With Nasir Robinson and Ashton Gibbs out the door after this season, there are two scholarships available for next year. Steve Adams, the fast rising Kiwi, is already afforded one of them, leaving the second to top-50 recruit James Robinson.
Check out John Grupp’s article on Robinson to get a full idea of what he brings to the table.
Seeing as how Robinson is a point guard, I find the commitment a tad confusing. Travon Woodall, Isaiah Epps, and John Johnson have all been recruited as point guards and will all still (seemingly) be at Pitt next season. Jamie Dixon’s coaching philosophy and style does not exactly attract top talent. So, when a highly touted recruit like Robinson commits to the Panthers, it is hard to criticize. But, with four point guards on the team next season, something has to give.
Both Epps and Johnson are capable of scoring big numbers. I suspect each are candidates to move to the shooting guard position because of their offense prowess. With neither player measuring in above 6’2″ though, Dixon runs into the same Gibbs/Woodall problem–which is having too small of a lineup on the floor.
With SG Omar Calhoun opting not to accept the Panthers offer, Robinson was the next best option. There have been complaints of Epps not developing and excitement over SG Cameron Wright potential. It is possible that Johnson moves to the two position behind Wright while Woodall and Robinson handle point responsibilities. This would leave Epps out of the equation. With Dwight Miller and JJ Richardson opting for transfers the past two seasons though, Epps leaving is a real possibility. Then again, he could finally turn into the player Pitt fans were expecting.
I’m headed on vacation later today so I don’t have time to break down the situation further, but this is a good get for Dixon and the Panthers. For more info on Robinson check out Pitt Script and Pitt Blather–both have excellent articles up.