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Stephen Thompson's Pitt sports chat: 01.13.26
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Stephen Thompson
1:00
Good afternoon everyone. We've got football transfers and basketball games to get into so there's no time to waste.
Douglas
1:00
How would you value the impact of the “GM” of Pitt sports in light of the crushing portal movement?
Stephen Thompson
1:10
I think the additions of general managers to both the football and men's basketball programs has been a very positive thing, if for no other reason than the fact that it takes the work of identifying targets off the coaching staff's plate during the season. Every general manager is constrained by the resources their programs have at their disposal, but having someone or a team who is able to dive deeper into the recruiting environment -- not just who is available but what value they could command in an open market -- is critical to staying ahead of the curve in a transfer portal-centric era.
Bruce
1:14
Good afternoon Stephen. I noticed that almost every Jeff Capel  post game presser includes a statement that the team doesn't perform in a game like they do in practice. The question is, why? And as the coach isn't it your job to find out? Any thoughts
Stephen Thompson
1:22
It hasn't been every press conference, but I've certainly noticed this happening multiple times this season.

The short answer is that if Jeff Capel could easily identify a reason, the problem would be fixed by now. And I have no reason to believe Capel isn't working as hard as he can to figure that out.

But the long answer, as I've pointed out in some postgame columns and recap videos, is that I'm not sure there's a simple solution for this team. The roster is thin and the margin for error in ACC games is extremely small. Would playing Kieran Mullen and Macari Moore save the season? I have a hard time believing as much.

And if there's an epidemic of players not executing the game plan or, at least in the Syracuse game, not playing with the necessary effort, I can't pin the blame entirely on the coach. That's not to say Capel is blameless. Far from it, actually since he recruited and oversees their development. But there's only so much he can do for them once they step out onto the floor.
Bruce
1:23
When Cummings is literally half of the offense why isn't he starting? We want to save him to be a spark off the bench? I'm not sure that is a great strategy.
Stephen Thompson
1:29
Cummings has been streaky this year -- he has as many games wherein he shot under 25% from the floor (4) as he does games shooting better than 50%. He's also limited as a defender and rebounder because of his size. So while I think he absolutely adds a lot of value on the offensive end, the numbers say he has been more efficient as a reserve (62.9% true shooting) than as a starter (54.73%) over the course of his career for whatever reason.
H2P DC
1:29
Looking for bright spots in the Pitt basketball situation, I’m actually hopeful the Siulepa will be a consistently impactful player before the end of the year. Am I crazy?
Stephen Thompson
1:31
Not at all, H2P DC. It's an approach I've tried to take watching games this year. If Jeff Capel is going to be the head coach next year, what parts of this team are salvageable? And I think Siulepa is one of a couple parts that are.

The biggest thing I've noticed over the past four or five games is that his touch around the rim has become much improved. The 3-point shooting and defense are still a work in progress, but he looks much more comfortable around the rim these days.
H2P DC
1:31
Is there any sense that Jackson may be available for next year, or is his career over?
Stephen Thompson
1:32
I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson can earn a medical hardship waiver, though it seems the NCAA is much stricter about handing out free years of eligibility these days. I'd expect he, with Pitt's support, will fight hard for an extra year this offseason.
Bruce
1:37
I have heard that we have an excellent class coming in next year. This is certainly welcome news. Can you tell us anything about the incoming recruiting class?
Stephen Thompson
1:42
I can tell you it ranks 10th nationally and third in the ACC with three four-star players having signed their national letters of intent earlier in the fall.

The class is headlined by 247Sports' No. 33 overall player Chase Foster, a 6 foot 8 power forward out of IMG Academy. He's a tremendous athlete with an expanding game and lots of room to grow.

I am a big fan personally of Anthony Felesi's game. He's a 6 foot 5 small forward who played at Utah Prep with AJ Dybantsa for a spell. Felesi can really shoot and he's already a fantastic defender.

And Jermal Jones, a teammate of Foster's at IMG Academy, is the lowest rated player in the class but still the No. 15 player at his position in this class. He's listed as a shooting guard but I believe he has the ability to become a point guard further down the line.
RickLovesBaseball
1:42
If Capel were to leave, do you see the recruiting class staying intact? In the world of NIL, I never know how those situations play out.
Stephen Thompson
1:43
All three players have signed their national letter of intent but should Capel get fired, I would be stunned if they did not ask Pitt for a release from those agreements and the program usually allows it (a "We want volunteers, not hostages" situation if there ever was one). Whomever comes in afterwards would have a chance to re-recruit them, but my best guess is that the next roster would be more transfer portal-heavy.
Bruce
1:48
Pitt has made several recent hires that seem to indicate that the University is getting serious about fundraising and being more competitive. Do you get this sense as well?
Stephen Thompson
1:50
I certainly think Pitt wants to give off that impression. In addition to adding official general manager positions, the administrative staff has been bolstered by people whose job descriptions seem to be focused on generating revenue from different avenues.
Bruce
1:55
Thanks for the great chat, Stephen. I was wondering if you travel to all away games? Or if  you sometimes watch online? I kind of assume that you travel to away games.
Stephen Thompson
1:57
I have been at every football game since I started working for the Post-Gazette and a handful of road basketball games. I won't be in Atlanta tomorrow night or Clemson at the end of the month, but plan on covering every other basketball game the rest of this season in person.
1:58
That's all I've got for this live chat. Appreciate all the questions and hope there are some more positive things to talk about the next time we all convene.
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