Pittsburgh Basketball: Jeff Capel’s expectations in second season with Panthers
2020 Recruiting Update
The talent level coming back for the Panthers, plus Capel’s first recruiting class adds to an already solid foundation he’s begun building. A season under .500 won’t be an option and there is plenty of room for improvement to a team that played three freshmen routinely and at extended minutes last season.
It’s only a matter of time before the Panthers win 20-plus games and compete past the first two rounds in the ACC Tournament. An NCAA Tournament bid may out of reach this season, but making noise in the league tournament would surely help on the 2020 recruiting trail.
Pitt has three 2020 four-star recruits on the recruiting board and two three-stars. The Panthers have been named in the newly updated lists for four-stars, Posh Alexander, R.J. Davis, John Hugley, and three-stars D.J. Gordon and Myles Stute.
Posh Alexander is ranked 83rd in the 2020 class and tweeted out Pitt is in his final five. The competitors for the 5-foot-10 180-pound guard out of Brooklyn, NY consisted of Dayton, Illinois, Seton Hall, and St. John’s. Alexander is an athletic guard with an array of moves that would be a great candidate to replace Xavier Johnson or Trey McGowens once they leave for the NBA or graduate.
D.J. Gordon is a 6-foot-6 guard/small forward at First Love Academy. According to Rivals, his list has Pitt along with Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, and Providence. The fact Gordon grew up locally gives Capel a good shot at landing the 147th ranked player in the 2020 class.
Gordon told Pittsburgh Sports Now, ”It feels like Pitt is making me a real priority on their priority (list) by inviting me to all these games,” said Gordon. “I’m appreciative and excited by that.”
John Hugley IV is a 6-foot-8 240-pound center from Cleveland, OH that’s visited Pitt unofficially multiple times. With over 25 offers, the 93rd ranked junior by Rivals seems like a lock to be a Panther but recently narrowed his list to 12 schools makes you weary on where he will go. He’s a four-star big man who’s exceptional around the rim and fluid in the open court for his age and size.
Myles Stute is a 6-foot-7 220-pound forward from Washington D.C. that tweeted out earlier this month Pitt is in his final seven. The other teams are Clemson, Florida, Marquette, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Tech.
Stute is ranked 137th nationally and when asked why Pitt made his list he said, “Coach Jeff Capel is a really good dude and I love what he’s done with the program since he has been there. They’re building something special at Pitt and I would love to be a part of it” via Rivals’ Corey Evans.
Elijah Taylor named his final six teams and Pitt made the cut. Taylor is considering Florida, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Providence, and VCU. Taylor attends Imhotep (PA) outside of Philadelphia and is a three-star 6-foot-8 center 215-pound center/forward. He’s been flying under the radar as a top-200 prospect and could be a solid fit for the Panthers as a rotational piece.
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Overall Pitt is doing well with the larger recruits and is pursuing other targets, but after wrapping up his first season and recruiting class it’ll only get easier for Capel and the program to land recruits. Committing to what Capel is putting together at Pitt shouldn’t be hard to sell, but winning more games this season, continuing their all-in culture and producing NBA-talent will all be points of emphasis on the recruiting trail.