Fede to the portal
- Thread starter ratking17
- Start date
What did I tell you guys,
Thank you for your time Fede, but an upgrade was needed. You helped us the best you could, seeya and good luck and good bye.
Yeah, too bad they will be more expensive to get as there is clearly not one on the roster
Sort of expected. Had nice contributions for us but didnt make the progress we needed. I am not sold on Kante due to BballinsiderfromPitt's highlight video which shows him as a guard, weirdly. Pitt has to go out and get a plug and play starting Center. Someone of Efton Reid's ability, if possible, would be like a 3 seed line difference. GDG can back up and play some 4.
Kante was brought in here to primarily do 2 things.
Play high level defense. Rebound. He is here to do those 2 things and will do them.
Highlight videos show neither of those characteristics.
Can he finish around the rim? That's a main issue for us and he looks like he plays like a guard
For a highlight video of a 5, you'd expect a lot of dunks. But its all 3s.
Please stop with this.
You are watching highlights videos.
Im sure I could find a few full live games that are somewhere on line if you want to watch them.
I watch full live games in the EYBL from start to finish.
I agree. I think that if we had the version of Fede that we expected going into the season we would still be playing. He really regressed.
there’s a reason why you don’t see many that aren’t in transition…
I guess it only fitting that there are 2 'Fede to the portal' posts. 
Wish him the best. I'll take this as a good sign. Any bigs we recruit from the portal will know the opportunity is there to step right into the center role.
Wish him the best. I'll take this as a good sign. Any bigs we recruit from the portal will know the opportunity is there to step right into the center role.
Honest question for those in the know.
How does this go down? Coaches have a post-season meeting with the player at which time they say, "Fede, thanks for the effort, we are going full bore to find a starter or two in the portal at your position. You are welcome to stay, but you are looking to be out of the rotation like (name some team members) .
How does this go down? Coaches have a post-season meeting with the player at which time they say, "Fede, thanks for the effort, we are going full bore to find a starter or two in the portal at your position. You are welcome to stay, but you are looking to be out of the rotation like (name some team members) .
Capel told him to stand under the basket and then threw an inlet pass to him and yelled, "Dunk it if you're coming back next year; needlessly dribble if you're hitting the portal."
Not quite that rough.
More like, you have given your all to us the last few years and we appreciate that but your playing time for you in the future is quite likely to be very limited off the bench. We appreciate your efforts to the program but we want to be honest with you before we start recruiting new players. When the player knows they arent going to play or in this new day and age get paid, they will walk.
I seem to recall Hugley and AKC playing like guards in their highlight videos, which doesn't exactly dispell your concerns...
I know it’s probably time but I’m kinda sad. Fede was good for the culture and wished there’d be a way for him to stick around with a limited role. Really liked how him and the twins brought good energy 24/7.
But yeah, his level of play just wasn’t there this season, despite him playing better towards the end of the season. Thanks for you time Fede. Best of luck
But yeah, his level of play just wasn’t there this season, despite him playing better towards the end of the season. Thanks for you time Fede. Best of luck
On one hand I’m bummed to see him go. On the other hand at least there won’t be two or three inexplicable possessions per game that involve failed attempts at an pick and roll/alley oop combo that Fede can’t execute
Finishing around the rim would be nice but, more importantly, can whomever provide some resistance against getting backed down to the rim by the opponent’s big. Fede provided little but GDG even less. How will Papa fare?
Unfortunately Fede didn’t get better , but he’ll probably thrive at a lower level of ball . Good luck to him , he gave it 100% all the time .
How will the new transfer addition fare is the better question?
I guess it only fitting that there are 2 'Fede to the portal' posts.
Wish him the best. I'll take this as a good sign. Any bigs we recruit from the portal will know the opportunity is there to step right into the center role.
They wouldn’t have made the tourney without him year 1 but he hit a wall after he got hurt. It’s a little worrisome as Jeff has swung and missed a lot at the 4,5.
Fede was a functionally zero star player who had already been dropped by Oklahoma State and West Virginia by the time we got him. I think we were able to get every ounce that Fede had in him, and got every bit of productivity that he had. He ultimately is a player with weaknesses in his game, but I don’t think you can look at Fede’s career here as anything but a huge overachievement. There isn’t a Pitt fan out there who would have thought that Fede would end up being a 50+ game starting center for two 20+ win Pitt teams when he signed in 2022.
I'm sure every team does it differently, but I'd expect Capel to have conversations that are very emotionally intelligent with the kids he is moving on from. That seems to be the type of person he is. The love he has for his players is very evident.
I understand that those are highlight videos and you cant tell a lot from them usually. But for highlight videos of big guys, you usually see a ton of dunks, post-up finishes, tip dunks, etc. His is all 3s. If you didnt know who he was, you would assume he is a small forward. So I'm not sure he is even a Center. If you have a game you can link, I'll watch it and evaluate.
I think this is probably how it went down. Let him know that he is probably going to see decreased minutes due to GDG emergence (and hopefully weight gain) plus the addition of a portal dude.
Good kid, effort guy, had no business playing P6 basketball. Whatever he does, I hope he does it well, but I'm glad it won't be at Pitt. He was little more than a warm body this season, in a starting role out of sheer necessity.
The biggest, and most crippling shortcomings this team had were all related to the frontcourt. The complete inability to score, rebound or defend in the painted area. Very few second chance opportunities or ability to keep a possession alive because the guys underneath couldn't rebound. Capable opposing bigs had their way at both ends.
Hopefully Big Papa can be fully healthy and has what it takes, but for some reason, past scars I suppose, I have visions of Joseph Uchebo.....
Hope Capel finds another legit frontcourt man or two in the portal.
The biggest, and most crippling shortcomings this team had were all related to the frontcourt. The complete inability to score, rebound or defend in the painted area. Very few second chance opportunities or ability to keep a possession alive because the guys underneath couldn't rebound. Capable opposing bigs had their way at both ends.
Hopefully Big Papa can be fully healthy and has what it takes, but for some reason, past scars I suppose, I have visions of Joseph Uchebo.....
Hope Capel finds another legit frontcourt man or two in the portal.
Yea its kinda weird. We dont make the NCAAT without him last year and we didnt make the NCAAT because of him this year. Specifically I remember Mizzou's bigs eating him alive. But overall, his 2 years will be positively remembered by me. Seems like a great kid. Gave it his all, did some good things. Had his moments.
Jeff missing at the 4 is hilariously inaccurate. Champ, Gueye and Blake have all been hits to grandslams lol.
