Pitt wing Justin Champagnie was not selected in the 2021 NBA Draft after making the decision to submit his name for the draft ahead of his junior season.
The 6-foot-6 Brooklyn, New York native spent two seasons with the Panthers, but it was his breakout 2020-21 season that put him on the pro radar. Last season, Champagnie averaged 18 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while becoming the first Panthers player to be selected first-team All-ACC.
Champagnie had been projected by most prognosticators to be taken late in the second round, if at all, but he chose to keep his name in the draft instead of returning to Pitt. He said before the draft that at least one team had assured him that he would be their pick.
“I am feeling confident,” he said on July 15. “I am confident in myself, I am confident in my chances, so I am going to just run with that.”
Champagnie will now likely look to catch on with a team as an undrafted free agent.
With Champagnie going undrafted, the last player to be drafted directly from the Panthers remains Lamar Patterson, who was taken by Milwaukee with the No. 48 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Cameron Johnson, who transferred to North Carolina after graduating from Pitt, was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, that was predictable. It may still end up being the right decision, and hopefully it is. He’s a helluva player and if he can continue to work on his stroke, he’ll find a role. H2P!
That stinks for Justin but hopefully he will land on a good opportunity. He seems to have a great work ethic. I wish him all the best!
Hopefully it works out for him and hopefully young guys factor this into future decision in Bball and Fball. Leaving early works out for like 1/100 guys. Stay and finish school.
Buck Buckingham agrees. It was a terrible and costly decision. He now will be lucky to make the Raptors and Pitt loses a star player and he will not finish school.
Keep on working Justin you can make it.
I hope the younger guys are paying attention.
If he would have stayed at Pitt another year could he have increased or decreased his chances?
Who knows, he made the decision now he has to make the best of it with the opportunity that has presented itself.
I wish him the best.
He should have stayed and played 4 years. He would have been drafted at that point I am sure. He would have been older and stronger and more mature. These kids get fed bad information from their family and people around them etc. It is a shame. It is a lose/lose here. He has an uphill climb trying to make a team….he also lost money as a draft pick and Pitt could have had a stud player for 2 more years.