Pittsburgh Basketball: Projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2021-22 season

Point Guard

Starter – Femi Odukale (27 mpg)

When Xavier Johnson left the program in the final few games, that presented an opportunity for Odukale to come in and get the lion’s share of the minutes. He became the new PG and averaged 15 ppg and 3.3 apg in the final four games, including a season-high 28 points on 11/16 shooting against NC State.

Odukale was getting around 20 mpg off the bench and was a solid defender and capable combo guard. He has the highest potential of any guard on the roster to be the go-to guy on offense and the true sophomore should have the ball in his hands for Pittsburgh. He’ll have to improve his three-point shooting and overall decision-making in a larger role but Odukale has real breakout potential.

Bench – Jamarius Burton (13 mpg)

While Odukale is young overall, Burton has 56 combined starts between his time at Wichita State and Texas Tech. The 6’4 combo guard was the primary ball-handler during his time with the Shockers, averaging 3.4 apg in two seasons, including a career-high 11 assists in a game against Oklahoma State.

Burton and Odukale are the lone true ball-handlers on the roster so barring injuries, one of these two will be on the court at all times. While Burton is older, Odukale is more familiar with the offense and should be given the keys to the offense. For Pitt to be competitive in the ACC, they’ll need a big year from the potential starting point guard.