Inside The Panthers

Freshman Pitt Bigs To Tryout for Spanish U20 National Team

Pitt big men, Jorge and Guillermo Diaz-Graham will be two of the 16 players competing for 12 roster spots.
Freshman Pitt Bigs To Tryout for Spanish U20 National Team
Freshman Pitt Bigs To Tryout for Spanish U20 National Team

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PITTSBURGH -- Jorge and Guillermo Diaz-Graham, twin brothers from Spain who committed to play basketball for the Pitt Panthers in early May, will tryout for a spot on their country's U20 national team, according to a release from the program

The two newly-minted Panther big men, who have been on campus in Oakland taking classes working out with the team, will practice in Spain and Portugal for 20 days with the other 14 invitees before the final roster of 12 players is selected. Should they make the team, they will compete in the FIBA U20 European Championships in Montenegro from July 16-24. 

Guillermo has experience playing on the international stage. He averaged 11 points on 56% shooting, 5.6 rebounds and three blocks over five games - each of which he started - for the Spanish team at the 2021 FIBA U18 Tournament. 

“This is going to be a great experience for us. We are going to be practicing with teammates that are the best of Spain, so that’s always huge, and we have a lot of friends there,” Guillermo Diaz-Graham said. “Last year was my first time with the national team in official competition, and it was a really great experience. I met a lot of guys there, a lot of good friends now.”

Guillermo added that he believes working out with the Panthers during the spring has helped prepare him for the challenge that this tryout and international competition will pose. 

“Starting workouts in college with new teammates, new coaches has been hard but it is a great warmup [for camp],” Guillermo said. “I’m a forward, I like to say I’m a forward because the way I move, so playing with and practicing with big guys like John [Hugley] that play inside has helped me extend my capacities and make me more confident about my inside game, too.” 

Jorge hopes to make the national team for the first time. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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