Stephen Thompson
@stephenthompson.bsky.social
I write about Pitt athletics for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette | Boston Celtics fan | he/him | be where your feet are
Pinned
Column | All I need to know, I learned at Trees - The Pitt News
Outgoing sports editor Stephen Thompson has spent four years playing on and learning from Pittsburgh’s pick-up basketball courts. This is what they taught him and why he’s sad to leave them behind aft...
pittnews.com
Re-sharing this here because:
a) I want to pin it to my profile again
b) it's my favorite piece of original published writing and
c) it's 70° and I'm playing pickup later.
“Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School.” — Robert Fulghum
a) I want to pin it to my profile again
b) it's my favorite piece of original published writing and
c) it's 70° and I'm playing pickup later.
“Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School.” — Robert Fulghum
This is firmly “They supposed to be SEC” territory.
January 1, 2026 at 11:41 PM
This is firmly “They supposed to be SEC” territory.
Me? Daunted?? I’m insulted you’d even suggest such a thing.
January 1, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Me? Daunted?? I’m insulted you’d even suggest such a thing.
I wonder what major, premature change to the CFP format everyone will want after a team with a bye wins a game.
January 1, 2026 at 10:36 PM
I wonder what major, premature change to the CFP format everyone will want after a team with a bye wins a game.
Whoever’s doing laundry for Indiana and Alabama after this game won’t be paid enough for it.
January 1, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Whoever’s doing laundry for Indiana and Alabama after this game won’t be paid enough for it.
California Dreamin’ should be the intro to every single Rose Bowl broadcast, no exceptions.
January 1, 2026 at 9:09 PM
California Dreamin’ should be the intro to every single Rose Bowl broadcast, no exceptions.
Take The Points heads we are so up.
January 1, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Take The Points heads we are so up.
That was from a completely different lifetime.
January 1, 2026 at 2:15 AM
That was from a completely different lifetime.
No one has ever been more excited to get back to 20 degree weather than yours truly.
December 31, 2025 at 10:07 PM
No one has ever been more excited to get back to 20 degree weather than yours truly.
On the flip side of things, I see Ryan Carretta as a capable replacement for Cooper. Pitt will need to backfill but more linemen were already on the wishlist for this offseason.
I try to take a “wait and see” approach with transfers, because you never really know how everything will play out, but it’s really hard to replace a guy like Rasheem Biles especially with the position coach who made that unit hum gone.
December 31, 2025 at 6:52 PM
On the flip side of things, I see Ryan Carretta as a capable replacement for Cooper. Pitt will need to backfill but more linemen were already on the wishlist for this offseason.
I try to take a “wait and see” approach with transfers, because you never really know how everything will play out, but it’s really hard to replace a guy like Rasheem Biles especially with the position coach who made that unit hum gone.
December 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM
I try to take a “wait and see” approach with transfers, because you never really know how everything will play out, but it’s really hard to replace a guy like Rasheem Biles especially with the position coach who made that unit hum gone.
Confirmation from the man himself. Pitt loses its two best defenders in one offseason.
December 31, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Confirmation from the man himself. Pitt loses its two best defenders in one offseason.
Multiple outlets reporting that Rasheem Biles intends to enter the transfer portal. A loss for Pitt that is impossible to overstate.
December 31, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Multiple outlets reporting that Rasheem Biles intends to enter the transfer portal. A loss for Pitt that is impossible to overstate.
I had fun with this question on the other site: who is on your Mt Rushmore of athletes who played at Pitt for only one season?
I think mine would be: Mo Gueye, Kavir Bains-Marquez, Kylan Johnson and Greg Elliott. Might have been better players than Greg but I just loved talking to him.
I think mine would be: Mo Gueye, Kavir Bains-Marquez, Kylan Johnson and Greg Elliott. Might have been better players than Greg but I just loved talking to him.
Kavir Bains Marquez has declared for the draft. Really fun player. Up there with Mo Gueye in the pantheon of one-year transfers you wish could have stuck around for longer.
December 31, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I had fun with this question on the other site: who is on your Mt Rushmore of athletes who played at Pitt for only one season?
I think mine would be: Mo Gueye, Kavir Bains-Marquez, Kylan Johnson and Greg Elliott. Might have been better players than Greg but I just loved talking to him.
I think mine would be: Mo Gueye, Kavir Bains-Marquez, Kylan Johnson and Greg Elliott. Might have been better players than Greg but I just loved talking to him.
Heard Joey Galloway make what I thought was a pretty good point about the Rose Bowl: if you think Alabama is going to win, it's because you're expecting them to do something(s) they really haven't for the vast majority of this year, which feels flimsy to me.
December 31, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Heard Joey Galloway make what I thought was a pretty good point about the Rose Bowl: if you think Alabama is going to win, it's because you're expecting them to do something(s) they really haven't for the vast majority of this year, which feels flimsy to me.
Kavir Bains Marquez has declared for the draft. Really fun player. Up there with Mo Gueye in the pantheon of one-year transfers you wish could have stuck around for longer.
December 31, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Kavir Bains Marquez has declared for the draft. Really fun player. Up there with Mo Gueye in the pantheon of one-year transfers you wish could have stuck around for longer.
MIAMI -- Pitt's inability to rebound cost it a 10-point halftime lead and its ACC opener against the bruising Canes. It continues to be a problem without an obvious solution.
"It’s really tough to win when you put yourself in a position like that.”
www.post-gazette.com/sports/pitt/...
"It’s really tough to win when you put yourself in a position like that.”
www.post-gazette.com/sports/pitt/...
Instant analysis: Pitt's rebounding woes persist in loss at Miami
MIAMI — On paper, Miami looked like an extraordinarily bad matchup for Pitt in the 2025-26 ACC opener. A combination of its faster pace, more extended...
www.post-gazette.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:05 AM
MIAMI -- Pitt's inability to rebound cost it a 10-point halftime lead and its ACC opener against the bruising Canes. It continues to be a problem without an obvious solution.
"It’s really tough to win when you put yourself in a position like that.”
www.post-gazette.com/sports/pitt/...
"It’s really tough to win when you put yourself in a position like that.”
www.post-gazette.com/sports/pitt/...
Pitt is 1-5 in the rebounding battle vs. high major teams this year. It was beaten 43-28 on the glass tonight. So I asked Jeff Capel, given that it's been a consistent issue and appears to be a fact of life for this Pitt team, if there's anyway around it.
His answer:
His answer:
December 31, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Pitt is 1-5 in the rebounding battle vs. high major teams this year. It was beaten 43-28 on the glass tonight. So I asked Jeff Capel, given that it's been a consistent issue and appears to be a fact of life for this Pitt team, if there's anyway around it.
His answer:
His answer:
Pitt 69, Miami 76 -- Final
Panthers fall to 0-1 in ACC play. It was a good start, but they couldn't sustain the early rebounding efforts and efficient shooting from 3 that got them out to a halftime lead. These are familiar themes.
Next up is a home game vs. Clemson on Saturday at noon.
Panthers fall to 0-1 in ACC play. It was a good start, but they couldn't sustain the early rebounding efforts and efficient shooting from 3 that got them out to a halftime lead. These are familiar themes.
Next up is a home game vs. Clemson on Saturday at noon.
December 31, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Pitt 69, Miami 76 -- Final
Panthers fall to 0-1 in ACC play. It was a good start, but they couldn't sustain the early rebounding efforts and efficient shooting from 3 that got them out to a halftime lead. These are familiar themes.
Next up is a home game vs. Clemson on Saturday at noon.
Panthers fall to 0-1 in ACC play. It was a good start, but they couldn't sustain the early rebounding efforts and efficient shooting from 3 that got them out to a halftime lead. These are familiar themes.
Next up is a home game vs. Clemson on Saturday at noon.
Pitt 63, Miami 69 -- 2:43 2H
Miami has made it a 13-3 run over the last 5 minutes. Pitt had been holding its own on the glass but 2nd chance points are now 9-2 favoring the Hurricanes in the 2nd half. Panthers are 1-9 from 3 this half too.
Miami has made it a 13-3 run over the last 5 minutes. Pitt had been holding its own on the glass but 2nd chance points are now 9-2 favoring the Hurricanes in the 2nd half. Panthers are 1-9 from 3 this half too.
December 31, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Pitt 63, Miami 69 -- 2:43 2H
Miami has made it a 13-3 run over the last 5 minutes. Pitt had been holding its own on the glass but 2nd chance points are now 9-2 favoring the Hurricanes in the 2nd half. Panthers are 1-9 from 3 this half too.
Miami has made it a 13-3 run over the last 5 minutes. Pitt had been holding its own on the glass but 2nd chance points are now 9-2 favoring the Hurricanes in the 2nd half. Panthers are 1-9 from 3 this half too.
Timeout, Jeff Capel. Miami had been on an 8-0 run over the previous 2:32 before a Damarco Minor 3 from the logo. Hurricanes, behind its zone defense, lead 64-63 with 4:45 to play.
December 31, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Timeout, Jeff Capel. Miami had been on an 8-0 run over the previous 2:32 before a Damarco Minor 3 from the logo. Hurricanes, behind its zone defense, lead 64-63 with 4:45 to play.
Looks like Minor is going to get a rest but try to play again. He was getting treated for a while but is back on the bench without any trainers tending to him.
Roman's back on the bench too. Short absence.
Roman's back on the bench too. Short absence.
Four fouls on Roman Siulepa after picking up a block as Reneau drove in transition. He jogged back to the locker room after coming back to the bench.
Damarco Minor comes up limping after the play as well and is being checked out by trainers on the bench.
Damarco Minor comes up limping after the play as well and is being checked out by trainers on the bench.
December 31, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Looks like Minor is going to get a rest but try to play again. He was getting treated for a while but is back on the bench without any trainers tending to him.
Roman's back on the bench too. Short absence.
Roman's back on the bench too. Short absence.
Four fouls on Roman Siulepa after picking up a block as Reneau drove in transition. He jogged back to the locker room after coming back to the bench.
Damarco Minor comes up limping after the play as well and is being checked out by trainers on the bench.
Damarco Minor comes up limping after the play as well and is being checked out by trainers on the bench.
December 31, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Four fouls on Roman Siulepa after picking up a block as Reneau drove in transition. He jogged back to the locker room after coming back to the bench.
Damarco Minor comes up limping after the play as well and is being checked out by trainers on the bench.
Damarco Minor comes up limping after the play as well and is being checked out by trainers on the bench.
Big time finish through contact for Roman Siulepa and he draws a 2nd foul on Udeh, one of the best rebounders in the country.
December 31, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Big time finish through contact for Roman Siulepa and he draws a 2nd foul on Udeh, one of the best rebounders in the country.