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Pitt Contacts Coveted St. Joseph's Transfer
The Pitt Panthers are on a long list of potential suitors for one of the best big men available in the transfer portal.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are searching far and wide for a new starting center in the transfer portal and that has led them to former St. Jospeh's Hawks big man, Christ Essandoko.
But the Panthers aren't the only ones pursuing Essandoko, according to On3 basketball recruiting insider, Jamie Shaw. Kansas, Creighton, Kansas State, Florida, Providence, Mississippi State, Villanova, Penn State, Butler, Georgetown, Missouri, NC State, Texas Tech, St. John’s, TCU, Texas, Seton Hall, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Utah, Minnesota, Boston College and Xavier have also reached out since he entered the transfer portal earlier this week.
Essandoko, a redshirt freshman from Paris, France, stands 7'0 tall and weighs 285 pounds - exactly the kind of big, physical presence that Pitt was missing down low last season. He averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while playing just 21.5 minutes per appearance. Essandoko played in just 21 games last season, starting 15, while dealing with an injury early.
In his lone two games against high-major competition last season, Essandoko scored 9 points on 4-7 shooting, grabbed 9 rebounds and blocked a shot against Kentucky. Then, in an NIT loss to close the season, he scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked a shot against Seton Hall. He played more than 30 minutes in both games.
As it stands right now, the Panthers have four open scholarships to work with after the departures of Bub Carrington, Blake Hinson, Will Jeffress, Federiko and KJ Marshall and the addition of true freshmen Brandin Cummings and Amdy Ndiaye.
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