As the NCAA Tournament comes to a close, GMS likes to review some of the power conference or power program teams that made it to the Big Dance and ask whether or not they’ve got a shot to return to the show next season. We kick things off with teams eliminated in the first round.
Recruit and Reload: Pittsburgh Panthers
Key Losses: James Robinson
Key Returners: Michael Young, Jamel Artis
Key Newcomers: Corey Manigault (three-star)
Breakdown: Rarely does a new coach come into a program like Pitt and inherent two guys who averaged 15.7 and 14.4 points per game. Those guys usually choose to transfer or even test the waters of the NBA Draft, which is why it was so surprising to see both Young and Artis reportedly commit to new head coach Kevin Stallings for their senior season. Bringing back Sheldon Jeter will give the Panthers another level of athleticism and work ethic under the basket.
The ACC will be loaded next season, which means Pitt’s computer numbers should be fine if they can win a couple of high-profile games. But it’s hard to make any real assumptions of what this group will look like until we see Stallings in action with them.
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