Thursday, December 19, 2019

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 response to the question of why Duquesne and Pitt aren't playing a 2019 edition of the City Game.

   "I had a lot of involvement in the scheduling, but there were some things that happened that we decided not to play them this year," Capel stated, noting that those deciding factors were between Capel and Athletic Director Heather Lyke.

   Capel's answer caused quite a stir on Twitter and among several members of Pittsburgh sports media, with many voicing their opinion that Pitt and Duquesne should play every year in a continuation of a great, city-wide tradition:

   Of course, Zeise accidentally hit on the main reason that Pitt and Duquesne not facing off in 2019 is not a big deal. The Panthers and the Dukes have had about as much of a rivalry as a hammer and a nail over the past three decades. Going back to the 1989-90 season, Pitt is 27-3 against Duquesne in the City Game.

   One of those losses came during the dark days of the Kevin Stallings era, in December 2016. To find the next most recent Duquesne victory, you have to go all the way back to the Ben Howland era, when Pitt fell to Duquesne in Dec. 2000.

   In the 16 years between Duquesne victories, Pitt finished inside of the AP top 20 an impressive 10 times, including five times inside of the top 10. They reached the Elite Eight once, and the Sweet Sixteen four more times.

   Duquesne, meanwhile, has finished better than no. 100 in KenPom's college basketball rankings just three times since 2002, and has finished ranked worse than no. 200 a whopping nine times. And it's not necessarily trending in the right direction for the Dukes.  Despite a strong showing so far this season, Duquesne has failed to crack the top 100 since the 2010-11 campaign, and has finished lower than no. 152 in every season since 2012-13.

   Sure, Pitt has struggled over the past few seasons. But even since its fall from dominance several years ago, the Panthers have been a much better program than the Dukes. In Kevin Stallings' first season at Pitt, when Pitt finished 16-17, they still finished at no. 79 in the KenPom rankings--145 spots ahead of Duquesne that year.

   Pitt cratered to no. 224 in Stallings' second season, one that for many Panther fans serves as Pitt's absolute worst season in living memory. Of course, this was essentially an eye-level finish with where Duquesne has sat for the better part of the past two decades.

   And that is perhaps exactly the reason that Pitt fans don't seem to care that Pitt isn't playing Duquesne this season:


   It is no secret that Pitt basketball still has a long way to go to be the program that it has been, and the program that it can be. And that's exactly the point. Capel envisions returning Pitt basketball to its place atop the college basketball ranks, where it stood for nearly 15 years to start the 2000s.

   Part of rebuilding the Pitt program to the success that it regularly achieved as recently as half a decade ago involves acting like a top basketball program. And the best programs in college basketball don't play neutral site contests in December against mid-major programs.

   There is an entire generation--and perhaps multiple generations--of Pitt fans who consider Duquesne to be little more of a rivalry than any southern ACC school that the Panthers play once each season.

   I will concede this: Duquesne is playing some solid basketball right now, and it would be fun for the city to have two perennially strong college basketball teams in the city of Pittsburgh. It could even be fun to see those two teams play an annual rivalry game.

   But with commitments to the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, an early-season tip-off tournament, and 20 annual ACC games, there just isn't as much room on the schedule as there was several years ago when Pitt played just 18 Big East games each year.

   "I understand that that game is something that's been a staple of this city, and I'm not saying that it won't continue, but I'm saying that I need to do what is best for my program," Capel told Colin Dunlap and Chris Mack on 93.7 The Fan.

   Given the kind of program that Capel envisions that the Panthers can become, combined with the realities of the college basketball schedule, it is a very reasonable assessment for Pitt to make that playing Duquesne at a neutral site each year simply is not the best course of action right now.

   If Keith Dambrot can continue his winning ways with the Dukes and build a program that becomes more than a perennial bottom-feeder, I would wholeheartedly support reviving the City Game.

   But as of the writing of this article, that's just not what the City Game is, and it's been little more than hammer meets nail for 30 years.
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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

As Early Signing Period Nears, What are Pitt's Recruiting Priorities?

   The early signing period for Division-I men's basketball is right around the corner, as class of 2020 commits will be able to sign their National Letters of Intent (NLI) beginning this Wednesday, Nov. 13. The early signing period will last just one week and end on Nov. 20, marking the last day that players can sign a NLI until April 15, 2020.

What is a National Letter of Intent?


   To understand the significance of the early signing period, it is important to know exactly how a National Letter of Intent works. A NLI is an official agreement that a player can sign in which the school agrees to give the committing student athletics financial aid for the upcoming year in exchange for the student athlete's agreement to spend at least one year on campus as a student.

   The most important outcome from signing a NLI is that all NCAA coaches from other institutions are immediately banned from contacting the player that signed the NLI. In effect, signing a letter of intent ends a player's recruitment.

   Naturally, coaches want their commits to sign during the early signing period, because it takes all of the guess-work out of the equation. Certainly Jeff Capel and staff are hard at work trying to maintain pledges from their three commits, and if each signs a NLI next week, they will no longer need to fend off other coaches. If any of the commits do not sign next week, they can still be recruited until next April--representing a five month swing in the recruiting process.

   But aside from just the benefits to the current class, early signing also yields long-term benefits, as the coaching staff can start to turn their attention toward future recruiting classes if they can officially lock up current commits.

   If each recruit signs, Pitt can focus their efforts on filling out their 2020 class, or even on building relationships with players in the 2021 class and beyond.

How does Pitt's 2020 class currently look?


   As we prepare to dive into the early signing period this week, Pitt currently holds commitments from three players, including Rivals150 players Noah Collier and John Hugley, and three-star center Max Amadasun. Should Pitt expect each of them to sign next week?

   Collier was the first commitment for Capel's 2020 class, pledging himself to join the Panthers on Sept. 23, 2019. The Rivals150 forward is a nice get for Pitt, which has quietly built really solid depth at the wing between Au'Diese Toney, Justin Champagnie, and Gerald Drumgoole. The addition of Collier further solidifies the 3-4 position as a real area of strength for the Panthers now and in the future.


   Hugley is the gem of class so far, and is currently ranked as no. 95 in the Rivals150. He is the top-tier frontcourt presence that Capel has been trying to recruit since he first took the job at Pitt, and they finally landed his commitment just a few weeks ago on Oct. 18. Joining an interior that will include senior Terrell Brown and sophomore Karim Coulibaly, Hugley may be able to find minutes quickly in Capel's rotation.


   Amadasun committed on Oct. 14, just days before Hugley. He is a nice developmental big man who
may not find his way onto the court as quickly as Hugley in 2020. Center is often regarded as the position with the steepest learning curve in college basketball, and it is not uncommon for a true freshman big to need more development before they are ready for game action. Having Brown, Coulibaly, and Hugley would allow Capel the time to develop Amadasun if they do not believe that he is game-ready when he comes to campus next season.


   Especially given the timing of each player's commitment to Pitt--all within the past two months--I am sure that Capel and staff have talked with each of Collier, Hugley, and Amadasun about signing their NLIs during the early signing period.

   I have reached out to the commits about their plans, but have not yet heard back. As of right now, I expect that each of these players will sign a NLI during the early signing period, allowing Capel to focus on filling out the rest of his class and developing relationships with players in future classes.

What will Pitt do after the early signing period?


   Assuming that each of Pitt's commits signs during the early signing period, Pitt will likely shift its attention to future classes. Officially, Pitt's recruiting class will be completely full, as they will have filled each of the three scholarships that are currently available for the 2020-21 season.

   Still, Capel will likely want to add at least one more player, especially in the event that Xavier Johnson leaves for the NBA following the season. That may not be the likeliest scenario at this point, but it's definitely a possibility that the staff will want to prepare for. 

   In that regard, Pitt has recently been connected with 2020 point guard Jalen Terry, who recently decommitted from Michigan State. Pitt has also been in contact with guard Shakeel Moore out of North Carolina, the high school teammate of five-star wing Josh Hall. As Hall looks to make his college decision in the near future, Pitt may still have a shot to get him on campus for a visit.

   Aside from those specific players, I would not be surprised to see Capel hold tight on the 2020 class and start focusing on putting Pitt in a position to land some of their top targets for 2021 and beyond. Some of the key 2021 prospects that Pitt has been linked to thus far include guards Bryce McGowens and Carter Whitt, and big men Adama Sanogo and Micawber Etienne. 

   The longer that Capel is able to focus on key players in future classes, couple with more progress on the court to prove that Capel's vision for Pitt is working, the more likely it is that Pitt will wind up with some of the elite prospects tat they are currently recruiting. 

   As the early signing period arrives on Wednesday, keep checking in with the Pitt Basketball Lead for news on where Pitt's 2020 class stands and where they go from here.
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Pitt Pod Episode 4 - Recruiting Notes, Early Season Struggles for the Pitt men's team, Positive Outlook for the Pitt women's team, and more

   On this episode of the Pitt Pod, we discuss the state of Pitt men's basketball recruitment, the successes and failures of the team in the first week of the season, the state of the Pitt women's basketball team, and I include a meta-announcement about the blog.
**Sorry in advance for the staticky-sounds throughout the blog, as I realized too late that my microphone picked up the rustling of the couch that I was sitting on.**



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Monday, November 11, 2019

Pitt Women's Basketball Update - Monday, Nov. 11, 2019

   The Pitt men's team wasn't the only Pitt basketball team to open their season last week, as the Pitt women's basketball team also opened up their season last Wednesday, Nov. 6, on the road against the UCF Knights. Much like the men's team, which started with a tough ACC opponent, the women faced off against against a stout UCF team that won 26 games and reached the NCAA tournament last season.

   Pitt lost 74-58 to the Knights in a back-and-forth game that saw Pitt jump out to an early 13-point edge, as they led UCF 18-5 with just four minutes remaining in the first quarter. UCF took the lead in the third quarter, opening up an eight point lead before Pitt battled back to cut the deficit to just one, as they trailed 47-46 with two minutes remaining in the third.

   From there, the Panthers turned the ball over on their final three possessions of the quarter and did not register a shot, allowing the Knights to jump back out to an eight point lead to start the fourth quarter.

   The fourth quarter saw Pitt play a much cleaner brand of basketball, as they turned the ball over just once while UCF committed seven turnovers. That was ultimately not enough for Pitt to get the win though, as they fell on the road in Orlando, Fla.

New Look Roster


   However, this is not your Panthers team of yesteryear, as Pitt enters this season with a new-look roster that returns just five players and introduces seven new Panthers, including five true freshmen and a couple of transfers.

   The Panthers group of true freshmen this year include some highly-touted commits from the class of 2019. White secured commitments from Amber Brown (no. 17 ranked wing), Rita Igbokwe (no. 19 ranked post player), Emy Hayford (no. 28 ranked guard), Dayshannette Harris (no. 71 ranked point guard), and forward Cynthia Ezeja from Greece.

   The transfers include center Marcella Lamark dos Santos from Texas Tech, who will be eligible to play after the first semester of this season; and JUCO commit Gabbie Green out of South Plains College. Expect Lamark dos Santos to contribute during conference play, as she adds some much-needed depth to the Panthers' interior.

   After just one game, it is clear that the new additions to Pitt's roster will make a significant impact on the team this year. Four of the true freshmen--Brown, Harris, Igbokwe, and Hayford--played at least 10 minutes against UCF, with Brown and Harris drawing starts for White's team. Green also got the nod to start against the Knights and scored 18 points in 25 minutes of action.

   The only returning players to start against UCF were sixth-year guard Aysia Bugg, who played a whopping 39 minutes on Wednesday, and junior center Cara Judkins, who led the team with seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Pitt also saw contributions from sophomores Jahsyni Knight and Ismini Prapa, who played 13 and 14 minutes, respectively.

    The Panthers will add more talent and depth to their rotation when junior Kyla Nelson returns, in addition to Lamark dos Santos becoming eligible next semester. Nelson, who is working her way back to the court following surgery to remove a tumor on her appendix, shot over 40 percent from three-point land last season. We at the Pitt Basketball Lead are wishing her a speedy recovery.

High Expectations


   Even after Wednesday's loss, it's hard not to feel optimistic about the future of this Pitt team as they enter their second season under head coach Lance White. And this year's Pitt team comes into the season with high expectations for themselves, as White told the Trib that the Panthers want to be better than they were last season while battling in ACC games.

   Regardless of how the wins and losses shake out this season, nobody can argue with the energy that White is bringing to the team. There's a palpable buzz around the Panthers that was missing for several years, and it finally feels like they are just one or two seasons away from turning the corner.

   White's stellar ability to recruit could help Pitt return to the NCAA tournament sooner rather than later. After putting together a strong 2019 class, White is already putting together an even better 2020 class, one that features ESPN 100 forward Tracey Huesten out of Virginia, and no. 10 ranked wing Liatu King out of Maryland.

   During a two-year span which has seen significant advances for Pitt's volleyball team, the men's and women's soccer teams, and wrestling,  the Pitt women's basketball team is not far behind. Expect the young team to learn and grow this season, before putting themselves in a position to take it to the next level in the next couple of seasons.

   Pitt faces off against Central Connecticut State University at 7 p.m. tonight, marking their first game of the season at home in the Petersen Events Center. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX, for those fans who can't make it to the game.
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Recruiting Notes - Monday, November 11th, 2019

   As Pitt prepares to face Robert Morris and move on from a tough loss to Nicholls State on Saturday, there is no shortage of news from the recruiting trail as Jeff Capel's staff continues to pursue the players that they hope will ultimately bring Pitt back to national relevance as a basketball powerhouse.

  • During his Twitter Tuesday mailbag post from last week, Corey Evans of Rivals.com suggested that the completion of Pitt's 2020 class is likely to come from graduate transfers, junior college prospects, or decommitments.
    • Reading between the lines, that likely means that Pitt is probably no longer in the running for five-star wing Josh Hall, who it had previously been reported might take an official visit to Pitt before making his college decision this month. We will keep you posted with any updates on Hall, who seems to be very high on NC State.  
    • The other nugget in his blurb about Pitt is that Pitt might receive an official visit from recent Michigan State decommit Jalen Terry, from Flint, Mich. I have not seen much of anything specifically linking Terry with Pitt, but Evans is a pretty plugged-in recruiting analyst, and it's a good bet that Pitt is at least in touch with Terry if Evans is suggesting that Pitt might get an official visit. Terry just visited Chris Mack and Louisville this past weekend.
  • Moving onto 2021 targets, Bryce McGowens, the younger brother of Trey McGowens, took an unofficial visit this weekend, and it was his third visit to that particular school:
    • Visiting a school for a third time is a big deal for any recruit, and since McGowens is already a junior in high school, odds are that he is seriously considering Georgia as a potential landing spot. I would venture a guess that they may even be the favorite for McGowens at this point.
    • Of course, the younger McGowens also visited Pitt the weekend of Oct. 26, and took a trip to Clemson on Nov. 5, and his recruitment is very clearly still open. Especially with his older brother playing for Pitt, I suspect that the Panthers will be a key player in the junior guard's recruitment.
  • Another top 2021 target, center Adama Sanogo, spent the weekend at Seton Hall according to Adam Zagoria: 
    • Seton Hall will surely be a major player for Sanogo in the class of 2021, but the impressive center has also received offers from Connecticut, Marquette, Oregon, Xavier, and TCU, among others. If Pitt winds up landing Sanogo, it won't come without fighting off several other high-majors.
  • 2021 center Micawber Etienne has also started taking college visits, and the Connecticut native seems to be focusing on Big East programs, having visited Marquette (official), Connecticut, and Providence within the past month:
    • The Big East is still a really solid basketball conference, and Etienne appears to have serious interest in playing his college career with a Big East school. We'll see if Capel and Pitt can garner some interest for 
  • Finally, two potential Pitt recruits were on hand for the game on Saturday: 2022 prospect Issac McKneely from Poca, W. Va., and 2023 prospect Rodney Gallagher from Uniontown, Pa.:
  • McKneely, a sophomore at Poca High School, has already received multiple Division-I offers including from Davidson, Marshall, Robert Morris, and Stetson. 
  • Gallagher, a freshman at Laurel Highlands High School, has also received Division-I attention early in his high school career, as he received an offer from Illinois in July before the start of his freshman year. 
    • Gallagher is also a talented football player for Lauren Highlands, and was listed among the top wide receivers in Pennsylvania's class of 2023 by Rivals' PaPreps site. Who knows, maybe we'll see him get equal attention from both Capel and Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi.
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Saturday, November 9, 2019

By the Numbers: Pitt vs. Nicholls State - Nov. 9, 2019

   Pitt dropped their first non-conference game of the season today at home to the Nicholls State Colonels by a score of 75-70. Despite being down by around 10 points for most of the game, Pitt battled back and actually narrowed the deficit to just one point with around a minute left. 

    But as was the case for much of the game, the final minute was defined by turnovers and sloppy play as Pitt could not finish the comeback. With the result officially in the books, let's take a look at some of the numbers behind Pitt's performance today:

Twenty-eight points by Ryan Murphy

Offensively, Murphy one of the few bright spots for the Panthers, who put up up 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including four three-pointers. He added five rebounds and three assists. The first-year Pitt guard out of New Mexico Junior College played the most of any Panther today with 37 minutes, as he stayed on the court for the duration of the game once he was subbed in at the 16:57 mark in the first half.

 Murphy, who was lauded for his shooting and overall effort level in the season opener against Florida State, has quickly become a focal point of Jeff Capel's offense. While Capel surely expects and hopes for significant contributions from Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens, there can be little doubt that Murphy will be very important to the Panthers' success this season.

Five blocks by Terrell Brown

Just about the only other bright spot in Pitt's loss today was junior big man Terrell Brown, who was a defensive force on the low block today. Brown finished today's game with eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting, and added five rebounds (three offensive), and five blocks. The five blocks give him 112 for his career thus far, earning him a spot among the top-10 shot blockers in Pitt basketball history.

 Perhaps most importantly today was that Brown once again finished the day with zero turnovers, for the second time in two games this season. Last season, Brown was notorious for his propensity to fumble passes underneath the basket, but he has been sure-handed and reliable thus far this season. 

 His contributions to the Panthers both offensively and defensively have not gone unnoticed by Capel, who rewarded Brown with a career-high 28 minutes against Nicholls State, including the entire second half. Brown has been on the court during crunch time of each of Pitt's first two games.

.889 shooting percentage through two games

Just one more note on Brown. Of course I will start with the obligatory note about this being a small sample size, but Brown has 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting to start the year. The only shot that he missed? An uncontested jumper from the top of the key against Florida State against a zone defense look. Not exactly his wheelhouse, but because of how wide open he was, he can't even really be criticized for pulling up for that one.

 The point is: when he has put the ball up this year, he's been very, very good at making sure it gets in the basket. In his freshman year, Brown had a field goal percentage of just .418; last year, he shot at a .436 clip. He won't continue to score at a nearly 90 percent clip this season, but even with regression, a reliable Brown on the low block would be a huge boon for Pitt. 

 And here's a fun fact: through two games, Brown has more points (21) than McGowens (20), which exactly zero Pitt fans would have predicted before the season started.


 

13 minutes, 4 seconds with Xavier Johnson on the bench in the second half

One of the keys to Pitt losing today's game was that Xavier Johnson played just seven minutes in the second half of today's game. After getting into some early foul trouble, Johnson was held to the bench for much of the second half by Capel in an effort to preserve him for the end of the game.

 The strategy wasn't half bad, actually. A well-rested Johnson entered the game with 1:56 to go in the second half, with the Panthers down by eight, 67-59. Over the next 70 seconds, Pitt scored 11 points to cut the deficit to just one point. Johnson himself scored two of those points on a reverse layup. 

 This speaks to a couple of things that we already knew about Pitt: first, Johnson adds an element to the Pitt offense that leads to points when he's playing well. There's no doubt that Pitt might have had a better shot to finish today's comeback if he had played more in the second half.

 Which leads us to our second point: Johnson has to play smarter basketball and avoid taking too many fouls. Of course, Johnson wants to be on the court, and hopefully being forced to sit for the majority of the second half teaches him that he needs to be more careful.

Twenty-one turnovers

Undeniably a key to Pitt's loss today was their lack of ball protection. Johnson and Murphy both turned the ball over five times, while McGowens (four), Gerald Drumgoole (two), and Eric Hamilton (two) also got in on the action. A lot of these turnovers can be attributed simply to sloppy play.

 In terms of protecting the basketball, this was the second-worst game of the Jeff Capel era, as Pitt turned the ball over to the Colonels a whopping 21 times. The most turnovers that they've had during Capel's tenure? That would be 24, against the West Virginia Mountaineers last season. In case you were wondering, Pitt faces off against West Virginia at the Petersen Events Center next Friday, Nov. 15. And if Pitt protects the ball as lackadaisically against WVU's full-court pressure like they did today against Nicholls, they will not have a prayer against the Mountaineers.

 If you're looking for a silver-lining, though, turnovers are largely an avoidable phenomenon in college basketball, and Pitt will surely improve in this area as the season progresses. Last season, for instance, Pitt wound up posting five games with 10 or fewer turnovers against ACC opponents in February and March. 

Four minutes

The much-anticipated debut of Abdoul Karim Coulibaly came and went today, as the freshman forward subbed in for the final four minutes of the first half and then... did not see the court again. I have to think that this had more to do with Pitt trying to mount a comeback, as Brown played for the entirety of the second half. 

 Coulibaly did not record any statistics during his time against Nicholls State. I still believe that he will ultimately see his playing minutes increase throughout the out-of-conference schedule, so long as Pitt finds themselves leading against the teams that they should beat.

It is a decent bet that he will see more of the floor on Tuesday against Robert Morris, though he is unlikely to play next Friday against West Virginia.

Seven players

Capel shrunk his bench and rotation to try to mount a second-half comeback against Nicholls State, and it nearly worked. We also got yet another insight into which players he trusts the most at this point in the season. In the second half, Murphy, Brown and Au'Diese Toney all pitched complete games (20 minutes). It is not a surprise to see that capel kept Toney out there for the entire half, since Pitt needed a defensive boost after a very soft first half. Toney has earned his reputation as a stout defensive player, and he earned his keep today, snatching nine rebounds (eight defensive). 

 Beyond that, McGowens and Justin Champagnie each logged 13 minutes, while Drumgoole and Johnson each played seven minutes. Notably, starting center Eric Hamilton and Coulibaly did not see the floor as Capel shrunk his bench a bit for the home stretch.

Drumgoole finished with just 13 minutes on the day, while Hamilton finished with just eight. Conversely, Toney's 34 minutes dwarf the 13 minutes that he received against Florida State. This really highlights Capel's philosophy of riding the momentum, and using players in situations where their roles can be best utilized. Outside of Johnson and McGowens, most players will likely see some level of fluctuation in their minutes on a game-by-game basis.

70-3 record at the Petersen Events Center in the month of November

And finally, Pitt set a dubious mark for themselves with the home loss to Nicholls State today, as it was just the third time that they have ever lost at the Petersen Events Center in the month of November.

 The most recent loss at the Pete in November before this afternoon came during the final year of the Kevin Stallings era, when Pitt lost in overtime to Montana, 83-78. Pitt finished their out-of-conference slate that year with an 8-5 record on their way to a winless ACC campaign. 

 Pitt's only other loss at the Pete in November came under Jamie Dixon during the 2011-12 campaign (my freshman year at Pitt), when Long Beach State upset the no. 9 ranked Panthers by a score of 86-76. Pitt wound up losing 13 conference games that year in the Big East en route to a tournament win in the College Basketball Invitational.

In all likelihood, this Pitt team will be better than both of the previous two Pitt teams that lost at the Pete in November. After finishing 0-18 in ACC play in 2017 and 3-15 last year, Pitt is very likely to improve in ACC play for a second straight season. How much they improve remains to be seen, but it is fair to say that they have shown some real potential in their first two games alongside some sloppy play.

 All in all, Pitt has just one loss in what will be a long season. The most important thing is that they win the games that they should during the rest of the out-of-conference schedule and continue to show improvement as we march toward ACC play. If they can manage both of those things, post-season play might still be on the table for the 2019 Panthers.

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Friday, November 8, 2019

By the Numbers: Pitt vs. Florida State - Nov. 6, 2019

   Pitt beat the Florida State Seminoles 63-61 at the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday to move to 1-0 on the season heading into their out-of-conference schedule. I had a chance to sit down, re-watch the game, and put together some numbers that were key to Pitt's success against the Seminoles. Let's dive in to look for the keys to Pitt's success against Florida State:

13 minutes, 17 seconds in the double-bonus

Incredibly, this is the amount of time that Pitt spent offensively in the double-bonus against Florida State. That time is split nearly evenly between the two halves--Pitt entered the double bonus with 7 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in the first half; and they entered the double bonus with 6 minutes, 7 seconds remaining in the second half. In total, Pitt spent a whopping 33 percent of the game in the double-bonus.

1 minute, 39 seconds allowed in the double-bonus

Conversely, the Seminoles spent less than two minutes in the double-bonus, all of which occurred in the waning moments of the second half. In fact, Pitt did not allow Florida State to even get into the one-and-one bonus at all during the first half, and the Seminoles spent fewer than six minutes in the bonus or double-bonus total for the night.

22-for-31 from the Free Throw line

Pitt made 71.0 percent of its free throw tries on Wednesday, making 22 freebies compared with 13 for Florida State. In the final two minutes of the game with a slim lead, Pitt made five of seven attempts (71.4 percent) to nail down the victory. Last season, Pitt's 69.7 percent free throw shooting ranked no. 203 in the country. Their 71.0 percent rate against Florida State would have ranked no. 164 in the country last season. Of course, this was just one game and one data point. While it was good enough for Pitt to hang on for victory against Florida State, the Panthers will need to continue to improve their free throw shooting if it wants to put away close games against tough ACC opponents.


Fourteen points in the paint

Pitt had just 14 points in the paint against the Seminoles, and just four in the first half. Team leaders for points in the paint were Terrell Brown with eight; Eric Hamilton with four; and Xavier Johnson with two. Florida State had 26 points in the paint, nearly double that of the Panthers.

Thirty-four bench points

Pitt scored thirty four points from their bench, led by Brown (13), Ryan Murphy (13), and Champagnie (8). Last season, Pitt accomplished 30-plus bench points just once in ACC play--they scored 37 in a 73-65 loss against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. They put up more than 20 bench points just six times in ACC play last season, nearly matched by the five times that their bench scored fewer than 10 points in a game in ACC play. With a deeper bench in 2019-20, it's fair to expect more bench scoring than last season. 

11 minutes, 28 seconds to close out the game

Jeff Capel was not afraid to go to his bench last night, as Pitt played used eight players in their rotation, seven of whom played more than 15 minutes. All three players off the bench--Brown, Murphy, and Champagnie--played at least 22 minutes. However, as originally noted by Chris Peak of Panther-Lair.com, the Panthers used the same lineup for the final 11 minutes and 28 seconds to finish off the Florida State Seminoles. That lineup consisted of Johnson, Murphy, Champagnie, Brown, and Trey McGowens. 

1.58 points per possession

The best part? That lineup got the job done in crunch time:
That's right--in the final minutes of the second half, that lineup put up more than double the points per possession (1.58 points) than all of the other lineup combinations combined (0.72 points) for the first 28 minutes of game play. 

Nine three-pointers

One of the biggest question marks coming into this season was how Pitt would replace the three-point shooting prowess of Jared Wilson-Frame. Well, they hit nine three-pointers in 26 attempts (34.6 percent), with multiple triples hit by each of Murphy (three), Johnson (two), McGowens (two), and Champagnie (two). Murphy, for one, looks like the spot-up shooter that Pitt needs on the wing. However, if those other guys along with Gerald Drumgoole and Au'Diese Toney can knock down a few as well, this team will have more than made up for their shooting deficiencies from the outside.

    After one game, we can only glean so much about the state of this Pitt basketball team. Pitt flashed some moments of great talent, and looked sloppy in other moments--in other words, just what you would expect for a team's first game of the season. They came away with a win against an extremely talented Florida State team, and now turn to out-of-conference play to do some fine-tuning before they return to their conference schedule in December.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Recruiting Notes - Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

   The Pitt' men's basketball team scrimmages against Slippery Rock University tonight at 7 p.m. at the Peterson Events Center, and tickets are free for those who may be interested in attending. For Pitt, tonight's matchup represents the team's final live-game action before the regular season begins at home against the Florida State Seminoles on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

   Tickets for next week's season opener are available through the Pitt Athletics site, and are going for as low as $35. Starting the season at home against a great conference opponent should create an exciting atmosphere! Before game time, however, there's plenty of recruiting news to report.

  • Of Jeff Capel's 2021 targets, few are as intriguing as shooting guard Bryce McGowens, the younger brother of current Panther Trey McGowens. McGowens, who is ranked no. 51 in the Rivals150, took a visit to Pitt this weekend:
    • As a prospect for the 2021 class, Bryce McGowens would have the opportunity to play with his older brother for one year if he were to commit to Pitt. That would be pretty cool, eh?
    • The younger McGowens has also recently visited Georgia and Clemson, and is hearing from other top schools including Xavier, Florida State, South Carolina, and Ole Miss. As his junior year continues, I expect that his recruitment will continue to blow up.
  • With Pitt having missed out on 2020 point guard RJ Davis, who committed to North Carolina last week, Capel and staff have turned their attention to another target: Rivals150 point guard Jalen Terry from Flint, Mich.
    • Terry, who is currently ranked as the no. 48 prospect in the Rivals150 for the 2020 class, de-committed from Michigan State University two weeks ago. Terry recently received a visit from Louisville head coach Chris Mack, and took an official visit to LSU this past weekend. 
    • It's not clear how long Pitt has been involved with Terry, or how much interest he might have in the program. LSU was his first official visit, and with four remaining, it will be interesting to see whether Pitt is in consideration for a campus visit.
  • Beyond Terry, Pitt has several other potential point guard targets remaining on their board including three-star prospect Shakeel Moore, who visited Pitt in September. Of note, Moore attends the same high school as another high-profile Pitt target--Josh Hall.
  • Hall, a five-star small forward, is finishing up his official visits and plans to commit in the very near future and sign during the upcoming early signing period. He recently visited NC State and DePaul, and Pitt may be able to land a visit before he commits:
    • While most of the experts are projecting that Hall will land at NC State, a great official visit can always change the calculus with recruits. Given the timeline for Hall's commitment, it would be huge for Capel to get Hall on campus. The opportunity to be Hall's final visit could be a huge advantage for Pitt, and we'll have to keep our eye on whether Pitt can line a visit up with the elite wing prospect.
  • Corey Evans has news on Earl Timberlake's upcoming commitment as well, suggesting that the five-star Timberlake could commit at any time. While Evans suggests that Pitt, Seton Hall, Providence, and Miami are all still in on him, he says that he'd still put his money on Miami to ultimately land Timberlake. With the early signing period looming in the next few weeks, expect Timberlake to commit sooner rather than later.
  • Craig Meyer from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an interesting interview with new Pitt guard Ryan Murphy, and among the interesting bits are his comments on why he chose Pitt. Murphy says that his relationship with the Capels, in addition to their reputation among other friends of his who have been recruited by them, drew him to ultimately commit to the Panthers.
    • Murphy specifically mentions asking his former AAU teammates Derryck Thornton and Chase Jeter about Capel, and highlights the positive things that they had to say about him as a coach and person. The impressive thing about that? Both Thornton and Jeter ultimately transferred away from Duke. Despite their decisions to leave Duke, Thornton (USC, Boston College) and Jeter (Arizona) still felt positively enough about Capel to sway Murphy toward Pitt.
    • Murphy's comments represent the perfect example of how important relationship-building is in college basketball recruiting. Sure, every college coach is a good recruiter, and they are all able to build positive relationships with the kids that they are recruiting. But to be able to maintain the kind of positive impressions widely throughout the game and on the AAU circuit can really be an asset for this coaching staff and for this Pitt program. Expect that to pay dividends in Pittsburgh the longer that Capel is at the helm.
  • Meta note: At the end of these posts, you'll start to see a link or two to some cool, new items on Fanatics. Since the Pitt Lead is new partner of Fanatics, they're supporting the blog and helping to provide some financial support for the work that I do here. I appreciate your readership and support! If you wind up purchasing anything from Fanatics, feel free to tag @PittLead on Twitter using the hashtag #BlueEra to let us know!
    • To that end, if you're looking for some new Pitt gear to celebrate the start of the college basketball season, Fanatics has some great stuff among their newest items, including an awesome Pitt script crewneck sweatshirt and replica basketball uniform shorts. 
    • Fanatics is also offering free U.S. shipping on orders over $34, and up to 65 percent off on NCAA apparel through Wednesday night for those looking for a good deal!
Well that's it for today's recruiting news. Happy hump day, and Hail to Pitt!
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Monday, October 14, 2019

Pitt Lands Commitment from Max Amadasun, Awaits John Hugley's Decision

   Pitt secured the verbal commitment of three-star center Max Amadasun for its 2020 recruiting class. The impressive recruit stands at 6 feet 10 inches tall, and has a 7 feet 1 inch wingspan.
   Amadasun, who took his official visit to Pitt the weekend of Oct. 11, gives Jeff Capel and Pitt some much needed depth in the frontcourt for the 2020 season and beyond. With senior forward Kene Chukwuka and graduate transfer Eric Hamilton set to finish their college basketball careers at the conclusion of the upcoming season, Amadasun will join Karim Coulibaly and Terrell Brown as the only returning bigs on Pitt's roster for the 2020-21 season.

   A native of Brooklyn, New York, Amadasun represents the second Pitt commit in the 2020 class to go along with Rivals150 forward Noah Collier. Amadasun and Collier represent a strong start to a 2020 class that has gotten off to a quick start. Pitt did not receive its first commitment for the 2019 class until Gerald Drumgoole committed on Feb. 11, 2019, just two months before national signing day.

   Amadasun chose Pitt over other Division-I basketball programs including from the University of Massachusetts, Old Dominion, Penn State, Rhode Island, and St. John's.

   Following today's commitment, Pitt ostensibly finds itself with just one more open scholarship for the 2020 class, while they continue to pursue several Rivals150 prospects, including guard RJ Davis, center Cliff Omoruyi, and wings Earl Timberlake and Josh Hall. 

   The number of open scholarships that Pitt has to offer may shrink yet again later this week with the potential commitment of forward/center John Hugley, who is set to announce his college decision on Friday, Oct. 18. 

   This does, however, open up some questions about Pitt's 2020 class. Does Amadasun's commitment make it less likely that Hugley will commit to Pitt?

   Well, not necessarily. Pitt has been targeting Hugley for nearly all of Capel's tenure at Pitt. He is clearly a take for Pitt, and I doubt that Pitt would take Amadasun over Hugley, with "over" being the operative word. I believe that Pitt always intended to take multiple big men in the 2020 class given the desire to build depth that Pitt has in the frontcourt moving forward.

   If there were any concern that Amadasun's commitment would deter Hugley from coming to Pitt, I suspect they would not have taken the commitment today with Hugley set to announce his own decision in just a few days. 

   Is it possible that Pitt took Amadasun's commitment because they believe that Hugley will be committing elsewhere on Friday?

   It is certainly possible, but unlikely. Hugley is considered to be a strong Pitt lean, with all of the experts predicting that Hugley will commit to Pitt later this week. Hugley's commitment to Pitt became all the more likely late last week with Hugley's other top suitor, NC State, taking a commitment from center Ebenezer Dowuona. 

   By my math, NC State now has just one open scholarship remaining, and having already taken two frontcourt players in the 2020 class, they may no longer have room for Hugley.

   This is all to say that I believe that if Hugley decides to commit to Pitt, Pitt will gladly take his commitment. Hugley, who is ranked at no. 94 in the Rivals150, would likely be expected to contribute to Pitt's rotation more quickly than Amadasun, who is less highly-touted and viewed as more of a project in the short-term.

   However, I do believe that a Hugley commitment on top of the Amadasun addition would preclude any further frontcourt additions for Pitt's 2020 class, including high-profile targets like Omoruyi.

   Pitt may have at least one more scholarship available for the 2020 class, with speculation that sophomore guard Xavier Johnson may declare for the NBA draft following the upcoming season. With that in mind, even if Hugley commits later this week and Pitt's open scholarship count for 2020 technically falls to zero, expect them to continue to pursue prospects like Davis, Timberlake, and Hall.

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Tuesday, October 8, 2019

News and Notes - Tuesday, October 8th, 2019

And just like that, we're now less than one month away from Pitt basketball's season opener! We'll be counting down the days, here at the Pitt Basketball Lead. Until then, there's plenty of Pitt basketball news to report:
  • The news of the day is that former Pitt basketball star Ronald Ramón is rejoining the Pitt basketball program in a new role, as Assistant Director of Operations, according to Pitt Athletics:
  • As head coach Jeff Capel noted in his press release on the addition of Ramón, it's important to have a guy involved who has a history with the program like Ramón does. And for many Pitt fans, it's great to have a guy back who elicits such great memories like this one:
  • According to Capel, Ramón's role will involve alumni relations, community service event planning, and coordination of recruiting visits. Especially as it pertains to recruiting visit coordination, it will be great to have recruits in contact with a former Pitt player who can attest to his experiences as a student athlete at Pitt. 
    • That goes not just for his experiences on the court, but also for his experiences with, say, Pitt's life skills program, which is a major distinguishing factor between Pitt athletics and the athletics programs at other schools.
  • The Pitt Basketball team just finished up with a busy weekend, as they headed out to Greensburg and Seven Springs to kick off this fall's training camp:
  • Pitt started off with a practice at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg branch campus, and then hit a high school gym for practice on Saturday on their way to Seven Springs for some team-bonding activities:
  • Speaking of those team-building activities, it looks like they had a good chance to have some fun both nights. The team went bowling on Friday night, and enjoyed an escape trail, a rock-paper-scissors tournament, and other fun team-building activities throughout the weekend:
  • I think this is great, personally. It's always a good thing to see the team create an opportunity to gel together before the season starts. And importantly, it seems like they're having fun together. That will come in handy once they start playing games.
    • Speaking of playing games, just a reminder that Pitt has a secret scrimmage in just 11 days, on Oct. 19, against the University of Maryland Terrapins.
  • Pitt's Blue & Gold Madness event, which will include both the men's and women's basketball teams, is also coming up this Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 PM at the Pete. Stay tuned! We're hoping to have more details to report on the event leading up to Friday for those who may be interested in attending.
  • Speaking of the Pitt women's basketball team, isn't it impossible not to like head coach Lance White? He just seems like a really fun guy, and he is bringing a lot of great energy to a team that badly needed it:
  • White, who was named the head coach of the Pitt women's basketball team in April 2018, led Pitt to an 11-20 overall record in the 2018-19 season, with a 2-14 ACC record--a nearly identical record as the 2017-18 season, in which Pitt finished 10-20 with a 2-14 ACC record.
  • Still, there's plenty of reason for optimism surrounding Pitt women's hoops. White seems to be an excellent recruiter, and just a few weeks ago landed a fantastic prospect in four-star Tracey Heuston, who is the 78th overall recruit in the country according to ESPN:
  • This year figures to be a fun year for both the men's and women's teams, and I'm really looking forward to watching both progress this season, starting with Blue & Gold Madness on Friday. 
That's it for today's news everyone, stay tuned for more content. Hail to Pitt!
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Thursday, October 3, 2019

Pitt Pod Episode 3 - Recruiting Updates, Early Signing Period, Upcoming Pitt Basketball Events

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Recruiting Notes - Thursday, October 3rd, 2019

Once we hit basketball season, I plan on ramping up my Throwback Thursday feature, where I highlight fun, important, or otherwise noteworthy moments in Pitt basketball history. I'm excited to share deeper dives on the moments that made us all fans. To that end, feel free to reach out to me with any of your favorite moments in Pitt basketball history so that I might be able to cover them. Onto the recruiting news of the day:

  • We start today's recruiting notes with five-star wing and Pitt target Earl Timberlake from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland. The news has started coming pretty quickly for Timberlake, beginning with a cancellation of an upcoming visit to a major program, courtesy of Corey Evans:
    • Obviously, any time a recruit cancels a visit to a program like North Carolina, that's going to be good news for the other schools involved. In this instance, as Hammett notes, the potential beneficiaries appear to be Pitt, Providence, Seton Hall, South Carolina, and Miami.
    • While Jim Hammett of Rivals suggests that Timberlake will visit Seton Hall this weekend, according to Adam Zagoria, Timberlake took his Seton Hall visit this past weekend. 
    • It would appear that Pitt finds itself in a top-five situation for Timberlake, given his decision not to visit two of the other top-seven (Alabama and North Carolina). Not a bad spot to be in for a five-star, top-25 overall recruit, eh?
  • But today's news regarding Timberlake didn't stop there: shortly after announcing the cancellation of his North Carolina visit, Timberlake also announced a commitment date:
    • Indeed just a couple of hours later, Timberlake announced that he'll pick his college basketball destination on Nov. 4 between a top-five that does include Jeff Capel's Pitt Panthers.
  • So does Pitt have a real shot with Timberlake? It's possible, but Timberlake's recruitment has been very hard to read up to this point. In fact, no Rivals experts have made predictions yet. On 247sports, it appears that both experts who have put in their Crystal Balls have guessed that Timberlake will pick Miami. That includes the pick of Jerry Meyer, who has been correct on 44 of his 48 predictions for the class of 2020. What's more? Both of those experts put their predictions in this morning, as this information was unfolding.
    • Of course, this does not mean that Pitt doesn't have a chance with Timberlake, even if Miami is the current favorite. Especially with one month to go before he commits, Capel and Pitt will have plenty of time to put the finishing touches on their recruitment of the talented wing.
    • To that end, we will keep an eye out for any contact between Capel and Timberlake, and keep Pitt fans in the loop to anything that we learn.
  • It has also been reported that Pitt will be receiving an official visit from another five-star wing: Josh Hall. 
    • That's pretty huge news for Pitt. Hall recently announced his top 12 schools and included Pitt, but to give Pitt one of his official visits should have fans feeling pretty good about where Pitt stands with Hall, since recruits are allowed to take only five official visits. 
    • Does that mean that Pitt will ultimately wind up in Hall's top five? Not necessarily, since he may wind up taking unofficial visits to some schools beyond the five official visits that he takes. 
    • Moreover, since he's planning to start his visits in November, don't look for a commitment any time soon: he'll miss the early signing period in November and won't sign until April, 2020.
  • Pittsburgh Sports Now has also provided an interesting update on top target RJ Davis. While North Carolina received a big commitment earlier this week from five-star point guard Caleb Love, Davis is still planning to take his upcoming official visit to North Carolina.
    • This would seem to indicate that Davis is still considering North Carolina, despite the fact that they recently took a more highly-ranked recruit at his position. 
    • Love's commitment surely can't help UNC in their pursuit of Davis, but you can never rule a school like North Carolina out until the player has committed.
    • According to the PSN article, Davis plans on committing before the early signing period in November, which means that he should be committing shortly after his UNC visit. Ostensibly, the finalists are Pitt, Marquette, Georgetown, and North Carolina, while Pitt and Marquette have long been rumored as the teams to bear.
  • Finally, Pittsburgh Sports Now dropped another potential bombshell this morning:
    • Typically, when Pittsburgh Sports Now tweets out paw prints, it's because they've received news of an expected commitment. So, who could they be referencing? It could be John Hugley, who has announced that he will commit on Oct. 18. It could be Davis, who is wrapping up his own commitment. 
    • Our guess is that it's Hugley, who took his official visit to Pitt last weekend, and an unofficial visit to Pitt two weekends ago. 
      • To that end, all five experts who have weighed in on Rivals are predicting that Hugley will commit to Pitt when he announces in two weeks.
  • As if that isn't enough news, Pitt will be visiting two more top prospects today, including 2020 prospect Cliff Omoruyi:
  • While there is still so much in flux for the 2020 class, head coach Jeff Capel will be visiting a 2021 four-star frontcourt player today in Rivals150 center Adama Sanogo. 
    • It just goes to show the lengths to which coaches need to go to build and maintain relationships with recruits. It would surely be easier to focus on the 2020 class with a few scholarships remaining open, but Capel's reputation as a strong relationship-builder precedes him, and building these relationships over an extended period of time will surely benefit Pitt in the long run.
    • We're already seeing this approach bear fruit with players like Hugley, Davis, and Hall--players that wouldn't have even looked in Pitt's direction two years ago before Capel's arrival.
Well, that's the recruiting news for the day, Pitt fans. Keep an eye out for more news throughout the day and week, as well as a new episode of the Pitt Pod to be dropped later today. And consider giving us a follow on Twitter @PittLead. Hail to Pitt!
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Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Recruiting Notes - Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

Just one day since our last recruiting notes post, and there's plenty to report on tonight. Onto the news:
  • Top Pitt frontcourt target John Hugley made a big announcement this morning, as he set a date and time for his commitment announcement:
  • Hugley's decision will come in 17 days, which is sure to leave Pitt fans in eager anticipation of the decision. However, there is good news, as Pittsburgh Sports Now is reporting that Pitt is one of the three schools that he's still considering--along with NC State, and Kansas State.
    • Pitt fans should keep their eye on whether Hugley takes his currently scheduled official visit to Kansas State this upcoming weekend (Oct. 5-7). If he doesn't go on the official visit, it's probably safe to say that the decision will come down to Pitt and NC State. If he does go, then it will be a long week and a half in limbo for the Pitt faithful awaiting Hugley's decision.
  • And for what it's worth, Rivals reporter Corey Evans stated today in his Twitter Tuesday article that he expects Hugley to commit to Pitt. 
  • At this point in time, it seems that Pitt fans should feel pretty good about Hugley's recruitment. However, with 17 days until Hugley commits, coaches from each school will have plenty of time to make their final pitches. While Pitt appears to be in the driver's seat for now, anything can happen. Stay tuned.
  • And in the world of recruiting news that is tangentially related to Pitt, five-star point guard Caleb Love will announce his decision college decision tonight at 8 PM: 
  • Love, currently ranked 21st in the Rivals150, is picking between North Carolina and Missouri. It's expected that he'll pick North Carolina.
  • How this relates to Pitt, of course, is that Pitt's other top target on the recruiting board, point guard RJ Davis, has an upcoming visit scheduled with North Carolina for next weekend (Oct. 12-14). 
  • If Love commits to North Carolina, is it possible that UNC's recruitment of Davis will end? Will he cancel his visit and decide to commit to one of Marquette or Pitt? We will have to keep our eye on the situation as it develops, starting tonight at 8 PM when Love commits.
  • One final bit of recruiting news today regarding 2021 Pitt target Bryce McGowens, whose recruitment continues to blow up:
  • Michigan has reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament in five of the past six seasons, buoyed by National Championship appearances in 2013 and 2018. Naturally, McGowens getting major attention from one of the best programs in the country is huge news. We'll see if that turns into a scholarship offer at some point.
That's the news from the recruiting trail today, Panther fans. Hail to Pitt!
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News and Notes - Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

As we reach October, the change of seasons is about to hit in a big way. While it's going to be hot in Pittsburgh for the next couple of days, cooler fall weather is on its way by the end of the week. Enjoy the warmth while it lasts, and get ready to break out those sweaters. Onto the news:

  • Since we've finally arrived in October, we are officially in our final month of 2019 without college basketball! The season officially begins on Nov. 5 with a slew of high-profile games including Duke vs. Kansas at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. 
    • Pitt's season opener is the following night, Wed. Nov. 6 against conference foe Florida State at the Petersen Events Center. The game will be featured on ESPNU.
  • If you want to get your fill of Pitt basketball before the season officially opens though, you'll have a couple of opportunities this month. Pitt will be hosting Blue & Gold Madness at the Pete next Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 PM:
    • Pitt will also be hosting Slippery Rock University for a scrimmage on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at the Petersen Events Center at 7 PM.
  • Former Pitt women's basketball head coach Agnus Berenato announced that she's cancer free, one year after starting treatment for breast cancer:
  • Congrats to Coach Berenato on the fantastic news! Currently serving as the head women's basketball coach for the Kennesaw State University Owls, we at the Pitt Basketball Lead are wishing Berenato and the Owls a healthy and successful 2019-20 basketball season.
  • Coaching at Pitt from 2003-04 through 2012-13, Berenato became the winningest head coach in Pitt women's basketball history with 161 wins, led Pitt to its first three NCAA tournament appearances and its only top-25 AP poll finish ever in 2008-09. Berenato continues to leave a mighty strong legacy at the University of Pittsburgh.
  • In other news, Pitt women's basketball player Kyla Nelson will be having surgery today after receiving her own recent cancer diagnosis. We're sending thoughts and prayers to Nelson today, and hoping for her speedy recovery.
  • Basketball writer Brian Rauf ran down his ACC basketball preseason rankings last week for Busted Brackets, and predicted that Pitt will be the 8th best team in the ACC for the 2019-20 season. That would represent a major improvement for the Panthers, who won just three ACC games and finished 14th in the conference in 2018-19.
  • Pitt has certainly added its share of ACC-caliber players this offseason, including some much needed depth to the frontcourt with graduate transfer forward Eric Hamilton and incoming freshman forward Karim Coulibaly. Especially with the potentially long-term absence of Kene Chukwuka, both figure to see plenty of minutes this upcoming season.
So, Pitt fans, what are your thoughts? Is Pitt a middle-of-the-pack ACC team this year? Or are we still a year or two away from being a threat in the ACC once again? Feel free to let us know in the comments or on social media, where you can find us on Twitter @PittLead.
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Monday, September 30, 2019

Recruiting Notes - Monday, September 30th, 2019

This blog is dedicated to Pitt basketball and not Pitt football, so generally there won't be too much in the way of Pitt football coverage here. But if you watched the Pitt-Delaware game on Saturday like I did, all I can say is--a win is a win. Onto the next one. Now let's get to some basketball news:
  • Last week, as we mentioned in Friday's recruiting notes post, Pitt landed in five-star wing Josh Hall's top 12. Well, in that regard, it's been a very successful few days for Jeff Capel and Pitt, as they find themselves in the top 13 for another highly touted player:
  • That's right--Pitt makes the cut for Cliff Omoruyi's top 13 schools. Omoruyi is a four-star Center out of Roselle Catholic in New Jersey, and is currently ranked 54th in the Rivals150 prospect rankings for the 2020 men's basketball recruiting class.
    • Omoruyi is probably a name that Pitt fans remember, and they should, as he was on Pitt's campus for an unofficial visit exactly one month ago today. To date, he's taken three official visits (TCU, West Virginia, and Auburn), meaning he should have two remaining. With big names on his list of potential schools including Kentucky, Louisville, UConn, St. John's, and NC State, it will be interesting to see where Omoruyi elects to take his remaining official visits. 
    • I would be surprised if Pitt gets one of them, since he has already visited unofficially, and living in New Jersey, the trip to visit Pittsburgh costs less than the trip to visit some of the other schools on his list. Since the school covers the bill for an official visit but not for an unofficial visit, it would make sense for Omoruyi to save his officials for schools that are further away/have more expensive travel costs.
    • However, I wouldn't necessarily rule out Omoruyi taking another unofficial visit to Pitt, as he's already been to campus twice--once in April and once in August--and clearly has a good relationship with Capel and his staff. If Pitt can get him on campus again, that would be a great sign that Pitt has a real shot to land Omoruyi.
  • Another big piece of news on the mind of Pitt fans right now is Rivals150 frontcourt target John Hugley. Specifically, how did his official visit at Pitt go? Well, according to Hugley's social media accounts, it appeared to go pretty well:
  • Hugley is one of Capel's top targets and I'm sure that Capel would have loved to secure a commitment on the visit this weekend. Still, as you can see from the screenshots in Mike Wilson's tweet, a lot of Rivals experts have now declared their predictions for Hugley to ultimately commit to Pitt.
    • One thing to keep an eye on--Hugley has an upcoming visit scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 5-7) to Kansas State. Will he take that visit? Will he cancel? If he cancels the visit, I think that would be a very good sign for Pitt. 
  • The other official visitor this weekend for Pitt was 2020 Center Ebenezer Dowuona. I have not been able to find much about how Dowuona's visit went this weekend, but it was an official visit, so it probably went pretty well (schools tend to roll out the red carpet on officials).
  • With that said, I can't imagine that Pitt would take both Hugley and Dowuona, given the scholarship constraints of the 2020 recruiting class, which we discussed on Friday's podcast. 
    • If they were to take just one, there are a lot of interesting dynamics here. I think it's clear that Hugley has been a top target of Capel's for a very long time. Would they wait for his decision before accepting a commitment from Dowuona? Will they take whichever player commits first? Definitely a situation to keep an eye on.
  • Another top 2020 target for Pitt, Rivals150 guard RJ Davis, took an official visit to Marquette this weekend. It should be considered good news that he didn't commit to Marquette while he was on his visit, but his recruitment still appears to be very much in the air. He has another official visit to North Carolina scheduled for next weekend (Oct. 12-14).
  • Finally, a recruiting update that is related to Pitt in more than one way, as Bryce McGowens, a 2021 Pitt target and younger brother of guard Trey McGowens picks up a scholarship offer from another ACC program:
  • McGowens is currently ranked 51st in the Rivals150 for the class of 2021, and has received plenty of offers from ACC schools including Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, in addition to offers from South Carolina, St. John's, TCU, and Xavier. His recruitment should continue to blow up through his junior year.
That's all for today's recruiting notes, make sure to check back for more news, analysis, and podcasts throughout the week!
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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...