Federiko Federiko Provides Jolt To Pitt Frontcourt
PITTSBURGH -- Federiko Federiko has had a tough go of it at times for the Pitt Panthers this season, but his return to the starting lineup on Saturday helped propel the team to a surprising upset win on the road against the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils.
Standing in for Guillermo Diaz Graham, Federiko received his most playing time since Dec. 3 with 27 minutes while recording nine points on 4-of-5 shooting to go with five rebounds, two assists and two blocks. He also held his own against Kyle Filipowski, who scored just four points on two-point field goal attempts and recorded only five rebounds, which tied for the second-lowest single-game total of his campaign.
Federiko looked much more like the interior presence the Panthers thought he would be coming into the year after a promising first season with the program. He provided the kind of physicality and defensive edge the team has desperately needed all season, and it's part of why Jeff Capel changed things up and turned to him with hopes of improved results.
"We wanted to go with something different," Capel said. "Obviously, what we’ve been doing in the starts of games have not been good. Fede had two really good days of practice, obviously he’s more physical than Guillermo, and we knew we had to have some physicality to guard Filipowski."
Hope exists that this kind of performance by Federiko can settle him into a groove down the stretch. Blake Hinson was complimentary of his performance, stating that he stepped up when the Panthers needed it the most, and that it felt natural for him to be out there with the starters.
"I’m so used to seeing him out there, he made the start, and I didn’t realize until we were at the first media timeout," Hinson said. "My coach was like ‘That’s how you step up when I start you’ or something like that, and I’m like ‘Oh, he is.’ That was a good job stepping up.”
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