Pitt men’s basketball set up to add local talent in next 3 years

Recruiting normally comes in season as fall turns to winter. For example, Mike Young signed his letter of intent in November 2012.

Now, before Pitt basketball’s 2013-2014 season has even officially begun, head coach Jamie Dixon already has talent lined up for not just the class of 2014, but also for 2015 and 2016.

In Dixon’s tenure, Pitt basketball hasn’t recruited heavily around Pittsburgh because of a perceived lack of talent, but has instead made New York and New Jersey the primary conduits. For the 2014 and 2015 classes, however, Dixon and his staff have cashed in on both regions by recruiting players from Pittsburgh and New York.

Pittsburgh natives Sheldon Jeter and Ryan Luther have committed to Pitt for 2014, while Damon Wilson, a Georgia native who’s attending school in New York, has committed for 2015.

Jeter, originally from Beaver Falls, Pa., became the first of the three to officially commit, although he sought to attend Pitt months before. Initially a member of the 2012 recruiting class and ranked as the 150th-best player in the country by Rivals, Jeter didn’t receive a scholarship offer from Pitt and instead committed to Vanderbilt.

Jeter immediately contributed off the bench as a true freshman for the Commodores and averaged 5.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game.

Jeter wanted to play closer to home, however, and hoped to transfer to Pitt following his first season. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings had other plans, though, and refused to release Jeter to Pitt for undisclosed reasons.

Strapped for viable options, Jeter’s father, Carliss Jeter, called his good friend Matt Furjanic, who suggested that he enroll at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla. Furjanic is the Polk State Eagles’ head coach, and Jeter’s cousin Brock VanLier plays for the junior college team, which competes mainly against other two-year schools in the Florida College System Activities Association.

Jeter followed Furjanic’s advice.

On Sept. 28, Jeter committed to Pitt at the Panthers’ Morning Madness event. In the meantime, Jeter will practice with Polk State and focus on academics, preserving three years of eligibility when he arrives at Pitt for the 2014-2015 season.

Furjanic describes the 6-foot-8 Jeter as a very good outside shooter, good athlete and a decent ball-handler. Dixon recruited Jeter as a small forward, a position that requires Jeter to handle the ball and cover smaller players than him.

Furjanic said Jeter is working on each of those aspects.

“This year will give him a chance to work on his game and work on his body,” Furjanic said. “I think when Pitt gets him, he’ll be a much better player than he was at Vanderbilt.”

Although Jeter has made it a priority to improve his own abilities, he’s also taken on a leadership role at Polk State by keeping practices intense and leading in the weight room.

“Sheldon has really become a leader with us, explaining to the players what it takes to get to the next level, because he’s been there,” Furjanic said.

In addition to his contributions with the team, Furjanic speaks just as highly of Jeter’s character.

“He’s just an outstanding kid,” Furjanic said. “He’s personable. He’s good academically. He does everything you ask.”

Luther, a 6-foot-8 small forward from Hampton High School in Allison Park, Pa., is Pitt’s second commit for the 2014 class. Although Pitt was late to offer, Luther chose the Panthers over Duquesne, Dayton and Iowa.

Rivals grades Luther as a three-star recruit. As a junior at Hampton, Luther averaged 21 points per game.

His size and varied skill set allows Luther the flexibility to play both forward spots. Hampton head coach Joe Lafko spoke highly of Luther’s versatility in a story by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

“Ryan is a versatile player,” Lafko said. “He has the ability to play in the interior and also has the ability to stretch a defense by shooting from the perimeter.”

Although they’re not finished with the 2014 class, the Panthers secured their most recent commit for 2015 in Wilson, a 6-foot-4 point guard and four-star recruit according to Rivals. Wilson chose Pitt over Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Stanford, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Originally from Powder Springs, Ga., Wilson decided to transfer to Our Savior New American School in Centereach, N.Y., for his junior and senior years of high school.

Assistant coach Brandin Knight was Wilson’s lead recruiter, and the two established a relationship that became a key factor in Wilson choosing Pitt, according to Our Savior assistant coach Eric Jaklitsch.

“It was a combination of playing in the ACC, playing for a winning coach like Jamie Dixon, playing with a friend of his in [Pitt freshman] Mike Young and playing with a kid that was all rookie last year in James Robinson,” Jaklitsch said. “And he’s going to be under the tutelage of a former Big East Player of the Year in Brandin Knight.”

Jaklitsch believes Wilson could grow to 6-foot-6 by the time he arrives at Pitt, an abnormal height for a point guard. Combine that height with his left-handedness and Wilson might become a mismatch nightmare for opponents.

Jaklitsch believes this potential will make Wilson an excellent college player.

“He’s a great facilitator, can get to the basket, he’s a good defender and he’s got a very strong will to win,” Jaklitsch said.

Wilson’s commitment should only help in Pitt’s pursuit of his teammate, 6-foot-9 power forward Cheick Diallo, who is a fellow member of the class of 2015, a five-star prospect and Rivals’ No. 8-ranked recruit.

Next to these players, Pitt also has Maverick Rowan out of Lincoln Park High School in Midland, Pa., inbound as a member of the class of 2016. Rowan is already a four-star recruit, according to Rivals, and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Leagues’s top-ranked underclass player.