As a result of commencement, Jeff Capel has an enormous gap on his roster to fill for subsequent season.

The energy of this 12 months’s crew was their capability shoot from 3-point vary however the Panthers gained’t have Greg Elliott, Nike Sibande, Nelly Cummings and Jamarius Burton to depend on anymore.

Blake Hinson will return however he’ll need assistance and Pitt is already scouring the switch portal to just do that.

Per Joe Tipton from On3, Pitt has reached out to Florida Worldwide switch guard Denver Jones.

Final season for FIU, the 6’4″, 195-pounds sophomore from New Market, Alabama averaged 20.1 factors, 3.8 rebounds and a couple of.0 assists in 33.5 minutes per sport. Jones shot 47.8% from the sector and 37.1% from past the 3-point arc. As a freshman in 2021-22, Jones averaged 12.5 factors, 3.7 rebounds and had a 34.5 3-point pct.

Sophomore Denver Jones is getting into the switch portal. The 6’4 Guard had a terrific season the place he averaged 20/4/2 and a couple of steals a sport. Jones was additionally environment friendly capturing 48% from the sector and 37% from three on 6 makes an attempt a sport. Jones is a good scorer and may be very underrated. pic.twitter.com/KLhvF6ZHcw

— KJ (@Kjpistons) March 21, 2023

Clinton Robinson hasn’t picked up a proposal from Pitt but, however he made his first journey out to his hometown college Tuesday to proceed constructing a rising bond.

Robinson — a 6-foot-1, 195-pound three-star security from Keystone Oaks Excessive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — made the 10-minute drive to Pitt’s first spring follow session earlier this week, making the journey out after beginning to speak with Pitt coaches earlier this month.

“It was good simply speaking to the coaches, seeing gamers and stuff, simply watching the follow was an amazing expertise,” Robinson informed PSN. “It was my first time, actually loved myself.”

It’s nonetheless a really new relationship between Robinson and Pitt, with simply a few weeks of communication between them, however he’s constructed a stable bond with safeties coach Cory Sanders already. Sanders, regardless of Robinson’s two-way means at Keystone Oaks, sees Robinson as a security — which is simply nice with him.

The possibility to cut it up with Sanders and take a look at firsthand how he expects his safeties to follow stood out for Robinson. And it doesn’t damage that he’ll be capable of take what he discovered, what he watched for Sanders, and apply that to his personal sport.

“The power is there, each participant is energetic, they’re all competing and stuff, it was simply what you’re on the lookout for in a school and all that,” Robinson mentioned. “Good coaches, coaches fired up and all the things.”

As a junior at Keystone Oaks, Robinson was a menace offensively, racking up 292 yards on 36 rush makes an attempt and 538 yards on 43 receptions, discovering the tip zone six instances.

However he was additionally a pacesetter within the secondary, utilizing his velocity and vary, in an extended, lean 6-foot-1 body, to stifle opposing offenses.

247Sports charges Robinson because the 107th-ranked athlete and the Thirty third-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania, whereas neither Rivals nor On3 has rated him but.

And whereas Pitt hasn’t but prolonged Robinson a proposal, he has picked up official gives from Kent State, Miami (Oh.) and West Virginia, and he will likely be visiting Syracuse in some unspecified time in the future within the close to future. Pitt, as his hometown college, can even very seemingly obtain one other go to.

“(It’s a) big-time issue (to be a hometown child),” Robinson mentioned. “Hometown, that’s what everybody dreamed of.”

It was nearly surreal to look at gamers like Aaron Donald rising up after which discover himself consuming lunch at Pitt after spending the day watching follow and trying out the services.

He’s on the lookout for a faculty that can set him up for achievement on and off the sector, within the current and future, and he seems like Pitt is a kind of faculties. “Pitt would positively be my prime choice, one among my prime in no matter I find yourself in, they’ll be in there if they provide me,” Robinson mentioned. 

TULSA, Okla. — No. 1 Pitt redshirt senior Nino Bonaccorsi made it to the Nationwide Title match at 197 Kilos on the NCAA Wrestling Championships Friday night time on the BOK Heart.

Bonaccorsi (20-0) confronted off in opposition to No. 4 Rider’s Ethan Laird (28-2) within the Semifinals. Laird made a takedown early to doubtlessly sign an upset, however Bonaccorsi stayed cool, calm and composed the remainder of the match. He made two escapes, three takedowns, earned on level on a stall name on Laird and gained a 10-4 determination after driving time.

Pitt wrestling protection on Pittsburgh Sports activities Now could be sponsored by the Pittsburgh Wrestling Membership.

That is the second time Bonaccorsi has made it to the Nationwide Title match. He made it to the ultimate in 2021 because the No. 6 seed, however misplaced to No. 4 A.J. Ferrari of Oklahoma State.

Bonaccorsi then misplaced in 2022 previous to inserting, which shifted his mindset over this previous season. As a substitute of solely specializing in getting the win, Bonaccorsi assumed the danger of dropping and selected to work on features of himself mentally and bodily to enhance his wrestling.

The results of this shift in mindset is Bonaccorsi not having a single loss on the season and in place to win a Nationwide Title.

“I’ve matured by simply not letting my achievements and these expectations of myself [get in the way], Bonaccorsi mentioned. “I’ve excessive targets of myself and it’s simple for it to get in the best way of my wrestling and my progress. I really feel like final yr, I used to be wrestling to win and return to what I used to be. I feel that hindered me and it tightened me up. As all these massive moments occurred all through the season, all these massive matches, I simply took it as, win-or-lose, I’m simply going to present it all the pieces I’ve.”

Bonaccorsi faces off in opposition to No. 7 South Dakota State’s Tanner Sloan in that Championship bout Saturday night time. He mentioned that he’ll work along with his coaches, concentrate on his personal sport and preserve it easy, as he has completed all season lengthy.

“Clearly a very robust child,” Bonaccorsi mentioned about Sloan. “Stable in all positions. Lot of respect from him. I’m trying ahead to going out and making it an unpleasant barn burner match. I hope it’s excessive scoring and I’m actually excited.”

Head Coach Keith Gavin is the final Nationwide Champion for the Panthers, as he gained the Title at 174 kilos in 2008. He believes that Bonaccorsi is able to go for Saturday night time and simply wants to stay with what works.

“He’s ready,” Gavin mentioned. “All of the work is finished now. He’s in an excellent state of mind and his expertise look actually superior on the market. I’m not getting in his means proper now.”

The success that Bonaccorsi noticed didn’t come for the opposite two Pitt wrestlers that competed Friday night time.

No. 3 redshirt senior Cole Matthews (21-3) misplaced on tiebreakers, 2-1, to No. 17 Ohio State’s Dylan D’Emilio (20-13) at 141 kilos. D’Emilio made an escape early within the first interval of tiebreakers and Matthews didn’t rating, leading to his loss.

That is the second time on Friday that Matthews misplaced in tiebreakers, along with his 3-1 loss to No. 6 Penn State junior Beau Bartlett within the quarterfinals.

Gavin mentioned that regardless of the loss, Matthews had an excellent season, however that he should repair his sport to work in several methods offensively in order that the doesn’t fall behind late. He additionally mentioned that he’ll get by this and are available again more durable subsequent yr by committing to his offense.

“The larger situation with Cole, and I feel that is apparent, is that he’s received to begin pulling the set off,” Gavin mentioned. “We’re screaming within the nook, particularly on that final one, “You gotta shoot!” However I get it. He’s been rewarded for wrestling like that. He received fifth at this Match and was a first-time All-American final yr. It was the identical factor. No offense, counter offense and prime. We talked about this afterwards, that it’s taking part in with hearth.”

No. 9 redshirt senior Micky Phillippi (16-5) misplaced a 5-1 determination to No. 6 Virginia Tech’s Sam Latona (26-8) within the Spherical of 12. Latona made two takedowns and rode Phillippi for driving time, not permitting him many possibilities to attain.

The loss for Phillippi ends his illustrious profession with the Panthers in his sixth season with this system. Phillippi finishes as a five-time NCAA qualifier, three-time ACC Finalist and two-time ACC Champion

“He had an excellent profession right here,” Gavin mentioned on Phillippi. “Not solely that, Micky modified our program. He was the primary man to leap on board. He’s an unimaginable particular person. I’m simply grateful to have the chance to teach him. What he did for this program, it will possibly’t be overstated.”

Earlier Pitt Wrestling Protection from the NCAA Championships

Nino Bonaccorsi Makes it to Semifinals at NCAA Wrestling Championships

Matthews and Bonaccorsi Attain Quarterfinals for Pitt at NCAA Wrestling Championships

Pitt Sends 4 Wrestlers into the Spherical of 16 on the NCAA Wrestling Championships