Pitt basketball added to its loaded 2020 recruiting class with a commitment from 4-star power forward William Jeffress.
Jeffress, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania, is a fringe top-100 prospect; he committed to Pitt over offers from Notre Dame, Baylor and Penn State. Head coach Jeff Capel led the program’s recruitment efforts, too.
The 6-foot-7 Jeffress is the fifth member of Pitt’s 2020 class, which ranks 24th nationally, per 247 Sports. Jeffress joins 3-star power forward Noah Collier as an in-state addition for the Panthers.
McDowell's William Jeffress Jr. Officially Commits to Pitt on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/2kOwKoskEV
— JET24 Sports (@JET24Sports) April 28, 2020
Pitt’s 2020 class, headlined by 4-star center John Hugley, is heavy on frontcourt pieces. Along with Hugley, Jeffress and Collier, the Panthers also add 3-star center Max Amadasun, an intriguing defensive prospect.
Even with the departure of shooting guard Trey McGowens, Capel returns two impactful hybrid forwards: Justin Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney (2.4 percent steal rate). Champagnie displayed a variety of tools (3.1 percent block rate) and versatility (63 FG% at the rim) as a freshman; he could spend more time on the basketball next season, too.