Capel Picks Up Another Guard For Pitt

Pretty clearly former Duke assistant Jeff Capel has a lot of work to do at Pitt but he’s already upgraded the backcourt: after getting a commitment and a reclassification from Trey McGowen, a South Carolina native playing high school ball in Virginia, Capel stayed in the Old Dominion and picked up another 2018 guard, Arlington’s Xavier Johnson.

Johnson had previously committed to Nebraska.

Capel continues to defy the conventional wisdom on where Pitt might be able to find players, which was supposed to be limited to the Northeast.

Johnson told Pittsburgh Sports Now that “I like the Pitt coaching staff and their background. I know that Coach Capel has the background to help me out and get me better. Coach Capel told me that he wants me and that he would not only help me be a better basketball player but would help me become a better man.”

A 6-3 point guard, Johnson will likely pair with McGowen, who is a combo guard, to give Pitt a talented if young backcourt.