Capel lands four-star PG out of the 2022 class

Jeff Capel added one more piece to the 2022-23 roster on Monday, and it was a big one.

Rather than pulling in another transfer, the Pitt head coach landed one of the top talents in the 2022 recruiting class when four-star point guard Dior Johnson announced that he will be joining the Panthers.

Johnson’s commitment brings to an end a long saga of a recruitment that saw him commit to Syracuse and sign with Oregon before getting released from his Letter of Intent late last week. He surprised many on Sunday night when he announced a top three of Pitt, Washington State and Mississippi State, and then surprised even more with the quick turnaround to Monday’s commitment.

Johnson ranks as the No. 38 overall prospect in the class of 2022 and the No. 7 point guard, but a year ago at this time, he was viewed as a top-10 player in the class. rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Director Rob Cassidy said that Johnson was as “smooth as any guard in this class and boasts incredible floor vision that shines as a distributor.”

After he decommitted from Syracuse, Johnson announced a top five that included Alabama, Kentucky, Washington, Oregon and the NBL in Australia. He picked Oregon, but after the Ducks landed a pair of high-end point guard transfers and brought back Will Richardson, who withdrew from the NBA Draft, the situation in the Ducks’ backcourt got crowded.

At Pitt, Johnson will join a situation that should be more favorable. The Panthers brought in Colgate transfer Nelly Cummings this offseason, but despite having several veteran guards on the roster, Pitt doesn’t really have another point guard aside from Cummings. Johnson can fill that roll immediately, either playing behind Cummings or with him.

Johnson is the fourth member of Pitt’s 2022 recruiting class, joining forwards Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham and junior college center Fede Federiko.