Pitt learning to withstand physicality while preparing for No. 11 Duke

Pitt and Duke players won’t wear helmets Tuesday night when their teams meet at Petersen Events Center.

But there’s a word and style of play that has been creeping into college basketball in recent seasons — physicality — and it’s something that needs to be addressed by players and coaches if they want to be successful.

Pitt coach Jeff Capel has no problem with the game testing players’ strength and ability to withstand contact. He grew up a point guard, so he knows opposing defenders will try any legal means necessary to knock the basketball loose.

It’s how the man with the ball handles defenders bumping into him and slapping at his wrists that often decides outcomes.

“We watch these officiating videos at the beginning of each year,” Capel said Monday in between preparations for Pitt’s fifth ACC game of the season. “It’s something they say they want to take out of the game. Especially the freedom of movement. Then, you get in these games, and it seems like it’s hand-to-hand combat.”

And that’s OK, Capel said.

“It depends on each game, how the game is being officiated. Those (officials) do a great job. We just have to be more physical. We have to be able to play through physicality. We have to be able to be stronger.

“We can’t get the basketball knocked away from us. We have to be able to complete our cuts. We have to be able to get open. We have to be able to finish through contact.”

One adaptation that some coaches are teaching, he said, is having players get more vertical — in other words jumping over defenders, instead of banging into them. It’s less painful and, perhaps, increases shot accuracy for the more athletic teams.

“I do think coaches are doing a better job now of teaching verticality on drives,” Capel said. “The coaches and the players have done a great job of being able to execute that.

“We have to do a better job. That’s on us. That’s on us as a coaching staff. That’s on us as players. We have to do a better job of being able to execute properly against physicality. We have to be tougher, collectively as a group, mentally and physically. You have to be mentally locked in and dialed in all the time. The mental toughness will lead to the physical toughness.”

Another way to combat physicality is to make foul shots. Players may not be as aggressive on defense if they know their opponent might do what Pitt did against Louisville: make its first 19 shots from the free-throw line.

Duke, ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, will present another difficult challenge for Pitt (10-5, 1-3 ACC) after it already has lost to ranked teams North Carolina (No. 7) and Clemson (No. 21).

The Blue Devils (11-3, 2-1) will throw muscle and talent at the Panthers in the persons of center Kyle Filipowski (7-foot, 248 pounds) and forward Mark Mitchell (6-9, 232). Filipowski averages 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, and Mitchell checks in at 12.8 and 5.8.

Duke also has impressive length with Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster (both 6-5), Jared McCain (6-3) and 6-2 senior Jeremy Roach, who averages 14.8 points.

After losing back-to-back games early in the season against Arkansas and Georgia Tech (the latter a big surprise), Duke ran off six consecutive victories, including a game at Notre Dame on Saturday that coach Jon Scheyer said tested his players’ will.

“(The Irish) played with a physicality and a competitiveness that put our guys in a position to take some shots we didn’t necessarily want to take,” he said.

The Irish were ahead by nine with seven minutes remaining in the first half, lost the lead but fought back and trailed by only two with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game. Duke withstood the challenge and won 67-59.

“We’ve gotten tougher,” Scheyer said. “I look back to early in the season or last season for this core group, (and) I’m not sure we win a game like we won at Notre Dame.”

“Or, playing (No. 14) Baylor (last month), you get down six in the second half (before winning 78-70). That’s where I see a ton of growth from our group where it’s not going to be perfect by any means. But the toughness, the ability to figure it out and find a way to win, it’s been something we’ve been developing. I see more togetherness.”

Capel was impressed that Duke was able to defeat Notre Dame in a hostile environment when Filipowski scored only seven points. Mitchell recorded 23 and Roach 18, and neither player missed a foul shot in 14 attempts.

“(Notre Dame) had a great game plan, great crowd. Their guys played great,” Capel said. “When you’re Duke, you’re going to get everyone’s best shot.”

Duke countered with superior talent and athleticism.

“They have a lot of weapons,” Capel said. “Great size and length at every position, so they can be really disruptive at every position defensively. Everything concerns me about them.”

NOTE: Bub Carrington was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time after averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game against North Carolina and Louisville. He’s the first Pitt freshman to be so honored at least four times in a season since Chris Taft (2003-04).