Pitt’s Jeff Capel believes talented high school players have the right to go straight to the NBA
When he was an assistant at Duke during the 2017-18 academic year, Jeff Capel helped recruit freshmen Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish. All three will be first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft after spending one season in college and helping the Blue Devils to – at minimum...
Pitt’s Trey McGowens tries to ease the pressure he puts on himself
Pitt freshman guard Trey McGowens likes to attack the rim, even when bigger, stronger men are guarding it. He did that the first time he scrimmaged with the Panthers before the season, dunking over forward Samson George, who is 4 inches taller and 25 pounds heavier than the 6-foot-3, 185-pound...
Pitt lands a transfer tight end for the 2019 season
Pat Narduzzi received news Tuesday morning that he hopes will solidify a position of weakness on his 2019 Pitt football roster. After he graduates from Rutgers this spring, tight end Nakia Griffin-Stewart said he intends to transfer to Pitt and spend his final season of eligibility with the Panthers. Griffin-Stewart...
Close isn’t enough to satisfy Pitt’s Jeff Capel
Jeff Capel wants to feel good about how his team has played the past six games, but it’s not easy. Throughout the month of February, Pitt has been within a reasonable deficit of the lead – or, actually, ahead — in the latter stages of the second half and overtime....
Pitt’s Xavier Johnson honest about his talent, futureVideo
No words describe Xavier Johnson better than these three: talented, confident, honest. Pitt’s point guard, who recruited as a facilitator but has turned into the most prolific freshman scorer in school history, doesn’t back down from attacking the basket even when a taller, stronger opponent is guarding it. “I’m a...
Pitt assistant Tim O’Toole can put losing streak in a proper perspective
Trying desperately to push forward in the midst of a difficult season, Tim O’Toole isn’t afraid to reveal his feelings about Pitt’s 10-game losing streak. “Part of this profession,” Pitt’s associate head coach said, “is you absolutely abhor, detest, hate, with every cell in your body, and I mean every...
Pitt’s losing streak can be tied to the recent past
Pitt’s 10-game losing streak can be tied to many factors. Sometimes, new ones pop up unexpectedly, such as the unbelievably poor foul shooting Wednesday night in the 73-65 loss at Georgia Tech. But maybe it has a much deeper origin, one that goes back to the past Pitt administration when...
Pitt’s losing skid hits 10 with loss at Georgia Tech
ATLANTA — Georgia Tech went a month without winning a game. Even so, coach Josh Pastner had started seeing improvement in his young team over the last couple of weeks. “I think we’ve gotten better, and we have gotten better,” he said. “It just hasn’t shown up in the win...
In busy night, Pitt’s Xavier Johnson nears milestone, Duke, UNC meet in top-10 clash
College basketball fans in Pittsburgh have a decision to make Wednesday night. But if they can’t make up their minds, they need to check the batteries in the TV remote. While Pitt visits Georgia Tech and tries to end its nine-game losing streak, Duke and North Carolina renew one of...
Pitt schedules Western Michigan for 2021, 2022 football seasons
Pitt has scheduled home-and-away games with Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The teams never have met. The first game will be played Sept. 18, 2021, at Heinz Field, the week after Pitt visits Neyland Stadium to play Tennessee for the first time since...
College wrestling’s ‘passionate’ fan base prepares to descend upon PPG Paints Arena
Jennifer Tuscano has attended enough basketball tournaments to know how fans of that sport act. When a game ends and another is scheduled back-to-back, the gym empties. Fans from two schools head straight to the parking lot and two other groups take their place in the bleachers. Wrestling isn’t like...
Pitt, upcoming opponent Georgia Tech going through similar shooting woes
When Jeff Capel was a sophomore at Duke 24 years ago, he hit 3-pointers at an impressive rate of 46 percent. In today’s game, that would put him among the top-10 long-range shooters in the NCAA. Clearly, Pitt’s coach knows something about putting a basketball through the net. More than...
Small consolation, but Pitt getting closer to victory
Jeff Capel probably didn’t appreciate the question when someone asked about the mood in his locker room after Pitt had lost its ninth consecutive game. “I mean, we’re trying to stay positive,” Pitt’s coach said, without embellishment. Positivity is a good sign. Plus, Capel doesn’t want the media reminding him...
Plenty of action on and off the court Saturday at the Pete
The game will matter Saturday when Pitt tries to stop its eight-game losing streak while tangling with Virginia Tech at Petersen Events Center. But what’s going on at the edge of the court, especially what’s running through the heads of three coveted visiting recruits, might matter just as much. Pitt...
Pitt defeats North Carolina for first ACC victory
Pitt women’s basketball coach Lance White said a combination of character and confidence came together among his players Thursday night, leading his team to its first ACC victory of the season. Senior forward Danielle Garven scored a career-high 27 points, and Pitt (10-16, 1-11) rolled to a 91-78 victory against...
Pitt basketball lands a big man for its class of 2019
Jeff Capel continued his winning streak off the court Friday when he received his second verbal commitment this week from a member of the class of 2019. This time, it’s a center, 6-foot-8 Karim Coulibaly of Scotland (Pa.) Performance Institute. Scotland is the No. 3-ranked prep school in the nation....
Pitt still trusts process as losing streak hits 9 after setback to Virginia TechVideo
Jeff Capel respects Buzz Williams and admires what he has done as coach of Virginia Tech. Capel tries to be patient while working toward the day when his Pitt team — like the Hokies — can win 20 games four seasons in a row. But he doesn’t need Williams, who...
Pitt baseball writing new chapter with new coach
There were plenty of good feelings and raised hopes last season when Pitt’s baseball team reached the semifinals of the ACC Tournament for the first time. But the program started down a different path when coach Joe Jordano was relieved of his duties at the end of the season after...
Seven Pitt wrestlers ranked nationally by coaches panel
Led by redshirt freshman Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds, seven Pitt wrestlers are included in the second of four coaches’ panel rankings that will be part of the selection and seeding process for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena. Phillippi (15-2) is fourth...
ACC announces plans for 20-game conference basketball schedule
The ACC laid three-year groundwork Thursday for its new 20-game basketball season, starting in 2019-2020, running at least through 2021-22 and giving each team annual home-and-away series against six opponents. Pitt will continue to play what ACC officials term as its primary rivals, Louisville and Syracuse, twice for each of...
Reality stings as Pitt tries to climb from ACC basement
Pitt fell into a hole last season, losing all 19 ACC games, that now appears deeper than anyone imagined. Blinded by a 12-5 start this season that included victories against top-20 teams Louisville and Florida State, hope surrounded first-year coach Jeff Capel’s program as late as Jan. 14. Then reality...
Pitt falls to Boston College for 21st consecutive road loss
BOSTON — A leaking roof, blood on the floor from one of Boston College’s starters that sent him to the locker room and two more starters sitting out with an injury. Not your average way to get a victory. Ky Bowman scored 14 points, with eight rebounds and seven assists,...
Pitt relief pitcher Chase Smith named to `Stopper’ watch list
Before leaving with his team for Kissimmee, Fla., to open the 2019 season, Pitt sophomore relief pitcher Chase Smith got some good news Tuesday. He was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. He is one of five ACC pitchers on the...
Pitt basketball lands 3-star small forward from Indiana
Pitt received its first basketball commitment from the Class of 2019 on Monday when small forward Gerald Drumgoole announced on Twitter his plans to enroll. Drumgoole, 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, which ranks him 133rd on its list of the top 150 prospects in the...
Pitt hopes to climb from ACC basement at Boston College
Pitt and Boston College inhabit the bottom third of the ACC standings, but there still will be plenty at stake Tuesday night when the teams get together in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Pitt (12-12, 2-9) is tied for last place with Miami. Boston College (11-11, 2-8) is trying to elude the...
