The Pitt Panthers pulled off a stunner on the recruiting trail earlier this week, and that is the focus of this week’s 3-2-1 column. Pitt head coach Jeff Capel snagged a commitment from class of 2023 four-star center Papa Kante seemingly out of nowhere on Monday afternoon and we discuss all the ripple effects of his decision.

We are also nearing the start of the wild month of June when it comes to football recruiting. Pat Narduzzi and his coaching staff have been doing a nice job of making the most of their chances in the month of June in recent years and they are once again brining in an impressive group of visitors next month and we take a look at some of the biggest names.

THREE THINGS WE KNOW

Capel reels in a surprise four-star

There is no denying college basketball recruiting can be sudden in the current environment of the sport. The emergence of the transfer portal, high school players reclassifying, and the general approach of teams building new rosters from year to year have led to more direct moves and sometimes surprises out of nowhere can take place.

I do not think anyone really expected Papa Kante, the 87th ranked player in the country according to Rivals.com to commit to Pitt on Monday afternoon, but in today’s landscape I guess his decision proved anything is possible.

Kante’s commitment to Pitt was a surprise on many levels. The main thought behind that line of thinking was because he was not prominently tied to Pitt in recent weeks, at least not to the point where anyone could have envisioned a commitment on Monday.

Let’s not beat around the bush here, this is a major recruiting coup for Capel. Kante is a tantalizing prospect with a 6’10” and 220-pound frame along with a reported 7’4” wingspan. He is a high-energy post player who can run the floor and finish on offense and provide a serious shot-blocking presence on defense.

He drew plenty of college interest last summer and ultimately committed to Michigan back in October over a group of finalists that included Memphis, Maryland, Rutgers and Pitt.

Kante was released from his National Letter of Intent in April, and he was contacted by many schools in the aftermath of his de-commitment, Alabama, Memphis, Syracuse, and Villanova to name a few. While Pitt was not mentioned as prominently in his second recruitment, the Panthers were sitting back with a strong foundation in place with the four-star center, perhaps a stronger footing than anyone realized.

Gilbert Brown starred at Pitt years ago, and he is back on the staff with the Panthers, but prior to returning to Oakland, Brown coached at South Kent Prep in Connecticut. Kante played for Brown at South Kent, and the two had a strong relationship already in place.

The 6’10” center prospect also had a good connection with Capel and he had taken an official visit to Pitt last summer. Kante had a good idea what Pitt had to offer. Given all the familiarity in place, his decision may have been a surprise on the outside, but it also made sense for him. Kante circled back to one of his original top schools and they had room to bring him into the fold, from there the two sides make quick work of this process behind the scenes.

Sometimes it can be that simple.

“I just felt the most comfortable with them,” Kante told Panther-Lair.com after his commitment. “It is like a family atmosphere there and I have really gotten to know them well over the past few weeks. They and I both think that I am going to fit well in the system so I could not pass up that opportunity.”

The commitment of Kante marks the second year in a row Capel has managed to land an unexpected top-100 prospect in the summer. The Panthers added Dior Johnson, a four-star guard last June, and that one was probably more out of the blue than Kante.

Either way, this is a good trend to start.

Pitt is still building itself up as a program and the Panthers need to be opportunistic when talent becomes available. There is no avenue this coaching staff can overlook when it comes to adding to the roster, and being a soft landing spot for four-star prospects late in the process is a great use of added roster space in each of the past two off-seasons.

Capel finally broke through with an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022-23 and he has done plenty of work to make sure next year’s roster is just as talented, so this little run of success can be sustained.

A Tall bunch of Panthers

The Pitt basketball roster for next season is really starting to take shape following the recent commitment of Papa Kante, and the frankly the shape I am noticing most is the height that will be on this team.

The 2023-24 Pitt Panthers will feature four players who stand 6’10” or taller. That is pretty significant, especially from a historical perspective. This will be the first time a Pitt team will feature four players who are at least 6’10” since the 2004-05 season. That ’05 club coached by Jamie Dixon included Aaron Gray (7’0”), Mark McCarroll (6’11”), Chris Taft and Levon Kendall, who both checked in at 6’10”.

The 2023-24 Panthers will feature 7-footer Guillermo Diaz Graham, along with his brother Jorge Diaz Graham and Federiko Federiko, who are both listed at 6’11”, while the newly signed Kante stands in at 6’10”.

That is some serious size, and that’s a long time for this program to go without it. Obviously you can be successful in college basketball with smaller players, I mean DeJuan Blair is one of the defining players in Pitt history, and he was playing center at 6’6” on a good day. That said, size is a nice luxury to have in college basketball, and Capel will be able to deploy different lineup combinations this season because of it.

Pitt can attack you with size and numbers this year, and by the end of this most recent season, that was not something it could do. The Panthers were worn down late last season, and when Federiko Federiko got injured in March, Capel did not have many answers.

Duke really exploited Pitt’s inside game in the ACC Tournament, and the Panthers were schooled pretty well by Xavier big man Jack Nunge in the team’s elimination game of the NCAA Tournament. The hope of course is that Federiko and Diaz Graham twins mature as players, but adding Kante provides more insurance and adds more depth.

Size isn’t everything in college basketball, I mean the most dominant player in the sport last year was Zach Edey, and his Purdue team did not make it out of the first round of the tournament. Still, when looking at it from a Pitt perspective, this is a program that needed to build a roster like this for some time now.

Pitt has gone through some serious lapses with its inside play for a number of seasons in a row. Aside from one good year from John Hugley in 2022, under Capel the Panthers have resorted to starting players like Terrell Brown, Kene Chukwuku, and Eric Hamilton at the five spot. No disrespect to any of those guys, but it has been a common theme running on multiple years now that Pitt has lacked a reliable inside presence.

I am certain if any of the four players are going to have an outstanding season or be an all-conference player, but collectively this four-man crew should make for improved play inside for Capel.

For years we have seen programs like Connecticut, Florida State, North Carolina and Louisville, among many others, stack multiple athletic big guys on their rosters and have a lot of success because it, and for the first time in a while Pitt has a roster that resembles something like that.

The visit list is shaping up nicely

The news of Papa Kante’s commitment has put the Pitt basketball program in the spotlight for a few days, but that will all change soon as Pat Narduzzi’s program will take center stage here starting next week. Pitt football is slated to host a large group of official visitors throughout June, and as we have learned from past years, this will be an action-packed month.

The Pitt coaches appear to be targeting three weekends: June 1st, June 8th, and June 22nd as their three big official visit bonanzas. The list is still coming together, but even if it is not finalized as we look at it today, Pitt is set to host a pretty impressive group of visitors scattered throughout the month of June.

The list is of course highlighted by some highly-ranked four-star prospects. The Panthers will be set to host coveted offensive recruits like Yasin Willis, one of the top running backs in the country and the highest-ranked prospect in all of New Jersey, along with Keylen Adams, a four-star wide receiver from Virginia.

The Panthers calling card has been defense in recent seasons, and some impressive prospects on that side of the ball will be in town next month. That group is headlined by current commit Jahsear Whittington, who is one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the country.

Some other top defensive linemen like Sincere Edwards from Florida and Ohio native Elias Rudolph, are also slated to be in town for official visits. Pitt has an impressive duo of linebackers coming to town as well, led by Aliquippa four-star Cameron Lindsey and Gabriel Williams out of Maryland.

The four stars draw a lot of the attention, but the rest of the group of visitors appears strong, and some the players currently committed to the Panthers highlight that group of players. Adham Abouraya, Davin Brewton, Francis Brewu, Juelz Goff are all slated to be in town to help aid in the recruiting efforts, while some others are still finalizing their dates.

Of course, there will be some additions and subtractions to the official visitor list constantly throughout the next month. Plans change, commitments happen, it’s just the way it goes and it can evolve by the day.

The Panthers are still without a quarterback in this recruiting class and it looks as though Trever Jackson will be in town the first weekend of June. Pitt is in a position where they may be looking to host additional quarterback prospects like Henry Hasselbeck and Miles O’Neill, two players who are taking unofficial visits this month.

There are some notable prospects set to visit like defensive backs Koy Beasley and Nigel Maynard, as well as offensive linemen Moritz Schmoranzer and defensive ends such as Dominic Kirks and Gavench Marcelin.

As it stands today, we have confirmed 30 official visitors next month, and that number should be in the 40s somewhere when it is all said and done. The visitor list is certainly an impressive one as it stands. Of course the Panthers are off to fast start on the recruiting trail and currently hold the 19th ranked class in the country according to Rivals.com generally much higher than they are typically heading into June.

TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE

Where does this class stack up historically?

The addition of Papa Kante is significant not in only in terms of what he will be able to provide to the Pitt team next season and beyond, but his commitment also signifies an impressive close to an already strong 2023 recruiting class.

Kante is now the third four-star member of this class, and the highest-rated one at that, checking in at No. 87 in the most recent Rivals rankings. He is just ahead of fellow incoming freshmen Carlton Carrington (91) and Jaland Lowe (107). For what it’s worth, the fourth member of the class, Marlon Barnes, was a four-star recruit at one time as well.

This marks the second top-25 class brought in by Jeff Capel during his tenure in Oakland. The Panthers’ 2023 haul is graded as the 22nd best class in the country according to Rivals. The class of 2020, headlined by John Hugley and William Jeffress, actually checked in at No. 17 when it was all said and done.

The current class feels a little deeper than 2020, however, with three four-star recruits as opposed to two, and historically speaking that is a pretty noteworthy thing for this program. In the Rivals.com era, Pitt has only signed three four-star recruits one other time, and that was back in 2005 when Jamie Dixon landed LeVance Fields (88), Tyrell Biggs (78), Sam Young (71) in the same year.

I’m not saying the 2023 recruiting class is going on to what those three players accomplished, but merely pointing out the last time Pitt brought in three players ranked this highly in the same year it worked out just fine. Obviously the sport has changed considerably since 2005, and you wonder how much recruiting rankings still mean, because you are seeing so many programs focus on the transfer portal, which has certainly put a dent into the emphasis on high school recruiting.

Either way, I still think that this signing class is a pretty big step for this program. Pitt thrived with transfers who became quick fixes last season, but obviously adding high-level high school talent is still a huge priority in this sport.

The other nugget I want to add to this line of thinking is this: by adding Carrington, Kante, and Lowe, the Panthers will feature now feature six former four-star recruits according to Rivals. Blake Hinson, Dior Johnson, and Jeffress were all graded as four-stars coming out of high school as well.

The number six here is also important, because the last time Pitt featured six Rivals four-stars on the same roster was back in 2009 (Fields, Biggs, Young, Dejuan Blair, Gilbert Brown, and Brad Wanamaker)

Again, I don’t expect this year’s team to match what the 2009 team did, but obviously there is a correlation here. This Pitt roster is talented, one of the most talented on-paper teams in over a decade. The Panthers haven’t had six top 100ish type players (If we want to be technical, another major recruiting outlet graded the Diaz Graham twins as four-stars also) all at once in a while, and I don’t think that is anything to dismiss heading into next season.

It remains to be seen how this whole thing translates on the court, because while the roster is talented, it is also very inexperienced. Pitt will likely be starting at least one freshman next season. There also lack some cohesion because six of the 12 players are all going to be newcomers.

Those are probably all good problems to have.

College basketball is almost wired to be a year to year product for a lot of programs, and to remain relevant, coaches need to be active on all fronts. Capel showed he could piece together a roster from the transfer portal last season and win, and now, at least on paper they are proving to be clicking with high school recruiting.

What is the state of Pitt baseball?

Pitt came out swinging on Wednesday in its opening game of the ACC Tournament. The Panthers belted five home runs and upset Notre Dame 9-5. The very next day Pitt went away quietly to No. 1 Wake Forest by a score of 10-2. The season ended with a 24-31 record.

Frankly, this kind of ending has been rather common. After years of not even qualifying for the 12-team ACC tournament after joining the league in 2014, the Panthers have at least gotten to the point where they have been topping out with an appearance in the postseason. Sometimes Pitt’s tournament berth is paired with a few upsets wins, but really that has been the ceiling.

The question we really need to be asking, is that actually the ceiling for this program? I think we sort of have these discussions after every Pitt baseball season, but they are talks were worth having when evaluating this program.

The Panthers sure do not have history on their side with their last NCAA Tournament appearance coming in 1995. There are other factors at play working against them as well. Pitt’s Petersen Sports Complex home is certainly nice and better than it was, but many teams in the ACC are playing in minor league baseball caliber facilities. It’s hard to recruit against that when teams in your own league have much better stadiums and facilities to offer players.

The other factor is that Pitt does not sit in a very fertile recruiting territory like many of the other ACC schools. I think Pennsylvania high school baseball has made strides in recent years, but again warm weather states dominate this sport for a reason.

Those aren’t really things Pitt can really change either.

Mike Bell has been the head coach since the 2019 season. In his four seasons (we’re not counting 2020), Pitt has one winning record. The Panthers were probably destined to actually make the NCAA Tournament in 2021, but a late-season COVID outbreak on the team cut down any momentum they had.

I’m not necessarily knocking Bell. Pitt is a tough coaching job and I think he is doing what he can given the circumstances.

There will be years where the right transfers blend in with the newcomers, a few surprises happen on the roster and Pitt can make a run. We saw them show signs of that in 2021. The Panthers have made progress as a team in the ACC, but it’s hard to show the ground you have made in this conference.

Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke made three coaching changes this school year, and the coaches that were fired were all hired the same year as Bell. Having said that, I don’t think he is anywhere close to the chopping block, but it all comes back to the ceiling question.

What does Pitt hope to be as a program? How realistic is it to get there? And even after you answer those two questions, the larger point remains. What is Pitt’s ceiling as a program? I’m not sure we know all the answers there.

ONE PREDICTION

Predicting the Zoo Crew starting five

The big news in the world of Pitt sports this week was of course…the return of the Zoo Crew. For those who are unaware, there is something called, ‘The Basketball Tournament’ where ex-college players and professionals form teams and compete for a two million dollar prize.

Many ex-college players from the same school team up and play as alumni teams. Some former Pitt players have formed a team before, and after a layoff, they will be back this summer.

A group of Pitt alumni announced this week they will be reincarnating the Zoo Crew and they will compete in this year’s Basketball Tournament. The team will be coached by former Panther and current staffer Gilbert Brown. The roster includes recent Panthers like Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande along with some past stars: Jamel Artis, Mo Gueye, Ryan Luther, Gary McGhee, and Michael Young.

Given that we now know the Zoo Crew roster, my prediction this week will be how I think the starting lineup will look when they take the court later this summer.

I think the natural option at point guard is Nelly Cummings. I would start Jamel Artis and Mo Gueye on the wings. Michael Young is my power forward, while Gary McGhee is the center.

Given that Nike Sibande was just the ACC Sixth Man of the Year, I think he reprises that role for the Zoo Crew. Luther and Elliott will also come off the bench in my lineup prediction.

We have seen The Basketball Tournament turn into an exciting event through the years. During a long lull of just Major League Baseball, it is something different to watch in the late summer months. The event has also introduced the Elam scoring system, a new take on how the ending of basketball games could be handled.

I think having a team everyone can attach themselves to should make this year’s Basketball Tournament a little more entertaining. The Pitt basketball program under Jeff Capel has made it a point to remain in close ties with former players, and having guys off the most recent team join up with some former players who did not play for him should only enhance those relationships.

The Zoo Crew competed from 2016-2018 and will be making a return to action when they have their first game July 25 in Wheeling, W.V.