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Abby Schnable's Pitt sports chat: 04.14.26
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Abby Schnable
2:03
Hello all! There are a lot of questions in the queue so I'm very excited to get to these.
JR
2:07
Pitt hoops has lost virtually all of last season’s team. Do you believe Pitt encouraged these players to leave? Does the staff regret losing any particular players? Thanks!
Abby Schnable
2:07
From my understanding, it wasn’t so much Pitt pushing guys out as it was the reality of the current NIL landscape. A lot of players were asking for more money than Pitt felt matched their value, so the staff was comfortable letting them explore other options. It became more of a mutual parting than anything forced.

As for regrets, it sounds like Roman was the main player they really wanted to keep — and in his case, it wasn’t about money from what I know.
Mike
2:08
Hey Abby, how is Izzy Starck seemed to be doing since she joined Pitt
Abby Schnable
2:11
She’s settled in really well so far. She’s already built strong connections with the hitters, which is huge for a setter, and her defense has looked really solid too. Everything I’ve heard and seen suggests she won’t miss a beat.
Mr Ed
2:11
So as of noon today, how do you think Capel and Kuntz transfer portal efforts have gone? Who knows how they will coalesce but it seems the 9 guys they have right now are more talented than last season’s top nine, no? Have you heard if they are close to signing at least one more legit ACC caliber starter?
Abby Schnable
2:14
I think Pitt has done really well so far. A lot of these additions bring power conference experience and across the board most spots feel like a step up from last season.

Jalil Bethea is probably the biggest question mark just because he doesn’t have proven college production yet, but the upside is clearly there. Overall, if you look at a projected starting five, it does feel more talented than last year’s group on paper.

As for adding another piece, I haven’t heard anything concrete, but they do have some flexibility left — so it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re still working to bring in another legit ACC-caliber guy.
Mike
2:14
Pitts baseball team seems to be doing well, despite a few loses recently. What are they going to have to do, to make the  NCAA's tourney?
Abby Schnable
2:16
Funny you ask — I’m literally at the field right now after doing interviews. The big thing is cleaning up the defense and getting back to that relentless energy they had earlier in the season.
There’s still a lot of confidence around the team, but the ACC is just such a grind. If they can tighten things up defensively and find that consistency again, they’ll put themselves in a good spot for the NCAA Tournament.
jojobuba
2:16
Pitt football lost quite a few starters (K. Johnson, F. Brewu, etc.) to the portal. The players they brought in via the portal are not players of the same caliber that left. Why didn't Pitt retain their good players? How many wins do you see Pitt getting this year?
Abby Schnable
2:18
I think you might be pleasantly surprised by some of the portal additions — a few of those guys have more upside than people realize right now.

As for the departures, it really comes down to the realities of the portal and NIL. Some of those starters were likely looking for bigger deals, and Pitt either didn’t have the resources or didn’t want to invest heavily in players who were already considering leaving.

In terms of this season, I think they can be around the same as last year, with a chance to be a little better depending on how quickly the new pieces come together.
demosthenes98
2:18
First and foremost, congratulations to you and your colleagues on a well-earned reprieve!  Second, now that spring practice has come and gone, how, if at all, has your outlook on the Pitt football team changed?
Abby Schnable
2:21
Thanks! Definitely good news. My outlook on the team has improved coming out of spring. I was pretty concerned about wide receiver and linebacker, but I don’t feel that way anymore — both groups look like they have 4–5 guys who could legitimately start.
The offensive line also looks solid. Kendall Stanley took a big step forward this spring, and adding Netinho Oliveri looks like a really strong move.
gary.oshell
2:23
Abby....Great work on Pitt....Jay Kuntz seems to have really made an impact. Pitt seemed to usually bring in mostly mid-major kids through the portal. Other than the center from Mercer, that isn't so this year. At least so far. What's your first take on who he's brought in so far, and how many more do you see coming in?
Bruce
2:23
Hi Abby! I guess that I should begin mentioning that I am very happy to see that the Post-Gazette has been sold. I certainly hope that you and Stephen will continue in your current roles! That being said, what do you think about the additions to the men's basketball team? The portal is a two way street...is this a net gain, or not so much?
Jock Sutherland
2:23
Trying to follow the portal in NCAA basketball is exhausting.   Help us out, is Pitt upgrading their basketball roster orb
Abby Schnable
2:24
Similar questions so I'm going to knock these out together. I really like that they’re prioritizing power conference experience — even if some of those guys weren’t primary contributors at their previous stops. There’s value in that level of competition.

Even with someone like Armani Mighty from Mercer, there’s a lot to like considering he averaged a double-double last season. Overall, Kuntz and the staff have done a nice job balancing potential starters with quality depth pieces.

As for what’s next, I’d expect them to use all 15 scholarship spots. They’re around 10 right now, so there’s still room to add a few more pieces. I definitely think these are improvements.
What's happened to Pitt?
2:24
How'd you go to Loyola Chicago but become Pittsburgh sports writer?
Abby Schnable
2:25
When I got into sports journalism, I was told you have to be willing to move. As much as I love my family in St. Louis and my time in Chicago, I didn’t want to limit myself. I got my start in Wisconsin and eventually made my way to Pittsburgh — and I’ve loved it here.
steelstu
2:25
I know Pitt had problems with serve receive last year and with Brooke Mosher gone, who is going to be their premier serving person. Is Olivia Babcock making progress with her jump serve. Would be a great weapon if she can develop consistency.
Abby Schnable
2:27
I’d expect Olivia Babcock to really lean into her topspin serve. Early in her career she was around that 1:1 ace-to-error ratio with it, and I’d imagine that’s only gotten more consistent with experience — which could make it a real weapon.

Izzy Masten is another one who has a topspin serve I’d love to see utilized more. And from what I’ve seen, Marina Pezelj and Blaire Bayless have both made noticeable improvements in that area as well. Overall, they have a lot of options — I could go down the list — but I like the direction that group is heading.
Jock Sutherland
2:28
Pitt VB is going on a summer European trip correct?   Do you know what countries they re
Abby Schnable
2:28
I unfortunately don’t, but I’d imagine they’ll try to tap into some of the countries their players are from — like Monaco and Amsterdam — and go from there.
RWPitt
2:28
Pitt basketball has been generally lauded for its portal work thus far. What if Capel pulls this off and makes it into the Tournament next year? My guess is he just gets to keep the job, it’ll be year to year until he stumbles?
Abby Schnable
2:30
It’s definitely possible they pull it off — the talent level in the portal has clearly taken a step up. I think if they get there, he keeps his job, no question. That said, like you mentioned, it does feel like he’s on a pretty short leash at this point and it’ll likely be year-to-year until they prove they can sustain it.
Adam
2:31
Do you think the libero role on the volleyball team will be shared like last year? Or could you see one player taking the majority of the reps there?
Abby Schnable
2:34
I could see it going either way, and that’s not really a cop-out answer. Both Izzy Masten and Mallorie Meyer seem to have taken steps forward in areas they were working on last season. That said, I do think there’s value in having one primary option just for continuity and consistency — especially in a role like libero where rhythm and communication matter so much.
RWPitt
2:34
We haven’t heard Narduzzi grumble or say too much about not having enough money to get or retain the guys he wants. We saw some hints this year with Biles and Kenny Johnson leaving, but is football in a similar position as basketball had been in?
Abby Schnable
2:36
I’ll admit I don’t know nearly as much about the football financial situation as I do the men’s basketball side.

That said, I’m inclined to think football is in a better position financially than hoops just based on program priority and recent success — which likely translates to a stronger donor base and more overall resources.

You’re right that we’ve still seen some movement, but I wouldn’t necessarily interpret it as being in the same spot basketball has been in.
Ryan
2:36
How much money does Pitt have left if you had to guess and how many more adds do they want
Abby Schnable
2:40
This will take a little bit of estimating, but they started with 15 scholarships and had 3 already accounted for, so they’ve essentially been working with 12. They’ve filled about 7 so far, which leaves roughly 5 spots remaining — and from everything I’ve heard, they do plan to use those.

As for the budget side, the additions from yesterday were likely more expensive than some of the earlier mid-major type pickups, so I’d guess they’re probably a substantial amount over half of their budget.
RWPitt
2:40
Is there any sense at Pitt (perhaps at the board level) that Allen Greene is in over his head or even that Joan Gabel is when it comes to Athletics? I understand that Heather Lyke had (apparently fireable) shortcomings but her seeming ability to develop a comprehensive vision (if not fund it) and communicate that to the masses was pretty undeniable. She had people feeling good, and Greene either says nothing or says things that create pessimism. Is there buyer’s remorse on Greene (or any doubt in Gabel’s athletics acumen)?
Abby Schnable
2:44
I haven’t gotten any sense that there’s internal concern that Allen Greene is over his head. It’s a hard spot to evaluate from the outside, but he has already made some strides in improving NIL and rev-share positioning behind the scenes.

Some of the decisions haven’t necessarily been popular, but from what I understand they’ve been more about stabilizing what was a pretty rough financial situation left from Lyke’s tenure than anything else. The focus has really been on getting things back to an even footing.

I do think they feel like they’re getting closer to that point of equilibrium.
Michael
2:44
If not money why did Roman leave?
Abby Schnable
2:45
From what I was told by multiple sources, it was “personal reasons unrelated to money.” I also heard he did receive what was considered a fair offer from Pitt.
Michael
2:45
Pitt is bringing in some talented players from the portal. My concern is how does Capel keep them happy with playing time especially since he always seems to use only a very few in his rotation
Abby Schnable
2:47
To start, most — if not all — of these guys should be ready to play immediately. Sure, some development will always be part of the process, but in past years a few of the portal additions needed time before they were ready to contribute. That doesn’t really seem to be the case with a majority of this group.

Right now, just looking at the roster, I think you have at least eight guys who are ready to contribute either starter or off the bench minutes right away. I'd still expect them to add a couple more pieces. How the rotation ultimately shakes out will be the bigger question, but the depth is definitely there.
Michael
2:47
Are the Pitt receivers good enough to win big this season? How about the tight ends
Abby Schnable
2:49
I think so. I didn’t get to see much of Blue Hicks since he didn’t participate in the spring game, but we already know he has talent from last year. Mason Heintschel has built a really strong connection with Bryce Yates and Tony Kinsler — that goes back to when they were all working with the threes as freshmen. Malik Knight was the standout guy on Saturday, and Cam Sapp is also making some real strides.

I'm less convinced about TE, but there's still time.
Michael
2:49
Pitt bball meds another center do you know who they are in on?
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