Aging back aside, Ex-tar Heel's new career is young indeed

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

AT 28, JASON CAPEL looks young with a microphone in his hand as he opines about the ACC tournament for the Raycom sports network.

But Capel is transitioning from playing basketball to talking about it on TV because his back feels very old.

"My back's probably 50," he said Friday.

As a 50-something with a fairly healthy back, I begged to differ. To a 28-year-old, 50 must sound positively ancient, but not even most AARP recruits are coping with the painful, lingering effects of a herniated disc.

"You're probably right - it's worse than that," Capel said. "My left foot, on the outside, is still numb because of the nerve damage to my back. For everyday life, I'm fine, but I can't play anymore."

Not even pickup games?

"No," he said. "All I do sometimes is shoot around a little."

Capel is remembered in Hampton Roads for his career at North Carolina, where he scored 1,447 points from 1998 to 2002, and for being the son of former Old Dominion coach Jeff Capel. He's also the brother of Jeff Capel III, who played at Duke and is head coach at Oklahoma.

Jason Capel passed through Hampton Roads only briefly, playing at Indian River High in Chesapeake his freshman and sophomore years before growing into a 6-foot-8 McDonald's All-American at a prep school in Frederick, Md. Before that, he lived in Fayetteville and Winston-Salem in North Carolina.

"I've had a lot of adopted homes, being the son of a coach," he said.

Charlotte is the latest. Hoping to put down roots while his father is an assistant with the NBA's Bobcats, Capel bought a home here. He was playing in the top Italian league, making good money - "tax-free."

"You bring it all home with you," he says - and that's when the herniated disc betrayed him again.

About a year ago, he returned to the States, but after months of rehabilitation, a series of doctors told him it was time to let the air out of the ball.

"I always knew I was playing on borrowed time," Capel said. "I've been going to a chiropractor since I was 13. At 13, doctors told me I wouldn't have a basketball career. I actually played a lot longer than I thought I would."

All along, he said, he prepared for the day when the doctors' dire warnings would prove true. He majored in communications at Chapel Hill, anticipating TV employment.

This season, as a rookie with rough edges, he made an impression. After only eight games as a courtside analyst, Raycom tabbed him to co-host its pregame, halftime and postgame spots this week.

"I'm thankful to them for giving me a shot," he said. "I came to Raycom without an audition tape. But I think people who know me know that I have strong opinions about basketball. I've always been pretty candid, and I think that's needed in this profession."

While North Carolina is mostly famous for producing NBA players, the Tar Heels program has become a prep school of sorts for sports commentators. Former Carolina guard Hubert Davis is a regular on ESPN's college hoops panel, while big man Brad Daugherty made a smooth conversion from basketball analyst to NASCAR pundit.

Capel has consulted with his fellow Tar Heels, as well as with former Duke player and ESPN veteran Jay Bilas.

"I'm trying to soak up as much knowledge from guys who have done it," he said.

One of those guys who have done it, Dick Vitale, was hanging out backstage Friday at Bobcats Arena. Today, he'll do double duty for ESPN's semifinal coverage, providing a full afternoon of courtside palaver.

"It'll be a real test," he said, alluding to his recently repaired vocal chords, not the challenge facing ESPN viewers.

Asked what he thought of Bob Knight's ESPN debut, Vitale couldn't help but drift into character.

"Between us," he said, "we've got approximately 1,000 wins. He's got 902 and I've got 78."

Capel can claim that his back feels 50. But some of Dickie V's lines are older than that.

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com