What is a National Letter of Intent?
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
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.
