“I thought we fought,” is something Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel has repeatedly stated during post-game press conferences this year. 

Effort is great, and any basketball coach who cares about their team will expect players to compete game after game, no matter what the score is. At some point, though, consistent effort should turn into results.

Positive results have come far less consistently than anyone involved and invested in Pitt basketball would like at this point in the season. The Panthers are 9-14 overall, 2-8 in the ACC and have lost five of their last six games.

With the exception of a spiritless 41-point loss to the Louisville Cardinals, Pitt has hung around in every conference game they have played in. In fact, six of their eight losses in the ACC have been by 15 points or fewer. However, hanging around in games and actually winning games are two different things.

First-year guard Omari Witherspoon and first-year forward Roman Siulepa have shown growth and have logged big minutes this year because of injuries to redshirt sophomore center Papa Amadou Kante and fifth-year center Dishon Jackson.

“Our guys work,” Capel said, following a narrow 65-62 defeat to Boston College. “They want to be good.” 

This work just has not paid off for the Panthers this season. As a team, they are shooting a combined 66.1% from the cherry stripe. When points are a premium for an already stagnant offense, Pitt has got to make the shots it is supposed to. 

A lack of depth has also led to foul trouble for the Panthers and made it challenging for them to have the best lineups on the court during late-game situations. A lack of size has allowed teams to capitalize incredibly well on second-chance opportunities. In a 67-47 loss against Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday, Pitt allowed the Cavaliers to grab 13 offensive rebounds and score 13 second-chance points. The Panthers also committed 17 turnovers during that game. 

Effort is not a substitute for talent. This season, Pitt has continued to play against teams that are bigger, faster, stronger and flat out more skilled than they are. Too many things have to go right for this team to win. 

If the Panthers want to eventually get results, the focus needs to shift from effort to development for next year and beyond.