Nate Santos
6’7 Wing Forward
Accomplishments:
Nepsac A Champion and Founders league Champion
Stats: 17.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 38% from 3 as a “junior”, senior year was canceled
Comparable player stats from the powerhouse Nepsac league before college when they were seniors, all instant impact freshmen in college last year.
Matt Cross- Miami (Now Louisville)- 15.9ppg, 6.1rpg, 1.4 apg
Kadary Richmond Syracuse (Now Seton Hall) -12.5ppg, 6rpg, 3.8 assist per game
Terrance Clarke Kentucky- 16.8ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.6 assist per game
Femi Odukale- 17.5ppg, 8.2 rpg, 8.5 apg
RJ Blakney-Dayton- 20.9, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, teammate at Loomis
Derailed by multiple past injuries including a torn acl and missing 2 summers of AAU ball, Nate Santos was a former Top 60 4 Star recruit with a bevy of quality offers. And the fact is, he is still a really good player with really good upside and is easily a Top 100 caliber player when “healthy”. Time and time again, we have witnessed dangerous shooters enter the college level that were well under the radar, players like Cam Johnson and Parker Stewart for example. Santos is a dangerous shooter that can make shots at all 3 levels. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor and score and can put points on the board quickly from 3 point range. The expectation is, is that he can play and help contribute immediately at Pitt because of his offensive shooting and scoring ability if he remains healthy, which is the key. He is a Nepsac Champion because of his scoring and plays hard with a chip on his shoulder.
Chris Payton
6’7 Forward
Accomplishments:
Played for Powerhouse Juco Indian Hills and accumulated a 51-6 National Record over 2 years and was a Top 5 Nationally Ranked Team both years. 2x 1st Team All Region and one of the Top JC Players in the country with offers from Maryland, Texas A&M, and Mizzou among others.
Stats- 19.8 minutes per game, 12.5ppg, 10 rpg, 2.5 blk per game, 57% FG percentage
JC players and recruits can sometimes be hit or miss, but there is a lot to like here with Payton’s "potential" as a player for both next season and the future. As for raw talent, Payton is very athletic and will challenge Noah Collier immediately for being the most athletic player on the team from day 1. He plays well above the rim and like Justin Champagnie, was a force on the glass in junior college while collecting offensive rebounds with putbacks. He can score in the paint and on the baseline and just like Champ and can also hit the midrange.
If you are curious as to why the minutes per game number is low, Indian Hills regularly blew teams right out of the gym, they were extremely good which is why they were Top 5 Nationally Ranked 2 straight years. Payton finished 5th in the country in total rebounds and the 4 players above him all played at least 150+ more minute’s total on the season. He also finished 12th in the country in total blocks and was effective on defense with his athletic ability.
Payton has 2 significant concerns entering Pitt with his raw talent. He is turnover prone and it can be a problem, and he also gets himself into foul trouble. He also offers minimal 3 point shooting ability.
With that said, Payton is a high-volume finisher on offense in the interior and like Champ, he simply picks his spots well with a midrange game. He has a quality spin move with both hands to both sides that he uses to knife into the paint and score. If you are a fan of Keve Aluma, he has some Aluma in him with his use of both hands. Payton has significant upside and is significantly more polished on offense than Noah Collier was when Collier entered Pitt a year ago. He is a major challenger to start from day 1 at power forward and should be considered a high major prospect as Capel was recently quoted saying. He should have an instant impact.
Daniel Oladapo
6’7 Forward
Accomplishments
2nd Team All Horizon, 9th in the country with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game
Stats: 12.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 apg and 1.1 spg, 57% FG %, 105.6 ORTG, 12-OR, 17-DR
Primarily a below the rim player. Not the fastest or most athletic, but plays with a ruggedness and a toughness in the paint. His stats are ok, but the hidden stat that can help him in the ACC, is that he made 54 midrange jumpers this year, which is almost twice as many as any Pitt player for this past season. We could use that type of midrange ability to help open up our offense next season at power forward or maybe a little center.
Its hard to draw many firm or even solid conclusions from a player that played on a such a bad team such as Oakland was this past year. But if we can get some rebounding, and an ORTG offensive rating somewhere between 95-105 which is doable with his shooting touch, , he can be a decent add that can help us in the interior. He has no where near the upside and raw talent as Payton above, but what he does have is 3 years of actual D1 college experience with a legit midrange shot. And what he does offer is better “team” depth in comparison to a player like Terrell Brown as he won’t be a “major” liability on the floor.
Mouhamadou Gueye
6’9 Center
Accomplishments:
America East Defensive Player of the Year, 3.1 blocks per game
Stats
9.7 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 3.1 blocks per game, 2.1 assists per game
Gueye was brought to Pitt primarily for one reason. To help anchor the center position on defense as a backup, an area that Terrell Brown failed at last year with Hugley suspended. Gueye is a raw offensive player finishing out his college career. He isn’t going to give much besides some dunks and layups. He made 9 out of 47 midrange shots last year, a paltry 18%. He is however going to provide 2 key elements. He had a DR defensive rebound percentage of 22.8%, which is good and he brings it against good teams. And he is also a block machine on the back line which he also brings against good teams.
Stats against teams that matter
At St. John’s- 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks DR % 22
At Virginia- 9 points, 5 rebounds, 6 blocks DR % 15
At Providence- 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks DR % 17
At Seton Hall- 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks DR % 20
Being from NY, Gueye brings a toughness element along with good springy athletic ability to help stabilize the interior on defense and is a significant upgrade to Brown on defense, rebounding, and athletically. While he isn’t going to score much, he is a sneaky good passer for a center who averaged over 2 assists per game.
Jamarius Burton
6’4 Combo Guard Transfer from Texas Tech
Stats- 19 minutes per game, 4.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 94 ORTG, averaged 10.3 ppg and 38% from 3 at Wichita State 2 years ago with an ORTG of 101.
Burton is a physical bully guard that is going to bring a lot to the team on both ends and has decent athletic ability in doing so. He missed 6 games last year because of a tendon injury in his foot which was a lingering problem for him last season. He provides some scoring and some defense, respectable efficiency numbers on offense and defense, and was a full rotational piece for a Top 20 Nationally ranked Texas Tech team last year which finished in the Top 20 Nationally in defensive efficiency. Burton has the ability to knock down shots from the midrange and a little bit from 3. He boasts a solid assist to turnover ratio for his career and will swing between the 1-2-3 positions next year. Burton shot 40% for Texas Tech and 44% for Wichita St. the last 2 years. While those numbers aren’t terrific, they are respectable enough to keep a defense honest, and further evidence is with his 46 made midrange jumpers he made his sophomore season which is a decent amount.
Whether or not Burton starts at the 2 or 3 or more likely comes off the bench, he is going to provide a lot of depth minutes for the 1-2-3 positions and be a backup to Femi; he should play at least 20 minutes per game. If he is good enough for that role for a Top 20 nationally ranked team at Texas Tech for Chris Beard, he is good enough for that role here. What Burton is, in two words, is solid and stable, and is a player that will help the team win games with his stability on the floor.
In Conclusion, none of these players project as a 10+ ppg scorer next year. But what they do project as, every single one of them is better than each depth piece player we had last year except Femi. Simply put, Terrell Brown, Gerald Drumgoole, or Onyebuchi Ezukudo would never play a second above these players. And Noah Collier or 17 year old William Jeffress from a year ago would barely play if these players had been available a year ago. These are solid additions that will really help stabilize and provide the team with actual respectable team depth for the first time in Capel’s career at Pitt. And the players returning such as Noah Collier or William Jeffress are going to need to make some significant improvements this offseason or their minutes are going to go down next year. Upgraded Competition in practices with better team overall depth with the new players will be a pleasant welcome addition to help improve next years team.
6’7 Wing Forward
Accomplishments:
Nepsac A Champion and Founders league Champion
Stats: 17.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 38% from 3 as a “junior”, senior year was canceled
Comparable player stats from the powerhouse Nepsac league before college when they were seniors, all instant impact freshmen in college last year.
Matt Cross- Miami (Now Louisville)- 15.9ppg, 6.1rpg, 1.4 apg
Kadary Richmond Syracuse (Now Seton Hall) -12.5ppg, 6rpg, 3.8 assist per game
Terrance Clarke Kentucky- 16.8ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.6 assist per game
Femi Odukale- 17.5ppg, 8.2 rpg, 8.5 apg
RJ Blakney-Dayton- 20.9, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, teammate at Loomis
Derailed by multiple past injuries including a torn acl and missing 2 summers of AAU ball, Nate Santos was a former Top 60 4 Star recruit with a bevy of quality offers. And the fact is, he is still a really good player with really good upside and is easily a Top 100 caliber player when “healthy”. Time and time again, we have witnessed dangerous shooters enter the college level that were well under the radar, players like Cam Johnson and Parker Stewart for example. Santos is a dangerous shooter that can make shots at all 3 levels. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor and score and can put points on the board quickly from 3 point range. The expectation is, is that he can play and help contribute immediately at Pitt because of his offensive shooting and scoring ability if he remains healthy, which is the key. He is a Nepsac Champion because of his scoring and plays hard with a chip on his shoulder.
Chris Payton
6’7 Forward
Accomplishments:
Played for Powerhouse Juco Indian Hills and accumulated a 51-6 National Record over 2 years and was a Top 5 Nationally Ranked Team both years. 2x 1st Team All Region and one of the Top JC Players in the country with offers from Maryland, Texas A&M, and Mizzou among others.
Stats- 19.8 minutes per game, 12.5ppg, 10 rpg, 2.5 blk per game, 57% FG percentage
JC players and recruits can sometimes be hit or miss, but there is a lot to like here with Payton’s "potential" as a player for both next season and the future. As for raw talent, Payton is very athletic and will challenge Noah Collier immediately for being the most athletic player on the team from day 1. He plays well above the rim and like Justin Champagnie, was a force on the glass in junior college while collecting offensive rebounds with putbacks. He can score in the paint and on the baseline and just like Champ and can also hit the midrange.
If you are curious as to why the minutes per game number is low, Indian Hills regularly blew teams right out of the gym, they were extremely good which is why they were Top 5 Nationally Ranked 2 straight years. Payton finished 5th in the country in total rebounds and the 4 players above him all played at least 150+ more minute’s total on the season. He also finished 12th in the country in total blocks and was effective on defense with his athletic ability.
Payton has 2 significant concerns entering Pitt with his raw talent. He is turnover prone and it can be a problem, and he also gets himself into foul trouble. He also offers minimal 3 point shooting ability.
With that said, Payton is a high-volume finisher on offense in the interior and like Champ, he simply picks his spots well with a midrange game. He has a quality spin move with both hands to both sides that he uses to knife into the paint and score. If you are a fan of Keve Aluma, he has some Aluma in him with his use of both hands. Payton has significant upside and is significantly more polished on offense than Noah Collier was when Collier entered Pitt a year ago. He is a major challenger to start from day 1 at power forward and should be considered a high major prospect as Capel was recently quoted saying. He should have an instant impact.
Daniel Oladapo
6’7 Forward
Accomplishments
2nd Team All Horizon, 9th in the country with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game
Stats: 12.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 apg and 1.1 spg, 57% FG %, 105.6 ORTG, 12-OR, 17-DR
Primarily a below the rim player. Not the fastest or most athletic, but plays with a ruggedness and a toughness in the paint. His stats are ok, but the hidden stat that can help him in the ACC, is that he made 54 midrange jumpers this year, which is almost twice as many as any Pitt player for this past season. We could use that type of midrange ability to help open up our offense next season at power forward or maybe a little center.
Its hard to draw many firm or even solid conclusions from a player that played on a such a bad team such as Oakland was this past year. But if we can get some rebounding, and an ORTG offensive rating somewhere between 95-105 which is doable with his shooting touch, , he can be a decent add that can help us in the interior. He has no where near the upside and raw talent as Payton above, but what he does have is 3 years of actual D1 college experience with a legit midrange shot. And what he does offer is better “team” depth in comparison to a player like Terrell Brown as he won’t be a “major” liability on the floor.
Mouhamadou Gueye
6’9 Center
Accomplishments:
America East Defensive Player of the Year, 3.1 blocks per game
Stats
9.7 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 3.1 blocks per game, 2.1 assists per game
Gueye was brought to Pitt primarily for one reason. To help anchor the center position on defense as a backup, an area that Terrell Brown failed at last year with Hugley suspended. Gueye is a raw offensive player finishing out his college career. He isn’t going to give much besides some dunks and layups. He made 9 out of 47 midrange shots last year, a paltry 18%. He is however going to provide 2 key elements. He had a DR defensive rebound percentage of 22.8%, which is good and he brings it against good teams. And he is also a block machine on the back line which he also brings against good teams.
Stats against teams that matter
At St. John’s- 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks DR % 22
At Virginia- 9 points, 5 rebounds, 6 blocks DR % 15
At Providence- 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks DR % 17
At Seton Hall- 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks DR % 20
Being from NY, Gueye brings a toughness element along with good springy athletic ability to help stabilize the interior on defense and is a significant upgrade to Brown on defense, rebounding, and athletically. While he isn’t going to score much, he is a sneaky good passer for a center who averaged over 2 assists per game.
Jamarius Burton
6’4 Combo Guard Transfer from Texas Tech
Stats- 19 minutes per game, 4.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 94 ORTG, averaged 10.3 ppg and 38% from 3 at Wichita State 2 years ago with an ORTG of 101.
Burton is a physical bully guard that is going to bring a lot to the team on both ends and has decent athletic ability in doing so. He missed 6 games last year because of a tendon injury in his foot which was a lingering problem for him last season. He provides some scoring and some defense, respectable efficiency numbers on offense and defense, and was a full rotational piece for a Top 20 Nationally ranked Texas Tech team last year which finished in the Top 20 Nationally in defensive efficiency. Burton has the ability to knock down shots from the midrange and a little bit from 3. He boasts a solid assist to turnover ratio for his career and will swing between the 1-2-3 positions next year. Burton shot 40% for Texas Tech and 44% for Wichita St. the last 2 years. While those numbers aren’t terrific, they are respectable enough to keep a defense honest, and further evidence is with his 46 made midrange jumpers he made his sophomore season which is a decent amount.
Whether or not Burton starts at the 2 or 3 or more likely comes off the bench, he is going to provide a lot of depth minutes for the 1-2-3 positions and be a backup to Femi; he should play at least 20 minutes per game. If he is good enough for that role for a Top 20 nationally ranked team at Texas Tech for Chris Beard, he is good enough for that role here. What Burton is, in two words, is solid and stable, and is a player that will help the team win games with his stability on the floor.
In Conclusion, none of these players project as a 10+ ppg scorer next year. But what they do project as, every single one of them is better than each depth piece player we had last year except Femi. Simply put, Terrell Brown, Gerald Drumgoole, or Onyebuchi Ezukudo would never play a second above these players. And Noah Collier or 17 year old William Jeffress from a year ago would barely play if these players had been available a year ago. These are solid additions that will really help stabilize and provide the team with actual respectable team depth for the first time in Capel’s career at Pitt. And the players returning such as Noah Collier or William Jeffress are going to need to make some significant improvements this offseason or their minutes are going to go down next year. Upgraded Competition in practices with better team overall depth with the new players will be a pleasant welcome addition to help improve next years team.
