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PITT’s SPRING GAME INFO !!



Details Announced for the Blue-Gold Spring Game! Coach Pat Narduzzi and the defending ACC champion Panthers welcome fans to Heinz Field April 9 for the 2022 Blue-Gold Spring Game presented by PNC.

Date: Saturday, April 9thKickoff: 1:00pm location: Heinz Field Admission: Free Gate B will open at 12 p.m. to all fans – with seating available on the East side of Heinz Field. Fan parking will be available outside the stadium in the Gold 1 and Gold 2 lots. Lots will open at 10 a.m. with a parking fee of $10 per vehicle. Tailgating is allowed.

After the Spring Game, Pitt invites young fans on the field for a special Postgame Youth Clinic. Boys and girls currently in eighth grade or younger can receive personal instruction from Pitt players and staff on football fundamentals. The clinic will feature various positional stations for each participant to experience, such as quarterback, running back, receiver and more. Participants can enter the field at Section 105 after the scrimmage for the 30-minute on-field session. All participants will need to complete a waiver prior to entering the field.

Pitt’s Spring Game will be televised on delay by the ACC Network at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 and again several times in the following days on the same channel.
More Information
Panther Club Appreciation Event.

Leading up to kickoff, Pitt’s Panther Club will host a Member Appreciation Event in the PNC Champions Club from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Open exclusively to Panther Club members, the event will include complimentary tailgate food, games, the opportunity to take a photo on the field and visits with some special guests! Panther Club members should check their emails for more information on how to RSVP for this event.

Secure your season tickets today to become a Panther Club member and guarantee your seat this fall for another exciting season of Pitt football. Season tickets start at just $155 to watch the defending ACC champions take on West Virginia and Tennessee in non-conference play before hosting Rhode Island, along with a conference slate that sees Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Duke visit Pittsburgh.
Purchase Season Tickets
Questions About Ticket Options For 2022?

Interested in purchasing 2022 season tickets? Join the Panthers Ticket Office staff at Heinz Field to tour sideline club options by reserving a spot today.

For more information on various ticket options for the upcoming season, complete this interest form and a member of the Panthers Ticket Office team will contact you shortly.

188 thoughts on “PITT’s SPRING GAME INFO !!”

  2. I’m expecting weather permitting the largest crowd in some time for this Blue-Gold game. Also I believe the paid attendance for the upcoming season may be the largest in over a decade. There is probably a fairly good chance that both the WVU and Tennessee games could be close to Heinz field sellouts.

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  3. Parking lots open at 10 am. Nice! I’ll plan to be outside the Gold 1 gate when it opens at 10. I’ll look for a spot (unless ALCO uses directed parking) away from the field in the hope that others from the POV can park near me as they arrive throughout the morning.. In any event, Fran gave me the PITTPOV flag yesterday so I will raise it on a flagpole next to my car. Will be great to see you, Reed, JoeL’s gang, MajorMajors and others from this forum.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Sorry for me but I won’t be there to enjoy celebrating the new ACC champs with all my POV buddies. Believe me when I say how this saddens me! Have fun Guys and Gals, bring home a winner. Watching at home on tape delay so please don’t tell me who wins. 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

  5. Pitt baseball beating the hoodies 6-0 in the 3rd at Cost Field. Game is on ACC Network Plus, or whatever it is.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pitching is weak – the head coach’s supposed strength is that he was a former pitching coach.

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  7. Pitt up 9-6 in the top of the 7th.

    Former Pitt reliever Chase Smith just came into the game for the hoopies with runners in scoring position and struck out the batter who was 2-2 in the game.

    Pitt’s reliever who just entered the game has an .831 ERA. Here’s hoping he improves that stat tonight.

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    1. Pitt baseball with a 9-6 win in the backyard brawl at Cost Field tonight.

      Of the 7 pitchers used by HC Bell, only one had an ERA under 7.45

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Now that Shaheen Halloway has left St Peter’s for his alma mater Seton Hall, do you think Brandon Knight is hired for his first HC-ing gig?

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    1. Excellent time to get BKnight his 1-2 years Head Coaching experience at a D-1 school…and then that takes away some of the nay-sayers /negatives “lack of HCoaching experience” arguments.

      Come on home BK!!! …when Capel finally, FINALLY gets the BOOT.

      H2P!

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    2. Too bad Knight didn’t land the job after Dixon left. Whether he was qualified or not, or would have failed, the program would have more positive vibes after he was hired compared to the Stallings hire/press conference.

      Positive momentum would have been huge in the short term but we’ll never know the effects long term if he was hired. I won’t hold my breath Lyke and Gallagher can make a good hire if Capel is fired after next season.

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  10. I am jealous of the grade schoolers getting to go on the field post-game for a Youth Football Clinic.

    We need an Old Geezer Football Clinic…. 😊

    And thank you to Wolfe for carrying the POV flag! 👍

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I think a young looking guy like you could sneak into that clinic, John. Add a beanie cap with a propeller on top …. you’re in. Go for it!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. And if Wolfe drinks too much and goes down someone must carry the flag…much like the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn, the flag must not touch the ground!

      Liked by 4 people

  11. I too won’t be able to make the Spring game as I will be teaching a continuing education class up in Hermitage PA. Will miss seeing the gang. When I first heard that there was an on-field event for kids after the game, I thought it was to honor the Carrick third graders who tirelessly paint the Pitt Script Logo at midfield before every game 😎.

    Liked by 5 people

  12. For those of you like me that live out of town we have two options to watch the spring game:

    1) live on ACC Network Extra App that is a part of the ESPN Plus App…this is also a great place to watch Pitt baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse

    *Big baseball win against WVU yesterday!

    2) the ACC Network newly on Comcast is showing the game Saturday Night at 9PM

    H2P

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  13. Interesting article from the 24/7 website. No, it is not on the transfer portal but the coaching carousel. Not names, just some interesting stats. While there are now over 2,200 names in the TP, there are 529 coaches (head and assistants) who changed jobs in the FBS landscape. There are only 1,430 FBS coaching positions. That is a 37% churn.

    https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/2022-college-football-coaching-carousel-changes-data-185466479/#185466479_1

    Liked by 2 people

    1. On a somewhat related note, although this is basketball, Brandin Knight is rumored to be targeted to replace Shaheen Holloway at St. Peter’s. He is currently an assistant at Rutgers. This will be good experience for a future step up to a major conference, say like the ACC. Just saying, in case there is an ACC team in need of a coach after next season. Does anyone know of possible ACC opening after next year…anyone?

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I predict that Holloway won’t last long at Seton Hall. St. Peters was one of those strange occurrences that happen in basketball. Remember Shaka Smart at VCU. He bombed at Texas before doing just okay at Marquette. The jump from St. Peters to Pitt would be too big for Knight unless they are prepared to give him 6-7 years to produce like Capel and Narduzzi. It would be extremely hard to fire Knight if it turns out he can’t coach or recruit.

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  16. Sad to say, but those 2200 kids in the transfer portal are giving up scholarships at their current college in hopes of a better opportunity that may not come. Given that very few of them will play in the NBA, I wonder who is counseling those kids to give up their existing scholarship and leave for some unknown college without a committed destination and scholarship (for most of them). The NCAA is responsible for this mess.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. No, the kids parents and “advisors” are responsible. And the kid as well.

      One can hope and dream that your son may play at a pro level one day, but the primary goal should be to help them be employable, self-sufficient and good citizens in their adult lives. And not blame other people for what you didn’t get.

      Liked by 4 people

  17. Saw this on the Lair – from a Matt Smith tweet:

    Conference records since expansion:

    Pitt: 43-31 .581
    Texas A&M: 46-35 .568
    Utah: 53-42 .558
    TCU: 47-43 .522
    Louisville 33-33 .500
    West Virginia: 44-45 .494
    Nebraska: 44-49 .473
    Mizzou: 38-44 .463
    Syracuse: 22-52 .297
    Maryland: 19-47 .287
    Colorado: 26-68 .277
    Rutgers: 12-58 .171

    Some scary numbers there…

    Go Pitt.

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  19. Congratulations Richard! Is that why you have been spending so much time down at the burn-pile?

    South Oakland to undergo a big revitalization. No stadium but the T transit looks like a go as does Victory Heights.

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    1. Ike – still think of you whenever I add stuff or burn the burn pile. Without going through all the details, I moved the burn pile further away from the old garden area. Had to buy a 100-foot hose to go along with the 50-footer I used before. I happened to walk by the old garden area today and there was the new asparagus shoushing into the air.

      BTW, around here they call a “hose” a “hose pipe”.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Not only a starter but their lead tackler on the DL. WVU is 8 below the 85-scholarship limit at 77. And that includes the 5 they picked up in the portal this year.

      Liked by 2 people

  21. Two former Pitt men’s BB recruits making moves today:

    G Judah Mintz committed to syracuse.

    C Efton Reid entered the transfer portal.

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    1. Reid’s mom liked Capel quite a bit ( he went to a local school) and it was a bit shocking to see him pick Wade, who was a known commodity in Central VA.

      2nd time a charm?

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      1. Pitt would need a very good PG to solidify two studs to put on the court with Big John.

        With the rest of the remaining cast of Burton, Femi, Nike, Jeffress and Max, Pitt could beat the bottom half of the ACC and contend for a middle placing in the league standings.

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    2. Mintz to Syracuse is a real dagger….

      Coach Capel has a month to perform a miracle…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  23. Tweet from Kelly Quinlin:

    Georgia Tech has added veteran offensive coordinator Jim Chaney to the staff as an analyst. Worked with OC Chip Long and QB coach Chris Weinke at Tennessee. He was on the Saints staff last year.
    1:15 PM · Mar 30, 2022 from Athens, GA

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    1. On a related note, another ex-Pitt offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has a new job. He is now the coordinator at FCS Wofford. Joins ex-Pitt defensive coordinator and now HC Josh Conklin. Conklin wants to bring more of a passing attack to his triple option offensive.

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        1. If my memory is correct, his “feeling” was that Tyler Boyd had so much more talent than any other offensive skill player that he needed to focus the offense on Boyd. Was that a mistake? I vote “no”.

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  24. I am now in possession of knowledge that perhaps no other POVer is. In 1969, our own John Fredland (MajorMajors) batted .292 for Bobby Lewis’ Panthers Baseball squad. He was among the team leaders in games played and earned his first varsity letter. He weighed in at a svelte 150 pounds on his 5’9” frame (a little generous height listing, John?). One other interesting thing if I’m reading the brochure correctly, he wore both number 2 and number 26. Also notable from the brochure: “All Pitt home games to be played on new field behind TREE Hall”.

    Liked by 9 people

  25. I heard former Panther Eric Dickerson say on the radio today that it’s his 34th birthday.

    Times flyin’!

    Go Pitt.

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  27. OT: as Dan72 pointed out earlier this week, there seems to be a lot of discussion/reporting (PSN) on Capel and the search through the transfer portal for players to add to his depleted roster.

    I picked up this comment from a poster on the Lair regarding staging one of the many big guys they are pursuing and almost spit out my coffee –

    “I’m not confident that Pitt could buy a 7 foot hoagie for a pep rally.”

    Liked by 4 people

  28. “However, new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. has installed more plays involving 12 and 22 personnel — one running back with two tight ends and two running backs with two tight ends, respectively. And the second tight end who has featured in those packages has been Bartholomew’s classmate, Renda.” (Post Gazette)

    Not to be confused with “Smoke ‘n Mirrors.”

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  29. I find it interesting that they moved Rashad Battle back to corner. Duzz said it was a mistake to move him to safety. Battle did seem to struggle in the little he played last season.

    He’s sure big for a corner at 6-3 and 200 pounds – in the mold of a Steeler favorite, Mel Blount, who played corner at 6-3 and 205.

    Battle is also supposed to play Petrishen’s role on third downs as the fifth DB. Will be interesting to see how that works out…

    Go Pitt.

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  30. Capel gets his first portal signee,
    Nelly Cummings, a pure shooter from Colgate 36% from three Pt land. His brother is even better and has Pitt in his top three. H2P

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  31. 36% seems unpure

    about 5’11”, can’t coach height 😦

    as I put on FB, remind me, what is it JC CAN coach?

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  32. I’m glad we signed somebody, but like tvax says, 36% is rather pedestrian. For the season Horton was 37.9%, Ezeakudo was 37.5, Gueye was 36.4. Hopefully Nelly can do more than shoot 3’s. Need to be around 45% to be a real 3 pt threat. You needed to be at least 42.5% to be in the top 100 three point shooters in the country this past season.

    Give me that kid who grew up in the suburbs. Had a hoop in his driveway. And spent thousands of hours just standing and shooting. Not real good at dribbling in traffic. Can’t drive to the basket to save his life. But set an effective screen and the 3 is down. Bring him off the bench any time you need him.

    Liked by 4 people

  33. It’s not going to change the program by itself, but I’m encouraged by the Nelly Cummings signing. He may not be a deadeye 3-point shooter, but he averaged 15 a game last year on a tournament team. Scored 20 against Wisconsin in the NCAAs. In the regular season, Cummings put up 17 against Pitt, 18 against Syracuse, and 19 on NC State, so there’s evidence he can more than hold his own against ACC competition. I think Pitt is lucky to land him considering the program’s current state. And he went to high school in Midland, so now that he’s back home maybe he can find a driveway there to work on his long-distance shooting 😉

    Liked by 6 people

  35. the FB crowd is loving the Cummings kid

    sadly maybe I should too

    he’s probably a good kid and smart

    makes me wonder why he’d leave a good school from a team where he plays and makes the tournament to come to Pitt, maybe a lesser school but ACC exposure of course and not going to sniff the tournament

    clearly should start of course and maybe play in front of a couple hundred extra fans 😦

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  37. I need to clarify that I am really glad we were able to land Nelly Cummings! I hope he brings a lot to the program. He only has one year left. But Mo sure added a lot to our team in his one year. I’ll especially miss Mo’s blocks. That was fun to watch.

    I have read that Nelly is a point guard so maybe we won’t be counting on him to be a high percentage shooting guard.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Hope like in most Greek tragedies is all that’s left with Pitt basketball. But can Hope really turn the program around particularly when you have the same HC and dotard staff and no booster club to supply the NIL monies for elite recruits and transfers?

    At least there’s a good tailgate to be had with the football spring game. I envy those seeing asparagus spears popping out of the ground now.

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  39. Big announcement today. Heather Lyke received a contract extension. Very similar to Narduzzis and well deserved. She’s here until 2030. Financial details not available as of yet.

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    2. I know some thought Femi had potential but with a true PG in Cummings, this is absolutely fine

      find a good SG and a decent big like Gueye and I’ll stop being a jagoff here(at least try to stop)

      I just need a little legit hope but still believe JC needs a miracle or magic to survive past next year

      I guess the buyout drop some say goes to 5M must happen after he receives all of next year’s salary?

      the semi-miracle that could happen depending on this weekend is that JC’s Pitt team could’ve beaten the National Champion if UNC comes through,,,,, ah, no one cares, and shouldn’t

      Liked by 1 person

  41. I don’t believe Cummings is a true PG. As for why he came to Pitt? Who knows for sure but he is from the Pittsburgh area and he is coming as a grad transfer from Colgate. So just maybe whatever graduate program he is entering was one of the reasons for coming to Pitt.—-By the way his brother who is in the class of 2024 is the real prize IMO. If Capel is still around for the 2024 year Pitt may have shot at getting him. But I wouldn’t bet a plug nickel on that happening.

    Liked by 2 people

  42. Odukale let me down as a “kid from Brooklyn”. Noo Yawk style basketball ( for the most part) features playas who can handle the ball. How many times have we seen Femi lose control of the ball as he attempted to drive to the hoop? Scoring VERY off and on and there was no way he could be counted upon as a steady contributing playa. Capel really has his work cut out for him because the calendar clock is ticking. I am surprised that Jeffress has not moved on to a strong academic school that plays mid-level basketball, Well, one thing is for sure the Pitt roster is so depleted we can shout COME ONE AND COME ALL we have a nice spot on the bench for ya.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. I have mixed feels about Femi. I still think he has a lot of upside but needs to work on his weaknesses.
    Sorry to see him go, but not devastated. The problem is too many guys are leaving when they should be maturing and paying dividends to the program, but obviously Pitt is not alone in this phenomenon.
    It surely is making it difficult if not impossible to develop a program over time.
    Coaches that have the ability to retain players will be in high demand.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Cummings is a two guard … off the ball shooter and defender. But… we’ve had 2 guards playing point for the last 6 years!

    Liked by 1 person

  45. If Pitt doesn’t have enough players to field a basketball team, do they still have to pay Capel.

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  46. In the tournament he scored 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 turnovers against P5 team Wisconsin. I’ll take it

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  47. danh72 , did you watch the Wisconsin game or the highlights? Remember this is against P5 3 seed Wisconsin:

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    1. Again, Cummings better than anything Pitt had last season.
      We need a center who can score and play defense and a ball handling point guard !

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  49. I think Femi characterizes what has been wrong with the Pitt basketball program. Last year he showed flashes of being an excellent player for Pitt. But this year he never developed and met expectations, and probably blames it on Capel and staff. Once again it seems the problem was between the lines. Is Capel raising unrealistic expectations or are these players including that they can’t get better or win with this coaching staff?

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  50. Cummings can dribble in traffic and finish at the basket…Not the fastest kid, but solid. Reminds me a little of Levance Fields and I’ll take that all day long.

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    1. Levance is what I thought a bit too but didn’t see any assist clips and that was where Fields was great

      if he can finish at the basket on drives like Levance he has Femi beat and his clips do show that

      saw another clips montage shooting and not surprisingly he hit them all but many uncontested

      so v Femi, better shooter, better ball handler, better at FT line, no idea on defense and not likely better rebounding

      OK Jeff, this in ONE good get

      now get rid of Jeffress because his production and skills belong at Colgate or Ivy

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  51. Cummings will turn 24 during the season. Not sure he will be successful in the 3 area. During his career against p5, he had one really strong game which put his percentage in the low 30’s. Did better against lower performing teams. Maybe we get news on Fton although he didn’t have a great year at lsu. I do like his size tho!!

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  52. This video I hilarious to watch and great example of “don’t show too much of anything”.

    The OL drill seems like an April Fools joke. The QB throwing the ball is #26 and the RB catching the ball is #40 Carter who played like 3 series in his 4 year career.

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    1. One amateur observation: The apparent lateral quickness of some of our OTs looks a bit scary…

      Go Pitt.

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  54. And while Pitt is recruiting all these portal players, Capel needs to be laying the groundwork to recruit top notch HS players. That means visiting their parents, building up NIL Funds and working to undo the horrid rep Pitt has on the recruiting trail!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s a “tall” order.

      I think Coach C. should try recruiting some HS players who are just below “top notch,” but willing to work and play hard. Might be more realistic given the state of the program.

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 2 people

  55. Funny how people here are so QUICK to jump on Femi Okudale as the “fall guy” for Capel’s failures this year.

    Funny too how so many of the same people now celebrating the coming of Nelly Cummings were also calling for Horton’s return at ANY cost as a way to try and salvage the season.

    Now for the BAD news.

    If you take time to actually look at the numbers, Cummings is really NO better a Point Guard or 3-Point Shooter than either of the aforementioned. This doesn’t even factor in the increased level of difficulty of having to play in the ACC.

    I will give you this. Cummings is shorter than either Okudale or Horton… and he does come without a Plea Bargain.

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    1. not sure how you see anyone jumping on Femi as the fall guy for Capel, Capel is the fall guy for most here

      I think some of the celebration is sarcasm and some is hope

      calling for Horton’s return was hope and some desperation

      36% v 33% is better, I’ll take that 10%

      FT shooting is far superior 82% v 63% and THAT matters with a PG at the end of a game, Femi improved but remained an adventure

      assist to T/O ration is close but better with Cummings

      we all know it was mostly against lesser competition and that matters most so I agree with you POD, this means nothing and THAT in addition to Capel and staff seemingly able to coach up nobody or maintain a good team game or even atmosphere, most here are just grasping for enough to get us to the following year

      now if you want to read some wackos about this kid, go to the PFF page,,,,, lots of pure fandumb over there 🙂

      one question POD, do you think JC or Femi was more responsible for his shortcomings and lack of development? or maybe the seemingly useless Capel staff?

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      1. Think it’s pretty obvious that Okudale has been the point man when it comes to what player has been most criticized on this Blog.

        Now he certainly deserved some. But the criticism has been over the top at times considering how DYSFUNCTIONAL this Capel coached team has been.

        Personally, I’m on the record for saying Okudale seemed to have regressed. For one, it was disappointing not to see any improvement from a year ago in terms of getting bigger or stronger given the frame he has to work with. Then there is what appears to be a “head case” thing, a pervasive lack of confidence that likely translated to the hesitancy he increasingly showed when it came to ball handling and shooting.

        That said, I see the blame going to both the player and the coaches, but probably mostly the coaches.

        All you need to do in order to realize the extent to which Capel and his crew are to blame is just watch what REAL basketball looks like.

        Liked by 1 person

  56. Femi is hard to figure out. He went through a stretch where he was scoring in the 20s, and then the last 5 games he doesn’t show up. And did I read where he had no points against BC in the last game? Mid-season, he seemed to be putting the blame on himself for not showing leadership on the team, and was playing mid-30s minutes per game. Apparently, now the team must be the problem since he is transferring. Is this coaching or a kid with his head messed up?

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  59. I have no idea if Cummings will be any good at the Power 5 level. But I do know that Femi was not. I’m with Dan on this one. Good riddance. Guy had no concept of valuing the basketball.

    Liked by 1 person

  60. In East Lansing today. Wlat Jr. deciding between Pitt and Sparty. Too bad I can’t make it to the spring game with him so some POVers could assert some influence.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I have a friend who went to Sparty undergrad and then Pitt grad school…

      Congrats to Wlat Jr. 👍

      Go Pitt.

      Like

    2. Both are great schools. Thank God it’s not Pedo State. But Lansing has its own sports problems. Maybe remind your son of that. Pitt may be crap when it comes to sports but it’s one of the most ethical universities out there. And that speaks plenty these days. Has he looked into Michigan? A school that underperforms like Texas? Just sayin. A Michigan subway alum from the Fab 5 days.

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  61. Daughter finishing junior year in HS and just started touring some colleges.
    Even though she has been on Pitt campus many times we took the formal tour a couple days ago.
    One of the stops on the tour was Chas Bonasort tee shirt shop on the corner near the Student Union.
    He introduced himself as an ex football player and local entrepreneur and encouraged the kids to consider Pitt.
    Having known Chas for years I moved up in line to say hello and he insisted on meeting my daughter and spoke highly of the University to her.
    If she decides Pitt is It I am going to tell him it was his inspirational talk that sealed the deal. 😎

    Liked by 5 people

    1. When on campus, I only buy from Chas. Never the Pitt Shop or whatever it is known now. Didn’t Pitt try to run him out of business a while back and file a lawsuit? I like to support the underdog, the independent, the savvy entrepreneur, the non lazy bureaucrat. Small business is the engine and this guy has a real connection to Pitt. I’ll wear my Hoopie colors when I say $&! On Pitt if they go against this good man trying to make a living.

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      1. John, they give “The Chuckle Bonasorte Special Team Player” aeard every year at that outing…the Beaver-Moon Golden Panther outing.

        Liked by 1 person

    4. I remember the Pitt Pathfinder tour my daughter and I took and the stop at Chas’. Like it was yesterday.
      She went on to become President of the Pathfinders and developed a great relationship with him.

      We stop at his place first and if he has what we want, he gets the business. When he doesn’t, he doesn’t.

      I really enjoyed the years when she was in Oakland. A year in the Towers, one in a house on Coltart and the last two years in a house at the top of Chesterfield. She figured out how to use the hospital elevators to cut down on hill climibing. Fun times.

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  62. Julius Pagues just passed at age 86. He was Pitt’s first black basketball player who averaged over 17 pts his senior year 57-58. He was drafted by the St Louis Hawks but had an ROTC commitment which prevented him from going to the NBA

    He had an aeronautical engineering degree and became a weather forecaster for the Air Force. He had a pretty accomplished life, living mostly in Tulsa. You may want to check out his bio

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Pitt should embrace and celebrate its diversity from Grier to Pagues. Should be statues for those players or at least plaques somewhere noticeable. It’s tough to be a ground breaker when the land is granite. They are both trailblazers and should make every Pitt fan proud.

      Liked by 5 people

  64. I went to the volleyball spring scrimmage today against Ohio State. Only the far side of the Field House bleachers were pulled out. The bleachers were nearly full. Nice crowd. I can do a little writeup if anyone cares to read it.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Your volleyball passion and thoughts will be greatly appreciated from me, my daughter and Sandy Cheeks. She’s from Texas. Remember she’s a squirrel. But the very best at chopping. 🤠

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    2. I was watching the game during the vb match and saw that baseball has a basket like the football turnover basket- except it’s the homerun basket. Wonder if Duz lent it to coach Bell?

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  66. WOWZA The U of Michigan football schedule —1st 4 games
    Colorado State, Hawaii, Uconn and mighty Maryland.
    As Reed always says (and he is right) keep your comments civil>>>LOL

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    1. Heather should pick up the Dixon schedule fully sanctioned by his best bud Steve. It got them to the Dance each year but didn’t properly prepare them. Double edge that sword was.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. It’s all about the Ws and feeling good at the end of the day.

      Wiser scheduling over the past five decades or so and Pitt would have a plethora of wins tacked on to its all-time record. Thus, ranking higher on the list and us fans puffing our chests out more.

      We know the words “wise” and “ Pitt leadership” don’t mesh, unfortunately.

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  67. Bryce Young, Alabama QB Heisman Winner is entering the transfer portal! This has gotten ridiculous!!

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    2. RJ developed nicely the past 1.5 years and we’ll as Puff Johnson.

      I’m not sure either would have developed under the 4 Capel HC’s.

      Femi has all of the tools to be a great player, except the development and teaching from a good coach.

      Femi would be smart to go to a well coach team and work hard to be a starter again. The sky is his limit – I wish him all the best. I’m predicting he lands at Seton Hall or Colorado State.

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  70. If there is a single worst symptom of the Capel debacle it is the inability to recruit high school players. This is coming at the initial time of the NIL, which is not surprising. The top 100 high school players probably all get NIL money and Pitt is probably resisting paying out the cash. Tough to recruit under these circumstances.

    Liked by 1 person

  71. I went to the volleyball scrimmage against Ohio State today. I believe teams are allowed 3 scrimmages in the spring. When my daughter played they called them “Play days”. I saw a tweet that Pitt played Louisville a couple weeks ago. Today was Ohio State; in two weeks it will be versus Michigan here in the ‘Burgh.

    Set 1 had the following starters: Sabrina Starks- Right Side (RS), Cat Flood- Outside Hitter (OH), Chiamaka Nwokolo- Middle Blocker (MB), Emmy Klika- Libero (L), Serena Gray- MB, Valeria Vazquez Gomez- OH, Lexis Akeo- Setter (S), and recent transfer Julianna Dalton (6’5″ OH).

    The teams were pretty evenly matched and the score was within a couple points most of the set. Pitt opened up a lead of 24-20, then blew it and OSU tied it at 24. Pitt went on to win 26-24. The team looked good. (It was weird not seeing Kayla Lund And Chi Ndee on the court.) Cat Flood had some nice kills, Gray and Nwokola also looked really good. Emmy Klika did a great job covering tips and at serve-receive. She’s a sophomore and I really liked her when I first saw her last fall. She’s solid. Starks had some really good plays then had some where she was a little slow on the block. Vazquez Gomez was also really strong. Akeo did all the setting today. Rachel Fairbanks did pre-game warmups but was the only person not to play today. She kept her warm-up jacket on the whole time, although I could not see any apparent injury. It was the first time seeing Julianna Dalton, and she was worth seeing in person. I predict she will be the standout player this year. She’s tall, jumps well, has a fast arm, and is great on the block. What a great pickup from the portal. She’s a 6-position player and will only be a sophomore (and 6’5″!!)

    Set two was much like set 1. New starter substitutions were Ashley Browske (L), local product (Plum HS) RS FR Makayla Jackson (MB), RS FR Eliana Posada (RS). Starks moved to MB and Nwokolo moved to RS . Pitt dominated the set 25-22. I like Jackson a lot, I think she will be a good one. I was not impressed with Posada though. She needs time to adjust to the speed of the game.

    Set three had Dalton at RS, Nwokolo at MB, Klika back at L, Starks at MB, Akeo and Vazquez Gomez stayed at their same positions, and Browske at OH. Yes, the Libero was playing OH! Needless to say, she was undersized in the front line and OSU took advantage of it. OSU was ahead for most of the set. Pitt was down 20-13 or 14 when they started to make a comeback. At Pitt down 21-18 Flood was subbed in for Browske. Amazingly, Pitt came back to win the set 26-24.

    They decided to play a 4th set to 15. On the court were Akeo (S), Nwokolo (MB), Starks (RS), Dalton (OH), Jackson (MB), Klika (L), and Vazquez Gomez (OH). Subbed in were Flood (RS), Posada (RS) and Browske (DS- defensive specialist). Pitt only used a DS for that last set. Scoring was back and forth and Pitt finally won 19-17.

    Stats for the match; OSU out-statted Pitt in every category but two- Pitt had 13 blocks to their 11.5. And Pitt won the sets 4-0. In favor of OSU: Kills- 43-41, Assists 40-38, Digs 39-34, Aces 6-3.

    Pitt will add two players to the squad in the fall: FR Rachael Jepsen (6-4 MB), Courtney Buzzerio (6-5 RS 2x All Big Ten, Transfer from Iowa). Notice that our three new players are all over 6’4″!! Height is one thing we were really missing in the past. I’m excited for the upcoming season! H2P!!

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Great job Annie, great write up review. Looks like we are all in for a fun season. The POV continues to be blessed with great writers, the passion is unbelievable. I’m really proud to be a part of this place.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Pitt has positioned themselves to be a perennial top ten team after nine seasons under Coach Fisher. This might be a rebuild year and a step back from the Final Four but it shouldn’t take Pitt long to reload. A new venue should also help with recruiting. Fisher is signed through 2027 and is arguably Pitt’s best HC across all sports.

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        1. We didn’t lose Starks or Gray, and Jordan Lockwood was not a big contributor so her loss was not much. Kylee Levers had been replaced by the end of the season, and we added Dalton to replace Kayla Lund. We also just beat that OSU team the writer thoght so much of. Granted, scrimmages are for testing lineups and player combinations, but I like our chances against them.

          Liked by 1 person

    4. Wow. Thanks, Annie. I am becoming a fan. Am so glad that I will be able to watch it on ACC Network. Not sure if I will be able to get tickets if/when they play UVA here in Cville.

      pmdH2P

      Liked by 2 people

    5. Great article Annie! Really appreciate it! Glad to hear about Flood and Jackson. Using Stark on the right side is an interesting development. Pitt now has four options at middle blocker. Gray is our No. 1 option with Nwokolo slightly ahead of Starks for No. 2 option. Jackson will have to wait her turn.

      Hopefully Fairbanks will play in the next scrimmage! I do not want Pitt playing a 5-1 with Akeo having to be on the front line!!

      For those of you expecting this to be a rebuilding year for Pitt volleyball, it is not! Pitt basically reloaded! As Annie pointed out at the end of the article Coach Fisher, now that he has a solidified his resume, can now recruit excellent players with size! Buzzerio, Jepsen, and Dalton are the prime examples. Size has been the missing ingredient for Pitt with a few exceptions such as Layne Van Buskirk.

      Here is what I have been able to piece together about the commits for 2023. All the heights listed are subject to change as these commits are still growing. High schools may also have changed for California players. Unless the Hawiian setter is very, very good, we will need to pick up a portal transfer setter/defensive specialist as well for 2023.
      Two commits originally from the Sunshine Volleyball Club California
      Torrey Stafford 6’2” OH, Marymount High School, Los Angeles, CA
      Olivia Babcock 6’3” OH/Opp. Sierra Canyon High School, Chatsworth, CA

      Blaire Bayless 6’2” OH, Plano West High School, Plano, TX
      Haiti Tautua’a 6’0” Setter, Waianae High School, Waianae, HI (Oahu, Honolulu largest city) sister (6’1”OH) plays for San Diego State.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. But Pitt can’t beat IUP. The stars and planets all must of been aligned that day when Pitt beat NC.

      But good for NC, a state school. I never did like those snobby Duke fans and the over adoration of Coach K.

      However, Kansas will deliver a beatdown in the Final. They have better guards and the best power forward in the land.

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  74. Maybe Capel can recruit but does not pay enough to secure the players. If you take a look at the players who had Pitt in there top 3 would have easily made the tournament.

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  75. Pitt doesn’t pay enough because Pitt won’t allow a booster club to raise money for NIL. That shows me that they are not serious about winning. Capel is handcuffed. Compared to most schools that are serious about winning, Pitt refuses to play the game which is now legal. What is Pitt afraid of?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Capel is handcuffed mostly by his coaching ability.—KP by the way supposedly pulled in close to $400K last year through e NIL program. Somebody ponied up for KP. Kind on have to wonder how much Addison might be pulling in this year for him to remain committed to Pitt.

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      1. Good observation about Addison. I’m sure it’s close to Kenny money. But if paid, what are the NCAA rules? Is it dark money?

        At least with a booster club you know who gave the money and there are typically limits, transparency and certain compliance protocols.

        How Pitt is handling NIL is an embarrassment. They should be out front and leading the effort. Hence they have control and oversight. Pitt needs to implement some sound business practices over NIL. Otherwise, they lose control, fall behind competitively and create inequity and ambiguity.

        Typical Pitt. It’s just not in their DNA since the Golden Panther days.

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  76. Ugh, I wrote a review of the vb scrimmage last night and thought I posted it. I guess it disappeared. I’ll re-do it.

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  77. I’ll try this again. Here’s a summary of the vb scrimmage against Ohio State yesterday.

    The far-end bleachers were pulled out at the Field House for the game. They were well-filled with fans. It was a good turnout. One of the team tweets briefly shows it.

    Set 1 players: Lexis Akeo- Setter (S), Cat Flood- Outside Hitter (OH), Chiamaka Nwokolo- Middle Blocker (MB), Valeria Vazquez Gomez- OH, Sabrina Starks- Right Side (RS), Emmy Klika- Libero (L), Serena Gray- MB, and Portal Transfer 6’5″ Julianna Dalton- OH. The set was very competitive and scoring throughout was tight. Pitt got some separation late and was up 24-20, then blew it. OSU tied it at 24; Pitt then woke up and won 26-24.

    Set 2 players: Akeo (S), Dalton (OH), Vazquez Gomez (OH), Nwokolo moved to RS, Starks moved to MB, Ashley Browske (L), RS FR from Plum HS Makayla Jackson (MB), and RS FR Eliana Posado (RS). Scoring was tight like Set 1 and Pitt won 25-22.

    Set 3 players: Akeo (S), Vazquez Gomez (OH), Starks (MB), Klika (L), Dalton moved to RS, Nwokolo (MB), and Browske moved to OH. Yes, the Libero was playing OH! OSU took advantage of the undersized Browske and was leading 20-13 or 14. After a TO Pitt rebounded to bring the score to 21-18. Flood was then subbed for Browske, and the Panthers went on to win 26-24. It was quite a comeback.

    The teams decided to play another set to 15. Set 4 players: Akeo (S), Nwokolo (MB), Starks (RS), Dalton (OH), Vazquez Gomez (OH), Jackson (MB), Klika (L), Flood (RS), Posada (RS), Browske- Defensive Specialist (DS). This was the only set where a DS was used. As you can see, several players were subbed in at RS. Set scoring was again tight but Pitt finally won 19-17.

    OSU out-statted Pitt in all categories but two- Blocks: 13-11.5, and Sets: 4-0. OSU took the rest- Kills 43-41, Assists 40-38, Digs 39-34, Aces 6-3. Pitt’s front lines were tall and at times dominating- Starks, Dalton, Flood, Gray, Nwokolo looked great. Coach Fisher switched their positions up looking for the best combination. It was good to see that all of them could play multiple positions across the front. Emmy Klika did a great job at Libero. Only a Freshman, I liked her when I first saw her at the Blue-Gold game last fall. She’s gonna be fine. RS FR Makayla Jackson also did a good job at MB. RS FR Eliana Posado was slow at Right side and will need a bit more time to get up to speed. The superstar of the match was clearly transfer Julianna Dalton. She’ll have 3 or 4 years of eligibility left (she only played 1 year at Washington State in 2020). As a six-position player, she was a force at the net hitting and blocking, and was very mobile in the back line and at serve receive. I am so happy we got her to come to Pitt. Rachael Fairbanks, the freshman phenom setter/outside hitter from the fall, was the only player who did not play. She participated warm-ups, but kept her warmup jacket on during the match. Perhaps she’s recovering from an injury, but I could not see anything wrong during warmups.

    Pitt has two players joining them for the fall season. Incoming freshman 6-4 middle blocker Rachel Jepsen and grad transfer 6-5 right side Courtney Buzzerio, a 2x All-Big Ten player from Iowa. Clearly Coach Fisher is bringing in height to the team. Hopefully our Final Four run last year will cement Pitt as a force to be reckoned with for years to come. I have to say, it was really weird not seeing Kayla Lund and Chi Ndee on the floor yesterday. But I think we should be fine, and it should be another fun season this fall. H2P!!

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  81. Pitt baseball racing out to a quick lead on the #5 team in the country. The Panthers are up 3-0 after 3 strong innings by our #3 starter 6’6” Billy Corcoran (32 pitches after 3 innings).

    Impressive start to the rubber game.

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  83. The baseball team is winning at the end of 8 innings over #5 Louisville 6-2.

    Need to close this one out for the win.

    Go Pitt!

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  84. Pitt’s #3 starter threw a complete game, 4 hit, 3 run win over #5 Louisville to take the weekend series with a 6-3 victory.

    H2P!

    Liked by 6 people

      1. Speaking of complete games… living down here in northeastern NC, Jimmy “ Catfish” Hunter was a friend and patient of mine… his hometown of Hertford held a “Catfish” Hunter day with festivities to raise money for community sports programs… at the very last gathering with Jimmy battling ALS , Ipi led up a program that that Yankees had sent for the festivities as a souvenir… in the program was a great write- up of “Catfish’s” career… in one of his last season with New York Jimmy started 38 games and pitched 32 complete games! After I read that I caught up with him and with amazement said “ Jimmy(that’s what he’s called ‘round here) you COMPLETED32 outta 38 games??? He response literally… “ Do you know how many more innings I would have pitched if I pitched every damn one of them??? I just stood there in awe waiting for his answer when he belted out…EIGHTEEN!!!!

        Gaylord and Jim Perry lived a few miles down the road and Trot Nixon’s dad grew up about a mile from Jimmy’s house… lotsa BB talent from this area

        Liked by 3 people

        2. That’s an incredible stat. Changing pitchers constantly ruined baseball for me. Nothing like watching a guy fight through a bad inning and closing a game himself.

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        3. Definitely miss the times when pitchers could throw complete games. The other side of that coin would be the A’s pitching staff that Billy Martin ruined by having his starters throw way more innings than they ever had. The 80 A’s pitched 94 complete games that year. I belive Billy Martin also ruined the career of pitcher Tim Conroy from Gateway HS.

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  85. Don’t expect Pitt or any university to say how they are handling NIL. It’s dark money right now. Basically zero rules.
    WVU just lost a good DL to the portal. Zero reason for him to leave. He’ll show up at the university that paid him and it should be investigated. Coaches are recruiting kids on other teams. This was once considered a no no except for very shady coaches. It’s ugly out there. It is going to kill some schools. Pitt is seeing it happen to the basketball program. You have to have rules for God’s sake.

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  87. XMan arrested in Indiana for reckless driving and resisting arrest.
    X was suspended twice during the season for curfew violations, once the day of the NW game. Glad he’s someone else’s problem!

    Liked by 3 people

  90. Kansas back to shooting like they did all year. Villanova was a complete aberration! University of No Classes in a rout!

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  91. This Kansas team can’t make a shot and they are getting crushed on the glass. They can’t finish in transition so they basically have no offense.

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  92. So if we come out of the blue and beat you when you least expect it (BB at NC), you could win the National Championship. Sounds familiar like FB at Clemson.

    Liked by 1 person

  93. Where are all the ‘experts’ who said the B1Joke is the best league and the ACC is the worst? WF should have made this Tournament instead of 17-14 Michigan.

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  94. UNC needs to switch to a 2-3 zone, especially with Black out. I doubt they will though…

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    2. “After Monday, Self’s status went from hall of famer to legend. He became the first KU coach to win two nattys. At some future date he will have a structure named after him on campus. The man is talented and Teflon. Almost a year ago to the day he signed a lifetime contract that includes the unprecedented clause: Self cannot be fired for being guilty of NCAA sanctions.”

      https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/even-the-ncaa-cant-take-away-the-feeling-kansas-has-after-its-historic-comeback-led-to-a-national-title/

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  97. The infractions occurred nearly three years ago. I don’t know how any are criminal and why the DOJ would even get involved. They center around player payments which are now legally permitted.

    https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article260000370.html

    But this case just illustrated how slow the NCAA is to act. And further points out the limited ability of the NCAA to enforce its own rules or policies and then more importantly to punish.

    Best basketball conference is the big 12. Baylor won last year. Tech made the Finals before that.

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    1. The ACC had few invites and got 3 teams in the Elite 8 and 2 in the Final 4, 1 in the final. And UNC would have won if their coach wasn’t an idiot keeping his guys in the man-to-man defense in the 2nd half. WF should have been invited too.

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  98. Thank God this basketball season is over! In my mind, the longest and most joyless (as a Pitt fan) I can remember. I don’t even want to think about Pitt BBall until September. Call me when Capel gets an ACC point guard and center!
    Maybe we’ll talk !

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  99. When the NCAA levies charges, that means they are sure improprieties have occurred. Sean Miller and Will Wade were let go. Bill Self will not be let go because as a blue blood, they will weasel out of it … similar to the team Kansas beat some years back

    It is a slow process because that is what the NCAA wants. Remember the NCAA is the colleges, and the blue bloods have a much bigger say, since they are the biggest money makers

    I harken back to the late 80s when Kentucky got caught red-handed sending money to a prospective recruit. Tarkanian said “this is going to make the NCAA really mad. Fresno St better watch out”

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 3 people

  100. Agreed, Dan. But I suspect the Pitt faithful on this blog will continue to track the transfer recruiting process. The clock is ticking on recruiting transfers who can play this year. And maybe they will reinstate the Summer basketball league for local college players. That would be interesting to follow if it happens.

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  101. I cut my first asparagus yesterday. I should have also published a new article yesterday. The new article will go live at 5:30 PM today.

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