New-look Pitt basketball hopes to keep preseason energy boiling all season

Energy, enthusiasm and even a little after-the-fact jocularity ran through Petersen Events Center on Friday when the Pitt basketball team assembled for practice.

It started with graduate senior Greg Elliott, a transfer from Marquette who likes to keep everyone loose with what teammate Nate Santos called “infectious energy … energy everybody can absorb.”

At one point, Elliott made a steal in a half-court drill and celebrated by throwing the basketball to other end of the floor. No one seemed to mind.

“Once I threw it, you should see the energy it gave the rest of my guys,” he said.

Later, someone asked him if he made any baskets during practice. His response: “Is water wet?”

The games that count are still 10 days away — the opener is Nov. 7 at the Pete against Tennessee Martin — but the team appears much looser than during some of those tense, late-season days of the recent past when Pitt kept falling toward the bottom of the ACC standings.

With 11 scholarship players on the roster — six of whom didn’t play for Pitt last season — the team has a new, stronger bond, according to Santos.

“We’re together a lot more, compared to last year,” said Santos, one of five holdovers from 2021-22. “We’re well connected. Guys are older and more experienced.”

Elliott is one reason for the increased camaraderie in the locker room after repeated years of strife, transfers and losing.

“There is no gym in America you’re going to go in that’s quiet,” Elliott said. “If you’re (quiet), I don’t think that’s a team that’s winning a lot of games. I’ve been part of teams that won a lot of games, and it’s never been a quiet gym. You can have fun, but when you step inside those lines, it’s all business. If you’re having fun doing something you love, you never work.”

Elsewhere during practice that was open to reporters and members of the Oakland Zoo, another source of energy erupted around associate head coach Tim O’Toole.

O’Toole is 35 years removed from his collegiate career at Fairfield (Conn.) University, where he helped lead his team to two NCAA Tournament appearances and an undefeated season in lacrosse. Yet, he still can pack a punch.

Early in the proceedings, O’Toole, 58, jumped into a drill, playing perimeter defense with enthusiasm. Later, he armed himself with a soft blocking pad and delivered forceful blows to the front and back of players whenever they ventured near the basket — with or without the ball.

“They’re not nice,” Santos said of the blows.

Elliott noticed the scene, even though he was involved in a drill at the other end of the floor.

“I’m on one end. The bigs are on the other end,” he said. “All you hear is a crazy whack. What’s going on? Honestly, I can say whatever he’s doing with them, it’s working.

“You could see them (previously) getting pushed around for the rebound. Now, they treat everybody like it’s T.O. with the pad. They hit first.”

Pitt practiced Friday without its best player and the biggest of the bigs, 6-foot-9, 265-pound John Hugley IV (knee injury). William Jeffress (foot) and Jamarius Burton (root canal) also didn’t practice, although they were at courtside with their teammates.

It’s unclear if Hugley and Jeffress will be available at the start of the season.

Even when Hugley is fully recovered, coach Jeff Capel hopes three newcomers Federiko Federiko (6-foot-11), Guillermo Diaz Graham (7-foot) and his twin brother Jorge Diaz Graham (6-11) can help fill the void.

Federiko, a sophomore who played high school basketball at First Love Christian Academy, applied good perimeter defense Friday, using a 7-foot, 3-inch wing span to swat away passes.

Guillermo Diaz Graham had an impressive sequence in which he threw a slick pass from the foul line to the base line that walk-on Aidan Fisch (Franklin Regional) turned into two points. Diaz Graham followed it up with a 3-pointer and a dunk.

“There is not one person who can make up for what John does,” Elliott said. “It’s going to take all three of the bigs. It’s going to take a village to do what we need.

“You don’t have to go out there and be John Hugley. There’s only one of them. You have to go out there and be the best (you) you can be.”

Note: Pitt will play its second and final exhibition game Wednesday against Edinboro at The Pete.