Pitt Getting Two Key Players Back From Injury
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers opened the 2023-24 season with plenty of optimism, in large part because they'll get two important contributors back in time for the start of preseason practices.
Both William Jeffress and Jorge Diaz-Graham suffered foot injuries over the past year, one more devastating than the other, but both have recovered in time to join the Panthers for the start of preseason practices this week.
Jeffress, a 6'7 and 210-pound redshirt junior from Erie, Pennsylvania, had only just begun to participate in limited portions of practice and had played some one-on-one by the time the Panthers hit the postseason. He's fully cleared now and poised to be a major contributor.
For Jeffress, his return to the court has been a long time coming. Head coach Jeff Capel said that, prior to the preseason foot injury that kept him sidelined for all of the 2022-23 season, he had been one of the most improved players on the roster. Now that he's fully recovered, Jeffress is out to prove that he can do everything his head coach has tasked him with - defend at a high level, cut for easy layups, hit open shots and lead.
"He’s a lot stronger than he was when he was on the court the last time in a Pitt uniform when he played two years ago," Capel said. "But he’s had a really good summer. We need Will to keep everything simple. ... He’s shot the ball really well, but he’s got to do it in games and he’s got to be able to do it when the lights come on. We have confidence in him being able to do that."
For Diaz-Graham, the setback was more minor. He was supposed to be out for just about six weeks, Capel said back in late July. 11 weeks later, he is just a day away from being fully cleared. He had been able to practice, just not yet participate in five-on-five drills.
Diaz-Graham appeared in 31 games as a freshman, averaging 2.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game while making 35% of his 3-pointers over 9.1 minutes per appearance. The Panthers hope some added weight and a year of experience will help him unlock the next level of his potential.
There was also some bad injury news to plague the offseason this year for Pitt, however. Freshman forward Papa Kante suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the entire season. Even though he's so young, Kante was going to be one of the Panthers' most physical frontcourt players, according to Capel. He was disappointed for Kante, who was so eager to get on the floor, and said the Panthers will really miss him.
"He’s doing really well with the surgery, but when Monday hit and the first practice, that’s really hard for a freshman when you’ve waited your whole life for this and then that happens," he said. "I think in the long term, he’ll be better for it, but it’s a blow for us for sure.”
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