Analysis: Pitt must set sights on strong finish, even if it includes a berth in the NIT
Pitt is in the grip of a slump, if that’s the correct term for losing two of three games at a point in the season that matters most. The Panthers’ NCAA Tournament hopes, already slim before the 69-62 loss at Clemson on Tuesday night, have all but disappeared. Blame Pitt’s...
Pitt’s NCAA Tournament hopes take big hit in loss to Clemson
There’s no doubting the reality that confronts the Pitt basketball team, game after game. Without Blake Hinson’s points, Pitt is a different team and victory is nearly impossible against the best opponents. That was proven in Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday night when Clemson’s Jack Clark followed Hinson anywhere he went...
Old friends, Pitt’s Jeff Capel and Clemson’s Brad Brownell prepare for crucial ACC clash
There was a time more than two decades ago when Jeff Capel and Brad Brownell matched their teams and their wits against each other with a different prize at stake than what will go to the winner Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. Capel was the coach at...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel, ACC coaches look for court-storming controls before fans get even more physical
Just as terrifying for Duke coach Jon Scheyer as seeing his All-ACC center Kyle Filipowski hobble off the floor because of an injury inflicted by a fan from the opposing team was another scene Saturday that hasn’t received the same amount of attention. Truth be told, it could have had...
Pitt hopes Zack Austin can continue disruptive play in season’s final weeks
With the decisive 79-64 victory against Virginia Tech, Pitt knocked down the first of five or six (perhaps seven) obstacles standing between the team and a second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. There is a lot of work to do, and the odds are against the Panthers. But the heaviest lifting...
Oakland Zoo president can’t envision fans ever storming the floor at the Pete
The scene Saturday at Wake Forest’s LJV Memorial Coliseum — when students rushed the court without regard to their own or others’ safety after the Demon Deacons defeated No. 8 Duke — brought up a question among Pitt fans: Why doesn’t such an uncontrollable, dangerous event happen at Petersen Events...
Pitt breaks away from Virginia Tech for 79-64 victory
For 48 hours this week, Jeff Capel kept a secret. He knew something about his team that maybe some others didn’t think was possible after Pitt’s sorry performance Tuesday in a loss at Wake Forest. When his players reported to practice Thursday, the past was nothing more than a bad...
Pitt Take 5: Will it be NCAA or NIT for Pitt?
Two recent ACC final scores remind us why college basketball is such a fun and unpredictable game. Check that. Perhaps not so much fun for the teams on the losing ends of those scores. Let’s start with Virginia Tech’s 75-41 victory against Virginia on Monday. The 34-point margin of defeat...
New Pitt assistant Jeremy Darveau talks ball, offensive line with Hall of Famer Jimbo Covert
During one of his first days on the job as an assistant coach on Pat Narduzzi’s staff, Jeremy Darveau found himself in a 15-minute conversation with a member of Pitt’s Board of Trustees. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Pitt’s new offensive line coach said...
Analysis: Pitt must buckle up for 5 must-win games
Let’s suspend reality for a moment and pretend that Pitt’s 33-point loss at Wake Forest on Tuesday night was, actually, the ACC opener. It’s early December. Pitt fans can use the excuse that the Panthers and their stable of new faces — two freshmen, two transfers — just aren’t used...
Pitt’s winning streak ends in ‘nauseating’ loss to Wake Forest
The opportunity was within Pitt’s grasp Tuesday night to make an authoritative statement in the ACC and seize a more secure spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Instead, Pitt turned in its worst performance of the season, allowing Wake Forest to dictate terms, score almost at will and deliver a...
Pitt’s Blake Hinson amazes even his father, the basketball coach who’s seen his act before
When the basketball settled in the cords — after a long flight from the hands that propelled it — Denny Hinson was so amazed by what his son, Blake, had done, he didn’t know what to do. So Denny hugged his wife, Shandris, who covered her mouth to keep from...
Pitt notebook: Blake Hinson’s scoring binges partially tied to short memory
Pitt coach Jeff Capel and Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes understand the degree of difficulty involved in winning Tuesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C. Forbes has spent the better part of the past two days trying to figure out how to slow down Pitt’s Blake Hinson, who is third in the ACC...
Pitt/Wake Forest matchup stands as rich opportunity for winning team
Aware of the reality or not, Pitt and Wake Forest are creeping into national relevance. Which means the prize will be potentially rich for the winner and consequences dire for the loser when those teams meet Tuesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C. You don’t score 41 points — even against a...
Pitt names former Western Carolina assistant JJ Laster wide receivers coach
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi filled the most recent vacancy on his coaching staff Monday when he named JJ Laster as the Panthers’ new wide receivers coach. Laster replaces Tiquan Underwood, who left last week after two seasons at Pitt for a position with the New England Patriots. Underwood is the...
Pitt’s Blake Hinson reacts to historic performance with humor, humilityVideo
In less than two full years at Pitt, senior Blake Hinson has become well-acquainted with the university’s record books, particularly when it comes to 3-point shooting. His 17 3-point attempts against Syracuse in February 2023 are the most in a game by a Panthers player. Earlier this season against West...
Blake Hinson’s historic night propels Pitt over Louisville
Dominant performances from Blake Hinson have not been rare since he joined Pitt as a transfer from Iowa State ahead of last season. In less than two full seasons, the 6-foot-8 senior firmly has established a reputation for big-time offensive contributions, solid rebounding and being a player who doesn’t often...
Pitt aims to continue push toward NCAA Tournament berth vs. last-place Louisville
Don’t let the wintry forecast fool you, Pitt basketball buffs. Sunny days are here again. Winners of six games in their past seven outings, including victories over No. 9 Duke and No. 21 Virginia, the Panthers (16-8, 7-6 ACC) are back Saturday in search of more good times in a...
Pitt’s freshman backcourt duo of Lowe, Carrington growing up quickly
They have begun writing their own special story, an intriguing script any coach would peruse with utter delight. Pitt’s ascending freshman backcourt tandem is growing up fast. With the Panthers’ improving season getting even better with Tuesday night’s 74-63 victory at No. 21 Virginia that ended the Cavaliers’ Division I-leading...
Pitt early enrollees adjust to new coaches, share impressions of Kade Bell’s offense
What do Pitt freshmen Julian Dugger, Cameron Monteiro, Juelz Goff and Moritz Schmoranzer have in common? Certainly not position or place of origin. But for starters, all of them are early enrollees currently in their first semester at Pitt. So to varying degrees — for example, Dugger is a Penn...
Pitt names Tim Daoust, formerly of East Carolina, as new defensive line coach
Pitt added a new member to its football coaching staff Wednesday, with coach Pat Narduzzi tapping Tim Daoust to oversee the defensive line. Daoust joins the Panthers from East Carolina, where he coached the defensive line and outside linebackers in addition to coordinating special teams from 2021-23. He replaces longtime...
Improving special teams, getting more from tight ends on to-do list for new Pitt assistant coach Jacob Bronowski
Inefficient special teams would rank well down the list of reasons Pitt suffered its worst season since 1998 last year. However, special teams weren’t exactly a strength, which partially led to coach Pat Narduzzi shuffling the deck in January and hiring Jacob Bronowski from Miami (Ohio) to coordinate those units....
After upsetting another top ACC foe, Pitt shoots back into NCAA Tournament conversation
Jeff Capel expressed complete confidence in his team’s ability to shoot the basketball after Tuesday’s 74-63 upset win at No. 21 Virginia. In the process, Pitt has shot back into the NCAA Tournament discussion. Winners of four straight conference games, the Panthers (16-8, 7-6 ACC) have climbed into a tie...
First Call: Familiar landing spot for Mitch Trubisky? Ex-Steelers coach takes ACC job; more Penguins trade speculation
Wednesday’s “First Call” has a potential destination for ex-Steeler Mitch Trubisky. There is more talk of Mason Rudolph jumping ship. A former Steelers player is staying in Kansas City. A former Steelers coach is heading to the ACC. And add a current Penguin to the trade speculation engulfing Jake Guentzel....
Pitt snaps No. 21 Virginia’s home winning streak of 23
Remember that victory last month at Cameron? Add John Paul to the list. The Pitt basketball team is on a roll. In a hot streak that began Jan. 20 with a four-point victory against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Panthers continued their sizzling surge Tuesday night by knocking off...
