Pitt has landed the commitment of Hargrave Military Academy guard Trey McGowens, he announced on Twitter on Tuesday.
McGowens, a four-star guard from Piedmont, South Carolina is the first player to commit to new Pitt head coach Jeff Capel. Additionally, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard will reclassify into the Class of 2018 in order to join Pitt this fall.
“I would like to take this moment to thank God for his many blessings and for giving me the talent to excel in the court and in the classroom,” McGowens wrote.
McGowens chose Pitt over Clemson, Minnesota, Ole Miss and St. John’s, who were his final five schools. He had a total of 31 offers, including high majors Baylor, Kansas State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Providence, Seton Hall, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Listed as one of Rivals Top 150 players and a consensus four-star recruit, McGowens should be an immediate starter in a Pitt backcourt that has suffered offseason transfers from Marcus Carr and Parker Stewart.
Rivals has ranked McGowens as the No. 80 player in the Class of 2018. The highest-rated player they landed under Kevin Stallings was Carr, ranked No. 101 in 2017. Jamie Dixon landed No. 126 Justice Kithcart and No. 136 Corey Manigault in 2016 and No. 100 Damon Wilson in 2014. The last Pitt player ranked above McGowens was No. 5 Steven Adams in 2012.
McGowens attended Wren High School in Piedmont, South Carolina before transferring to Hargrave, a prep school in Chatham, Virginia that has produced many talented athletes, including Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant.
With the commitment of McGowens, Capel will still have at least four open scholarships to work with in the Class of 2018, following the graduation of Monty Boykins and Jonathan Milligan and the transfers of Carr, Ryan Luther and Stewart.
Pitt’s current 2018-19 roster looks to have McGowens, Khameron Davis, Samson George and Jared Wilson-Frame at forward and Terrell Brown, Peace Ilegomah and Shamiel Stevenson at forward.
