The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
Sophomore forward Justin Champagnie (11) finished second in points per game and first in rebounds per game in the ACC. In comparison to last season, he increased his scoring average from 12.7 to 18.4 points per game, and his rebounding average from 7.0 to 11.1 per game.

Column | ACC’s top tier dominate conference award season

By Kyle Saxon, Staff Writer • March 8, 2021
As the regular season comes to a close and college basketball ramps up into conference tournaments, the time to hand out yearly awards has come as well. Staff writer Kyle Saxon breaks down who he thinks should take home annual honors in the ACC.
Senior forward Terrell Brown, the lone player honored on Senior Day at the Pete on Tuesday, opened the scoring with a dunk.

Sibande’s 23 points sink Demon Deacons on Senior Day

By Stephen Thompson and Dalton Coppola • March 3, 2021
Pitt (10-10 overall, 6-9 ACC) put the last week’s trials behind them and put forth one of its strongest efforts of the season, particularly on the defensive end, in a 70-57 win over Wake Forest (6-14 overall, 3-14 ACC). Capel reached deep into his bench and pulled out a complete team effort in the nearly wire-to-wire victory.
Pitt men’s basketball (9-10 overall, 5-9 ACC) has now lost eight of it’s last nine games after falling 62-65 at NC State (12-9 overall, 8-8 ACC) on Sunday afternoon. The team also lost two of its players, juniors Xavier Johnson and Au’Diese Toney, after they transferred.

Pitt begins life after Johnson, Toney with 65-62 loss to NC State

By Zack Gibney and Stephen Thompson • March 1, 2021
Pitt (9-10 overall, 5-9 ACC) has now lost eight of its last nine games after falling 62-65 at NC State (12-9 overall, 8-8 ACC) on Sunday afternoon. In the wake of two key personnel losses, head coach Jeff Capel insisted that he felt this loss could be better attributed to the eight-day layoff between games and not the recent roster attrition.
Au’Diese Toney pictured against Virginia Tech on Feb. 4.

Pitt announces Toney to transfer, second key departure in two days

By Alex Lehmbeck, Sports Editor • February 25, 2021
Junior Pitt forward Au’Diese Toney has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and will not finish the 2020-21 season, the program announced Thursday.
Sophomore guard Xavier Johnson darts past a Clemson defender.

Johnson to transfer, will not finish season with men’s basketball

By Stephen Thompson, Assistant Sports Editor • February 24, 2021
Pitt men’s basketball junior guard Xavier Johnson confirmed a report from Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday morning that Johnson will immediately leave the Pitt program and enter the NCAA transfer portal. 
Nike Sibande (22) recorded season-highs in points (12), rebounds (7), shot attempts (13) and minutes (36) against the Florida State Seminoles last weekend.

Contentious offseason fades in memory as Sibande settles in at Pitt

By Stephen Thompson, Assistant Sports Editor • February 24, 2021
After the COVID-19 pandemic and a contentious transfer process kept him out of action for 262 days, Nike Sibande spent his first nine games at Pitt shaking off the rust. But he showed flashes of dynamism in his breakout game on Saturday that indicate his game is growing along with the comfort of a still-new home in Pittsburgh.
Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Sibande’s season-best can’t save Pitt in 79-72 loss to No. 16 FSU

By Stephen Thompson, Assistant Sports Editor • February 20, 2021
With a vocal, five-person contingent of the Oakland Zoo jeering and cheering from just to the left of the media suite for the first time this season, Pitt (9-9 overall, 5-8 ACC) battled No. 16 Florida State (13-3 overall, 9-2 ACC) for most of Saturday’s contest at the Petersen Events Center. But the Seminoles’ size and depth proved to be too much for Pitt to handle in the end. FSU dominated the paint offensively, en route to a 79-72 win over the Panthers.
Pitt men’s basketball fell short in a 74-73 loss to NC State on Wednesday, its sixth loss in seven games.

Pitt’s defensive deficiencies exposed in 74-73 loss to NC State

By Alex Lehmbeck, Sports Editor • February 19, 2021
A lackadaisical defensive performance made Pitt fall short in a 74-73 loss to NC State on Wednesday, its sixth loss in seven games.
Pitt star forward Justin Champagnie announced on Tuesday that he will "test the NBA Draft process."

Column | Champagnie has earned his status among ACC’s elite

By Zack Gibney, For The Pitt News • February 19, 2021
Historically, the conference gives ACC Player of the Year to an outstanding player on an exceptional team primed for a deep tournament run in March — where Champagnie has a problem.
Au’Diese Toney pictured against Virginia Tech on Feb. 4.

Takeaways from Pitt’s road loss against Georgia Tech

By Zack Gibney, For The Pitt News • February 17, 2021
Pitt’s 71-65 loss to Georgia Tech on Sunday marked their fifth in six games, and showcased many of the consistent struggles that have doomed them throughout the skid.
Load More Stories