# 2017–18 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers were led by second-year head coach Kevin Stallings and played their home games at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Panthers entered the season as one of the most inexperienced teams in NCAA Division I. ESPN's Andrea Adelson summed up the team's situation in a February 2018 piece:
   Both he [Stallings] and those inside the program prepared for a rocky 2017–18: They had an NCAA-high 11 newcomers, zero returning starters and three total players with NCAA Division I experience on the roster when camp opened. That is not merely rebuilding; that is starting over with nothing to build off.
They finished with the worst season in program history, going 8–24 overall and 0–18 in ACC play, finishing dead last in the conference and losing in the first round of the ACC tournament to Notre Dame. On March 8, 2018, Pitt fired Stallings. On March 27, Pitt hired Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel as head coach.

## Previous season

The Panthers finished the 2016–17 season 16–17, 4–14 in ACC play to finish in a tie for 13th place. They defeated Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC tournament to advance to the second round where they lost to Virginia.
On January 24, 2017, Pitt lost by 55 points to Louisville, the team's worst loss since 1906.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Crisshawn Clark | 0 | G | 6'4" | 210 | Sophomore | Huber Heights, OH | Transferred to Portland |
| Jamel Artis | 1 | F | 6'7" | 215 | Senior | Baltimore, MD | Graduated |
| Michael Young | 2 | F | 6'8" | 235 | Senior | Duquesne, PA | Graduated |
| Damon Wilson | 3 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Sophomore | Powder Springs, GA | Transferred to Georgia State |
| Justice Kithcart | 5 | G | 6'1" | 185 | Freshman | Durham, NC | Dismissed from the team due to conduct |
| Corey Manigault | 11 | F | 6'8" | 230 | Freshman | Suitland, MD | Transferred to Indian Hills CC |
| Chris Jones | 12 | G/F | 6'6" | 215 | Senior | Teaneck, NJ | Graduated |
| Sheldon Jeter | 21 | F | 6'8" | 230 | Senior | Beaver Falls, PA | Graduated |
| Cameron Johnson | 23 | G | 6'7" | 210 | Sophomore | Moon Township, PA | Graduate transferred to North Carolina |
| Rozelle Nix | 25 | C | 6'11" | 300 | Junior | Cincinnati, OH | Transferred to South Alabama |
| Ryan Seelye | 50 | F | 6'6" | 225 | Sophomore | St. Marys, PA | Walk-on; left the team due personal reasons |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jared Wilson-Frame | 0 | F | 6'5" | 195 | Junior | Windsor, CT | Junior college transferred from Northwest Florida State College |
| Malik Ellison | 3 | G | 6'6" | 215 | Junior | Voorhees, NJ | Transferred from St. John's. Under NCAA transfer rules, Ellison will have to sit out from the 2017–18 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility. |
| Kenechukwu Chukwuka | 15 | F | 6'8" | 215 | Sophomore | Stockholm, Sweden | Junior college transferred from New Mexico JC |
| Monty Boykins | 33 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Senior | West Chester, OH | Transferred from Lafayette. Will be eligible to play since Boykins graduated from Lafayette. |

### 2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Terrell Brown C | East Providence, RI | Tilton School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Sep 4, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Parker Stewart #67 SG | Union City, TN | Union City High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jun 19, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Marcus Carr #60 PG | Montverde, FL | Montverde Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Oct 26, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Peace Ilegomah C | Newark, NJ | Montverde Academy Prep | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Feb 3, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Shamiel Stevenson SF | Toronto, ON | Hillcrest Prep | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 228 lb (103 kg) | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Samson George PF | Washington, PA | First Love Christian Academy | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jun 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Khameron Davis SG | Kernersville, NC | Forest Trail Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | May 4, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Sat. Nov. 4* 2:00 pm | | Slippery Rock Shoot Down Cancer Exhibition Game | W 71–59 | — | 24 – Wilson-Frame | 8 – Stevenson | 3 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (2,278) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| Fri. Nov. 10* 9:00 pm, CBSSN | | at Navy Veterans Classic | L 62–71 | 0–1 | 20 – Wilson-Frame | 9 – Stevenson | 4 – Tied | Alumni Hall (3,238) Annapolis, MD |
| Mon. Nov. 13* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Montana Legends Classic campus site game | L 78–83 $^{OT}$ | 0–2 | 19 – Stevenson | 11 – Luther | 3 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (3,102) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Wed. Nov. 15* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | UC Santa Barbara Legends Classic campus site game | W 70–62 | 1–2 | 14 – Tied | 10 – Luther | 3 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (2,685) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Mon. Nov. 20* 9:30 pm, ESPN3 | | vs. Penn State Legends Classic semifinals | L 54–85 | 1–3 | 17 – Wilson-Frame | 9 – Luther | 3 – Stevenson | Barclays Center (5,904) Brooklyn, NY |
| Tue. Nov. 21* 3:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Oklahoma State Legends Classic 3rd place game | L 67–73 | 1–4 | 16 – Stevenson | 8 – Luther | 10 – Carr | Barclays Center (5,081) Brooklyn, NY |
| Sat. Nov. 25* 2:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Lehigh | W 80–68 | 2–4 | 18 – Luther | 10 – Luther | 5 – Chukwuka | Petersen Events Center (3,317) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tue. Nov. 28* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | High Point | W 71–63 | 3–4 | 19 – Carr | 8 – Luther | 5 – Luther | Petersen Events Center (2,399) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Fri. Dec. 1* 7:00 pm, Stadium | | vs. Duquesne The City Game | W 76–64 | 4–4 | 16 – Luther | 9 – Luther | 5 – Carr | PPG Paints Arena (10,118) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tue. Dec. 5* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Mount St. Mary's | W 82–78 $^{OT}$ | 5–4 | 23 – Carr | 16 – Luther | 3 – Luther | Petersen Events Center (2,333) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sat. Dec. 9* 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | | No. 18 West Virginia Backyard Brawl | L 60–69 | 5–5 | 13 – Luther | 12 – Luther | 4 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (7,748) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sat. Dec. 16* 2:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | McNeese State | W 72–51 | 6–5 | 19 – Wilson-Frame | 8 – Tied | 6 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (2,830) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tue. Dec. 19* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Delaware State | W 74–68 | 7–5 | 13 – Tied | 7 – Stevenson | 3 – 3 Tied | Petersen Events Center (2,372) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Fri. Dec. 22* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Towson | W 63–59 | 8–5 | 13 – Stewart | 9 – Tied | 6 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (3,126) Pittsburgh, PA |
| ACC regular season |||||||||
| Sat. Dec. 30 4:00 pm, ACCN | | No. 15 Miami (FL) | L 53–67 | 8–6 (0–1) | 13 – Wilson-Frame | 4 – Tied | 5 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (5,307) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tue. Jan. 2 9:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Louisville | L 51–77 | 8–7 (0–2) | 12 – Stewart | 6 – Tied | 2 – 3 Tied | KFC Yum! Center (16,461) Louisville, KY |
| Sat. Jan. 6 12:00 pm, ACCN | | at Virginia Tech | L 67–81 | 8–8 (0–3) | 14 – Carr | 9 – Stevenson | 4 – Tied | Cassell Coliseum (5,478) Blacksburg, VA |
| Wed. Jan. 10 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | No. 7 Duke | L 52–87 | 8–9 (0–4) | 10 – Stewart | 4 – 5 Tied | 3 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (9,180) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sat. Jan. 13 2:00 pm, ACCN | | Georgia Tech | L 54–69 | 8–10 (0–5) | 9 – Tied | 5 – Stevenson | 3 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (3,544) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tue. Jan. 16 9:00 pm, ACCRSN | | at Syracuse | L 45–59 | 8–11 (0–6) | 23 – Stewart | 6 – Tied | 4 – Carr | Carrier Dome (21,259) Syracuse, NY |
| Sat. Jan. 20 4:00 pm, ACCN | | at No. 5 Duke | L 54–81 | 8–12 (0–7) | 15 – Stewart | 8 – Chukwuka | 2 – 3 Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Wed. Jan. 24 9:00 pm, ACCRSN | | NC State | L 68–72 | 8–13 (0–8) | 22 – Wilson-Frame | 6 – Tied | 4 – Wilson-Frame | Petersen Events Center (2,566) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sat. Jan. 27 4:00 pm, ACCN | | Syracuse | L 55–60 | 8–14 (0–9) | 18 – Wilson-Frame | 13 – Wilson-Frame | 12 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (7,033) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Wed. Jan. 31 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | | at Miami (FL) | L 57–69 | 8–15 (0–10) | 17 – Wilson-Frame | 7 – Davis | 7 – Carr | Watsco Center (7,169) Coral Gables, FL |
| Sat. Feb. 3 8:00 pm, ACCN | | at No. 19 North Carolina | L 65–96 | 8–16 (0–11) | 12 – Carr | 10 – Stewart | 5 – Carr | Dean Smith Center (20,381) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Thu. Feb. 8 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | | at No. 16 Clemson | L 48–72 | 8–17 (0–12) | 19 – Brown | 8 – Brown | 4 – Carr | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,573) Clemson, SC |
| Sun. Feb. 11 1:00 pm, ACCN | | Louisville | L 60–94 | 8–18 (0–13) | 12 – Stewart | 6 – Brown | 3 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (4,772) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tue. Feb. 13 7:00 pm, ESPNews | | Boston College | L 58–81 | 8–19 (0–14) | 16 – Stewart | 5 – Tied | 5 – Carr | Petersen Events Center (2,835) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sun. Feb. 18 6:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Florida State | L 75–88 | 8–20 (0–15) | 17 – Wilson-Frame | 5 – Stevenson | 5 – Milligan | Donald L. Tucker Center (9,123) Tallahassee, FL |
| Wed. Feb. 21 9:00 pm, ACCRSN | | Wake Forest | L 57–63 | 8–21 (0–16) | 11 – Tied | 7 – Stewart | 4 – Tied | Petersen Events Center (2,420) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sat. Feb. 24 4:00 pm, ESPNU | | No. 1 Virginia | L 37–66 | 8–22 (0–17) | 8 – Milligan | 4 – Tied | 3 – Wilson-Frame | Petersen Events Center (6,534) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Wed. Feb. 28 7:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Notre Dame | L 56–73 | 8–23 (0–18) | 10 – Tied | 8 – Brown | 5 – Carr | Edmund P. Joyce Center (9,007) South Bend, IN |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| Tue. Mar. 6 2:45 pm, ESPN2 | (15) | vs. (10) Notre Dame First Round | L 64–67 | 8–24 | 18 – Tied | 5 – Stewart | 4 – Stevenson | Barclays Center (10,612) Brooklyn, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||