Pitt Can Find Perfect Fit in Kansas State Transfer Ismael Massoud

A talented frontcourt player is available for the Pitt Panthers.

PITTSBURGH -- Ismael Massoud was a deadly part of Steve Forbes' wildly efficient offenses at Wake Forest two years ago. He bombed 3-pointers on the Pitt Panthers for two seasons before transfering to Kansas State and aiding their run to the Elite Eight this March, but he could consider crossing enemy lines to join a team he once terrorized. 

Massoud figures to be a wonderful fit for Pitt. He has size and legnth at 6'8 and 220 pounds combined with marksman-like shooting ability from the outside. He's familiar with the league after two years with the Demon Deacons. But above all else, he is a proven contributor to winning at the Power Five level, an important piece of what Panthers head coach Jeff Capel has looked for in transfer candidates before.  

This fit begins with the fact that Pitt needs bodies and fouls to use in the frontcourt. After losing John Hugley, a former All-ACC Honorable Mention and physical force inside the paint, to the transfer portal, the Panthers are starved for big men. Guillermo Diaz Graham and Federiko Federiko were solid, if not excellent, pieces that have bright futures ahead of them, but when foul trouble or injuries struck, their youth and thin ranks were exposed.   

Massoud is not necessarily the rebounding and defensive force that would provide a change of pace from , but I expect the 2023 Panthers to be built similarly to their 2022 selves - a perimeter-based team with excellent shooting that is capable enough on the inside to let their offense make up for it. Massoud fits that mold as a career 36.8% 3-point shooter on 389 attempts. 

When he scored 31 points on an 8-10 mark from 3-point range against Pitt in January 2021, he showed what a deadly, game-changing force he can be from the outside. And even as a reserve during Kansas State's excellent season, he prived capable of providing valuable minutes off the bench for one of America's most efficient offenses. 

The best thing about this potential marriage would be that Massoud could come of the bench and still not be saddled with the defensive and rebounding responsibilities that Federiko or even Blake Hinson would be. He would be free to make the most of his reserve role and ensure that the offense doesn't dip when the starters need a breather. 

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