If Pitt coach Jeff Capel had intentions of finding a big man in the transfer portal this offseason, he now may have even more reason to do so.
Pitt’s 6-foot-11 sophomore Federiko Federiko, who started 53 games the past two seasons and was an important player in the Panthers’ run to the NCAA Tournament in 2023, has entered the transfer portal.
Pittsburgh starting junior center Federiko Federiko has entered the transfer portal. The former junior college transfer from Finland averaged 4.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season.https://t.co/uxWsEvmqEe
— NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) March 22, 2024
Federiko was joined in the portal Friday by teammate William Jeffress, a junior forward who has been at Pitt since 2020.
Federiko was a good shot blocker for the Panthers, recording 101 in two seasons. But he never became a consistent offensive threat, regressing to 4.7 points per game this season after averaging 6.6 in 2022-23. He also averaged 5.2 rebounds over the two seasons.
Pitt has several forwards and 7-foot center Guillermo Diaz Graham on its roster at the moment, but Capel may be looking for more inside scoring punch to supplement his strong backcourt.
Forwards with eligibility remaining are Diaz Graham and his brother, Jorge, who is 6-foot-11; freshman Papa Amadou Kante, who is 6-10 and missed this season with a knee injury; 6-6 freshman Marlon Barnes, who was redshirted; plus forward Zack Austin, who started 31 games this season.
Jeffress has been at Pitt since 2020 — before he even turned 17.
After graduating early from McDowell High School in Erie, Jeffress started a total of 20 games in his first two seasons. He missed 2022-2023 with a foot injury, but he played in 31 games this season, with two starts, scoring 49 points while averaging 10.8 minutes.
For his career, he averaged 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
After losing Federiko and Jeffress, Capel has three available scholarships to use.
