Ithiel Horton was reinstated to Pitt basketball from his suspension last Thursday, but he may not be in the clear to play the rest of the season for the Panthers just yet.
As indicated when Horton was reinstated, his criminal charges that were dropped can be brought up again and the Allegheny County District Attorney's office indicated that possibility is still being considered by the arresting officer.
Should that happen, Horton could be put back on suspension, per Pitt's policy. Jeff Capel indicated during the ACC coaches' Zoom Monday that the decision on whether Horton is re-suspended should the charges be reinstated was over his head.
"I can't answer that," Capel said when asked if Horton would be resuspended if the charges returned. "Right now, I don't know anything about about the case. I haven't asked Ithiel about it. We've concentrated on the present. Those aren't things we get involved with, so I don't have answer."
When those charges might be reinstated could also impact whether Horton plays at all. Capel indicated Horton returned to practicing with the team last Friday, but that he has to work through two months of rust.
"He's doing pretty well for not doing anything for two months," Capel said. "There's some rust there, which is expected. He's been working out on his own and we were unable to work with him during that time, including our coaches. All of his workouts were on his own. It's great to have him back and I'm happy for him. I look forward to integrating him into our team."
Horton's return could prove vital to Pitt basketball this season, as he's the highest scoring player on the roster who was on last year's team. Horton averaged 8.9 points across 22 games played in the 2020-2021 season, fourth-most on that team. He also was the team's sharpshooter, with his 43 three-pointers being the most, by far, on the team.
"Coming into the season he was our best shooter," Capel said of Horton. "He was a guy who scored and played well at this level last year. He gives us experience and a guy with some pop. He can get by you offensively and has a different speed that we haven't had this season."
But even with Horton working out on his own, it's going to take time before Horton can line up and play the kind of minutes expected of a starting shooting guard.
"It's great to have him back, but we have to realistic," Capel continued. "He hasn't played 5-on-5 basketball in two months. As good as he is, I don't care who you are, there's a rhythm that comes from a game with being under a whistle and fans being in the stands. We know that's going to take time, but it's great to have him back out there."
Capel eased senior guard Jamarius Burton back into the team after his preseason injury that kept him out for the first few weeks of the season, limiting him to an average of 28.4 minutes per game during Pitt's five November contests compared to playing an average of 37 minutes through Pitt's six December contests.
It would be expected for Capel to take an even more cautious approach with Horton, who missed twice as much time from the team as Burton. Combine that with the possibility of the charges being reinstated along with Horton's suspension, and Horton's return window might be too small to have a major impact on the season.
Pitt's next game is Wednesday against Louisville in Louisville, Ky.
