know coach Jim Larranaga made a comment that it wouldn't be decided until five o'clock and we play at six. I would've liked for it to have been today because you have kids around the country who could play today or tomorrow if they just made the decision."

Capel reminded everyone just why he's excited to finally see Sibande play as a Panther.

"He would be really good for us," Capel said. "Number one is he provides experience. He's played at the collegiate level for three years and scored 1,500 points, that's impressive. He's very athletic and in practice he's made a lot of shots. He made 175 threes at Miami Ohio, that's more than anyone we have."

• Justin Champagnie was named as ACC player of the week, as he recorded more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in both winning performances for the Panthers against Northwestern and Gardner-Webb:

• Capel revealed on Monday that Au'Diese Toney was struggling with the news of Florida's Keyontae Johnson collapsing Saturday and temporarily being put in a medically induced coma. Johnson's condition has improved, and he's now breathing on his own and communicating with loved ones and teammates. 

"You don't know who's going to be healthy or be able to play. I also am concerned for these kids' mental health," Capel said when asked about how his players were dealing with the pandemic. "One of the things about our game Saturday, Au'Diese seemed off and that he wasn't himself. Then I found out he was really good friends with Keontay Johnson. Then we had to consider what was going on there and we prayed with him with heavy hearts. These kids are going through a lot. What happened to one of their contemporaries Saturday scared them. We continue to play for Keyontae, his family and his program and that's where you see there's so many unknowns."

Good news about Johnson was also revealed by Florida Tuesday: