The 3-2-1 Column: Recapping Pitt's March, new football recruits, and more
It was an eventful week in the world of Pitt athletics and we talk all about it in this edition of the 3-2-1 Column. The Panthers’ basketball team saw their spirited March run come to a close on Sunday with a loss to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. We reflect on the special season by Pitt hoops, and look ahead to the future for this program.
The Pitt football team has secured two commitments in the last week, raising their commitment list to six prospects in the class of 2024. We take a closer look at how the recruiting class is unfolding for Pat Narduzzi’s program as well.
It is now officially the offseason for Pitt’s two major sports, but even without games to cover, there are plenty of things to discuss.
THREE THINGS WE KNOW
A Roller Coaster March
I think after six seasons without making the NCAA Tournament, those who follow Pitt basketball may have forgotten how exhilarating March can be, and also how sudden the ending can come crashing down on you. In the aftermath of Pitt’s 24-12 season, I think you can still feel both extremes when reflecting on what just transpired over the last couple of weeks.
Pitt played meaningful basketball games in the month of March this year for the first time since 2016. It went beyond the three NCAA Tournament games, too. From March 1st up through the second round loss to Xavier, every moment, possession, and outcome was critical to Pitt’s fate.
Everyone in the bubble of Pitt basketball just went on a very long journey in a short span of time and that goes for the players and coaches and everyone within the program. It extends to the fans of the team and those who cover Pitt as well. We all just went through a ringer of sorts, and as we sit on March 24th looking back, you have to you ask yourself: What the hell just happened over the last month?
It go back to the Syracuse game back on February 25th, at least I think is a fair starting point of this particular journey. It was a game that brought on so many storylines. Pitt held Senior Day for a group that helped change the culture of the program this season. It was the last home game of course, and Pitt was fighting and clawing for an ACC Championship and also an NCAA Tournament berth.
It was also Jim Boeheim’s annual (and ultimately last) visit to Pittsburgh. The crowd and atmosphere lived up to the hype and the team did not disappoint with a commanding 99-82 win. Former walk-on Aidan Fisch hit a late layup that punctuated the feel good nature in the air, and Virginia and Miami lost to boot, meaning Pitt was atop the ACC standings.
Pitt’s journey in March started in first place of the ACC and ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll, but the ups and downs of college basketball’s penultimate month were just getting started.
Pitt lost a critical game to a bad Notre Dame team with an ACC Championship on the line on March 1st. A few days later, the Panthers’ second chance at clinching at least a share of that title were dashed with a 78-76 loss to Miami in the regular season finale. Pitt had opportunities in that game, Blake Hinson’s late heave was off the mark, and Jeff Capel’s team landed the fifth-seed in the ACC Tournament.
Before Pitt could really settle into Greensboro and the ACC Tournament overall, the Panthers were seemingly packing their bags. Pitt clinched a much-needed victory over Georgia Tech on Wednesday March 8th, but before they even had time to celebrate that win, it felt like Duke already had a double-digit lead on them the next day.
The Panthers were humbled on Thursday of the ACC Tournament by Duke with a 96-69 shellacking inside the Greensboro Coliseum. Most felt Pitt had done enough to make the NCAA Tournament with the resume they had built, but ending the year having lost three out of four games and a whole weekend of conference tournaments to sit through made the wait until Selection Sunday feel even longer.
Pitt heard its name called in the NCAA Tournament selection show, but only to find out it had to go to Dayton for the First Four. Given Pitt’s journey as a team, that should have been a more celebrated moment, but everyone was already thinking about Dayton.
March waits for no team.
Pitt’s two day journey in Dayton was a whirlwind. It started with Federiko Federiko mentioned as a game time decision on one night, only for 24 hours later to Guillermo Diaz Graham, Pitt’s 7-foot freshman, to make his first career start the next in place of him.
Pitt and Mississippi State played one of the more exciting games of the NCAA Tournament thus far. It featured 21 lead changes, a go-ahead Jamarius Burton bucket with 9.8 seconds left, and a frantic last second stand for Pitt to get the win. It was a big moment for the program, the first tournament win in 9 years, but again, it was time to keep moving, as the first round awaited a few days later.
Pitt returned to Greensboro one week after that 96-69 beatdown to Duke, but the team was invigorated with a tournament win already in their back pocket. Iowa State looked like a favorable matchup on paper, and it proved accurate on the court. Pitt dominated an out-matched Cyclones team and netted its second NCAA Tournament victory in the same season, the first year Pitt had won two tournament games since 2009.
There is something about this tournament. If you win one game, you feel confident, if you win two, you are simply on a roll. It felt that way around Pitt’s team, but Xavier showed how cruel March can be. The Musketeers took it to Pitt in the first half and held off their comeback bid, and just like that the whole season and the March run was over.
The train of March Madness took this Pitt team from South Bend to Miami to Pittsburgh to Greensboro, back to Pittsburgh, to Dayton, and ended with another stop in Greensboro. Along the way Pitt saw its ACC Championship dreams dashed, its NCAA Tournament prayers answered, a three-game run in the Big Dance, and an exit that felt too soon.
College basketball in the month of March can be a journey with all kinds of twists and turns. Pitt is a program that has not had a run like that in a while, but this team gave everyone a taste of what it is like to be relevant again.
Jeff Capel needed a season like this
It was March 11, 2022. Pitt had just ended its 2021-22 season with a 66-46 defeat to Boston College three days prior. In the wake of an 11-win season, a fourth consecutive losing campaign under Jeff Capel, many had speculated where the Pitt basketball program was heading next. On a Friday evening, Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke released this statement:
“Coach Capel and I met this afternoon and there is no question we both have great expectations for our men’s basketball program. We discussed the path forward for success for this program. We share the disappointment of this past season and expected to be further along in building this program back to a great source of pride for Pitt. We are committed to Jeff Capel as our head coach and leader of our team. I am confident Jeff will continue to assess and evaluate every aspect of our program and work tirelessly to continue building it the right way. He and our staff are committed to helping our student-athletes develop the consistency and habits to reach their full potential on and off the court.”
Pitt probably was not in a position to relieve Capel of his duties last year, but it was getting close to that point. The 2022-23 season represented his make or break year and he certainly made it in a big way. Nobody needed Pitt basketball’s 24-win season more than Capel, but with his back up against the wall, he coached his ass off.
The first four years under Capel were filled with mild spurts of success, only for it all to bottom out late in the year. There were injuries, suspensions, team dissension, transfers, and recruiting misses. Nothing about it seemed like it was going to work moving forward, and a Friday news dump of a vote of confidence wasn’t exactly inspiring heading into year five.
The season once again started with little buzz. The roster Pitt assembled was picked 14th out of 15 teams in the ACC. There were two early season injuries, another off the court suspension, and a pair of blowout losses to open the year with a 1-3 record.
There was nothing to suggest this was a 24-win team back in mid-November, but they found a way. Capel’s message of being a good teammate carried through to his guys, and they found some unexpected magic along the way. Nobody really expected Blake Hinson, a player who hadn’t played in two years, to emerge as one of the best shooters in the ACC. Who could have seen Nike Sibande coming off a knee injury turning into the best sixth man in the league? They got some necessary breaks, and after the way the first four years started for Capel, he was due for some of those.
The question now is: Can he keep it going? Did Capel find the right recipe to be successful at Pitt for the long term or did he just have a special group of seniors and it only clicked for one season? That obviously remains to be seen.
Pitt was getting dangerously close to having to make a coaching change, now that decision is put on the back burner. There was a real shot of energy that went through the program over the past season, and Capel benefitted greatly from it. Now we will see if he can turn it into something more.
Pitt off to a strong start in the class of 2024
The Pitt football program started spring practice last week and the team has been going at it all this week as well. We are inching closer towards the Blue-Gold Game set for April 15th at Acrisure Stadium with each passing day.
Spring football certainly gives an early look to next year’s team, but it’s also a big recruiting spotlight for college programs. Pitt has already hosted dozens of prospective recruits in the two weeks since spring ball has started, and during that time, the program has netted a pair of commitments for the class of 2024.
The first player to declare for Pitt this spring was Francis Brewu, a 6’2” and 270-pound defensive tackle out of Worthington, Ohio. Brewu visited Pitt on March 14th, and two days later he announced he was committed. Brewu fits into Pitt’s defensive scheme as a smaller, quicker interior defensive linemen. Given Pitt’s history with players like Aaron Donald, Jaylen Twyman, and most recently Calijah Kancey, Brewu did not think twice about committing.
“I got to sit in meetings a little bit and I sat in a meeting with Coach (Charlie) Partridge and saw him break down film, saw how he taught,” Brewu told Panther-Lair.com after his commitment, “and I knew I wanted to be a part of it because Coach Partridge is one of the best in the business right now. It hit me while I was there. I got the feeling, went home, talked to my coaches and family, and the day after I visited, I made the decision.”
Pitt followed that commitment a few days later with another one, this time from three-star tight end Eric Ingwerson. The 6’7” tight end from Nebraska was sort of new to Pitt’s recruiting radar as an offer, visit, and commitment all happened suddenly.
“The city blew me away coming out of the tunnel for the first time seeing downtown and the stadium, it was amazing,” Ingwerson told Panther-Lair.com. “Then visiting the campus along with the football facilities, it was all great. I really liked it all.”
Pitt added those two commitments this week to an already solid four-man start in the class of 2024. Brewu and Ingerwon join an impressive group that features four-stars Ric’Darious Farmer and Jahsear Whittington along with in-state standouts Juelz Goff and Ty Yuhas.
The six member recruiting class on March 24th is considerably more than Pitt usually has at this point as well. The Panthers only had one commitment at this time a year ago in the class of 2023, three in 2022, and three in 2021. Under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt has had slower starts than some programs to its recruiting classes. This coaching staff has generally fared better in June with its recruiting efforts, but it looks like they will have a better base when that month rolls along this year.
It is not about quantity at this point, but also quality. Pitt has two four-stars in the fold and the class is ranked 18th in the country. Again it’s still pretty early, but Pitt’s last two recruiting classes netted a total of three 4-star recruits, and for Pitt to have two committed in March is an impressive start.
On the field, Pitt is enjoying its best run of success in a while. The program is coming off of back-to-back Top-25 finishes, they have won 20 games over two years, and the Panthers have a Sun Bowl victory and an ACC Championship as feathers in their cap during this time as well. Pitt had a first round NFL pick last year in Kenny Pickett, and should have another this year with Calijah Kancey.
There is plenty of positive momentum around Pitt football at the moment, and it was only a matter of time until it spilled over into recruiting. Pitt’s class is off to a strong start and the coaches have hosted plenty of top talent at spring practice with a chance to make it even better in the coming months.
TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE
What does Pitt already have?
We did our reflections on the 2022-23 Pitt basketball season, and now it is time to look ahead to what the future holds for this program. The Panthers will be saying goodbye to senior pillars like Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, and Nike Sibande. That four-man senior class was vital to the team’s success this season, but that group also provided leadership for the rest of the team. They will be hard to replace.
Pitt also lost center John Hugley to the transfer portal already. Hugley did not play in any of the final 25 games this season. Initially it felt like Hugley would return next season, but over time that grew less likely to the point it was not a big surprise when he left for the transfer portal.
Following those departures, Pitt has seven players with eligibility remaining and three players already signed in the class of 2023. We will work under the assumption that all ten of those players are locked-in for now, while also realizing it’s the year 2023 and a player could transfer at any point.
The core of Pitt’s team this past season was with the experienced guards, but next year’s team may have to lean on its post play. Pitt will return two starters off of the 24-win team from this year.
Blake Hinson is of course the core piece to it all. Pitt’s 6’7” forward burst onto the scene this season and led the team in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (6). He was a second team All-ACC pick and will enter his senior year as one of the top returning scorers in the conference. Hinson was a long-range marksman behind the arc with 98 made three-pointers on the year.
Federiko Federiko started 27 games sort of unexpectedly this past season, but his experience will be something Pitt can lean on next year. Federiko averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and also 1.7 blocks. He is not much of a scoring threat, but proved valuable on the defensive end and was a spark for the team in fast break situations with his mobility.
Pitt’s front court theme will be enhanced by the development of Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham. The Diaz Graham twins really flashed loads of potentials as freshmen, and with their size and basketball knowledge, they should only continue to get better as they get stronger.
William Jeffress is another post player to watch. The one-time top-100 recruit missed all of last season, but entering his fourth year with Pitt, he should be healthy and the coaches are hoping he can live up to his recruiting billing. Nate Santos was healthy this year, but was the ninth man for the Panthers throughout the season. Santos only played four minutes during Pitt’s three NCAA Tournament games and has just two double-digit scoring outputs in 54 career games.
The last returnee might as well be a newcomer. Aside from practicing with the team, there is not much of a baseline in terms of what to expect from Dior Johnson. He was of course a one-time top recruit, but took an interesting couple of turns to get to Pitt. Once he was here, he was suspended before the season even began.
Johnson could pair with incoming freshman four-star guard Jaland Lowe to eat the bulk of the minutes at point guard. Lowe was a nice recruiting win for Pitt ahead of the season, and he put up big numbers as a high school senior in Texas. He will be joined by fellow incoming four-star guard, Carlton Carrington. The Baltimore product will likely add a shooting touch to the backcourt right away.
Marlon Barnes, a 6’6” wing out of Cleveland rounds out the three-man recruiting class at this point. Barnes is a noted outside shooter but is a pretty good athlete who could come in and provide minutes as a freshman.
Right now, that is Pitt’s starting point. They have a senior in Blake Hinson who will be one of the top scorers in the ACC, a reliable post player in Federiko, and a pair of burgeoning stars in the Diaz Graham twins. They also have a pair of junior forwards looking to make a more significant impact, and a quartet of perimeter players who have yet to play in a college basketball game.
What areas does Pitt need to address in the offseason?
Pitt has some pieces in place to remain relevant next season, but they also need to bolster the roster to make sure of that. The Panthers have ten players lined up to play for next season, meaning there are three scholarship players available right now for Jeff Capel to use to fill some holes. Of course, that number could grow, but for now there are three spots that need filled.
When looking at what Pitt has, there are some obvious areas of emphasis that the coaches might look to address to fill in the gaps. I think first of all adding another outside shooter into the mix is a must. Hinson is a great option from the from three-point range, the freshmen guards will knock down some shots, but they will miss the presence of Greg Elliott and Nelly Cummings and the ability they had to make three-pointers.
Pitt’s flourished this season with an open offensive concept and having kick out options all over the floor and I expect that to be an area where they attack the transfer portal. The sport has changed over the years and everyone is looking for those type of players, but they are out there.
Elliott himself was not a big name in the portal, but he averaged 10.4 points per game, shot 41% from three, and had 77 makes from behind the arc this season. They should be able to find a comparable player to this mix, but maybe reach for some high end options as well.
Denver Jones, a 20-point per game scorer from Florida International, has already been contacted by Pitt. Zack Austin, a 6’5” guard from High Point, is another player Pitt has reached out to already. Myles Stute made 74 three-pointers for Vanderbilt, and he is another player Pitt is reportedly pursuing.
Another area I am seeing this team needs is perhaps a veteran point guard. Cummings was one of the better transfer point guards available last season, and fortunately for Pitt, they did not have to sell him very hard on coming home. I think that could be a little trickier this season.
Johnson and Lowe are going to play a lot next season. I think it will be a battle for playing time between those two guts, but even with two highly-regarded recruits pushing for playing time, there is probably room for an experienced player. Pitt never blinked under pressure this season, and having the ball in the hands of Cummings and Burton was a big reason why. It’s all about finding the right fit and a player willing to share playing time, but adding a veteran point guard to mentor two younger ones should be a benefit for this season and beyond. Just yesterday, Pitt made contact with Minnesota point guard Ta’lon Cooper, so it's an area where the coaches are exploring on the recruiting trail.
Lastly, Pitt simply needs a dude that can get rebounds. There was an obvious issue with this team and its ability to hit the glass. We all saw it happen too many times to this team down the stretch. Federiko is a good player and will likely improve. The Diaz Grahams will get more rebounds the more they play. The numbers have a chance to get better internally, but they need a spark from somewhere else to really make this area improved. I don’t know if there is a specific size or shape for this player either. Pitt could add another 6’10” post player, or a 6’6” player who is wired to get rebounds.
Chris Ledlum of Harvard, Payton Sparks from Ball State, and Mustapha Amzil from Dayton are all names Pitt has been mentioned with in the early going as well. They are all players who would likely bolster Pitt’s rebounding efforts immediately.
We are really only one week into transfer portal madness, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way. Pitt has a good starting point with its roster, and they had made some early connections in the portal, and now we get to watch and see how it all unfolds. There will be more names to emerge in the coming weeks, and we’ll be tracking Pitt’s transfer portal progress all offseason.
ONE PREDICTION
Guillermo Diaz Graham will be a breakout star next season
The second Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham appeared on the radar for Pitt last offseason, they became an intriguing duo for Pitt’s future due to their height and upside. The excitement only grew around the pair in the offseason, and once the games started, we finally got a glimpse of what they could do.
In the early stages of the season, we saw Jorge make a splash of sorts and become a regular piece in the rotation, but as the season progressed and as the team needed him more, more opportunities started to emerge for Guillermo Diaz Graham than his brother.
The 7-foot center made the most of those chances, especially in the postseason. Between two ACC Tournament games and three NCAA Tournament games, Diaz Graham really took it up a notch with his production. In those five games he averaged 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2 blocks per game, and 1.6 assists per game. During that stretch he was playing 27.6 minutes per game, which was way more than his season average. He only committed two turnovers in those five games and shot 74% from the free-throw line.
The three NCAA Tournament games were noteworthy, because he was thrust into a bigger role. With starting center Federiko Federiko sidelined, Pitt had no choice but to lean on Guillermo and the freshman delivered. He made a name for himself with a block at the end of the game in Pitt’s NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State. He then kept it rolling with 9 points and 8 boards against Iowa State, and then 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists against a very good Xavier team.
The minutes increased, but the stage never looked too big for Pitt’s freshman. I see that only developing further next season. Pitt is going to have a big-time player in Guillermo Diaz Graham, and I predict he will be the breakout star of the team next season.
The skill and feel for the game have always shined through when you watching the Diaz Graham brothers play. They have a European style to their game and have the ability to handle the ball and step out and shoot with their size. They are willing passers and seem to know where to be at all times.
The issue has always been standing their ground once they get there. It was not uncommon to see both brothers landing on the ground multiple times a game. They got pushed around a good bit, but they always got back up, and that’s a good sign.
Guillermo Diaz Graham stood toe to toe with Tolu Smith for 37 minutes and never backed down, even when there were moments it seemed like he should have. There will still be some growing pains, like with any young post player, but I think next year Guillermo goes from more than just a role guy next season. He will be Pitt’s starting center at some point, and will be key component in the team’s success next year and beyond.