MORE HEADLINES - PODCAST: Horton's return and the rest of the season | In the film room: Likes - all likes! - from the win over Syracuse | Film breakdown: How Cignetti uses play-action | State of the position: Pitt's linebackers entering 2022 | Who are the top 10 prospects in Western Pa.? | Collins connection leads to Pitt offer for Ga. DB
In this week’s 3-2-1 column we talk plenty about the Pitt basketball team and their big win earlier this week over Syracuse, plus the return of Ithiel Horton, and the outlook for February. We also talk about some recruiting news on the football front.
THREE THINGS WE KNOW
Pitt gets a much-needed win
Pitt’s 75-48 loss to Clemson on Saturday January 22nd was a rather humbling defeat for the Panthers. While this season has not been much to write home about, the team had been playing more competitive basketball since Christmas. They built up an identity of being a scrappy team that would find themselves in close games more often than not.
A listless 27 point defeat to an average Clemson team sort of put a dent in what this team had been doing from an identity standpoint. So needless to say, Pitt’s bounce back 64-53 win over Syracuse on Tuesday night was rather unexpected, but it was also much needed for this team. Syracuse had trounced Pitt earlier this month by a score of 77-61 in the Dome. The Panthers struggled to attack the zone and faded quietly into the night in the second half in that first meeting.
On Tuesday, Pitt pretty much handled the Orange in one of the team’s best showings all year. Pitt’s inside duo of John Hugley and Mo Gueye combined for 30 points and 28 rebounds in a dominant performance. Jamarius Burton continued his steady play with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and even former walk-on Onye Ezeakudo poured in 11 points to help contribute to the win.
The team that lost to Clemson on Saturday was hardly recognizable by Tuesday, and that’s a good thing. It’s also a credit to the coaches and players putting aside an ugly performance and stepping up and winning a game at home.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Tuesday’s win was the defensive effort, especially after Syracuse shot 51% in the game on January 11th. In the second meeting, Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim reached 25 points, but it took him 23 shot attempts to get there. No other Syracuse player reached double figures and the Orange shot just 19.4% from three-point land and 34.5% overall.
Not only did Pitt bounce back from a bad performance on Saturday against Clemson, but they also fixed the issues from a loss to Syracuse two weeks ago and showed direct signs of improvement because of it: they defender better and attacked the zoom with more purpose.
It’s hard to really evaluate who or what this current Pitt team is right now. The ACC is certainly down this season, but if for nothing else the Panthers are a better team today than they were in November, and that’s what you would hope to see from a young, unproven bunch. Pitt is clearly a team that has limitations, particularly on offense, but they’ve overcome them the best they can and adapted and remained a mostly competitive team in conference play to this point.
Hugley looks like an All-ACC performer. Burton and Gueye have been much better than anyone could have anticipated. There are 11 games left this season for Jeff Capel’s team and the Panthers will try to navigate a more manageable ACC than usual down the stretch. If nothing else, there’s at least some level of intrigue to watch this team as the calendar changes to February, perhaps a bit more than anyone expected back in November when the season started.
Ithiel Horton is back
A lot of the intrigue for this Pitt team for the remaining 11 regular season games can be centered around the return of Ithiel Horton. The junior guard was reinstated to the program on Wednesday of this week after his felony charges were dropped to misdemeanors stemming from an off-the-court arrest back in November.
The process and the timing of the legal proceedings and Pitt’s response to them can certainly be criticized for sure, especially seeing the outcome of the whole ordeal, but the most important thing for Horton and this Pitt team is that he can play basketball again.
Horton has missed 19 games this season because of his arrest, but can return to action tomorrow to provide a much needed boost to a Pitt team that is desperate for more firepower on offense.
In Horton’s lone appearance this season, he poured in 13 points in 28 minutes in a 75-72 loss to Louisville back on January 5th. Horton provided the team with three made 3-pointers in the game and showed that he can help open up the offense.
Horton has 125 made three-pointers in his career between his freshman year at Delaware and his sophomore season with Pitt last year and he makes them at a 39.8% clip as well. For a Pitt team that ranks last in the ACC in both three-point field goals (98) and three-point percentage (.29%), Horton’s return for the team’s stretch run can really be a shot in the arm for this group.
I don’t want make Horton out to be a hero and put the pressure on him of being a missing piece for this team, as they have plenty of other holes, but he’s certainly going to be a big help on the offensive side of the ball. Pitt received zero bench points on Tuesday, and really have relied on only four players that can score this season. Horton is a fifth scoring option and could propel the team to some more success in February.
Cignetti is on the road
Pitt announced the hiring of Frank Cignetti as its new offensive coordinator last Friday. One week later and Cignetti has yet to be introduced to the media, and for good reason, too. Cignetti was cleared to hit the road recruiting and that’s exactly what he did almost right away after taking the job. The Pitt offensive coordinator tweeted out that he was in New Jersey earlier this week, and he was in and out of high schools the past few days meeting and offering recruits.
Obviously there is more value in recruiting than a press conference, but I’m sure fans would still like to hear from the coach about his philosophies, his return to Pittsburgh, and what are his early impressions of his new offensive weapons. I’m sure that meeting with the media will happen in the next week or so when the recruiting calendar switches into the dead period. For now, however, Narduzzi and Cignetti both figured him being on the road should be the first thing on his agenda.
Cignetti’s immediate start on the road is encouraging on other fronts, however. Pitt’s other recent offensive coordinators: Mark Whipple, Shawn Watson, and Matt Canada primarily focused mostly on recruiting the quarterback position. I expect Cignetti to be much more than that for this team on the recruiting trail. He will likely be on the road more than his predecessors and will recruit other positions and not just quarterback. The new Pitt offensive coordinator has connections in New Jersey and has a reputation of being a coach that simply likes to recruit.
Cignetti’s tenure as Pitt’s offensive coordinator will largely be judged on how he runs Pitt’s offense, how he develops quarterbacks, and who he actually recruits at quarterback each season. Still, Cignetti has shown he’s willing to get on the road and do more than that, if his first week on the job is any indication.
TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE
Why such a quiet Signing Day?
The first Wednesday of February is fast approaching, and usually that would be a busy time for us here at Panther-Lair.com. National Letter of Intent Day has long been a holiday for college football fans, but with an early signing day added in December, it has taken away from the fanfare of the usual day in February.
The lack on hype surrounding signing day for Pitt this year is almost exaggerated, and that’s for a few reasons. Normally this time of year we would be reporting about some late official visitors, perhaps the possibility of flipping a recruit - the typical recruiting storylines.
Not this year. Pitt wrapped up its recruiting efforts in December after announcing a 12-man signing class. The expectation all along was that this would be a small recruiting class for Pitt, but even so landing just 12 players is extremely low.
But why?
It’s simple, really, as the ‘super-senior’ rule from the 2020 season is impacting the numbers and spots available for the Pitt coaches to use in recruiting. Pitt had some key players willing to return for an extra year of eligibility, including the entire starting offensive line and defensive mainstay Deslin Alexandre. If starting players from an ACC Championship team want to come back, it’s hard to turn them away if you are in Pitt’s position of trying to maintain positive momentum on the field of play.
The Panthers have a lot of experience heading into the 2022 season, and if it means not landing an extra couple of recruits, then so be it. Pitt is approaching next season with a ‘win now’ mentality, and brought back veteran players, added some impact transfers, but had to sacrifice the numbers for the 2022 recruiting class to make that happen.
Sure, it’ll be a quiet day on Wednesday, but there is at least a reason for it.
Who are the names to watch in Pennsylvania for the class of 2023?
Now that the class of 2022 appears to be in the rearview, it’s time to start looking more closely at what the class of 2023 holds. Pitt has spent months offering, evaluating, visiting, and hosting players for this class and now it becomes the focal point of its recruiting efforts.
At this point, the Pitt coaches have offered over 230 prospects in the class of 2023. If the past tells us anything, that figure will get to over 300 names by the time it is all said and done. It’s tough to comb through that many names right now and see who the Pitt coaches are prioritizing just yet.
There will be plenty of unofficial visits in the spring and summer, plus Pitt likes to host their official visits in the month of June. We’ll know soon enough who is being prioritized, but for now a good place to start right here in Pitt’s backyard.
The class of 2023 in Pennsylvania is pretty loaded, and Pitt is working on a number of those players. Here are the main names to know right now in the class of 2023 for the Keystone State.
Rodney Gallagher: Gallagher is the top ranked player in the state and also one of the top players on Pitt’s recruiting board. The Laurel Highlands High School star has over 20 offers and plenty of suitors, but Pitt should be in this one until the very end.
Ta’Mere Robinson: Robinson is the top player in the Pittsburgh City League. He is a four-star prospect and has over 20 offers. Robinson narrowed it down to ten schools, and Pitt made the cut as expected. The Panthers should be near the top here, but the competition won’t be easy with Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and some others also involved.
Jven Williams: Pitt recently hosted the top Pennsylvania offensive line prospect for a visit and he came away very impressed. Williams then named Pitt to his top seven that also included Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Illinois, and Rutgers.
Phil Picciotti: Phil Picciotti is a relative of former Panther Dustin Picciotti. He is star linebacker for Pennridge High School and has an impressive offer sheet that includes Penn State, Michigan, Oklahoma, and USC. He has yet to visit Pitt, so we’ll see if the coaches can get him on campus sometime in the next few months.
Marquese Williams: Williams is set to visit Pitt this weekend. The three-star back stars for Bishop McDevitt and holds offers from over 20 programs already. This will be his first trip to see Pitt.
Austin Ramsey: Ramsey is a towering offensive line prospect from Roman Catholic High School. He visited for Pitt’s win over Clemson this past season, and told Panther-Lair.com he intends to return to see Pitt again this spring.
Markus Dixon: Markus Dixon is an athletic tight end for Archbishop Wood. He holds offers from Georgia, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and more. He told Panther-Lair.com earlier this month he keeps in contact with Pitt a lot and hopes to visit at some point.
Jameial Lyons: Lyons is a three-star defensive end that is seeing his stock rise. Pitt offered him recently. He also holds them from Penn State, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
Kameron Cheatom: The 6-3 220-pound defensive end plays for Brashear in the Pittsburgh City League. Cheatom does not hold an offer from Pitt, but he is a local player that will get some attention at some camps this summer and will have a chance to add one. He’s a name under the radar worth remembering.
Cooper Young: Young is a big offensive linemen from Downingtown West High School. He visited Pitt back in October for the Clemson game and holds an offer from the Panthers. Young also has offers from Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Donovan Walker: Aliquippa won a state championship this past year, and Donovan Walker was a big time contributor for the Quips. He does not have an offer from Pitt yet, but he would be one of the local players that has a chance to add one at some point.
DaShawn Carter: Carter is another local product that doesn’t have an offer, but is on the radar for Pitt. He checks in at 6’4” and 220 pounds and can work as a tight end or defensive end. Carter stars for nearby South Allegheny High School.
Gabriel Arena: Arena plays for Bishop McDevitt High School. The big offensive linemen visited Pitt in the fall, and should be a candidate to return in the spring or summer. Arena doesn’t have an offer, but holds one from Virginia Tech and also some MAC programs.
ONE PREDICTION
Pitt wins more games this February than the past three combined
February has been a nightmarish month for the Pitt basketball team under Jeff Capel. I’ll help better put that in perspective: Pitt holds a 3-20 record in the month of February in Capel’s first three seasons as head coach. Pitt’s late season collapses have come like clockwork the past three years. Capel’s teams have shown promise and secured some big wins in January, and at times have even grabbed some national attention only for it to come to a screeching halt when the calendar turns to February.
I don't see it unfolding that way this year.
I think Pitt can win some games late in the season this time around, in fact I’m predicting this team can win at least four of their eight games in February. I think there are a numbers of factors at play for why this can potentially happen.
For starters, I think this team is hungry and wants to prove something. They’ve been dealt a lot of bad blows all year long, and even after losses that you would think could crush their spirit, they’ve responded. The last three Pitt teams didn’t always handle that aspect of the game as well and the losses would have a snowball effect.
Second of all, I think the return of Horton paired with the recent strong play of Hugley, Burton, and Gueye makes for a formidable group that can stand up in this year’s ACC. I also wouldn’t write off Femi Odukale just yet either, as I believe he is capable of having some big games still this season.
Lastly, the ACC overall is just down. Given Pitt’s limitations, they should be struggling in conference play much more than they have been this year. The fact of the matter is simply that the league is down this year. Aside from Duke, most teams can beat one another on the right evening. There is not a ton of separation between the top four or five teams in the league and everyone else.
Given Pitt’s penchant for playing in close games, I see no reason why that trend won’t continue in the second half of conference play. Pitt’s not going to take the league by storm and vault to a bye in the ACC Tournament, but I do believe this team is capable of remaining competitive and stealing some more wins.
This has been a trying year for the Pitt basketball program. From some recruiting misses, to Nike Sibande’s injury, to Horton’s ordeal, to losing to The Citadel to start the year, to multiple one-point losses — there just has been a lot of adversity for this team this season. They’ve answered the bell and continued to fight even when the odds are stacked against them on most nights.
It’s fair to say Jeff Capel’s seat is at least a little warm by now, but by all indications he will be back next season. Sibande went on record last evening saying he would be back next year and will be 'Riding with Capel next year’ and I get the sense a lot of the other players have similar intentions as well.
Pitt’s February swoons have been rough the past three seasons, but this group has a chance to show some promise down the stretch this season. This team isn’t going to the postseason, let’s not make any mistake about that, but they could use a positive stretch of play late in the year for the first time under this coaching regime and I think that’s exactly what they do.
