Kithcart sticks with Pitt

With the point guard position wide open for the Pitt basketball team this fall, it was crucial for Kevin Stallings to keep Justice Kithcart in the mix.

Like the rest of Pitt's 2016 recruits, Kithcart announced that he would re-open his recruitment in the wake of Stallings' hire. But like the other two members of the class - Corey Manigault and Crisshawn Clark - Kithcart decided to stick with Pitt.

"Justice spoke to Coach Stallings last night and re-confirmed his commitment to Pitt," Kithcart's father, James, told Panther-Lair.com on Friday. "Justice put it out there on social media I think and it leaked out everywhere. We both had good talks with Coach and went through everything as a family.

"My wife and I support his decision. Stallings sold both of us when he said that he would take care of my kid the same way that he takes care of his own. That resonated with me."

The Kithcart family all had multiple conversations with Stallings this week, and they heard all that they needed to from the new coach. Still, it was most important that Justice himself was comfortable with the new direction of the Pitt program.

"Our conversation went really well," Justice Kithcart said. "He told me about his coaching style and how he lets his players play. That went a long way with me, and I think I will fit great in his uptempo system."

What can't be lost in Kithcart's decision is how much the Pitt fans meant to him. As tempted as he was to open things up and look around, the opportunity to play early in the ACC with the program that he was comfortable with won out in the end. Now, he has a chance to play right away and lead the offense for Stallings' first season in Pittsburgh.

"A big part of it was the fans," Kithcart said. "They really embraced me and I felt like I was committed to them as much as the program and coaches. Now I am just ready to get rolling and I can't wait."