After recent news of Pitt’s top priority Dominick Barlow choosing Overtime Elite over Pitt and other schools, the Panthers have a lot to figure out in terms of the 2022 class.
Pitt has been targeting wings/small forwards and big men throughout this offseason, and has offered several players late this summer.
Ryan Dunn
One of the highest-rising prospects in the class this summer, Dunn picked up more than 20 offers since May, including Pitt. Jeff Capel made sure to get Dunn on campus as soon as he could after the AAU season wrapped up, and hosted him for an official visit last week. Dunn has Pitt in his top eight along with Virginia, Georgetown, and others, but Pitt is the only one that he has visited so far.
“It was way better than what I expected, the facility was nice, the gym, everything,” Dunn said about the visit. “All the gear, jerseys, everything it was all real nice. It was just different seeing a power five school with everything, but overall, everything was nice at Pittsburgh. It felt like home. I don’t know if I am a city person, but I feel like Coach Capel can be a good coach for me, so if I do decide to go to Pitt, I feel like that can be a good place for me.”
Four-Star Wing Ryan Dunn Breaks Down Pitt Official Visit
Virginia stands out on his list, but the rest of the schools, at least looking at their name and nothing else, don’t seem to be much more prestigious basketball-wise than Pitt at the time. His relationship with the staff and the fact that he already took an official visit will be key in his recruitment.
Otega Oweh
Oweh also shined this summer, playing for the Peach Jam-champion Team Final squad. Pitt offered him right before the Peach Jam final, so a pretty recent offer. Pitt commit Judah Mintz has said online that Oweh is one of the players he is focused on recruiting to come join him at Pitt.
Very skilled 6-foot-4 combo guard from Blair Academy in New Jersey, put up over 12 points per game throughout Peach Jam. Oweh is the No. 77 player in the nation according to the 247 Sports Composite, a major rise from his early-summer ranking. Illinois, Oklahoma, and Penn State are some of the other schools recruiting him hard.
“Otega is a big athletic attack guard who can guard multiple positions and score at multiple levels,” Blair Academy coach told PSN. “We are excited that his play with Team Final this summer is allowing him to show everyone how much he has put into his game in the last 18 months and how he affects winning even at the highest level.”
Fray Nguimbi
Nguimbi is a 6-foot-8 small forward from First Love Christian Academy in the Pittsburgh area. Has offers from Pitt, Illinois, Rutgers, Georgia Tech and several other high-majors.
First Love coach Jeremy Grubbs told Pittsburgh Sports Now that Pitt is very high on Nguimbi’s list and that he is planning to visit Pitt very soon, whether it be for this upcoming football game or during the next few weeks.
Expect Pitt to ramp up the interest soon as Nguimbi is set to make his college decision in November.
Daniel Skillings
Skillings is a 6-foot-6, 195-pound wing from Roman Catholic in Philly who is the most recent prospect that Pitt has offered. He did not hold a single offer earlier this year but over 20 schools have jumped into the mix this summer. Cincinnati, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Xavier are some of the other schools involved.
Bearcatjournal.com reported that Skillings would be taking an official visit to Cincinnati, and based on his recent Instagram stories, he is currently on campus at Cincinnati on the visit.
The Pitt staff watched him play multiple times this summer and offered him in August. Skillings appears to be towards the top of Pitt’s board and it would not be surprising if he took a visit to Pitt soon.
Very Unlikely Targets
Chisom Okpara
Although Okpara included the Panthers in his top six recently, a source told PSN that the Pitt staff is not showing interest in him anymore. Of course, this can change, and Pitt can certainly ramp up its interest in him as there is still time left in his recruitment, especially with news like the Barlow commitment popping up.
Christ Essandoko
A 7-foot center, Essandoko picked up an offer from Pitt earlier in the summer. However, he told PSN on Thursday that Pitt ‘never’ reaches out to him and that the last time Capel talked to him was on July 13.
Wake me up if Capel actually signs ANY of these guys.
After another outstanding summer “in top 10 list” for Capel’s upcoming year, and the recruits sign with another team, it’s time to let Capel “who is like a teenage girl go, and get someone with a national recruiting profile and Pitt connections a shot at H.C. Ask Kentuckys’ coach Calaparii who is the best recruiter and he’ll say former Pitt forward Orlando Antigua. Provide Antigua with a trusted x and o’s assistant and watch Orlando hook the 4 and 5-star players as he has done for Kentucky.