PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A second Australian joins Pitt basketball as part of the roster changes for 2025-26. It also brings some more inside presence.
Last year the Panthers were 12th in the ACC in rebounding margin, 11th in rebounding offense, Friday they confirmed the signing of 6’7”, 220-pound Roman Siulepa, who started playing in semi-pro games at age 16. Recently Siulepa led Australia in the FIBA U19 World Cup averaging 18.9 points and 8.1 rebounds. He had a double-double against Team USA with 19 points and 12 rebounds scoring at least 15 points in every game.
“Roman has the strength, athleticism, and skill set to be an impact player,” said head coach Jeff Capel in a statement released by the university. “He is an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor, attacks the rim with force off the dribble, and has a nice shooting stroke from beyond the three-point arc. Roman plays the game with an energy and aggression that fits in well with the team we are building here at Pitt.”
Siulepa won MVP honors at the 2022 NBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp and had a 52-point game as part of a state championship high school season. He is also an accomplished rugby player.
Henry Lau, from Sydney, is the other Australian as part of five freshmen signees along with four players signed out of the transfer portal and four letter-winners returning.