Pitt basketball finished the year with a 22-11 (12-8) record after winning nine of the last 12 games and preparation for next year has already begun.
Jeff Capel and the Panthers were stunned when the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, and they learned the season was over. Discussions took place about whether or not to accept the NIT bid, and the team rightfully declined.
Pitt finished the season with a loss in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament to North Carolina after finishing as the fourth-best team in the conference in the regular season. With some of the wins this team had in the regular season, the case for a tournament team was certainly valid.
Say what you want about the week non-conference schedule: Missouri was a tournament team in 2023. Nobody knew the Tigers were going to be winless in SEC play. Nobody expected West Virginia to have multiple big players transfer at Bob Huggins was charged with a DUI and let go by the university.
And for those bringing up games such as Canisius, FGCU and Jacksonville… keep that same energy with the Big 12 after the conference was exposed by not having a single team advance beyond the Sweet 16.
Even Jim Boeheim was on the record multiple times saying Pitt was a tournament team.
Pitt now looks to next season and if things weren’t going to be tough already, they just got tougher today. Freshman guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington announced that he will be declaring for the NBA Draft and forgoing his final three years of eligibility.
Carrington becomes the second starter the Panthers have lost after the season as Blake Hinson no longer has eligibility. On top of that, there’s a chance William Jeffress may not return. Jeffress only made two starts this past year, but he appeared off the bench in all but two games this season.
The Panthers are no stranger to being in this position as they were in these same shoes at the end of last season when they had to replace four players that saw significant time in 22-23 with Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, Jamarius Burton and Nike Sibande.
So far, the Panthers only have two commits in the 2024 recruiting class in combo guard Brandin Cummings (Nelly’s younger brother) and forward/center Amdy Ndiaye. There’s a chance Cummings can slot in to the lineup right away, but you can’t rely on freshmen.
That means Capel will be hitting the transfer portal, and there are a lot of options for the Panthers. As of now, they will have to replace one guard and possibly two forwards. Blake Hinson was more of a shooter than most forwards are nowadays, so I wouldn’t put it past Capel to bring in a guard to take Hinson’s place.
For now though, we’ll keep it simple and say Pitt will bring in a forward and guard. Until it is announced Jeffress won’t return, he will stay in the picture.
There are three names in the transfer portal for each position that make sense for Pitt heading into next season. Each of them will be listed, and the one that is deemed the “best fit” will be highlighted.
Guard: Myles Rice, Adou Thiero, Jordan Pope
Myles Rice goes down in the history books as the last Pac-12 Rookie of the Year, and he certainly proved why he deserved the honors. Just under 15 points per game, he shot 44% from the field and averaged three rebounds and just under four assists per game. If you’re looking for someone who would be a seamless replacement for Carrington, look no further than Myles Rice.
Forward: Tyler Bilodeau, Maliq Brown, Trey Townsend
Trey Townsend is the easy choice here among the forwards, and Jeff Capel got a good look at him in his backyard for March Madness. Townsend averaged 23.5 points per game against Kentucky and NC State in the Pittsburgh regional, highlighted by 30 against the Wolfpack. Add in his rebounding presence that saw him pull in 12.5 per game in the big dance and his average of eight per game this season, he is an ideal replacement for Blake Hinson.