Pitt had been quiet on the recruitment front for months outside of one three-star high school prospect in Nate Santos.
But Monday night, things changed. Jeff Capel got the Panthers their first recruit through the NCAA Transfer Portal in Daniel Oladapo when he announced his decision to transfer to Pitt.
Coming from Bladensburg,MD it wasn’t made for me to make this far. Thank you to coach Jeff Capel & the entire Pitt staff... New home same GOAL! #H2P #TurnMeUpPanthers #BoogeyMan ! pic.twitter.com/2YShjY1CsI
— Dan (@DanOladapo) April 20, 2021
The 6-foot-7, 222 lbs. junior forward was Oakland's third-leading scorer in 2020, averaging 12.9 points per game. His 8.8 rebounds per game led the team and combined with his scoring, earned him being named to the Horizon League Second Team. He also averaged 3.8 offensive rebound per game, the ninth-best rate in the country.
In conference play, Oladapo average a double-double with 15.1 points and 10.3 rebounds in the Horizon League. He recorded nine double-doubles in 2020, which tied him for the 27th most in the country. Justin Champagnie's 14 double-doubles for Pitt ranked eighth in the country, and he also had two games registering at least 20 points in 20 rebounds. Oladapo also had a 20-20 game last season at Robert Morris.
When watching his tape, Oladapo projects as a solid inside presence who can score various ways in the post. He's not afraid to use his pivot foot to spin defenders around and open up his lane to the basket. He also looks aggressive when his teammates shoot the ball, crashing the boards to capitalize on rebound opportunities.
Oladapo is Pitt's first step to replacing the five players and three starters to the Transfer Portal. If Champagnie would return, Oladapo could pair with him as two forwards who both help keep possessions alive with rebounds and add to Pitt's paint presence on offense.
But Capel still needs to a true center to open up more opportunities in the paint for the Panthers. At 6-foot-7, Oladapo could help with depth in the front court, but wouldn't be the team's ultimate answer. After postponing his commitment announcement last week, five-star 7-foot-1 center Efton Reid is still a possibility to be that answer.
