Jorge Diaz-Graham Ready for Second Season: ‘He’s Better When the Lights Come on’

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, PSN will be introducing every Pitt player and updating each player’s current situation on the roster. We start our breakdowns with a sophomore twin from the Canary Islands!

JORGE DIAZ-GRAHAM

Hometown: Canary Islands, Spain

Height, Weight: 6’11, 210 LBS

Position: Guard/Small Forward

Number: 31

Year: Sophomore

Last year: Last season, Diaz-Graham appeared in 31 games with one start as a rookie. He played an average of 9.2 minutes per contest, scoring 2.9 points per game and grabbing 2.2 rebounds per game. Diaz-Graham, at 6-foot-11, hit 12 of his 34 three-point attempts (35.3%) while also shooting 75% from the free-throw line. He scored 8+ points six times last year, with his career-best scoring performance coming against Fairleigh Dickinson in the non-conference (11 points on 4-for-6 shooting).

The storyline: The big news this summer, aside from his injury, was that Diaz-Graham and his twin brother Guillermo stayed in Pittsburgh (as opposed to going home to Europe to compete for their national team) to bulk up and add some more muscle. The twins did just that, as Jorge himself put on 20 pounds, going from 190 last year to 210 now.

Diaz-Graham suffered a foot injury that kept him off the court for most of the summer. However, he updated his status several weeks ago in late September, saying, “I’m feeling great. No pain at all.” After watching him in Pitt’s recent open practice, I’d say it is safe to assume JDG will certainly be at full strength by the Nov. 6. season opener.

That’s great news for Pitt, who will look to Diaz-Graham to give opponents a much different look on the wing than Blake Hinson, Zack Austin, and Will Jeffress. Jorge, who Capel described as a guard last year, has shown that he can shoot the three at a solid rate (35%) and with added muscle, should be stronger with the ball this year on the wing.

In Capel’s Words: 

“Jorge is better when the lights come on,” Capel said following Pitt’s open practice in early October. “He’s a guy, Jorge’s first scrimmage, that was the first time he’s played five-on-five continuous since July, since the foot injury… He’s getting his legs back. But the thing I learned about him last year, he’s different when people are here, when the lights are on. I think everyone, including his teammates, saw that today.”

“They’re more confident,” Capel said about the twins. “They’re able to play through physicality better than they were last year for longer period than they were last year, but more importantly, they’re more confident in their bodies and in their ability.”

“They have to be able to block out, to rebound, to play through contact. That’s what we’ve seen with those guys with the strength and the work that they continue to put in in the weight room.”