John Hugley enters the transfer portal
Pitt center John Hugley is entering the transfer portal. Joe Tipton reported the news this morning, and Hugley confirmed it on Twitter. Hugley is a 6'9" junior out of Cleveland. He came to Pitt as a four-star recruit and was one of Jeff Capel's biggest recruiting wins during his Pitt tenure.
Hugley injured his knee prior to the start of this season and missed the initial two games before returning to the court and playing in eight games. Hugley averaged 8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He posted a season-high 17 points in a November win over Fairleigh Dickinson.
Hugley's knee was never quite right however, and he ultimately started to miss games due to 'personal reasons'. In early January, it was announced Hugley would be sitting out for the remainder of the year.
“We are here to support John as he continues to learn to manage challenges in his personal life,” Jeff Capel said at the time. “John has worked hard to get to this point and should be applauded for seeking out the help to continue to grow as a young man. This next step will allow him the time and space to focus on his personal growth. We are here to provide love and support for him on this journey that will undoubtedly help him throughout his life.”
Hugley entered this season supposed to be the centerpiece to the Pitt team. He averaged 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Panthers a season ago. Hugley was an All-ACC honorable mention pick last year and was expected to have an even bigger impact this season.
Pitt only won 11 games a season ago, but Hugley chose to stick with the Panthers and wanted to turn things around this season. Ultimately Pitt did turn things around and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Capel's watch, but Hugley did not play much of a factor in the team's success.
As a freshman, Hugley only appeared in seven games during the 2020-21 season. He was arrested for criminal conspiracy and one charge of receiving property in an off-the-court incident involving a stolen car. He was suspended indefinitely, but the felony charges ultimately were dropped. Pitt stuck by Hugley and he returned to the team next season.
In Hugley's absence, Pitt sophomore big man Federiko Federiko flourished in an unexpected expanded role. Federiko was not tabbed as a big recruiting win, but he has been vital to Pitt's success this season, and now has two years of eligibility remaining.
Hugley's departure creates another opening for the roster next season. Pitt is slated to lose seniors Jamaris Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, Aiden Fisch, and Nike Sibande. The Panthers have already signed three recruits in the class of 2023, including a pair of four-stars in Carlton Carrington and Jaland Lowe, in addition to Marlon Barnes, who coincidentally enough attends the same high school that produced Hugley. Given his departure Pitt has at least two roster spots to fill heading into next year for now.
The NCAA transfer portal opened on Monday, and over 150 players entered on the first day.