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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pittsburgh in mix for Eric Hamilton and Joseph Bilau

By Daniel Benjamin

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 02: Head coach Jeff Capel of the Pittsburgh Panthers calls to his team as Sidy N'Dir #11 runs up the court in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on March 2, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 02: Head coach Jeff Capel of the Pittsburgh Panthers calls to his team as Sidy N'Dir #11 runs up the court in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on March 2, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 26: Head coach Jeff Capel of the Pittsburgh Panthers reacts in the second half of the game against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC YUM! Center on January 26, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 66-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 26: Head coach Jeff Capel of the Pittsburgh Panthers reacts in the second half of the game against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC YUM! Center on January 26, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 66-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

The Pittsburgh Panthers are looking to fill out their roster and are looking at bringing in some NCAA Basketball players who can make an immediate impact.

In this edition of the NCAA Basketball recruiting notebook, I will examine how the Pittsburgh Panthers 2019 recruiting class is coming along. I will also look at the prospects of 2021 consensus top-15 recruit J.T. Thor reclassifying to the class of 2020 and how it will affect his recruiting as well as another big weekend for Auburn, plus much more.

The Pittsburgh Panthers, as expected, experienced some bumps this past season in coach Jeff Capel’s first season. The Panthers weren’t very talented last season but still managed to finish 14-18 on the season, although they were just 3-15 in ACC play. However, two of their victories were over 2019 NCAA tournament participants Louisville and Florida State. Plus, the Panthers reached the second round of the ACC Tournament and saw freshmen Xavier Johnson — an All-ACC Rookie team selection — Trey McGowens produce solid seasons.

But Capel knows he still has a lot of work to improve the team’s overall talent and recruiting is perhaps his strongest asset as a coach. After bringing in a 2018 recruiting class that included a trio of players that ranked in 247 Sports top-250 of the nation in the class — Johnson, McGowens, and Au’diese Toney — Capel has matched that number this year and still has work to do. So, far the Panthers’ 2019 recruiting class consists of 6’9″ power forward Karim Coulibaly (Mali), 6’6″ forward Gerald Drumgoole Jr. (Rochester, NY), 6’5″ Justin Champaignie (Brooklynn, NY) and 6’2″ New Mexico J.C. transfer Ryan Murphy (Fairfield, CT).

Capel has three scholarships still available to use in 2019 and he has been busy trying to fill those spots. The Panthers are currently in the mix for big men Eric Hamilton, Joseph Bilau and Nigel John. The frontcourt is a major need for the Panthers as 6’10” junior Terrell Brown the only player entrenched into the rotation. 6’9″ forward Kene Chukwuka, who is recovering from hip surgery, and Coulibaly are the only other current options.

Pitt hosted Hamilton, a grad transfer from UNCG, on Tuesday according to Mike Vukovcan of Pittsburgh Sports Now. The 6’9″ power forward averaged 6.1 points, on 59.1% shooting, and 4.4 rebounds while averaging 16.1 minutes off the bench. He scored in double-figures on four occasions and produced one double-double. Hamilton, who is a decent offensive rebounder, spent two seasons at Wichita State prior to attending UNC-Greensboro.

Bilau has been one of Capel’s top targets this year and he recently included the Panthers in his final four. The 6’10” power forward, who has only been ranked by Rivals and they rate him as a three-star recruit, had drawn a bunch of high-major interest though he is currently down to WVU, Georgia and Wake Forest. The French native has visited WVU as well as Pitt and has said that trips to Georgia and Wake Forest are possibilities. Bilau is long, athletic and a good rebounder, however, he is very raw having played basketball for just four years.

John is seeking a landing place after de-committing from Washington State following the firing of coach Ernie Kent. He is ranked as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports and 247 Sports Composite. The 6’9″, 250-pound center is an athletic, strong-wide body who knows how to operate around the rim and is a good rebounder and rim protector. John (Weatherford, TX) averaged almost 17 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3 blocks per game this past season for  Lakeland Christian Academy. Pitt seems to be the favorites to win his services with Louisiana Tech, Kansas State, and Tulsa also possible destinations.

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