Unafraid of the fight, Diaz Graham twins part of reserve squad helping fuel Pitt’s run to 1st place
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Jorge Diaz Graham lifted a lock of hair off his forehead to reveal a prize from Pitt’s victory against Louisville.
A red welt the size of a quarter, earned while fighting for a rebound in a game Pitt won by 34 points Tuesday night.
Diaz Graham and his twin brother, Guillermo, were part of a 41-point, 15-rebound, 10-block, five-assist collective effort by four reserves, helping Pitt (17-7, 10-3) crush the Cardinals. The victory moved Pitt into a three-way tie for first place in the ACC.
Nike Sibande scored 15 points and Nate Santos seven, including a four-point play when he hit a 3-pointer, was fouled and knocked to the floor and raised his arms in triumph while flat on his back.
Perhaps Santos and Jorge compared battle scars after the game.
In one sequence with nine minutes left in the game, the 6-foot-11 Diaz Graham was determined to secure a rebound under the basket off a missed shot by Louisville’s 6-9 forward Emmanuel Okorafor.
“Honestly, I was under the rim and all I saw was No. 34 jumping over me every time,” Jorge said. “I was just trying to get the ball back. There was a moment he shot, and I saw the ball and I (said), ‘That’s my ball. I have to get it.’ So, I jumped. I got it and held it.
“They were grabbing at my face. You have to see the scars on my face. I was just holding the ball until the ref called something. I feel like it was constant fight, fight. It felt great. I didn’t care who was hitting me. I saw the ball, and I went and grabbed it.”
The twins, who were born in Spain but attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., credited assistant coach Tim O’Toole for their ability to play through contact. O’Toole carries a blocking pad at practice and is constantly hitting Pitt’s big men, trying to simulate what life is like under the baskets in the ACC.
“The work is paying off,” Guillermo said.
Fouled, Diaz Graham hit both shots. He was 6 for 6 for the game, helping Pitt to an 18-of-20 performance from the line. As a team, the Panthers are fourth in the ACC with a 76% success rate from the free-throw line (84.3% during the current four-game winning streak).
The twins, who combined for nine of Pitt’s school-record-tying 13 blocks, sat with coach Jeff Capel in a postgame interview session with reporters. Capel smiled — he’s been doing more of that recently — while the two freshmen talked about their love of assists over baskets.
Jorge Diaz Graham, expressing his happiness. pic.twitter.com/zrQQOpRdBp
— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) February 8, 2023
“We all enjoy when someone makes a basket more than when we do it ourselves,” Guillermo said.
Capel is pleased by the twins’ development and what it means for the team now and in the future.
“These two guys came in and really did a great job of blocking shots, of moving the basketball, moving without the basketball,” he said.
“Those two young guys are awesome. From the time they took their official visit here and every day we get to be around them, they have joy for playing basketball, for being good teammates, for working. They’re not afraid of it. They’re going to be really good players here.”
It’s logical to assume that the twins are getting playing time because 6-9 center John Hugley is out for the season. But Capel said that is only part of the story.
“I’m proud of them because they work, because they’ve earned it,” he said. “It’s not just that there was opportunity. They’ve earned this because of how they’ve worked every day.”
The twin big men — at 7-foot, Guillermo is 1 inch taller than his brother — are half of a group of young players, including Santos (6-7) and Federiko Federiko (6-11), who have labeled themselves “The Quadruplets.”
“Those guys, they love the gym. They’re here early. They’re here late. They’re always together,” Capel said.
“They are not afraid of the process. They enjoy it, and they do it with joy every time they are in this facility.”