Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 8

Under normal circumstances, Pitt men’s basketball plays eight games in a month. That’s what the schedule will demand in January and February and how it was structured in November. But this is December, and there must be allowances made for final exams, family and, realistically, an opportunity for players to...

The number of departing players from the Pitt football roster climbed to 12 on Monday, the first day the NCAA transfer portal officially opened. The two most recent players to announce their intentions to leave are reserve defensive linemen David Ojiegbe and Thomas Aden. Ojiegbe, a redshirt freshman, will be...

No matter how poorly Pitt played in its final five games of the regular season, that 7-0 record at the outset matters, too. The Panthers were rewarded Sunday for their 7-5 record when they were invited — and accepted the bid — to the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field,...

The second half was only 101 seconds old, and Pitt already had started whittling down Virginia Tech’s eight-point halftime lead to six. But this game — this moment — was not about Pitt shaving a couple points off its deficit. Jeff Capel wanted physicality. He wanted rebounding, defense and pressuring...

Before Pitt found its shooting touch, before the Panthers started to play with the necessary physicality and focus, before Jaland Lowe decided the floor was his, Pitt looked like a team headed for defeat. Suddenly, the momentum shifted and Lowe scored 15 points in the second half Saturday to lead...

In four seasons at Pitt, Nate Yarnell has served four distinct roles at the game’s most important position. He has been a quarterback-in-waiting, hope for the future, an afterthought and, finally, an insurance policy. But all of that will end for Pitt’s bowl game and in 2025 after he revealed...

Pitt fans have seen this act before, or at least something similar. What’s worse, it’s back after first revealing itself less than a week ago. Two of the fans’ favorite teams won seven games to start the season, with the help of late dramatics that only served to heighten the...

Wide receiver Daejon Reynolds, whose role in Pitt’s passing game diminished this season, decided to place his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Reynolds, 21, will have one season of eligibility. Reynolds spent the past two seasons with the Panthers after transferring from Florida where he caught a total of...

In the wake of Pitt’s 90-57 loss to Mississippi State on Tuesday night in Starkville, Miss., Jeff Capel couldn’t help thinking what his father, Felton Capel II, a longtime coach himself, might say. “When I was younger when he was coaching, (he said), ‘Sometimes, you’re the bug. Sometimes, you’re the...

Pat Narduzzi uttered his best line of the season at the outset of Pitt’s signing day news conference when he told reporters, “I think we have a doozy for you.” Name puns aside, Narduzzi and his coaches believe they signed a strong 2025 class of 21 high school seniors, some...

After the last game of the regular season, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi made a bold statement: “In 36 years of coaching, I’ve never seen so many injuries.” As it turned out, Pitt didn’t have enough depth to compensate for those injuries, and a five-game losing streak ensued. That’s where signing...

When there’s no one on the floor at Petersen Events Center and the seats are empty, Pitt sophomore point guard Jaland Lowe likes to grab some basketballs and shoot foul shots by himself. The idea is to see how many he can make in a row. One time recently, he...

Pitt running back Desmond Reid and linebacker Kyle Louis were difficult to miss on the football field this season, and their names were equally prominent on the All-ACC football team revealed Tuesday on the ACC Network. Reid was a first-team selection as an all-purpose back and return specialist. Plus, he...

Running back Rodney Hammond Jr. put an end to his four-year Pitt career Tuesday when he announced on X that he is planning to enter the transfer portal. Thank you for everything Pittsburgh but I will be entering the portal for my last year— Rodney L. Hammond (@RodneyLHammond1) December 3,...

At the age of 58, Pat Narduzzi isn’t shy about admitting he’s an “old-school” coach. Before he signs a player from high school or the transfer portal, he’d like to look that young man in the eye, shake his hand and meet his family. “I want to know where they...

The effects from Zack Austin’s long 3-pointer surfaced Monday when Pitt received significant recognition in two national polls and, especially, in the NCAA NET rankings. The Panthers improved their record to 7-1 with a dramatic overtime victory at Ohio State on Friday, and voters in the Associated Press and USA...

Pitt defensive tackle Nakhi Johnson, center Terrence Moore and cornerback Noah Biglow are planning to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Johnson made his announcement on X and Moore’s agency, 3 Strand Sports & Entertainment, also used X to announce its client’s plans. All three ended the regular season as backups...

The rules governing college football’s postseason make it clear: Pitt is eligible for a 13th game, has been for a long time after winning No. 6 on Oct. 12. The bar for bowl eligibility is set at six victories. Projected locations from various national media outlets include the Pinstripe Bowl...

Pitt’s regular season ended Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., but, really, it dragged itself back to campus in a state of misery. A series of mishaps, penalties and even more injuries led to the Panthers’ losing streak reaching five after a 34-23 Boston College victory. It’s the first time Pitt...

A week after Eli Holstein hurt his leg Nov. 23 early in the loss to Louisville, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi will stick with relief quarterback Nate Yarnell on Saturday at Boston College. Yarnell will start Pitt’s final regular-season game. TribLive news partner WTAE-TV first reported the news. Yarnell has been...

After Pitt’s rousing 91-90 overtime victory against Ohio State, Jaland Lowe made sure he hung around the reporters surrounding Papa Amadou Kante. Lowe had something he needed to say, and he wanted everyone to hear it. First, Lowe shook his head and smiled when Kante called him “the best player...

Zack Austin hit the winning 3-point shot Friday afternoon with 0.04 seconds left in overtime to lift Pitt to a 91-90 victory against Ohio State, but there he was in a postgame interview apologizing. The moment inside Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, was not too much for him, but...

There’s no shame in winning only eight games, and the College Football Playoff rankings provide hard evidence. Eight ranked teams have 8-3 records, including No. 13 Alabama. When Pitt (7-4, 3-4 ACC) meets Boston College (6-5, 3-4) on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., it can reach eight victories for the...

Pat Narduzzi might not like to admit it, but his Pitt teams previously have dealt with slumps. Actually, it was only 12 months ago. Pitt was 2-8 as it approached 2023 senior day at Acrisure Stadium, but the Panthers found a way to defeat Boston College, 24-16. This season, Pitt...

There are certainly more inopportune times than now for Pitt to lose one of its starters. Perhaps the night before the start of the ACC Tournament would be worse. But Damian Dunn was injured Sunday in a loss to Wisconsin in the Greenbrier Tipoff, hurting the thumb on his right...