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Recruiting Update Murphy signs aid agreement

JimHammett

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Dec 4, 2012
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PITTSBURGH – Junior college guard Ryan Murphy has signed an aid agreement to join the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball program, school officials announced Friday. Murphy began his collegiate career at Charlotte before playing last season at New Mexico Junior College.

"Ryan is a seasoned player with a strong competitive spirit," said head coach Jeff Capel. "He is an outstanding shooter with deep range and will be an excellent floor spacer in our offense. He has the skill set and intangibles to be a significant contributor for us. We are excited to add another tough-minded and experienced player to our program."

A 6-2 guard out of California, Murphy is ranked 41st in the latest 247Sports Junior College Player rankings. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 13 games at New Mexico Junior College before missing the remainder of the season with an injury. Murphy scored in double figures in 11 of 13 contests, including four 20+ point games. He posted a season-high 46 points on 14-of-26 shooting from the field and 14-of-16 from the free throw line in a late December win over Macomb Community College. The Thunderbirds opened the season with seven consecutive wins and were 11-2 overall when Murphy was sidelined.

Murphy averaged 6.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.0 percent (32-of-80) from three-point range in 19 contests (five starts) at Charlotte as a redshirt freshman in 2017-18. He scored a season-high 27 points, while going 6-of-6 from three-point range, against Old Dominion in late January before suffering a foot injury two games later and missing the remainder of the season.

Murphy's high school career included stops at Fairfield Prep [Conn.] and Wilbraham & Monson Prep School [Mass.] before returning to Calabasas High School in Southern California. He led the Coyotes to a 26-8 record and appearances in the CIF 3AA Sectional Final Four and Division 3 regional finals. Murphy earned all-league, All-Ventura County, all-region and first team California Division 3AA all-state honors as a senior. He was rated the sixth-best player in California coming out of high school by ESPN.

Murphy originally committed to Washington State before reopening his recruitment following a coaching change. He selected Pitt over interest from Gonzaga, Iowa, New Mexico, South Florida, TCU, Texas Tech, UNLV and Virginia Tech. He will be eligible immediately and have two seasons of competition remaining.

Pitt returns four starters from last season, including double-figure scorers Xavier Johnson (15.5 ppg., 4.5 apg.) and Trey McGowens (11.6 ppg., 64 steals).

Johnson earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors, while setting Pitt freshman records for scoring, double-figure scoring games, games with 15 or more points scored, 20+ point scoring games, free throws made, free throw attempts and field goal attempts. He was the only player in the ACC to average at least 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game during the 2018-19 season.

McGowens scored in double figures 17 times and set a Pitt freshman record with 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a Jan. 9 overtime win over Louisville. The Pendleton, S.C., native also had 30 points, while going 18-of-19 from the foul line in a 75-62 win over then 11th-ranked Florida State Jan. 14.

The Panthers also return Au'Diese Toney (7.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg.), Terrell Brown (5.7 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 60 blocks) and Kene Chukwuka (3.9 ppg., .534 fg pct.), who each started 16 or more games this past season.

Pitt's current recruiting class of Murphy, Justin Champagnie and Gerald Drumgoole is ranked ninth in the ACC. The Panthers have also received a verbal commitment from another other highly touted high school prospect, who is expected to officially sign with the program in the coming weeks.

Pitt remains active in the recruiting circuit with additional scholarships available.
 
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