Virginia coach Tony Bennett doesn’t mind showing off his Pittsburgh roots
Tony Bennett couldn’t help himself. He’s proud of his father, proud of his father’s Pittsburgh roots and he doesn’t mind letting people know it. The Virginia coach’s connection to Pittsburgh largely is limited to an 11-1 record against Pitt since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2014. But after answering...
Born into athletics, Jamarius Burton steps up when Pitt needs him the most
Jamarius Burton’s mom, Kimberly, and two aunts played college basketball. Sisters Kimera and Destani went to college on full athletic scholarships. Uncle Todd Peat had a six-year career in the NFL. Cousin Austin Peat played on Stanford’s offensive line and was drafted 13th overall by the New Orleans Saints in...
John Hugley, Jamarius Burton lead Pitt past Louisville
The range of John Hugley’s confidence is as broad as his shoulders. At a listed weight of 280 pounds (he could have dropped a few since the beginning of the season), that’s a lot of shoulders. And — the way he’s been playing — that’s a lot of confidence. Hugley...
Pitt adds former Notre Dame linebacker Shayne Simon to roster
The NCAA transfer portal swung in Pitt’s direction Saturday when former Notre Dame outside linebacker Shayne Simon committed to the Panthers and coach Pat Narduzzi. All Praise to the Most High ???????? #H2P pic.twitter.com/dRLIohlD53— Shayne Simon (@SimonShayne) January 15, 2022 Simon, 6-foot-3, 233 pounds, joins the program two days after...
Take 5: Pitt’s Jeff Capel juggles 2 important jobs, but the one at home counts most
Anyone with children knows it’s not easy to walk the line between work and family. Imagine walking it as Jeff Capel — husband, father of three and Pitt basketball coach. In the midst of a difficult season, Capel talked extensively about that tricky maneuver earlier this week on 93.7 FM....
ACC commissioner says CFP expansion should be put on hold
Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips says now is not the time for College Football Playoff expansion, citing an abundance of uncertainty throughout college sports and the NCAA. “To the ACC, we don’t have a College Football Playoff problem,” Phillips said Friday during a conference call with reporters. “We have...
Pitt rewards former walk-on guard Onyebuchi Ezeakudo with a scholarship
Onyebuchi Ezeakudo can omit the adjective walk-on from in front of his name. Ezeakudo, a 6-foot-1 senior point guard, was rewarded Thursday by Pitt coach Jeff Capel with a scholarship for the winter semester. A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Ezeakudo has been with the Panthers for four seasons as...
Pitt hires Frank Cignetti as offensive coordinator
Frank Cignetti Jr. is Pat Narduzzi’s choice as Pitt’s next offensive coordinator. Cignetti, 56, has been offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boston College the past two seasons. He will replace Mark Whipple, who left for Nebraska after the season. Cignetti will be Narduzzi’s fifth offensive coordinator in eight seasons....
Jeff Capel remains hopeful in midst of Pitt’s ‘rebuild of a rebuild’
If you’ve watched Jeff Capel this season, you might notice the passion he puts into his job. He vigorously defends his players against officials’ calls he perceives as wrong, unfair or both. He speaks animatedly during timeouts, trying to ensure instructions to his players stick. In times of trouble during...
Pitt shooting goes cold in 2nd half in loss at Syracuse
Pitt’s 77-61 loss inside Syracuse’s Carrier Dome on Tuesday night didn’t end hopes of the Panthers eventually climbing toward respectability. But the loss sent signals that can be used against Pitt the rest of this season that already includes 10 losses in the first 16 games. Against a lineup with...
Pitt remains No. 13 in final AP poll, highest standing since 1982
Pitt’s 31-21 loss to Michigan State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl didn’t significantly affect the Panthers’ standing in the final Associated Press and USA Today/AFCA Top 25 polls. Pitt (11-3) finished 13th in both, earning its highest standing in 39 years. The Panthers were ranked 13th by AP and 12th...
Georgia finishes No. 1 in AP poll for only 2nd time
INDIANAPOLIS — Georgia is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, earning their second national title by beating Alabama on Monday night. The Bulldogs received all 61 first-place votes to be a unanimous No. 1 for the ninth time this season. Georgia’s only other time finishing No. 1...
Senior transfers Jamarius Burton, Mouhamadou Gueye set examples for Pitt’s young roster
The NCAA transfer portal can be a scary place for coaches, but it also can be a useful tool. Pitt coach Jeff Capel has been a victim of the portal, but he also knows how to use it to his benefit. After five players entered last year, Capel realized Pitt’s...
Pitt basketball gets commitment from Ohio high school junior Marlon Barnes
Pitt coach Jeff Capel has no commitments in the recruiting class of 2022, but he started building his 2023 class Sunday when four-star small forward Marlon Barnes Jr. announced his plans to enroll. ZOO WHATS GOOD! ???????? #committed #H2P pic.twitter.com/42QeQWO1AO— marlonbarnesjr (@marlonbarnesjr) January 9, 2022 Barnes (6-foot-6, 180 pounds) has...
Short bench, close calls make interesting mix on Pitt’s road toward improvement
You need to scroll back to Nov. 27 — two days after Thanksgiving when the Christmas lights you put away last week weren’t even up yet — to find a Pitt game decided by a double-digit margin. That was an 87-77 loss to Maryland Baltimore County at the Petersen Events...
Pitt survives Boston College rally to secure first ACC victory
Late in the second half of Pitt’s 69-67 victory against Boston College, all 280 pounds of John Hugley crashed to the floor. Of course, he was fouled under the basket. That happened a lot Saturday. Often sending defenders two at a time toward Pitt’s sophomore center, Boston College (6-7, 1-2...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel expresses `1,000 percent’ support for Ithiel Horton after city police officer re-files criminal charges
Four criminal charges against Pitt junior guard Ithiel Horton, who was arrested Nov. 6 and charged with allegedly punching a city police officer on the South Side, were re-filed after the case was dismissed Dec. 30. Pitt coach Jeff Capel responded, saying Horton is not permitted to be around the...
Pitt signs volleyball coach Dan Fisher to contract extension through 2027
After leading Pitt to its first NCAA Final Four appearance in volleyball, coach Dan Fisher was rewarded with a contract extension that will run through the 2027 season. Athletic director Heather Lyke made the announcement Friday afternoon. It is Fisher’s second extension in two years. After the 2019 season, he...
Defensive end Deslin Alexandre puts NFL plans on hold, returns to Pitt for ’22 season
Deslin Alexandre, whose long journey as a Pitt defensive end began in 2017, is extending his stay by one more season. Alexandre, 23, announced on his Twitter account Friday that he will return for 2022. Taking the route favored last year by quarterback Kenny Pickett, Alexandre decided to develop his...
Pitt Take 5: Free throws can make difference but don’t tell the whole story
Pitt’s recent defeats have been, oddly, encouraging. But the goal is to win, and the Panthers have been deficient in that area for most of this season. (The record is 69-98 since Jamie Dixon left, but that’s not the point here.) There’s hope for the Panthers (5-9, 0-3 ACC) in...
Louis Riddick happy at ESPN, yet still has goal of running a team
Louis Riddick realizes he is in a favorable position. He is an analyst on the NFL’s most iconic television package — ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” — and still has hopes of running a franchise as a general manager. But with the offseason starting for many teams on Monday, will this...
Tim Benz: Pittsburgh-trained ice dance team competing at nationals with Olympic dreams
Let’s say you are a defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins. You’ve never played on the NHL stage before. Neither has your partner on the blue line. Your first game together is going to take place in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Let that sink in for a minute....
Wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis moves from Pitt to Akron
Former Pitt wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis needed less than a week to find a new school. Jacques-Louis, who entered the NCAA transfer portal Dec. 31, announced Thursday that he plans to enroll at Akron this year. Very grateful for the opportunity!!! Looking forward to the next chapter in my football...
First-place Louisville hands Pitt another close loss in ACC play
Pitt fought through a series of misfortunes Wednesday night before and during its 75-72 loss at Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center. • After nearly a week without practice while sitting in covid protocol, Jamarius Burton showed up the morning of the game and scored 21 points. • Center John...
Pitt, Louisville rosters sport new looks for Wednesday’s ACC encounter
When Pitt visits Louisville on Wednesday in its third ACC game, both teams will present a different look from their most recent meeting early in the 2020-21 season. Pitt’s starting lineup will include five new starters, unless Ithiel Horton somehow slips into the lineup. The game will be Pitt’s first...
