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Jeff Capel Loses A Big Recruit And Is Probably Not Too Happy About It

Things that make you go hmmmmm....

NCAA Basketball: N.C. State at Pittsburgh
Feb 17, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel wears a National Association of Basketball Coaches towel over his shoulder in honor of former Georgetown head coach John Thompson (not pictured) on the court against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. The Wolfpack won 74-73.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When we wrote our piece on Jeff Capel and the concerns at Pitt Monday, we didn’t mention Efton Reid, who had committed to LSU earlier in the day, because so what, really? When a guy chooses another school, that’s it, that’s all, it’s over.

Only not so much.

According to this article in PittsburghSportsNow.com, Reid gave Capel a private commitment on Friday and that he would mail his letter of intent in.

Only it didn't happen. Reid made a sudden, unexplained change and committed to L$U of the Situational Ethics Conference instead.

Was there some funny business? Did Will Wade make another “strong-ass offer?”

No one can say for sure but we’re guessing Capel has his suspicions.

It reminds us of a story that Bret Bearup told us several years before his untimely passing, which was distressing, because he was a great guy.

Anyway, a prominent Kentucky recruit, a contemporary of Bearup’s there, had suddenly changed his mind and was now planning to attend another school. A Kentucky assistant, who shall go nameless, called him and asked what had happened.

“Well, Coach, __________ made a better offer.”

So the UK assistant asked what it would take to get him to Lexington. The kid pondered, gave him a number and the assistant said “okay. But that’s it, right? I don’t have come back and counter. This will do it, right?”

The kid said yes, and did end up at Kentucky.

Bearup had some great stories. We miss that guy.