Australian freshman Roman Siulepa aims to bring rugby-style physicality to Pitt basketball

Roman Siulepa’s summer commitment to Pitt came somewhat shrouded in mystery, as fans debated what to make of the 19-year-old Australian who’d caught the eye of coach Jeff Capel.

Turns out, Panthers fans were far from the only ones who had questions about the situation, with both Capel and Siulepa themselves not entirely sure what they were getting into with one another.

By the time Pitt hosts Providence on Sunday at Petersen Events Center for an exhibition, Siulepa will have been with the Panthers for about five weeks since arriving from his home country.

Despite the massive recent changes in his life, from meeting his new teammates and coaches to touching down in a city he’d never visited before, Siulepa’s acclimation is off to a smooth start.

“It’s been a bit of a spiral, but getting here, locking into what we’re doing here and building that culture, it’s been pretty cool,” Siulepa said Wednesday at Petersen Events Center.

Both Capel and Siulepa added some context to the recruitment process.

Former Panther Lamar Patterson, who’s enjoyed a hoops career abroad for nearly a decade, took note of the 6-foot-6 Siulepa while playing with him in Australia’s semi-pro NBL1.

Patterson relayed his impressions to Capel’s staff, which hunted down film on Siulepa, who enjoyed a multi-sport upbringing in basketball and rugby.

From there, Siulepa began communicating with Pitt’s staff and was offered before assistant Gilbert Brown was able to see him play live in Australia.

Siulepa, who originally planned to pursue a professional career, changed his mind and decided he wanted to play North American college basketball.

After taking extra college-eligible courses, prerequisite NCAA approval for his eligibility at Pitt was secured and Siulepa made preparations to join the Panthers.

“I trust my gut instinct through a lot of stuff, but coming here was one of those things and it’s worked out pretty good,” Siulepa said.

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— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) September 3, 2025

Siulepa enjoyed a standout athletic career in Australia preceding his recruitment by Pitt.

Beginning his NBL1 career at age 16, Siulepa averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game with the South West Metro Pirates this past season.

Internationally, he represented Australia at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, the 2024 U20 National Championships, the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Tournament and the 2022 FIBA U16 Asian Championships.

All the while, he had developed into a nationally regarded pro rugby prospect.

It’d be hard to deny Siulepa as having the most interesting background on Pitt’s 2025-26 roster, but the question remains: What kind of player is Capel getting in him?

“Tough, gritty and (I) like to play fast,” Siulepa answered. “Just sort of putting my body on the line for teammates kind of thing. I like to create but rebound as well. They want me to play tough and be able to guard 1-5, so when I’m switching, be able to guard the point guard, the shooting guard, rebound the ball and finish at the rim.

“I’ve been working on my shooting, so after I screen or pop, I’m looking to shoot more. That’ll really take my game to the next level, because once I’m able to hit the ball down from deep at a consistent level, it opens up driving lanes where I feel that’s my strength.”

Siulepa’s rugby background has become apparent to teammates who have now practiced with him for about a month.

With a 220-pound frame, Siulepa, who’s listed as a forward, has demonstrated a willingness to be physical on the hardwood.

“Roman is a brute,” sophomore guard Brandin Cummings said. “He was a top-something rugby player over there and you can tell. You watch him on the floor and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that guy played rugby, for sure.’ He’s running through you, moving people out of the way to get rebounds. He’s a dog.”

Capel is taking care not to box Siulepa into a specific position just yet, given his unique background and recent introduction to North American basketball.

But already, Siulepa is viewed as a versatile asset on both ends of the court.

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— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) September 23, 2025

“I try not to define positions for a lot of guys,” Capel said. “I want them to be basketball players, teach them how to be basketball players and do multiple things on the court. We think Roman can become a guy that’s capable of doing that. He’s a guy that can get a defensive rebound and start a break for us. He is very good in transition and so we want to utilize that.

“But he’s a guy who also can really run. Because of his size, he can post. He can run the floor in transition and early post. As he improves his shooting, being able to do things from the trail spot, on pick-and-pop, if there’s a smaller guy on him, being able to post him.”

Looking at Pitt’s basketball program, Siulepa is balancing that which he doesn’t know with what he continues to learn.

Siulepa noted with a smile that he wasn’t aware of how many teams are in the ACC. Despite that missing knowledge, he saw that league media predicted Pitt would finish 14th in its annual preseason poll.

But those low expectations tied into what Siulepa does know about the program he’s joined: that Pitt aims to rebound from a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

Now Siulepa will aim to be part of the solution.

“We do play with a chip on our shoulder,” Siulepa said. “If you watch us play, every play matters. We’re trying to really take that on the chin and be the underdogs. … Fourteen isn’t where I think we should be.”