Five Potential Transfer G Fits for Pitt

These five transfers could be candidates to help the Pitt Panthers account for the loss of Bub Carrington.

Mar 5, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Sean Pedulla (3) dribbles against / Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Bub Carrington shook up the Pitt Panthers' offseason plans when he announced that he would forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2024 NBA Draft. Now the Panthers will have to add a guard and there are plenty of options still available.

From star scorers to excellent facilitators and underrated 3-and-D players, there are a number of different archetypes that could fit into what the Panthers need. Here are five potential transfer options for Pitt at guard.

Sean Pedulla, Virginia Tech - 2023 Averages: 16.4 points, 4.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 32.5% from 3
Pedulla was one of a handful of Hokie contributors who are exploring their options in the transfer portal this offseason and, while he's still considering a return to Blacksburg, he's a star player nearing the end of his college eligibility and he's played in just one NCAA Tournament game in his career. Finding a winning team is likely a major priority for him right now and the Panthers could prodvide that, especially if he plays up to his potential.

Pedulla was the guy for the Hokies this past season - their leading scorer and assister and the second-leading rebounder on a team with talent that didn't quite reach their potential. He took a lot of shots last season, which had a negative affect on his efficiency. At Pitt, Pedulla would be able to take on a smaller role, contributing more as a shot creator than a facilitator. Maybe a diminished role isn't what he wants, but transferring from a school where he was the unquestioned top option indicates he's looking for somewhere with more support.

He could give the Panthers another diverse scoring option and handle the ball in spurts when Jaland Lowe needs a rest or play off the ball in more of a Greg Elliott or Nike Sibande-like role. The only downside will be how sought after a proven high-level Power 5 scorer will be as a seeks a new school.

Koren Johnson, Washington - 2023 Averages: 11.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 37.3% from 3
Johnson took a massive leap forward in his sophomore season at Washington, especially offensively. He improved his 3-point shooting, overall field goal percentage, turnover rate, assist rate, rebounding rate and offensive rating all while increasing his usage rate as well. He's an above-average defender who generates a high number of steals as well.

He doesn't have the same play-making production as many of the other players on this list but could fit in smoothly as a 3-and-D player off the bench for the Panthers, depending upon how they want to alter Ishmael Leggett's role or use Guillermo Diaz Graham. He struggled to score against the best competiton, seeing some statisical steps back against top-50 quality games, per Barttorvik, but being able to play with a facilitator like Lowe should make that easier.

Conor Enright, Drake - 2023 Averages: 7 points, 3.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 43.8% from 3
Enright has been ultra efficient on very limited usage over the past two seasons with Drake, but the arguments for and against cut both ways - can a guy with such underwhelming counting numbers at a mid-major really make the leap to become a Power 5 contributor? Or does he just need a bigger role to unlock his potential.

Enright looks like a nice fit for the Panthers on paper. He's not particularly big but has posted very strong defensive numbers over the past two seasons at Drake (his defensive box-plus-minus sits at 2.5) and last year he posted a true shooting percentage of 59.5%. He's an above-average passer and his 3-point shooting ability should make him a seemless fit into Pitt's offense.

Whereas Pedulla and most of the other names on this list figure to be candidates to start alongside Lowe and Leggett, Enright would almost certainly be a bench piece, at least to start the season. But given that he's taking a step up and has never high-volume shooter, that could be the perfect spot for him.

Noah Reynolds, Green Bay - 2023 Averages: 20.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 35.9% from 3
Reynolds would be the white whale for Pitt and Jeff Capel as far as transfer guard candidates go this offseason. He is an electric, efficient scorer that can put the ball in the basket from all three levels. He takes a lot of shots (31.6% usage rate) but still shows tremendous play-making ability (33.6% assist rate).

The one knock against Reynolds is his defense. The metrics don't paint a pretty picture - he's posted a negative defensive box plus/minus in each of his three collegiate seasons. But with a 6'3 and nearly 200 pounds, he has the tools to be a plus defender, especially if a more talented team can take some off his plate offensively to help him conserve some energy for the other end.

There should be questions about his potential role at Pitt. He took on more of a point guard role this season and the Panthers already have a bonafide stud in Lowe returning to run the show next season. They played with two point guards frequently last season, but Reynolds will almost certainly have to take a step back in terms of his usage. Whether he can still be effective in that role will have to be determined.

Alvaro Cardenas, San Jose State - 2023 Averages: 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 38.5% from 3
The 2023-24 season was a breakout year for Cardenas, when he finally put efficiency and volume together to become an impressive point guard for the Spartans. He set career-highs in 3-point percentage, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, scoring, assisting, rebounding, steals and blocks. Cardenas strikes a nice balance between productive and efficient, making it easy to see how he could fit beside Leggett and Lowe and the rest of the roster.

He figures to be primarily a playmaker with the Panthers, allowing Lowe to take some time off from ball-handling to play primarily as a scorer while Leggett does the same. Cardenas is likely the worst defender on this list but if the Panthers are able to put rim protectors behind him, it could be an easy deficiency to overlook.

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