Future Roster Building with Papa Kante, Part 2

[Vader_Storm]

A year from today, here is an early looking depth chart. And there is obviously a possibility some of these players are not here.



PG- Dior, Lowe

Sg-Leggett, Cummings

SF-Austin, Carrington, Barnes

PF-Jorge, Jeffress

C- Fede, Kante, G




So where do we go from here...

Obviously the big question mark looking at this is with Dior. And we need to be targeting a point guard for sure. There has been a bit of discussion regarding the twins, but I think if things break right for what the staff "hopes", is that Kante tries to transition to the 4 full time after a year in the system. The possibility of Kante and Alier Maluk on the same frontline mixed in with the twins and Fede would be a powerful future frontcourt lineup. And I think we are in pretty prime position with borderline 5 star Alier Maluk as a 6'10 center. What I don't know about Maluk, is how seriously he will consider reclassification. He will be 18 years old next summer. He is the athletic shot blocking center we need badly with Kante. And if he comes here, we are going to have a very strong team.


Kante's head coach from South Kent appears to think he is a future forward, he was boasting about Kante shooting 38% from 3 his senior year on PSN. Kante has the ability to put the ball on the floor and score off the bounce inside 10 feet and he is a finisher in the paint. that much is a given with what he did in summer league play as I watched him live about 15 times in full games. His shot just needs improvement and better consistency. Personally, I like G at center for now and I think he is going to be a lot better with strength and some weight gain after this summer. His brother seems a lot more of a 3 / 4 tweener to me but we are getting a bit crowded at the 3 as is. A Kante / Maluk frontcourt is something we used to see with the old school Jim Calhoun teams. Tall, Strong, powerful, Athletic, rebounding shotblockers on the backline owning the paint on defense and getting all the rebounds to push the transition offense with the guards.


So what else could happen here. Meleek Thomas is a potential future scoring point guard. Could he reclass up and take over for Dior. He already won a state title with Brandin Cummings who has been red hot and surging in the EYBL. Could / Would he join Cummings to try to lead Pitt into the final 4 and compete for a national title.


And looking at this roster, how sweet would this lineup be with Koa Peat who is an absolute stud at forward. And he is cousins with Jamarius Burton. This team already looks pretty strong on paper and Peat would be the best player on the team from day 1 by a mile. Will he reclass also?


There is 1 ship remaining in 2024 and Jeff Capel is big game hunting in 2025 with multiple guys maybe classing into 2024. Jalik Dunkley Distant is still out there as a PG / SG / W combo and picking up significant offers and interest, including from Sean Miller and Xavier who just offered with Arizona and Oregon lurking among others. Malachi Palmer has been better in the EYBL since switching teams. Kyle Greene has been respectable in the 3ssb. How much of a full court press do we apply with some of these 2024 players as opposed to going for the big dogs in 2025.


I think getting Kante was another great base hit by Jeff Capel, and we have been getting a lot of base hits with recruiting in the last 12 months. I would be very selective in 2024 from here unless we are getting reclasses from 2025. If we get a few home run recruits from 2025 or they reclass into 2024, we could be looking at a banner type of season.




We'll see how much Pitt steps up effort with 2024 kids as the summer progresses. But my wish list as of today I think starts with Maluk / Thomas / Peat followed by Dunkley Distant. Bethea would also be on my wish list but I dont think that is happening for us.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

It’s a fun exercise but with every year having some degree of free agency it’s madness.

 

[pittchagg]

I want all of these 2025 kids to stay in 2025, to be honest.

 

[pschaum98]

I want all of these 2025 kids to stay in 2025, to be honest.

I dont, i think we would have a better shot at them if they reclassify

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

A year from today, here is an early looking depth chart. And there is obviously a possibility some of these players are not here.



PG- Dior, Lowe

Sg-Leggett, Cummings

SF-Austin, Carrington, Barnes

PF-Jorge, Jeffress

C- Fede, Kante, G




So where do we go from here...

Obviously the big question mark looking at this is with Dior. And we need to be targeting a point guard for sure. There has been a bit of discussion regarding the twins, but I think if things break right for what the staff "hopes", is that Kante tries to transition to the 4 full time after a year in the system. The possibility of Kante and Alier Maluk on the same frontline mixed in with the twins and Fede would be a powerful future frontcourt lineup. And I think we are in pretty prime position with borderline 5 star Alier Maluk as a 6'10 center. What I don't know about Maluk, is how seriously he will consider reclassification. He will be 18 years old next summer. He is the athletic shot blocking center we need badly with Kante. And if he comes here, we are going to have a very strong team.


Kante's head coach from South Kent appears to think he is a future forward, he was boasting about Kante shooting 38% from 3 his senior year on PSN. Kante has the ability to put the ball on the floor and score off the bounce inside 10 feet and he is a finisher in the paint. that much is a given with what he did in summer league play as I watched him live about 15 times in full games. His shot just needs improvement and better consistency. Personally, I like G at center for now and I think he is going to be a lot better with strength and some weight gain after this summer. His brother seems a lot more of a 3 / 4 tweener to me but we are getting a bit crowded at the 3 as is. A Kante / Maluk frontcourt is something we used to see with the old school Jim Calhoun teams. Tall, Strong, powerful, Athletic, rebounding shotblockers on the backline owning the paint on defense and getting all the rebounds to push the transition offense with the guards.


So what else could happen here. Meleek Thomas is a potential future scoring point guard. Could he reclass up and take over for Dior. He already won a state title with Brandin Cummings who has been red hot and surging in the EYBL. Could / Would he join Cummings to try to lead Pitt into the final 4 and compete for a national title.


And looking at this roster, how sweet would this lineup be with Koa Peat who is an absolute stud at forward. And he is cousins with Jamarius Burton. This team already looks pretty strong on paper and Peat would be the best player on the team from day 1 by a mile. Will he reclass also?


There is 1 ship remaining in 2024 and Jeff Capel is big game hunting in 2025 with multiple guys maybe classing into 2024. Jalik Dunkley Distant is still out there as a PG / SG / W combo and picking up significant offers and interest, including from Sean Miller and Xavier who just offered with Arizona and Oregon lurking among others. Malachi Palmer has been better in the EYBL since switching teams. Kyle Greene has been respectable in the 3ssb. How much of a full court press do we apply with some of these 2024 players as opposed to going for the big dogs in 2025.


I think getting Kante was another great base hit by Jeff Capel, and we have been getting a lot of base hits with recruiting in the last 12 months. I would be very selective in 2024 from here unless we are getting reclasses from 2025. If we get a few home run recruits from 2025 or they reclass into 2024, we could be looking at a banner type of season.




We'll see how much Pitt steps up effort with 2024 kids as the summer progresses. But my wish list as of today I think starts with Maluk / Thomas / Peat followed by Dunkley Distant. Bethea would also be on my wish list but I dont think that is happening for us.

Man, it is going to be harder than ever to project 2 seasons ahead. Every lineup, hell every player is in flux it seems.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Man, it is going to be harder than ever to project 2 seasons ahead. Every lineup, hell every player is in flux it seems.

You never have enough good players and having success on the court and in recruiting leads to only good problems .

If younger guys leave it normally means that there’s better players ahead of them .

The only thing that concerns me is that schools that have unlimited NIL dollars will start bidding wars for guys who excel and schools like Pitt will suffer .

Pitt needs a seriously deep pocket guy who loves college bb .

 

[RoguePanther]

My question is, do we have enough NIL cash to go around?

 

[B_Smith215]

You never have enough good players and having success on the court and in recruiting leads to only good problems .

If younger guys leave it normally means that there’s better players ahead of them .

The only thing that concerns me is that schools that have unlimited NIL dollars will start bidding wars for guys who excel and schools like Pitt will suffer .

Pitt needs a seriously deep pocket guy who loves college bb .

My question is, do we have enough NIL cash to go around?

“Who are the guys that are good enough and can help you win but won’t break the bank with your NIL,” a former coach in the Big Ten said. “You have to figure out your NIL situation and have a good grasp of what you have, what you can do, and what each player wants. And you have to have all that information quickly.”

I really liked this article. I think that quote hits the nail on the head for us. Spend wisely for the most part but even those guys are costing a nice chunk of money. Break the bank every few years to be competitive on the Maleek Thomas types you actually have a chance with.

 

[PittMBA]

My question is, do we have enough NIL cash to go around?

It feels like they must . I mean we are recruiting well and have done well in the transfer portal for 2 years in a row.

 

[Pitt2006]

It feels like they must . I mean we are recruiting well and have done well in the transfer portal for 2 years in a row.

I agree. At least for a decent starting 5. One benefit of being in a city is multiple revenue streams and businesses to advertise. We may have a smaller alumni pool, but the city as a whole can benefit from on court success. The excitement of last year brought back a lot of good memories for folks. Build on that success. Fans and businesses will buy into that long awaited final four run.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

View embedded media

“Who are the guys that are good enough and can help you win but won’t break the bank with your NIL,” a former coach in the Big Ten said. “You have to figure out your NIL situation and have a good grasp of what you have, what you can do, and what each player wants. And you have to have all that information quickly.”

I really liked this article. I think that quote hits the nail on the head for us. Spend wisely for the most part but even those guys are costing a nice chunk of money. Break the bank every few years to be competitive on the Maleek Thomas types you actually have a chance with.

I think it’s great for mid and low major players to have their opportunity for a pay day. They weren’t high major guys out of high school, but worked and performed in college and earned it.

 

[wbrpanther]

A year from today, here is an early looking depth chart. And there is obviously a possibility some of these players are not here.



PG- Dior, Lowe

Sg-Leggett, Cummings

SF-Austin, Carrington, Barnes

PF-Jorge, Jeffress

C- Fede, Kante, G




So where do we go from here...

Obviously the big question mark looking at this is with Dior. And we need to be targeting a point guard for sure. There has been a bit of discussion regarding the twins, but I think if things break right for what the staff "hopes", is that Kante tries to transition to the 4 full time after a year in the system. The possibility of Kante and Alier Maluk on the same frontline mixed in with the twins and Fede would be a powerful future frontcourt lineup. And I think we are in pretty prime position with borderline 5 star Alier Maluk as a 6'10 center. What I don't know about Maluk, is how seriously he will consider reclassification. He will be 18 years old next summer. He is the athletic shot blocking center we need badly with Kante. And if he comes here, we are going to have a very strong team.


Kante's head coach from South Kent appears to think he is a future forward, he was boasting about Kante shooting 38% from 3 his senior year on PSN. Kante has the ability to put the ball on the floor and score off the bounce inside 10 feet and he is a finisher in the paint. that much is a given with what he did in summer league play as I watched him live about 15 times in full games. His shot just needs improvement and better consistency. Personally, I like G at center for now and I think he is going to be a lot better with strength and some weight gain after this summer. His brother seems a lot more of a 3 / 4 tweener to me but we are getting a bit crowded at the 3 as is. A Kante / Maluk frontcourt is something we used to see with the old school Jim Calhoun teams. Tall, Strong, powerful, Athletic, rebounding shotblockers on the backline owning the paint on defense and getting all the rebounds to push the transition offense with the guards.


So what else could happen here. Meleek Thomas is a potential future scoring point guard. Could he reclass up and take over for Dior. He already won a state title with Brandin Cummings who has been red hot and surging in the EYBL. Could / Would he join Cummings to try to lead Pitt into the final 4 and compete for a national title.


And looking at this roster, how sweet would this lineup be with Koa Peat who is an absolute stud at forward. And he is cousins with Jamarius Burton. This team already looks pretty strong on paper and Peat would be the best player on the team from day 1 by a mile. Will he reclass also?


There is 1 ship remaining in 2024 and Jeff Capel is big game hunting in 2025 with multiple guys maybe classing into 2024. Jalik Dunkley Distant is still out there as a PG / SG / W combo and picking up significant offers and interest, including from Sean Miller and Xavier who just offered with Arizona and Oregon lurking among others. Malachi Palmer has been better in the EYBL since switching teams. Kyle Greene has been respectable in the 3ssb. How much of a full court press do we apply with some of these 2024 players as opposed to going for the big dogs in 2025.


I think getting Kante was another great base hit by Jeff Capel, and we have been getting a lot of base hits with recruiting in the last 12 months. I would be very selective in 2024 from here unless we are getting reclasses from 2025. If we get a few home run recruits from 2025 or they reclass into 2024, we could be looking at a banner type of season.




We'll see how much Pitt steps up effort with 2024 kids as the summer progresses. But my wish list as of today I think starts with Maluk / Thomas / Peat followed by Dunkley Distant. Bethea would also be on my wish list but I dont think that is happening for us.

My question is how many players are on their last year of eligibility? I understand there is always transfers but I think it would be wise to just hold on to that last ship for next year.

 

[pittchagg]

My question is how many players are on their last year of eligibility? I understand there is always transfers but I think it would be wise to just hold on to that last ship for next year.

Blake is currently the only player on the roster in his last year of eligibility.

I think it’s probably better to grab a grad transfer than hold onto the scholarship, though.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I think it’s great for mid and low major players to have their opportunity for a pay day. They weren’t high major guys out of high school, but worked and performed in college and earned it.

I think it is great for those guys who obviously are not yet ready to play in the NBA and won't get drafted, yet they declare anyways. Now they can at least stay in college ("school" and "college") and earn some money. Though some of these guys, and this also maybe the reason why you are seeing mass movement, they probably do not have to maintain eligibility because they move from school to school.

 

[Vader_Storm]

My question is, do we have enough NIL cash to go around?

We are saving money with NIL with the international players we have on the team. We have a player from Finland, 2 from the Canary Islands, and 1 from Senegal. I don't know how long this is going to go on for, but teams like Gonzaga and Arizona always have a lot of international players.

One of our top targets in 2025 is from Sudan, another international player.


There are some loopholes with getting deals done with international players when attorneys are involved, but the rules are far different with international kids and NIL.


With all that said, I don't think we have come remotely close to going all in with NIL for a specific player under Capel since NIL started, whether that player chose us or was simply a target player we wanted.

I do expect that to change with a few kids in the 2025 class, or if they reclass to 2024. And when I say I expect Pitt to go all in with a select few of these players, I mean, I expect Pitt to compete with just about anybody in the country for these few players with regards to NIL. I don't expect this to happen very often at all. But the 2025 class is different.

 

[Vader_Storm]

Update on this from earlier.


2024 top 100 4 star point guard KJ Greene mentioned his updated school list and school visit list today. All the schools are still intact with his former top 5 released 6 weeks or so ago except Pitt. Greene wanted to visit Pitt with his father previously.


This further fuels speculation of Jeff Capel being highly selective with regard to the 2024 recruiting class and with 2025 players that could potentially reclass.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Update on this from earlier.


2024 top 100 4 star point guard KJ Greene mentioned his updated school list and school visit list today. All the schools are still intact with his former top 5 released 6 weeks or so ago except Pitt. Greene wanted to visit Pitt with his father previously.


This further fuels speculation of Jeff Capel being highly selective with regard to the 2024 recruiting class and with 2025 players that could potentially reclass.

Good information - keep the posts coming.

 

[Manster]

View embedded media

“Who are the guys that are good enough and can help you win but won’t break the bank with your NIL,” a former coach in the Big Ten said. “You have to figure out your NIL situation and have a good grasp of what you have, what you can do, and what each player wants. And you have to have all that information quickly.”

I really liked this article. I think that quote hits the nail on the head for us. Spend wisely for the most part but even those guys are costing a nice chunk of money. Break the bank every few years to be competitive on the Maleek Thomas types you actually have a chance with.

What's going on with NIL is crazy. WVU is hosting the big power forward from Tennessee this weekend and word is that they are offering him a similar deal to what they gave Edwards from Syracuse and Kiirsa from Arizona.....somewhere in the neighborhood of $650k. All in, WVU's roster this coming year is going to be raking in well over $2m in NIL dough. So much for amateur athletics......

 

[jpklein]

Did Cummings not play this weekend? Can’t find any stats for him.

 

[Vader_Storm]

Did Cummings not play this weekend? Can’t find any stats for him.

He did not play. He missed the last game of session 3 with injury and did not play at all in session 4.