Pitt F Will Jeffress Shines Doing Dirty Work
PITTSBURGH -- His reloaded backcourt had just combined for 48 points while turning the ball over just once as a collective, four players scored in double figures and the Pitt Panthers had just knocked off Florida Gulf Coast, their best competition to date, in convincing fashion.
But the moments from the win that Pitt head coach Jeff Capel was most eager to highlight and the moments that made his eyes light up the most were provided by a player who had scored just two points - Will Jeffress.
"I thought Will’s defense throughout the game was one of the big reasons why we were able to win," Capel said. "[Zach] Anderson was coming in averaging 14.5 points. He was leading them in scoring, and I thought Will did a great job on him. At times, especially, in the last three minutes, Will guarded everybody, came up with some big steals, big rebounds, just was outstanding."
Jeffress was, in the words of opposing head coach, Pat Chambers, "an all-star in his role" against Florida Gulf Coast and there are few other things that could make Capel prouder. With his team desperate for a defensive spark, Jeffress delivered. The 15 second-half minutes, two blocks, one steal and three rebounds Jeffress recorded will be forever etched in the box score, but his actual impact on the game won't.
Jeffress was relentless defensively and Capel was ready to replay his highlights verbally as if the game film lived in his head. Capel pointed out one moment in particular from the second half, during which Jeffress switched between guards and big men, guarding four players in just one possession.
It was hard, exhaustive work that didn't land him any glory on highlight reels or game recaps and Capel knew it wouldn't. That's why he made it a concerted effort in the next day's film study to point out Jeffress' efforts to the rest of the team, who shared an appreciation for the often-overlooked things that contribute directly to victories.
"Will is one of those guys that's always uplifting us, always has something positive to say," freshman guard Jaland Lowe said. "When Will has something to say, we all listen because he's the definition of buying in. ... Seeing Will go out in practice and fight as hard as he can and then go out in the game and do what he's been waiting for is just amazing and it gives us all energy."
When he committed to Pitt, way back in the spring of 2020, Jeffress was the highest-rated recruit Capel had convinced to give a verbal pledge to the Panthers and the fifth highest-rated player to ever commit to Pitt, according to 247Sports', which has tracked recruiting since 2003. He reclassified, enrolling in college at just 17 years old, making him the youngest player to appear in a game for an ACC team since 1982, and the immediate results were underwhelming.
Jeffress averaged three points, three rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting 27.3% from the field over his first two collegiate seasons. Then during the 2022 preseason, right as Capel said Jeffress was making major strides as a player, Jeffress was struck by a foot injury that kept him sidelined for all of the ensuing season. Pitt ran through a historic campaign that featured stints atop the ACC, in the AP top-25 and in the NCAA Tournament with Jeffress on the sidelines.
"I think last year, as much as it hurt him on a personal level, I thought it was good for him to have a chance to sit and to watch," Capel said. "I would have preferred to have him out there, but I do think there was a silver lining with it."
That silver lining was the formation of a more mature - both physically and mentally - player who was ready to do whatever it took to get on the court, stay on the court and win. The time off stirred a much stronger appreciation for the game inside of Jeffress that has manifested itself in a more selfless player, one that is secure in his identity as a basketball player.
Jeffress' role is relatively straightforward - come off the bench to rebound and defend at extremely high levels, then hit an open shot or two when the opportunity comes his way. Important work, but something that could easily be described as unglamorous. Capel doesn't see it that way.
"Like, who is it glamorous to? You know what I mean?" Capel said. "That’s one of the things that a young player has to understand. All players. Not just young. All players have to understand, like, how do you get on the court? Like, what’s your role? What are you good at?"
Not only does defense and rebounding win games, but players who can do those things well typically end up with fruitful careers in professional basketball. Capel has tried to convey that message to players and their families but sometimes it's a hard thing for someone who'd been a superstar all their lives to hear.
To get the point across, he used the example of P.J. Tucker, a 13-year NBA veteran, known primarily for his versatile defensive abilities and 3-point marksmanship.
No one grows up dreaming they could be P.J. Tucker. Kids don't shout "Tucker!" when they throw trash into a waste basket from a distance. And Tucker's jerseys from the seven NBA teams he's played for aren't flying off the shelves. But Tucker's earned more than $78 million playing basketball, with $11.5 million more on the way in the final installment of his current two-year contract.
Who wouldn't want to make $90 million playing basketball? You'd be surprised.
Capel said the Panthers had an NBA scout at practice who advised one of the players to study Tucker's game because it could lead to a long and productive career in professional basketball. Even coming from a professional, that message takes time to sink in.
"We had a scout at a practice a couple weeks ago and he’s talking about one of our guys," Capel said. "And he says to me, ‘He should really study P.J. Tucker.’ He was like, ‘P.J. Tucker is a guy that all 30 teams want.’ ... You want a guy like that because he’s so tough, defensively he knows who he is, he can guard multiple positions and he can make an open three. Like, come on, man, what are we talking about? It’s hard for guys to figure that out and to accept that."
NBA teams need players like Tucker and Pitt needs Jeffress, exactly the way he is.
For players who had Jeffress' pedigree coming out of high school, there will always be pulls from friends, family and other supporters to center their basketball identity on offense.
Not Jeffress. He knows the shots will come but he can make the biggest impact on this team's success if he's an all-league defender. He's shown that he's not just capable of doing that but willing to do it all because he wants to win.
"I think my mindset at all times is, I just want to win ball games," Jeffress said. "When I come in a game, no matter where I’m put, who I’m guarding, no matter where I’m at offensively, I just want to win, and whatever I can do to help our team do that, that’s what I’m here to do."
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