Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 98
New season, almost a new team: Pitt’s Jeff Capel attempts to recover from ‘interesting week’
You don’t often see a basketball season get started in late February, but it appears that way at Pitt after what Jeff Capel called “an interesting week, to say the least.” With Xavier Johnson and Au’Diese Toney leaving on consecutive days to enter the NCAA transfer portal, Pitt’s program was...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel asks respect for departing players, says it’s time ‘to get guys who really want to be here’
Jeff Capel said losing Au’Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson hurts Pitt in terms of depth and experience for what’s left of this season. Yet he is optimistic his players and coaches can recover in the long term and continue to build the program. “The long term, I don’t see any...
It’s official: Pitt hires Brennan Marion as wide receivers coach
Pat Narduzzi went outside the continental U.S. to hire Pitt’s next wide receivers coach, but he still found someone with strong Western Pennsylvania roots in Hawaii. Greensburg Salem graduate Brennan Marion, whose hiring was reported by many outlets last week, officially joined the Pitt staff Thursday. He replaces Chris Beatty,...
Pitt’s Au’Diese Toney leaves under ‘mutual agreement,’ 2nd starter to depart in 2 days
The destruction of Jeff Capel’s first Pitt recruiting class is complete, and it took barely one day to complete the job. Au’Diese Toney, who was Pitt’s best defender and second-leading scorer and rebounder, has left the men’s basketball program under what Capel described as a “mutual agreement.” There are now...
Michael Hughes ejected in Duquesne’s loss to La Salle
When a coach who has led teams through 731 games in 23 seasons bares his soul after a loss, his words probably matter. Especially when he says, “It’s probably as poorly as I’ve had a team play.” Painful honesty from Duquesne’s coach after the Dukes’ 85-65 loss Wednesday night at...
While others tried to flip him, West Mifflin’s Nahki Johnson remained committed to Pitt
When Nahki Johnson committed to Pitt in the early days of the summer of 2019, he was barely removed from his sophomore year at West Mifflin. Two more seasons of high school football lay ahead. There were still 18 months before he could sign a binding letter of intent with...
Xavier Johnson leaves Pitt, enters transfer portal
An idle week turned into a tumultuous week for Pitt basketball Wednesday when point guard Xavier Johnson left the program. With three games remaining in the regular season, Johnson came to a mutual agreement with coach Jeff Capel to leave and enter his name in the NCAA transfer portal. “The...
Freshman Mike Bekelja gives Duquesne the defense it needs
When Keith Dambrot looked back at Duquesne’s loss to Richmond, he knew the truth. Richmond is the third-highest scoring team in the Atlantic 10 (76.1 points per game). So, it wasn’t outrageously out of line that the Spiders scored 79 in a seven-point home victory last Saturday. It was the...
Financial concerns drive A-10 tourney changes, but Dukes’ Keith Dambrot understands
Most Atlantic 10 teams will play far fewer conference games this season than the original schedule called for at the outset of the season. A-10 officials decided last week to start the conference tournament a week earlier (March 3) to provide some cushion before the NCAA Tournament if there are...
Winning record in sight for Duquesne, but Keith Dambrot wants more
Duquesne has been a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for 44 years. So long ago that Keith Dambrot was barely out of high school, and he needed only 62 cents to put a gallon of gas in his car. Duquesne has had only seven winning conference seasons in all...
Pat Narduzzi family makes 6-figure gift to support Pitt football
Pat Narduzzi is putting his money to work where he works. The third-longest tenured Pitt coach in more than 50 years, Narduzzi and his wife, Donna, have made a significant donation to his football program — a six-figure financial gift to the University of Pittsburgh’s Football Championship Fund. The fund...
With a week off, Jeff Capel keeps Pitt ready for anything
When he walks into the gym for practice, Jeff Capel likes to focus on his players and the gameplan for Pitt’s next opponent. But he might do well this week to stuff a phone in his pocket while running the team through drills. Who knows? Someone from the ACC might...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington hopes to follow model set by recent playoff contenders
The process of building the Pittsburgh Pirates into a postseason contender appears to be a painstakingly long and difficult process, but general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday it doesn’t need to be a complicated one. Speaking to reporters on a video conference call, Cherington said there’s a common thread to...
Senior Nike Sibande still could offer Pitt hope for the future
With so many issues facing Pitt as it works toward ending its 1-7 slide, the 2021-22 season is at the bottom of the list. But senior guard Nike Sibande was asked by a reporter Saturday night about next season. It was a pertinent question because Sibande had just played his...
Au’Diese Toney out with injury as Pitt falls to No. 16 Florida State
There is no column in the ACC standings marked M for moral victories. Jeff Capel made that clear after Pitt’s 79-72 loss to Florida State on Saturday at Petersen Events Center. “We want to win the basketball game,” he said, “and I thought we had a chance. We did some...
Pitt’s Justin Champagnie takes brief look into 2021-22, possible matchup with twin brother, Julian
Justin Champagnie’s thoughts mainly are focused on Pitt’s game Saturday against Florida State and how to reverse the Panthers’ current 1-6 slide. But during his video conference call with reporters Friday, he said he’s eager to be a part of Pitt’s reported game against St. John’s next season when he...
Despite covid-related pause, Duquesne’s Keith Dambrot contends, ‘We don’t stink’
Anyone who knows Keith Dambrot might be surprised by how he is approaching the final days before the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Practices are shorter, about an hour this week as he prepared Duquesne for its first game in 18 days Saturday at Richmond. He might even overlook a misstep or...
No. 16 Florida State offers no relief for slumping Pitt
Although Pitt players, coaches and fans have plenty of reasons to feel frustrated, angry and let down, the season isn’t over. Although no one can be sure how many games will be played, there will be enough time for Jeff Capel to steer his team to a respectable finish, starting...
Jeff Capel wonders why defense disappeared as Pitt loses for 6th time in 7 games
After playing, coaching and closely observing college basketball at the highest level for nearly three decades, Jeff Capel believes he knows what it takes to win. When he conducts practice, watches video with his players and gathers them around him during a timeout, he preaches his tenets of solid play....
Freshman Andersen says relationship with God landed him with Pitt football team
A man named Myles stood on the side of the road in Yosemite National Park. A car approached, and he waved for it to stop. Trey Andersen and his companions decided to pull the car to the side of the road. “(Myles) said, ‘I need help,’ ” Andersen recalled. “...
Pitt finally gets a shot at No. 16 Florida State; Clemson game postponed
After two previous postponements, Pitt’s game with Florida State has been rescheduled perhaps for the final time. The Panthers will play the No. 16 Seminoles at 4 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center, according to a revised schedule announced Wednesday by the ACC. The game had been scheduled for Jan....
Duquesne will open 2022 football season at Florida State
Duquesne football will venture into the ACC in 2022, but it must travel almost 900 miles to make it happen. Duquesne coach Jerry Schmitt announced Tuesday that the Dukes will play Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 27, 2022. It will be the first meeting...
Duquesne vs. George Mason postponed, but Dukes will travel to Richmond on Saturday
More proof of the disjointed college basketball season emerged Tuesday when the Atlantic 10 announced Duquesne’s game at George Mason, scheduled for Wednesday in Fairfax, Va., has been postponed. It is the fourth postponement of a Duquesne game this month, following VCU (Feb. 7), at Davidson (Thursday), and UMass (Saturday)....
Pitt, N.C. State looking to get well after streaks of misfortune
While losing to a mediocre Duke team on Saturday by 16 points, N.C. State committed 18 turnovers. The next day, Pitt matched the Wolfpack for ball insecurity, turning it over another 18 times in a six-point loss at Georgia Tech. When the teams get together at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at...
Source: Greensburg Salem graduate Brennan Marion hired to coach WRs at Pitt
Brennan Marion’s passion for football — whether it was catching passes, teaching others to throw and catch or writing about it — has brought him back home. Marion, who grew up in Pittsburgh and played wide receiver at Greensburg Salem before embarking on a far-reaching college career as a player...
