Transfers find varying success at different programs

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The Pitt men’s basketball program was rather fortunate to have received its 11th invitation to the NCAA Tournament in its past 12 seasons last Sunday.

And no, head coach Jamie Dixon’s lackluster nonconference schedule isn’t the reason.

The Panthers’ struggle for a marquee win is not to blame, either.

Rather, Pitt and its fans are fortunate in a different context: Dixon’s inability to retain players in recent years could have set the program into a depressed state, but the transfers miraculously placed a near-reverse effect on the program.

Six of Dixon’s 11 commits from the 2009 thorugh 2011 recruiting classes transferred away from Pitt — a whopping 55 percent — which exceeds the 34.3 percent national transfer rate for college basketball players.

Additionally, Trey Zeigler, who joined the team in 2012, transferred last May, and Steven Adams, Pitt’s highest-touted recruit in decades, was selected 12th overall in last year’s NBA Draft.

Some of the former Panthers left because they desired more playing time. Others left because they felt Oakland wasn’t the right fit. 

Regardless, they’re now glimpses in highlight reels of Pitt basketball’s recent past, and their regular seasons at their new homes just ended. 

Some shined, and others sat more than they played. Their seasons are highlighted below, with commentary on their performances by beat writers that follow the teams.

Trey Zeigler (Senior: TCU; committed to Pitt in 2012 after transferring from Central Michigan)

Stat line: The NCAA did not grant Zeigler a waiver to play immediately upon transferring from Pitt, so the 6-foot-5 slashing guard sat out the 2013-2014 season.

The scoop: “The Frogs and the fans have temperate expectations for Zeigler. TCU is in the position where a winning culture simply isn’t in place right now … Zeigler is currently listed as a guard on TCU’s roster, but [coach Trent] Johnson won’t hesitate to move him around. Due to the large amount of injuries the team experienced this year, Jarvis Ray, a senior, played at the four all year despite being listed as a guard. I think Zeigler could fit into Ray’s role nicely,” according to Jordan Ray, sports editor at TCU 360.

John Johnson (Junior guard: Penn State; committed to Pitt in 2011)

Stat line: Johnson came off the bench for the Nittany Lions, scoring 7.1 points per game in 20.7 minutes. Known as a sharpshooter at Pitt, Johnson hit 32.3 percent of his shots from beyond the arc this season and scored 40 points in his first three games back after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. He played wing and some point guard, but playing time dwindled as the season went on, largely because guards Graham Woodward and Geno Thorpe were playing better. 

The scoop: “His role will probably remain at the two in the foreseeable future — more of a guy who comes in and is able to shoot the ball. … He’s going to get more minutes next year. [Point guard Tim] Frazier is leaving, and that is going to open some doors in the backcourt for Johnson. He’s going to get an opportunity. If he can come in and shoot, he’s going to be able to play for Penn State,” according to Stephen Pianovich, sports editor at The Daily Collegian.

Malcolm Gilbert (Redshirt sophomore: Fairfield; committed to Pitt in 2011)

Stat line: Gilbert averaged just 2.5 points in 10.2 minutes per contest in which the 6-foot-11 center pulled down 2.7 rebounds. Gilbert left Pitt in December 2012 because his brother, Marcus, received a scholarship offer from Fairfield, and Malcolm wished to play with his brother. Marcus, a forward, was second on the team in scoring (13.9 points per game) this past season.

The scoop: “There were just other guys ahead of him. … There were two guys who are pretty dominant already who [coach Sydney] Johnson had stuck with, and Gilbert was supposed to be getting adjusted to the system. … When [Marcus] did get offered, it was really a golden opportunity because they had the ability to create so much more team chemistry because they had played together in younger years, and I think we’re really going to see that come into fruition next year,” Pat Kiernan, sports editor at The Fairfield Mirror, said.

Khem Birch (Junior: UNLV; committed to Pitt in 2011)

Stat line: Birch’s defensive play has garnered attention from NBA scouts. He was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season in the Mountain West Conference, and he earned Second-Team All-Mountain-West honors, averaging a double-double in points (11.5) and rebounds (10.2) per game, while finishing the 2013-2014 season second in the country in blocked shots per game (3.76).

Birch started all of his 10 games as a freshman at Pitt. He was criticized as a Panther for his lack of interior size and because he hit the floor often.

The scoop: “I don’t think that soft label applies. … Khem has probably been the best player that UNLV’s had, not just this year, but you could make the case that last year, he was the better player [between he and forward Anthony Bennett, who became the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft]. The way he impacts the game defensively is unlike any other player in the Mountain West. He is a true force and he is instant in offense at UNLV. … If he were to go in the draft, I’d say he’d be a late first-round, early second-round pick, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing him leaving UNLV,” according to Danny Webster, sports editor at The Rebel Yell.

J.J. Moore (Senior: Rutgers; committed to Pitt in 2010)

Stat line: After being granted a hardship waiver to play immediately by the NCAA in the summer, Moore scored 11.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per contest. He also shot 30 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-6 forward did not receive any conference accolades.

The scoop: “He played the three, the four when needed, and a little bit of the two when guys were in foul trouble or hurt. … Nothing from his stat line last season was really eye-popping, but I think part of that might have had to do with the grind-it-out system at Pitt, where Eddie Jordan’s system [at Rutgers] is more of a get-out-and-run-when-possible and score-a-lot-of-points-type system, and I think that suited J.J. better, given his athleticism. I remember asking him before the season started how he felt with the offense and transition, and he felt it would utilize his skill set better, and his averages this season were the best of his career,” according to Matt Sugam, Rutgers basketball beat writer for AP and SNY.com.

Isaiah Epps (2012-2013 season: Monroe College; committed to Pitt in 2010)

Stat line: In 27.8 minutes per game, Epps scored 9.3 points and racked up 6.5 assists, shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line.

The scoop: Following his underwhelming freshman season at Pitt, Epps considered transferring to a handful of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Northeast Conference schools. He instead chose Monroe. Epps left the program after his sophomore season and his current whereabouts are unknown.

J.J. Richardson (Redshirt senior: Houston; committed to Pitt in 2009)

Stat line: Richardson, nicknamed “Big Hungry” by former Pitt teammates, suffered a foot injury and walked Houston’s sidelines in a boot for most of 2012-2013. This season, he was injured again and missed part of Houston’s conference play, but in 12.9 minutes of nightly play in 2013-2014, Richardson averaged 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds. 

The scoop: “He’s the only person with some girth on the team. He’s not that skilled offensively, but he can battle and try to get rebounds. … Whether he was starting or not, he would do the dirty work,” according to Christopher Shelton, sports editor at The Daily Cougar. 

In Dixon’s incoming class, three players have signed and he received a strong verbal commitment from a junior college player, leaving Dixon with no more scholarships to offer. 

But he may still add another player, meaning that a current player will be asked to walk on or leave the team.

Pitt nearly added another incoming freshman in Kobe Eubanks, a shooting guard from New York, but Eubanks committed to Baylor on Tuesday. Justin Jamison, a 6-foot-9 junior-college center from Missouri, chose Texas Tech over Pitt last week.

And there’s still a slight possibility that scoring guard Detrick Mostella, who verbally committed to Pitt last summer but never joined the team because of undisclosed reasons, could join next season, as well.

An offseason shake-up in the roster, nonetheless, should not surprise Pitt fans. 

After all, one or more players have transferred or left the program from every one of Dixon’s past eight recruiting classes.