Pitt moved quick to land Federiko
When Fede Federiko decided to decommit from West Virginia this spring, it didn’t take long for the junior-college center’s phone to ring.
One of the first calls he got was from Pitt, and on Thursday, that quick phone call paid off when Federiko announced his commitment to the Panthers.
“Really, the biggest thing was the love they showed me since they started recruiting me, just checking on me every day,” Federiko told Panther-Lair.com after announcing his commitment. “When I visited, they told me how much they need a player like me and how they would use me on the court, so I felt like they showed me the most love and it was the best place for me right now.”
Federiko comes to Pitt after spending one season at Northern Oklahoma, where he averaged 11.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. At 6’11” and 218 pounds, he’s a natural fit for a Pitt roster that needs to add size this offseason.
“They showed me film on everything and they said they would like to start playing two bigs,” he said. “They showed me how I would be playing: catching lobs and finishing around the rim, and on defense, of course, rim protection.
“I would be a rim protector and help John (Hugley) when he gets doubled. I feel I would be a big piece and a big asset.”
Federiko took an official visit to Pitt this past weekend, and while he followed that visit with a trip to another high-major school, his mind was nearly made up by the time he left Pittsburgh.
“I kind of knew I would go to Pitt on the visit, but I went to a South Carolina visit after that and then I decided on Pitt,” he said. “I think I knew when I was talking with the players - John, Nike (Sibande) - and we talked about basketball and I feel like they would be great teammates for me, great mentors that would help me grow my game.
“And I feel like Coach (Jeff) Capel is a great coach who cares about his players. He knows what kind of pieces he wants on his team and overall he gave me a great impression.”
Originally from Finland, Federiko played his final year of high school basketball at First Love Christian Academy in Washington, Pa., before spending this past season at Northern Oklahoma. Now he’s looking forward to getting back to western Pennsylvania.
“Pittsburgh has been a great city since my year at First Love, so I got familiar with the area and I liked it a lot. It’s a big change from Oklahoma.”
Federiko is the third roster addition for Pitt this offseason. The Panthers previously added Colgate guard Nelly Cummings and Iowa State forward Blake Hinson as transfers, and with Cummings, Hinson and Federiko joining the five returning players from Pitt’s 2021-22 roster - Hugley, Sibande, Jamarius Burton, Nate Santos and Will Jeffress - Capel will move forward with five available scholarship spots. Federiko will bring more size to a roster that needs it, but Capel will likely continue his pursuit for at least one more power forward.