Pitt sophomore forward Noah Collier has reportedly entered the transfer portal according to Verbal Commits. Collier is a New Jersey native and appeared in all 32 games this past season. He averaged 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while playing a little over nine minutes a game.
Collier earned one start this season, and two for his career. In the 2021-22 season, Collier only scored more than two points in a single game five times, highlighted by a career-high 7 points in the team's 63-59 win over Towson back on November 19th. In his final game wearing a Pitt uniform, Collier scored 1 points in seven minutes of action in the team's loss to Boston College in the ACC Tournament.
Collier came to Pitt as a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com. He had additional offers from notable programs like Clemson, Connecticut, Maryland, Penn State, Seton Hall, Syracuse, and more. As a high school player, Collier played for the Westtown School outside of Philadelphia.
Collier came to Pitt in the class of 2020 alongside John Hugley, William Jeffress, Femi Odukale, and Max Amadasun. The class was ranked 17th in the country according to Rivals.com, but the top-20 status of the class has yet to turn things around for this program.
Pitt is coming off its sixth straight losing season, after finishing the most recent campaign with an 11-21 overall record. The program is set to enter next season with Jeff Capel returning for his fifth season as head coach, as Athletic Director Heather Lyke confirmed on Friday evening.
With the departure of Collier, Pitt has 10 returning scholarship players back for next season. The group is highlighted by Hugley, who was an All-ACC honorable mention pick this season. Pitt is also set to bring back Nike Sibande who missed all of this past season with an injury.
As it stands now, Pitt has three spots available for next season, though that number could grow if any other players follow Collier to the portal. The Pitt coaches have not been overly active in recruiting high school players in the class of 2022, and they seem to be focusing most of their recruiting energy on the transfer portal.
