Pitt Adds to Roster with Top Australian Prospect Roman Siulepa
7/18/2025 9:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – The 2025-26 Pitt Basketball roster continues to take shape with the official signing of Roman Siulepa, the top prospect out of Australia and someone who has appeared on the radars of NBA teams since playing in the semi-pro ranks at the age of 16. Siulepa is coming off an impressive showing at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup (June 28-July 6) earning Second Team All-Tournament accolades at the event.
"Roman has the strength, athleticism, and skill set to be an impact player," said head coach Jeff Capel. "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 led his home country to a sixth-place finish averaging 18.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game to earn all-second team accolades at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. He posted a pair of double-doubles, including 19 points and 12 rebounds against a loaded U.S. team, and scored 15 or more points in all seven games of the event. Siulepa ranked fourth in the event in scoring and eighth in rebounding.
Siulepa burst on to the national scene after earning MVP honors at the 2022 NBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp before helping Australia to a gold medal the 2022 FIBA U16 Asian Championships and a spot in the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup.
In 2023, he was named Queensland Basketball Player of the Year after an impressive 12-month run that included a 52-point game en route to leading the Brisbane Capitals to a U18 State Championship. He also won a bronze medal with Queensland South at U18 Nationals. Siulepa delivered 18.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game to lead Australia to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Tournament.
The 6-7, 220-pound forward continued to excel in 2024 earning MVP accolades at the Australian U20 National Championships after averaging 24 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He also claimed all-tournament honors after leading Australia to a gold medal in the 2024 Albert Schweitzer Tournament.
Siulepa began playing with the South West Metro Pirates in the NBL1 as a 16-year old where he was teammates with former Pitt standout and two-time NBL first team selection Lamar Patterson. He averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds during the 2024 season that included a 37-point, 11-rebound effort in a 104-96 win over Ipswich Force. He earned NBL1 North Player of the Week honors following the performance.
He signed with the NBL's Tasmania JackJumpers as a Next Star entrant in 2024 but elected to depart the team to return to Brisbane to complete his schooling and participate in high school rugby. Siulepa is also one of the top rugby players in Australia with commentators praising him as one of the best high-school rugby players ever through the GPS system.
Siulepa resigned with the South West Metro Pirates and averaged 18.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 14 games for a finals team.
2025-26 PITT ROSTER
Pitt returns four scholarship letterwinners in Papa Amadou Kante, Cameron Corhen, Brandin Cummings, and Amdy Ndiaye, while also signing four players out of the transfer portal in Barry Dunning, Jr. (South Alabama), Nojus Indrusaitis (Iowa State), Dishon Jackson (Iowa State), and Damarco Minor (Oregon State).
Siulepa becomes Pitt's fifth signee without collegiate experience joining Omari Witherspoon (St. John's College), Henry Lau (Sydney Boys High/Sydney Kings), Macari Moore (Ann Arbor Huron), and Kieran Mullen (St. Thomas More). He and Lau are also Pitt's first basketball signees from Australia.
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