Pittsburgh Basketball: Analyzing transfer targets Joe Girard, Ish Leggett and Zach Austin

At the start of the 2022-23 season, it looked like it would be the same thing for Pittsburgh Basketball; finishing near last in the ACC and head coach Jeff Capel on the hot seat. Even before the season, started, they were down to just nine scholarship players. Forward William Jeffress had a season-ending injury, while top-50 freshman Dior Johnson was suspended (before getting redshirted after being reinstated).

The other missing piece was John Hugley, who had a knee injury. He did return for eight games in the non-conference and was a shell of himself. Last year’s leading scorer for the Panthers eventually shut it down and left the team for personal reasons. That should’ve been the end for the team but instead, they went 24-12 on the season and were a game away from winning the ACC regular-season championship.

The team did things the program hadn’t accomplished in 6-7 years, including getting ranked in the AP top-25. Pittsburgh Basketball got into the NCAA Tournament as one of the last teams in and managed to pull off wins over both Mississippi State and Iowa State to advance to the Round of 32.

With the season over, it’s now time to look at the roster as the transfer portal explodes. Both Hugley and Nate Santos have left, joining Jamarius Burton, Nike Sibande, Greg Elliott, and Nelly Cummings. That leaves four scholarships and multiple roster needs available.

There are reportedly three players that the Panthers are interested in right now. Here’s a look at who they are and what they’d bring to the program.