(03-24-2017 07:24 AM)CollegeCard Wrote:  

(03-24-2017 12:37 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Word on the street is Milligan is also leaving and Johnson likely will as well.

That is rough. Johnson showed promise and presumably would have been the star guy the next two years.

Last inside rumor I heard was that Cam Johnson is staying with Pitt now, but who knows what can happen.

Cam Johnson, the lone returning starter and double digit scorer is transferring. He's actually graduating as a redshirt Soph so he is immediately eligible anywhere with 2 years of eligibility. It appears this transfer is largely part of a bad cycle. Essentially so many others transferred that he didn't want to stick around and be left holding the bag on a bad team. This leaves Pitt with the below regarding returning scholarship players:

Ryan Luther 5.7 ppg
Jonathan Milligan 2.2 ppg
Rozelle Nix 1.4 ppg

Per the links, Pitt has 7 guys they're bringing in. 5 high schoolers and 2 JUCO's. That is 10 scholarships total and they're still looking at bringing in more through any possible source. As everyone seems to agree on, next year will be a titanic struggle.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.cardiachi...-transfers

https://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/thr...er.110690/

(03-24-2017 02:51 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Q: Besides Greater Pittsburgh, where do you think the Panthers SHOULD recruit basketball players? I don't think New York City is out of the question, but your non-conference schedule would need to be focused. Philadelphia might make more sense, and I'm sure there are plenty of teams there who would LOVE a home-and-home with Pitt in hoops.

Where do you Panther fans think the focus should be?

NYC, Philly, B-Mo, DC. Also, Cleveland and Detroit. There are PLENTY of OUTSTANDING players within a five or six hour drive of PGH.

(04-01-2017 12:55 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  Cam Johnson, the lone returning starter and double digit scorer is transferring. He's actually graduating as a redshirt Soph so he is immediately eligible anywhere with 2 years of eligibility. It appears this transfer is largely part of a bad cycle. Essentially so many others transferred that he didn't want to stick around and be left holding the bag on a bad team. This leaves Pitt with the below regarding returning scholarship players:

Ryan Luther 5.7 ppg
Jonathan Milligan 2.2 ppg
Rozelle Nix 1.4 ppg

Per the links, Pitt has 7 guys they're bringing in. 5 high schoolers and 2 JUCO's. That is 10 scholarships total and they're still looking at bringing in more through any possible source. As everyone seems to agree on, next year will be a titanic struggle.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.cardiachi...-transfers

https://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/thr...er.110690/

Honestly, this is the only defection that really hurts. This kid isn't great but he is at least a high major player. Most, maybe all, of the other defectors were basically nudged in that direction by the coaching staff because they are not ACC caliber basketball players and it's just that simple. In other words, Johnson was going to stuck on a bad team no matter what happened had he stayed at Pitt.

The coaches know they don't have forever to get this ship turned around so they can't afford to be nice about things.

Johnson sees the writing on the wall and is getting out while he can. Good for him! I would too if I were in his shoes.

BTW, Stallings is doing the right thing here. This roster desperately needed to be purged and the program will be better off for it in the long run. Now, whether or not the current hoops regime will survive long enough to reap the fruits of this decision is another altogether different question? However, from a broader Pitt perspective, this is EASILY the right decision.

Cam Johnson gone as well......

(04-01-2017 12:55 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  Cam Johnson, the lone returning starter and double digit scorer is transferring. He's actually graduating as a redshirt Soph so he is immediately eligible anywhere with 2 years of eligibility. It appears this transfer is largely part of a bad cycle. Essentially so many others transferred that he didn't want to stick around and be left holding the bag on a bad team. This leaves Pitt with the below regarding returning scholarship players:

Ryan Luther 5.7 ppg
Jonathan Milligan 2.2 ppg
Rozelle Nix 1.4 ppg

Per the links, Pitt has 7 guys they're bringing in. 5 high schoolers and 2 JUCO's. That is 10 scholarships total and they're still looking at bringing in more through any possible source. As everyone seems to agree on, next year will be a titanic struggle.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.cardiachi...-transfers

https://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/thr...er.110690/

Ugly situation...Pitt is setting up for boom/bust recruiting cycles. The ACC is unforgiving...I see them winning a max of 2-3 conference games.

...at most.

However, the point is it was going to be an ugly situation no matter what. It didn't become an ugly situation this off-season. It has been an ugly situation for about three years now. It bottomed out this year but it was going to REALLY bottom out next year whenever the little talent they had on this year's roster graduated.

I have not exactly been terribly kind to Kevin Stallings. I think he was an atrocious hire. However, I cannot blame him here at all. He is doing the right thing in the long run. Nobody who has watched this team on a regular basis could possibly disagree with that statement. Aside from Johnson, there would have been no ACC caliber players on the team coming back anyway.

What's the difference between going 4–14 and 0-18? Not a lot, IMO.

Pittsburgh should enter the Dewayne Russell sweepstakes! If the Cards can't get him, he would be a difference maker for Pittsburgh.

http://m.espn.com/ncb/playercard?playerI...rc=desktop

(04-01-2017 08:44 PM)SoCalPanther Wrote:  Cam Johnson gone as well......

It'll be interesting to see where he lands.

My guess is that VCU will be very interested and they have some connections - new HC Mike Rhoades is from PA and he just hired Pitt assistant Jeremy Ballard to become associate HC. Plus, VCU has lost at least one, possibly two recruits and may have another spot to fill after one player requested his release to transfer (but may return).

If he wants to go to a team with a good chance to make the tournament, VCU would be a good landing spot. The A10 is a perennial multi-bid league, VCU has made the tourney 7 years running, and the top of the league is wide open after Dayton graduates 4 seniors who were huge contributors. Right now, VCU is a young squad full of talented but unproven guys and they could use a veteran scorer.

VCU is a good guess. That would make a lot of sense. Wherever he lands, I wish the kid well. He was a victim of circumstance here. His dad played at Pitt as well, so he was a legacy.

It looks like it's going to be Kentucky for Cam Johnson.

(04-10-2017 01:53 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  It looks like it's going to be Kentucky for Cam Johnson.

Glad he went to a school that really needed the help.

"Ladies and gentlemen... will the lucky fan in section 302, row J, seat 12 come on down? You're today's starting center! And remember, folks, this 'let a fan play day' was brought to you by PNC bank!"

That's not too far from the truth.

Last week, I was at the local mall with the family when group of young African-American men walked in and they were all dressed head to toe in "Pitt basketball" gear.

Given their size and builds, it would be a very reasonable guess that they played on the basketball team.

Now, we are season-ticket holders and I watch probably 80% of their road games – especially in league play. We're pretty faithful fans.

My wife looked at me and asked, "who is that?" I told her, "I have no idea? I don't recognize a single one of them."

I've never been in that position before.

(04-10-2017 01:53 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  It looks like it's going to be Kentucky for Cam Johnson.

And now I have to despise every fiber of his being.

Aaron Thompson released from his LOI......he was the foundation piece of Pitt's class......the hits just keep on coming.

This program is going to SUUUUUUUUUCK for the next several years.

Football players going to pull double duty?

Fans attending the games.......all 5 of them.

(04-23-2017 11:49 AM)SoCalPanther Wrote:  Fans attending the games.......all 5 of them.

New promotion: come support the team and you may end up PLAYING!