Ilegomah set to transfer

Pitt announced today that sophomore forward Peace Ilegomah will transfer. The 6'9" forward has appeared in seven of the team’s ten games this season and has scored six points, all of which came in Pitt’s 94-55 win over VMI. He has played in just three minutes of the last five games for Pitt.

“We support Peace’s decision to continue his academic and athletic career at another institution,” Pitt head coach Jeff Capel said in a statement today. “We are thankful for his contributions to the Pitt program and wish him well.”

Ilegomah was brought to Pitt as a part of the 2017 recruiting class under the watch of former Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings. He chose Pitt over offers from DePaul, Saint Louis, Louisiana-Monroe, and Sacred Heart. During his freshman season, Ilegomah appeared in 23 games and scored 16 points in 133 minutes of game action.

Ilegomah chose to stick around following the departure of Stallings and was one of two Pitt players to not request a transfer in the aftermath of the coaching change.

With the departure of Ilegomah, Pitt is down to 11 scholarship players for the remainder of the season. He was one of the three centers on the team, and now that position will be manned solely by junior Kene Chukwuka and sophomore Terrell Brown.

The departure of Ilegomah also opens the door for Pitt’s recruiting for next season. Pitt already had one open scholarship. Seniors Jared Wilson-Frame and Sidy N’dir are set to graduate and now with this opening, Pitt will have four scholarships to fill for next season.

Capel has yet to land a commitment for the class of 2019, but has set his sights on some post players. Following the departure of Ilegomah, that may only reaffirm his need to recruit interior players.

The Panthers will return to action on Saturday when they host Maryland-Eastern Shore, set for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff at the Petersen Events Center.