Inside The Panthers

Where William Jeffress Fits With 2022 Pitt Basketball

The former top recruit has struggled to find his footing and faces an uphill battle to find playing time in his third season.

Stephen Thompson

Where William Jeffress Fits With 2022 Pitt Basketball
Where William Jeffress Fits With 2022 Pitt Basketball /
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PITTSBURGH -- He was a four-star recruit, the No. 3 player in the state of Pennsylvania and the crown jewel of a recruiting class that was ranked higher than most in recent history, even after reclassifying from the class of 2021 to that of 2020. But ever since stepping on campus as a Pitt Panther, William Jeffress has struggled to carve out a role as a meaningful contributor.

It's not for lack of action - he's averaged almost 20 minutes per game over 47 career appearances. The problem was continuity in those minutes and in his role. Jeffress played 20 or more minutes consecutive times 12 times during his career - once as a freshman and 11 times as a sophomore. But those 11 instances all came before the midway point of January. 

He's been stuck in limbo as head coach Jeff Capel tries to balance the urgent need to win now with a regular development pattern for Jeffress, who just turned 19 last month. And as Pitt enters the 2022-23 season with the deepest roster of Capel's tenure, Jeffress will have to play well now to see the floor. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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