With its first practice set for Thursday, the Pitt men’s basketball program used Monday to build towards a future that goes well beyond the 2019-20 season.
Noah Collier, a power forward in the 2020 recruiting class, committed to coach Jeff Capel and the Panthers Monday, announcing his decision on Instagram with a picture of him wearing a Pitt jersey and with a caption reading “1000% committed.” He becomes the program’s first player in the 2020 class.
The 6-7 Collier is a three-star prospect who is rated by Rivals.com as the 148th-best player in the 2020 class, with 247Sports’ composite ranking slotting him a bit lower at No. 160. ESPN grades him as a four-star prospect. He becomes the fourth player ranked among the top 150 players by a recruiting outlet to commit to the Panthers in Capel’s 18-month tenure, joining Trey McGowens, Au’Diese Toney and Gerald Drumgoole.
A Norristown, Pa., native who plays at the Westtown School in Westtown, Pa. — which has also produced Cam Reddish and Mo Bamba in recent years — Collier visited Pitt in late August. He held offers from 16 schools and ultimately chose the Panthers over Clemson and California, his two other finalists.
Collier has been praised for his athleticism and versatility, conceivably making him someone who can play either forward position. In a recent assessment, Rivals lauded Collier for his ability to defend multiple positions, his touch at the rim and his rebounding, even in crowded situations near the basket.
He joins a team that has a number of young, athletic and switchable players who aren’t wedded to a specific position. The group includes the 6-6 Toney, 6-5 Drumgoole and 6-6 freshman Justin Champagnie.
Additionally, Pitt is pursuing other frontcourt players from the 2020 class.
John Hugley, a top-100 center from Cleveland, visited the school unofficially last week and will be back this weekend for an official visit. Cliff Omoruyi, a 6-11 center who is 247’s No. 47 player in the 2020 class, and D.J. Gordon, a top-150 wing from nearby First Love Christian Academy, are among the other players the Panthers’ staff is actively pursuing in the class.
Pitt is set to lose just two scholarship players on its current roster after this season — forwards Eric Hamilton and Kene Chukwuka — though the latter could potentially redshirt due to an offseason hip procedure that could force him to miss significant time this upcoming season. The program also has a vacant scholarship heading into this season that could be used on a player from the 2020 class.
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG
First Published: September 24, 2019, 12:31 a.m.
