Pitt adds commitments from Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham
The Pitt basketball program received some good news as twin brother Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham committed to the Panthers in the class of 2022. Jorge is a 6'11" while Guillermo is listed at 7'0" and both play the forward position. They played this past season for IMG Academy in Florida on the post graduate team.
The twin brothers from the Canary Islands were offered by Pitt back in March, as the two saw their recruitment pick after one year of playing in the United States. They visited Pitt in April for an official visit, and took a trip to UMass together shortly thereafter. Florida Atlantic, George Washington, Georgia Tech, and others were also showing interest in the last few months.
The commitments of the Diaz Graham brothers marks the first two high school prospects in the class of 2022 for Jeff Capel. They both have been on Pitt's radar for a while, and the staff was able to make a move in the past couple of weeks. Assistant coach Tim O'Toole was the main point of contact in their recruitments.
Not only did both players commit on Wednesday, they signed with Pitt as well.
“In Guillermo and Jorge, we are adding a pair of talented forwards with well-rounded skill sets that not only complement one another but also our current roster of players,” said head coach Jeff Capel in a statement. “They have both shown excellent shooting ability out to the three-point line as well as a strong overall feel for the game. They have each steadily improved their strength and overall athleticism since arriving in the United States last year and are poised to make an impact at the college level. We are excited to add them to our program and help them continue to develop their games”
The addition of the twins now gives Pitt ten scholarship players for the 2022-23 season, meaning there three open roster spots for next year. They join fellow newcomers Fede Federiko, a 6'11" junior college forward, along with transfers Blake Hinson (Iowa State) and Nelly Cummings (Colgate).
The five newcomers will join the existing core of John Hugley, Jamarius Burton, William Jeffress, Nate Santos, and Nike Sibande. After having limited size on the roster in recent years, Pitt has four players 6'9" or taller that are capable of playing inside for this upcoming season with Hugley, Federiko, and the Diaz Graham brothers.
Jeff Capel and his staff will likely have to target more help on the perimeter with the remaining scholarships. The Panthers lost its top outside shooter from a year ago in Ithiel Horton, and have to add a shooting specialist to replace him. Adding another point guard to alleviate some pressure off of Nelly Cummings also looks like it could be priority this offseason.
It still appears that mostly any further additions will likely come from the transfer portal. The deadline has passed for players to enter the portal to play news season, so now the staff has the ability to hone in on who is already in there.