Brothers Jason and Jeff Capel are upset with North Carolina over what they feel was a slight from the Tar Heels towards Jason on Wednesday.
Pitt beat UNC 65-64 on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill. The Panthers are coached by Jeff Capel, a former Duke player, who is in his fifth season at Pitt. Jason, who is Jeff’s younger brother, played at North Carolina from 1998-2002. Jason is an assistant coach on Jeff’s Pitt staff.
Ahead of the game, North Carolina tweeted a graphic on social media to promote that evening’s contest. The graphic contained an image of Tar Heels bench player Creigton Lebo sticking out his tongue.
𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐘 at home.
🆚 Pittsburgh
🕖 7:00 PM ET
📍 Chapel Hill, NC
📺 ACC Network pic.twitter.com/hbgCtO0NID— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 1, 2023
Lebo is a junior guard who rarely plays. He also wears jersey No. 25, which was Jason’s number when he played at North Carolina.
The Capel brothers felt North Carolina’s choice to use a graphic featuring Lebo and the number 25 was a slight towards Jason ahead of the game.
Pitt won a narrow contest on two free throws by Jamarius Burton with three seconds left. Apparently Jason traded some words with Tar Heels fans after the game. The former North Carolina player also got heated outside the Pitt locker room after the game.
“Y’all gonna disrespect me? All I did for this program? Y’all gonna boo me? I held this s— together when Matt Doherty tore it apart. F— that s—,” Jason Capel said, according to reporter Mitchell Northam (censored by LBS for profanity).
Jeff Capel addressed the situation in his postgame press conference. He said they both felt the Tar Heels’ social media team was trolling Jason with the post. He also said that Jason’s relationship with North Carolina became “complicated” after Jason wore Oklahoma gear to support Jeff’s team when the Sooners faced the Tar Heels in the Elite Eight of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
Jeff Capel on Jason Capel, UNC:@PghSportsNow pic.twitter.com/VGX1ZpoBjp
— Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch) February 2, 2023
Pitt is now 16-7 following the win. They’re enjoying their best season under Capel.
