Capel lands a big one

Jeff Capel got one.

The new Pitt head coach landed his first big recruit on Tuesday when four-star guard Trey McGowens committed to the Panthers. McGowens is the first commitment for Capel since he took over as head coach at Pitt last month.

McGowens, a 6’4” 175-pound guard at Hargrave Military Academy and originally from South Carolina, picked Pitt over more than 40 offers. He currently ranks as the No. 75 recruit in the class of 2019 but plans to reclassify to the 2018 class and join the Panthers this summer.

Landing McGowens is a huge boost for Capel, who lost his point guard last week when sophomore Marcus Carr decided to transfer. With no returning point guards on the roster, Capel needed immediate help, and McGowens can provide that.

Pitt currently projects to have as many as seven open scholarships for the 2018-19 roster, depending on the decision of guard Malik Ellison, who sat out last season after transferring from St. John’s but is still considering his options for the coming season, and Kene Chukwuka, who has not publicly addressed the situation.

As it stands, Pitt will return guard Kham Davis, forwards Shamiel Stevenson, Terrell Brown, Peace Illegomah and Samson George, and Jared Wilson-Frame, who could play guard or forward. McGowens fills one of the open spots, but Capel will need to get more.

One option is Xavier Johnson, a three-star guard in the 2018 class who visited Pitt on Monday. McGowens’ commitment could impact Johnson, but Capel will likely still pursue him given the lack of depth on the current roster.

One big upside of Pitt’s recruitment of both McGowens and Johnson is that Capel did not use an official visit for either prospect. The Panthers have limited official visits remaining in the 2018 cycle, and getting a commitment from McGowens and getting Johnson on campus without using an official visit on either recruit is beneficial for Capel and the Pitt staff.