Inside The Panthers

Ishmael Leggett Confirms Return to Pitt

The Pitt Panthers get the second part of their outstanding backcourt back in 2024-25.

Stephen Thompson

Pittsburgh Panthers Ishmael Leggett (5) goes for a layup after getting around Virginia Tech Hokies
Pittsburgh Panthers Ishmael Leggett (5) goes for a layup after getting around Virginia Tech Hokies / Michael Longo/For USA Today Network /

PITTSBURGH -- A second key piece of the Pitt Panthers' outstanding backcourt has announced that he will be back in blue and gold for the 2024-25 season, helping them account for the loss of sensational freshman Bub Carrington, who has announced his intention to declare for the NBA Draft and is not considering a return to school.

Ishmael Leggett, who arrived last summer as a transfer from Rhode Island and became an immediete impact scorer and defender at Pitt, will return to Pittsburgh for his second season with the Panthers, the program announced on Twitter. He joins standout freshman Jaland Lowe to make up what is all but certain to be the Panthers' starting backcourt next season.

Leggett is a sensational perimeter defender and has showed fantastic isolation scoring ability. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42.7% from the field and 34.3% from 3-point range - his best shooting splits since his freshman year at Rhode Island. Leggett showed a knack for performing in the clutch with big buckets in big moments against Duke, Virginia, Wake Forest and North Carolina during the second half of the season.

A mid-season shoulder injury ended with Leggett being relegated to a bench role while Lowe took over as the full-time starting point guard. But once healthy, Leggett played starter's minutes and was a massive offensive engine for the Panthers.

Pitt still has four open scholarships they can use to fill out the roster before next fall.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

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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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