On Monday, Rhode Island transfer guard Ishmael Leggett made things official as he committed to Pitt out of the transfer portal.
“The commitment means a lot to me,” Leggett told Pittsburgh Sports Now on Monday. “I chose Pitt because it was just the right fit for me.”
Leggett is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 16.4 points per game last season for the Rams in the Atlantic 10. Over this past weekend, he took an official visit to Pitt with his parents, enjoying his time in the Steel City and eventually deciding to join Jeff Capel and his Panthers.
“I saw the opportunity, then I went on the visit, and it was just great people down there,” Leggett said. “Coach Capel said he had a plan for me so that was really good. Just the vibe of everybody, I could see myself there next year thriving on campus and off campus. My mom as well, she enjoyed herself, and my dad he got to be a part of the experience, so those are the reasons why I chose Pitt.”
Leggett joins High Point transfer Zack Austin (committed last week) as the newest Panthers. The two join returning starters Blake Hinson and Federiko Federiko, as well as redshirt freshman and former five star Dior Johnson. In addition, the Panthers return Guillermo Diaz-Graham, Jorge Diaz-Graham, and William Jeffress to the team, while welcoming in a trio of talented freshmen: Jaland Lowe, Carlton Carrington, and Marlon Barnes.
Leggett played three seasons at Rhode Island and has two years of eligibility remaining. The DMV native improved year-by-year in almost every major statistical category as his career went on at Rhode Island. After averaging 6.6 points per game as a freshman in 2020-21, Leggett increased his average to 8.3 as a sophomore before bumping up to 16.4 per game this season. He also hit 48 three pointers this season, setting a career high and hitting 32% of his tries from beyond the arch.
“First and foremost, I see myself being a leader, that’s one of the things that I developed being at Rhode Island, just stepping into a leadership role,” Leggett said about his prospective role at Pitt. “I see myself as a guard who defends and can do whatever needs to be done on offense, whether it be score, pass, make the right read. Just a bunch of energy. I’m excited to get out with the guys and just get this thing in motion. Hopefully at the end of the year, make it to the Tournament.”
The Panthers now have two scholarships available.
