Murphy enters the transfer portal

One Pitt guard won't be back with the Panthers next season, as Ryan Murphy has entered the transfer portal.

Murphy joined Pitt last offseason as a junior-college transfer who started his collegiate career at Charlotte. He played one year with the 49ers before leaving for New Mexico Junior College.

While at junior college, Murphy averaged 18.5 points per game in 13 games, but his main appeal for Jeff Capel and the Pitt program was his three-point shooting. He shot 39.1% at New Mexico, and he was expected to provide a long-range threat for the Panthers.

Through the first 21 games of the season, he was Pitt's best option from outside the arc. He shot 35.5% from deep and averaged 10 points per game. But he suffered a concussion in practice prior to the Panthers' home game against Miami on Feb. 2, and his numbers suffered considerably.

In the final nine games of the season, Murphy made just three of his 17 three-point attempts - 17.6% - and averaged less than two points per game.

Murphy finished the season with a team-best 42 made three-point shots.

“We appreciate Ryan’s efforts with our program this season and wish him luck as he looks to continue his playing career elsewhere," Capel said in a press release.

Murphy's departure opens up another scholarship for Capel to use this offseason. The Panthers have three incoming freshmen signed in John Hugley, Max Amadasun and Noah Collier; with Murphy, Samson George and Kene Chukwuka coming off the roster plus the open scholarship spot Pitt had this season, Capel has room to add one more recruit.

However, the Pitt staff is still recruiting both Femi Odukale and William Jeffress in the 2020 class, so more attrition is likely.