Tuesday, June 19, 2018

News and Notes - Tuesday, June 19th

   Apologies for my absence, as I have had a couple of busy travel weeks. One more coming up, as I head out of town for a friend's wedding this weekend. The coverage will be slow through then, but should pick up with more regularity afterward. Onto the news.
  • Congratulations to former Pitt star Brad Wanamaker, who was named the MVP of the Turkish Basketball League's finals, after putting up 16 points per game in the series to lead his team, Fenerbaçhe, to a championship.
  • The big week continued for Wanamaker after the Turkish league finals, as he has begun to pick up attention from some NBA teams. Cardiac Hill writes that Wanamaker is drawing interest from the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Orlando Magic.
  • Despite having graduated from Pitt in 2011, the 28-year-old Wanamaker may finally get his shot to play in the NBA. Good luck to him. Additionally, it would be fun to watch Wanamaker play with another form Pitt stud, Jamel Artis, who currently plays for the Magic. 

  • Artis got an extended look by the Magic coaching staff and front office to end the 2017-18 season, as he averaged 27.5 minutes, 9.3 points, and 3.7 rebounds per game over the final six games of the season. Hopefully this will earn him a shot to make the Magic's roster to start next season, after a campaign that featured frequent shuffling between Orlando and the Magic's G-League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic.

  • One of Pitt's all-time leading scorers, Jason Matthews, took a visit to campus this week, catching up with Tony Salesi, the head athletic trainer for the Men's Basketball team. Salesi has served with the Pitt Athletic Department since 1986.
  • An interesting read from The Big Lead, on how basketball leagues might consider shortening the end of games, and cutting down on the intentional fouling and free throw shooting. The idea? Known as the Elam Ending, this would end games using a "first team to X number of points" system. Would you support a change like this? Or would you rather keep the end of game situation as it is? Check out The Big Lead's article, and let us know in the comments or on Twitter!
   That's all for our news and notes today, but keep checking back for more! I plan on writing a recruiting news post tomorrow, and we'll have another Throwback Thursday in a couple of days. Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow us on Twitter @PittLead
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Thursday, June 14, 2018

Throwback Thursday: The Kevin Stallings and Cameron Johnson Saga

   For our first Throwback Thursday post at The Pitt Basketball Lead, I broach a topic that I never thought I would discuss on this site.

   After all, the drama between Kevin Stallings and Cameron Johnson was viewed as a black eye for Pitt Athletics, and represented one particularly large blemish of the Stallings era. And this site is supposed to be a proud space to discuss all things Pitt basketball.

   However, the Stallings-Johnson case study from 2017 is once again relevant, as the NCAA this week decided to change transfer rules so that schools can no longer block a student athlete from transferring to a specific school, effective Oct. 15, 2018.

   You can be forgiven if you do not recall the specifics of the Pitt case, or if you simply chose to block it from your memory. After all, it did not reflect well upon our beloved Panthers. Despite actually having held on to a number of key players from Jamie Dixon's tenure at Pitt for the 2016-17 season, a bunch of them transferred following his first season as head coach in 2017.

   Former top-100 recruit Corey Manigault left for Indian Hills Community College, Justice Kithcart headed to Old Dominion, and a few others backed out of their commitments to Pitt as well. The biggest was Johnson, who led all underclassmen in the 2016-17 season with 11.9 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

   For reference, Johnson's points per game would have ranked second on Pitt's 2018 team, his assists would have ranked third, and his rebounds would have ranked first (excluding Ryan Luther, since he played in just 10 games this season). It is clear that Johnson's transfer was a major loss to the program.

   When he ultimately decided to transfer, Pitt cited its own Athletic Department policy in prohibiting him from transferring to North Carolina and maintaining immediate eligibility to play. After an inevitable (and reasonable) firestorm, Pitt eventually relented, and Johnson transferred to North Carolina where he averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this season.

   By the time the Stallings-Johnson drama happened, it was clear that Johnson intended to transfer, and there was little to gain by impeding his transfer to North Carolina. It instead hurt Pitt's reputation in the early phase of what became a dramatic and swift fall to the bottom. As a result of the NCAA's recent decision on transfers, schools will no longer be able to make this blunder like Pitt did just one year ago.

   All of this, of course, makes Jeff Capel's revival of Pittsburgh basketball all the more dramatic. Pitt's reputation had taken a big hit, and one that had somehow been made even worse by their zero-win ACC slate in 2017-18. Yet Capel has re-energized the program and largely resurrected its reputation in merely a few months, a minor miracle.

   Here's to the NCAA's decision to end of a bad university practice, and to a brighter future for Pitt basketball than we would have imagined at this time last year. And I promise to have a cheerier Throwback Thursday next week.

   Thanks for reading, we'll have more content soon. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @PittLead and tell your friends!
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Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Potential Pitt 2019 Target: C Jason Jitoboh

One name to watch as Pitt wraps up its 2018 recruiting and shifts its focus to 2019 is center Jason Jitoboh from Tennessee. Jitoboh is a name to watch as an under the radar target as Pitt heats up their search for big men to bolster what is currently a guard-heavy roster, light on frontcourt options.

Jitoboh has largely flown under the radar as a recruit, remaining unranked by both 247sports and rivals as of June 13th. Still, the 6 foot 11 inch center from Tennessee has received a lot of attention from major D-1 programs.

He currently has offers from Louisville, Tennessee, Auburn, Wake Forest, and a few other programs, in addition to being courted by Clemson, West Virginia, and Xavier.

And when you look at his highlights, it is clear to see why. Jitoboh towers over most of his high school opponents, and uses his length effectively to block shots and secure plenty of rebounds. Further, he is agile on the low block and able to defend against the drive.

His post offense also looks to be pretty good, though he would likely be challenged offensively by bigger, stronger opponents in the post in the ACC. See his 2017 summer highlight video below:


At this time, there is nothing concrete linking Jitoboh to Pitt or the coaching staff, but I have a feeling that he could wind up on their radar.

Check back for more updates at the Pitt Lead, and follow us on Twitter @PittLead!

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News and Notes - Wednesday, June 13th

Happy Wednesday! Thanks for joining us for some mid-week Pitt basketball news:

  • This is a few days old, but it is a fantastic read in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette on the early recruiting successes and the previously dire situation inherited by Jeff Capel and his staff.

  • My favorite portion of the article? Capel talking about how the ACC helped land some of the big recruits that Pitt has brought in this year. For the past five years, the move to the ACC has largely been defined as the beginning of the end for Pitt basketball. Rightly, Capel notes that the move to the ACC hasn't hurt some of the other programs that came from the Big East, and that Pitt can make it work.

  • I long hoped that Pitt would hire a coach familiar with ACC terrain who could take advantage of all the conference has to offer. Lo and behold, Capel already has two commits from Virginia this season in Trey McGowens and Xavier Johnson. They had just one from Virginia from 2014 through 2017. And you had better believe that Capel will be familiar with the style of play of ACC opponents when the team is game planning for the 2018-19 season.
  • A fun fan tweet showing appreciation for Capel's work thus far:
  • He committed a couple of weeks ago, but forward commit Au'Diese Toney is officially a member of the 2018 Pitt class: 
  • File this one away in the fun category as well, but Dick Vitale comes in for some love from the Oakland Zoo after tweeting about the greatness of Pitt hoops:
    • That's all for now everyone, stay tuned for more! And be sure to follow us on Twitter @PittLead or subscribe to the blog if you're enjoying the content.
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Saturday, June 9, 2018

Recruiting Notes - Saturday, June 9

After resolving some unfortunate computer issues over the past few days, The Pitt Lead is back with some fresh content! I didn't find blogger to be particularly phone-user friendly, so it was difficult to create new posts without my computer.

Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here on out. Onto the news.

  • This is the current list of teams which have offered 2019 PF/C Oscar Tshiebwe a scholarship thus far:
  • In case you missed it, Tshiebwe took an unofficial visit to Pitt this past Monday, and reportedly enjoyed it.

  • Four-star, Top 150 forward Au'Diese Toney has officially signed on with Pitt to join the 2018 recruiting class: 
  • According to a report from Corey Evans from the PantherLair, one of the top sophomore recruits in the country will be making an unofficial visit to Pitt on Aug. 4: 
  • I love seeing news like this. Ace Baldwin is currently a sophomore, and is not even allowed to talk with the Pitt staff until June 15th per recruiting rules. Still, he's already planned to make a visit to Pitt early in the official recruitment period. 

  • Evans shows up with another report of an unofficial visit for 2019 F Anthony Walker from Maryland, on the same day as Baldwin, Aug. 4:
  • Walker is unranked by both 247sports and Rivals, but is clearly getting a lot of attention from major D-1 basketball programs. Aside from setting visits with the programs that Evans mentions, 247sports indicates that Walker has also been recruited by TCU and national champion Villanova.

  •  It may just be a coincidence that Walker and Baldwin are visiting on the same day, or there may be some strategy to it. Allowing the kids to foster a connection centered around Pitt surely can't be a bad thing. Then again, it may just be that that is when each of their schedules worked for a visit. Time will tell if there's any positive effect.
That's it for today's recruiting news, thanks for your patience with our slow content over the past few days! More soon.
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Wednesday, June 6, 2018

News and Notes - June 6th

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm thinking about switching up the format of the blog a bit, such that recruiting news is its own section apart from general Pitt basketball news. Leave a comment below or message us on Twitter @PittLead to let us know what you think!

And now, for some evening news bits:
  • Members of the Pitt coaching staff, including Jeff Capel and assistants Jason Capel and Milan Brown, are in attendance for tonight's NBA Finals game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors:
  • I tend to think that something like this is just fun and doesn't have any serious recruiting implications. But for some recruits, maybe there is a slight positive effect of seeing the coaching staff mingling with NBA personalities on professional basketball's biggest stage. At the very least, it's fun to see the new coaching staff doing this kind of thing and publicizing it because the fans are into it.
  • Here's a good hype video interview with Capel courtesy of the ACC Digital Network, wherein Capel discusses building a foundation now, and restoring pride in Pitt basketball:
  •  Pittsburgh Sports Now has two articles up on 2019 Pitt recruiting targets Oscar Tshiebwe and Greg Gantt Jr., and you should check them both out if you have the time. 
  • Among the highlights, it sounds like Tshiebwe enjoyed his Monday visit to Pitt, and Capel is working hard to continue to foster a relationship with him. Gantt Jr. had positive things to say about incoming freshmen Trey McGowens and Au'Diese Toney, both of whom he has played with in the past.
  • Again, if you get the chance, you should read Pittsburgh Sports Now's interviews with each of those players, which are linked to their names in the above bullet point.
  • Here's a cool bit of news to follow, as a team of Pitt basketball alums, including Gary McGhee, Levance Fields, and Tyrell Biggs will be playing in The Basketball Tournament this summer, on ESPN. See the team tweets below, including their side of the bracket:
  • The Zoo Crew is a seven seed in the tournament, and will face off against Jackson TN Underdawgs in Columbus on the weekend of July 20.  

That's it for now! Look out for us to have more news tomorrow, as well as our first Throwback Thursday feature. 
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Sunday, June 3, 2018

Pitt Pod Episode 1 - The Magic of Jeff Capel's Recruiting




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Breaking Down the 2018-19 Roster: Backcourt

   For our first ever "Analyze This" post, and on the heels of the Au'Diese Toney commitment, I wanted to take some time to break down Pitt's roster for the 2018-19 season as it stands the first week of June. This post will discuss the backcourt, with another post to follow shortly on the frontcourt.

   It's difficult to project who will be starting and who will be coming off the bench this early on, but let's dive in and check out the talent that Pitt has, with one open scholarship remaining for the upcoming season.

Jared Wilson-Frame, Senior

   Wilson-Frame represents an interesting case for Jeff Capel as we enter Year One of the Capel Era. During the 2017-18 basketball season, Wilson-Frame was Pitt's leading scorer, posting 13 points per game despite shooting just a .375 field goal percentage, which ranked eighth on the team among players with at least three shot attempts per game. Still, Wilson-Frame's 11.8 shots per game led the team.

   Kevin Stallings often noted that he gave his players a lot of freedom on offense to play their game, and that no doubt contributed to an older, more experienced player like Wilson-Frame getting his fair share of the team's shots compared with the cohort of true freshmen on the team in 2017-18. 

   With Capel coming in, bringing in some key recruits, and introducing what figures to be a more structured offense, it will be interesting to follow the impact on Wilson-Frame's game and his use over the course of the season. At 6'5" and one of the taller members of the roster, it would not be a surprise to see him played at the small forward position at times next season.

Sidy N'Dir, Graduate Transfer

   N'Dir, who is transferring to Pitt from New Mexico State, will be a welcome addition to the 2018-19 squad. The 6'2" guard brings with him veteran leadership and NCAA tournament experience, having played on the Aggies' 28-win, WAC conference champion team this past season.

   Underrated as an offensive performer, N'Dir was off to a blazing hot start to his 2016-17 season before a foot injury forced him to miss the rest of the season from December onward. Putting up nearly 14 points per game on a .494 field goal percentage, N'Dir was New Mexico State's leading scorer before the injury.

   He returned in 2017-18 to put up decent numbers, though he didn't return to the levels of success he had reached a season earlier. Of course, having played in the WAC, N'Dir did not often face the level of competition that he will see in the ACC. Still, he brings a strong defensive profile with offensive upside, and some much needed veteran leadership to a team that still figures to be one of the youngest in the conference.

Malik Ellison, Redshirt Junior

   At 6'6", Ellison is in the same boat as Wilson-Frame in that he's likely to spend some time at the small forward position this season. As a guard at St. John's prior to his transfer, though, Ellison put up decent if uninspiring numbers, finishing fifth on the team in scoring in 2016-17.

   He showed flashes of excellence that season, putting up strong numbers against teams like Penn State and Syracuse, and was frequently praised by Stallings last season as being the best player on the floor in practice.

   In 2018-19, Ellison will provide some much needed length on a rather small team, but without ever having seen him play in the ACC, it is difficult to project just how he will fit into the picture for playing time.

Khameron Davis, Sophomore

   Davis was about as unknown a prospect as you'll find when he committed to Pitt in 2017, and he showed flashes of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively was another story. Despite putting up decent numbers during non-conference play, Davis struggled mightily against ACC opponents, shooting just .318 from the field and scoring 3.1 points per game in 25 minutes per game.

   With the addition of guards Trey McGowens, Xavier Johnson, and N'Dir, Davis figures to see less playing time next season than he did in 2017-18. He can still provide value defensively, and figures to continue to develop offensively as a true sophomore.

Trey McGowens, Freshman

   McGowens' signing represented an early triumph in the Capel tenure at Pitt, as well as the birth of a great rallying cry in #ZooEra. Ranked as the number 89 overall recruit in the country by 247sports, McGowens is Pitt's most highly ranked recruit since Steven Adams in 2012.

   Most impressively, it took Capel just eight days to reel McGowens in, despite McGowens' never having seen Pitt's campus prior to committing. McGowens is a combo guard, and it's hard to say just where he will play more in 2018-19. Regardless of which position he plays next season, he figures to get a lot of playing time as a true freshman, and will be extremely exciting to follow as he starts his Pitt career.

Xavier Johnson, Freshman

   Much like McGowens, Johnson's signing with Pitt provided a jolt of excitement to the fanbase. Johnson, a three-star point guard from Virginia, will give the Panthers immediate reinforcement in the backcourt in the form of a high-upside talent.

   Johnson will likely see a lot of time on the floor in 2018-19, especially given that he is a true point guard, something that Pitt otherwise lacks on the roster among a flurry of combo guards. Johnson has been very vocal on Twitter about his excitement to join the Panthers, and as one of Capel's earliest recruits, his presence will be prominently felt next season, no matter how many minutes he gets.

Curtis Aiken, Jr., Freshman

   Aiken is another fascinating case in that he passed on scholarship offers at Division-I schools to attend Pitt as a preferred walk-on. Aiken first received a scholarship offer from Pitt in 2015 by then-coach Jamie Dixon, who again offered Aiken once he took the head coach position at TCU in 2016. 

   Despite a three-year courtship by Dixon, Aiken saw the allure of Capel and the bright days ahead for Pitt basketball and followed in his father's footsteps--Aiken Jr. is the son of former Pitt star guard Curtis Aiken Sr., who led Pitt guards in scoring in 1986-87.

   A talented guard coming off of injury problems during his high school career, Aiken is unlikely to see significant playing time in 2018-19, and might be destined for a redshirt as a non-scholarship player.
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Recruiting Notes - Tuesday, June 5

Recruiting news and notes from Tues. June 5th:


  • According to reports from Pittsburgh Sports Now and Harry Psaros, 2019 C Oscar Tshiebwe from Kennedy Catholic made an unofficial visit to Pitt on Monday:

  • Tshiebwe is a highly-touted big man in the 2019 class, ranked 116th nationally by 247 sports, and 54th by Rivals. Tshiebwe would give Pitt both high-end talent and an improvement in front court depth.
  • Pitt has also found itself in the top nine schools for another top recruit from the 2019 class, Greg Gantt Jr.: 

  • Gantt Jr. is a 6'7" forward from North Carolina, currently ranked 57th in the country by 247sports. Clemson is the only other ACC school to make his top nine list, which includes other Power 5 programs like Providence, Alabama, and Florida.
  • Pitt has offered five-star 2019 PF/C Armando Bacot, as of May 26th, according to 247s sports. Bacot had previously revealed his top 10 schools in Oct. 2017, which included programs four ACC teams (Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech), and other top programs like national champion Villanova.

  • And just like that, Pitt's 2018 recruiting class ranks 35th overall in the nation, and sixth in the ACC. We may look back at the addition of G Trey McGowens as a critical moment during the Jeff Capel era when top recruits started to view Pitt as a viable option once again.  
  • Notably, Pitt's 2018 recruiting effort now ranks higher than a number of major programs, including ACC rival Syracuse (#37); the new home of former Pitt PG Marcus Carr, Minnesota (#42;), Sweet 16 participant Purdue (#45); and 2018 ACC Champion Virginia (#69).

That's it for now, everyone! We'll be back with more content soon, leave your comments below and give us a follow on Twitter, @PittLead.
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Who We Are

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Pitt Basketball Lead!

I am excited to start this site, and I hope to provide interesting, daily content and analysis of Pitt Panthers basketball. While there are a handful of other (very good) Pitt fan sites, I find that they tend to focus of their efforts toward Pitt football.

Thus, The Pitt Basketball Lead will focus exclusively on Pittsburgh basketball. I want to provide daily news and analysis, and give fans a space to discuss all things Pitt basketball. I look forward to chatting with all of you, and welcome your feedback on how to make The Pitt Basketball Lead the best that it can be!

Thanks for reading, and find us on Twitter at @PittLead.

-Ryan
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Opinion: The City Game has run its course

   Following the Panthers' win on Monday night against Northern Illinois, Pitt men's basketball coach Jeff Capel gave a curt respons...