On Friday, Pitt guard Femi Odukale entered the transfer portal after two seasons with the program.
Odukale, a Brooklyn native, played his last game of his Pitt career in his hometown, failing to score in the Panthers’ season ending loss to Boston College. This season, he started 28 of the 31 games he played in for the Panthers, averaging the third-most points per game on the team at 10.8. Odukale hit 39% of his shots from the field, as well as 33% of his three-point attempts.
Odukale’s departure opens up a scholarship at the guard position, which will be one of head coach Jeff Capel’s top needs this offseason when searching in the transfer portal. Capel now has seven scholarships available for next season’s roster.
This announcement comes on the same day as Pitt landed a commitment from transfer guard Nelly Cummings, who decided to come home to play for his hometown school for his last year of eligibility.
Odukale joins Chris Payton, Noah Collier, Max Amadasun, Ithiel Horton, Onye Ezeakudo, and Dan Oladapo as players from last season’s team who have left for the portal. Jamarius Burton, Cummings, Nike Sibande, William Jeffress, and Nate Santos are currently the guards and wings on next year’s roster.
Cummings for Okadale. Not a game changer. Coach Buyout. has more work to do.
Players need to have some guts an committment !Now the question is why did they chose pitt at first? Two yrs an you want out?
This one probably is good for both parties….Femi seemed out of sorts at the end. He mentioned earlier that his teammates were getting on him to play better. Best wishes to him.
Cummings is a winner. He is a true point guard, Odukale is not. Cummings is a better defender, shooter and playmaker then Odukale. Odukale was a turnover machine and was terrible at the line. This is a significant upgrade. Coach Buyout still has more work to do, but there is 1067 players in the portal I am sure there are more upgrades in there.
I agree with everything g you said here but odukale isn’t a point guard. I would have loved to see him play at pitt next year with a true point guard. Femi has a great deal of talent, he just isn’t a point guard. I really wish he would have stayed,
If he finds a good situation for him, I could see him being a really good player for the next 2-3 years, I wish it was for pitt.
Oddly they recruited him to play the point and you are right he is not anything close to a point guard. He is a good athlete and is long for a guard, which can cause matchup problems in his favor. He really needs to work on his Free throws and his shooting in general. I am sure he will end up being a solid player elsewhere. The amount of good players in the transfer portal will allow Pitt the opportunity to find an upgrade over him. Just hoping kids want to play for Pitt and Capel.
Cummings is not a true point guard
You have not seen him play then. Please watch Colgate versus Pitt or Colgate versus Wisconsin. He is a pure point guard…always has been.
They might be playing 4 on 5 next year, at this rate.
The transfer portal is a god sent or hell for all college sports. It’s has changed recruiting for better or worse. You don’t like your team then quit and go somewhere else where you think you can play. I would not want to be a college coach today trying to sell your soul to way over priced and over privileged spoiled athletes. They are just looking for the highest dollar amount. All athletes and coaches have become mercenaries of the games they play and it’s killing the games. But such is society in American sports today. 😪🤮💰💰
it can be good or bad as you indicated. look at JD and TCU this year. they had 8 1st-year transfers on the roster this season.
To me,the portal transfer is the best thing that
has happened to college basketball. Scholarship
players with little playing time or who do not
fit into their team’s style of play are free to
transfer without losing any playing time. On
the other side,schools are able to replace with
players whose game better suits their playing
style.I am not saying it works in every instance,
but nothing in life does.
You’re joking right ask duquesne or Robert Morris if it’s helped them
Of course he leaves.
At this rate Pitt will have the same roster turnover as LSU.
This team will be much worse next season.
Great job Big Mouth Jeff!
Cummings for Odukale is an improvement so Pitt got better today. What are you referring to when you say Big Mouth Jeff? Please be specific.
I just don’t see the reason anymore to recruit high school kids anymore ,by the time they develop or even haven’t developed yet there in the portal so why invest in all that time ,the portal is very bad for college sports