Pittsburgh Basketball: 3 takeaways after first 4 games of 2021-22 season
2. The young players are getting minutes and taking advantage of it
When the roster was fully intact, I wasn’t sure how sophomore wing William Jeffress and true freshman Nate Santos were even going to crack the main rotation. Then in a matter of weeks, both players ended up in the starting lineup, where they have stayed even after Burton’s return. That’s likely because the former Red Raider can play multiple positions and the team needs any kind of backcourt off the bench, no offense to walk-on guard Onyebuchi Ezeakudo, who himself has been solid overall on the court.
It was a brutal start for both, playing at a different position and having to guard true opposing shooting guards for a fast-paced offense in the Citadel, before dealing with literal Hell in West Virginia’s defensive pressure all game. However, both players have made legitimate strides in the past week, playing key roles in Pittsburgh’s two past wins.
Against UNC-Wilmington, Jeffress started out with a pair of made field goals to get the Panthers on the board and in the lead. And that’s no small feat for the sophomore wing, who was known for being a prolific scorer out of high school but has been in a slump all season long. The team desperately needs him to be a double-digit contributor on offense to have hope of competing in ACC play.
But Jeffress has been really good on the boards and defensively as well. He had nine in the win over the Seahawks, including several in the final minutes to hold onto the win. He’s also been a plus-defender, using his 6’7 frame and versatility to guard the best wings on the opposing side. Jeffress was the youngest player in college basketball last year and is still fairly young see the minutes he’s getting and earning will be important for this season and beyond for the talented prospect.
As for Santos, he’s LITERALLY the only three-point shooting threat on the roster. In the win over Towson, the freshman wing went for a team and season-high 14 points and eight rebounds, while also making four from long-range. They all were needed, including one in the second half to prevent the team’s deficit from reaching double-digits and allowing them to come back and get the win.
Look for Santos to be given the green light to shoot at least 6-8 three-pointers a game. If he can be a 35-40% shooter on the season, Pittsburgh will greatly benefit from it and have a little more spacing to work with. The former three-star prospect is going to go from a complete unknown in the preseason to maybe the team’s 3rd-most important player on the roster behind Femi Odukale and John Hugley.