Pitt's 2018-19 season ended last night, and there is some uncertainty with who will be on the roster for next year. Part of the answer became more clear today as Justin Champagnie committed to Pitt.
Justin Champagnie is 6'6" and 205-pound small forward from Brooklyn (NY). He played for Bishop Loughlin High School and helped guide his team to a 23-4 record this past season. He was initially set to be in the class of 2020, but announced that he will be attending Pitt for next season.
Justin Champagnie has a twin brother Julian, and many expected the two to attend college together, but Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com is reporting Julian will follow through with the plan of staying in the class of 2020. He will most likely head to a prep school next season, and Pitt would still be a likely be a heavy favorite to land him in the long run. It is a surprising move to say the least.
Still, Justin Champagnie helps clear up on what Pitt will have for next season. He is a versatile wing that can play and defend multiple positions. In the 2020 rankings, he checked in as a three-star and the 123rd ranked prospect overall. He had additional offers from Cincinnati, Dayton, Rutgers, and Seton Hall. He was also drawing interest from Saint John's as well.
Champagnie along with his brother took an official visit to Pitt in February. They then went to Dayton for an official visit and took in games at Saint John's and Rutgers. The expectation was that they were both Pitt leans all along and today Justin made that notion official.
Chamapagnie joins a recruiting class that features 6'6" wing Gerald Drumgoole and 6'9" center Karim Coulibaly. Pitt was expected to have at least five open spots for next season, and Champagnie's commitment has three of those spots filled.
It is likely that Jeff Capel and his staff will comb the graduate transfer ranks, regular transfer market, and keep in the race for any late developments in the class of 2019. While there are two spots open on the roster, Capel has been recruiting like he may be expecting some roster attrition.
The picture for next year's Pitt roster is still murky, but today it just became a little bit more clear.
