When Will Jeffress arrived on Pitt’s campus prior to the start of the 2020-21 college basketball season, he like many other recent Panthers hoped to be a part of a much-needed turnaround for Jeff Capel’s program.
Two seasons later, with Jeffress still around, Pitt’s turnaround came to fruition. But as those on last year’s team enjoyed their success on the hardwood, Jeffress, who missed the entirety of last season due to a foot injury, watched from the sidelines. Now back at full health, he hopes to have a bigger role in creating additional fun for the Panthers.
“It was tough to not be a part of it on the court,” Jeffress said. “But through the entire journey, I felt a part of it through just our team atmosphere and being together. When I went down, the guys were there for me. I was at every game, every practice. It was difficult to be on the sidelines because, you know, every player wants to play.”
While Jeffress is just 20 years old, his collegiate resume makes him a seasoned veteran on nearly any college basketball team, especially Capel’s current group, which boasts just one senior. Jeffress came to Pitt at the young age of 17, thanks to him reclassifying and starting his collegiate journey a year early.
In his first two seasons with the Panthers, Jeffress was involved, appearing in 47 games with 20 of those appearances being starts. His impact, however, wasn’t what he and others hoped it would be. So far, Jeffress boasts career averages of 3.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists a game. Entering his redshirt junior season, Jeffress knows that all areas of his game must improve if he hopes to once again be a reliable piece for his team.
“Last time you guys saw me on the court, I was a lot more hesitant,” Jeffress told reporters Tuesday afternoon following his team’s practice. “I think that I am taking that out of my game to become more quick, more decisive within my decisions. I’m trusting myself and trusting my teammates to make the right plays. I’ve been putting the work in to trust those skills and make them instincts.”
Since the start of Pitt basketball’s preseason workouts, Jeffress’ name has come up a few times when discussing the squad’s roster outlook. The first to highlight Jeffress was Capel, who said he was pleased with Jeffress’ health and overall growth as a player.
“Probably the biggest thing was that he worked on his body,” Capel said. “He’s a lot stronger than he was the last time he was on the court. He’s had a really good summer.”
Capel added that Jeffress provides additional value as a leader, claiming that he, more than most others, finds a way to get the best out of his teammates. Blake Hinson later echoed that sentiment, saying Jeffress will bring more to this year’s team than just support from the sidelines.
“Will is going to change us, as far as our energy, every time he touches the court,” Hinson said. “Our energy is going to go through the roof every time he’s around the team. But when he touches the court, our energy is going to go up another notch. That's just the type of power he has.”
Energy and leadership is where it might start for Jeffress, but his game must also include other elements that it previously didn’t involve. While he is expected to be one of the top defensive options for the Panthers, his overall role will largely depend on if he can also be a factor on the other end of the floor.
In his two healthy seasons, Jeffress has left something to desire when it comes to scoring, shooting just 27.3% from the field and 19.2% from 3-point range in his career. And though Capel is encouraged from what he’s seen from Jeffress this offseason, he still needs to see it when it counts.
“We think he can be a really good defender, a great cutter and be a guy who is able to make a shot,” Capel said. “He has shot the ball really well, but he’s gotta do it in games. He’s gotta be able to do it when the lights come on. We have confidence in him doing that.”
For Jeffress, confidence from his coach and teammates is all that is needed. Now in Year 4 of his collegiate career, Jeffress could’ve taken his talents elsewhere, perhaps to a smaller program where he could start. But if Jeffress is to turn things around anywhere, he wants it to be where his journey began.
“A lot of people think the grass is greener on the other side,” Jeffress said. “I know that it’s greener where you water it. Some people transfer out and they do better. Some people transfer out and you never hear from them again. You can never guarantee where you’ll end up at. I’ve got full trust and full faith in my decisions and where I put my energy into. I know that if I feed myself within my environment, I will grow.”
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and Twitter @_NoahHiles
First Published: October 4, 2023, 1:42 p.m.
Updated: October 4, 2023, 6:16 p.m.
