Inside The Panthers

Pitt Basketball Top Target Cancels Kansas Visit

A PItt Panthers basketball top Class of 2025 target cancelled his visit to Kansas.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Men's Basketball Class of 2025 Target Isaiah Denis on his Official Visit
Pitt Men's Basketball Class of 2025 Target Isaiah Denis on his Official Visit / Isaiah Denis' Instagram
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers saw one of their top basketball targets cancel their visit to a top program, as they near their decision of where they'll play at the next level.

Class of 2025 guard Isaiah Denis, who put Pitt in his top 10 schools back on Aug. 2, will not make his official visit to Kansas this weekend, according to Travis Branham of 247Sports.

Denis put Pitt in his top 10 schools, along with ACC schools in Miami, North Carolina and Wake Forest, Big Ten schools in Michigan and Ohio State, Big 12 schools in rival Cincinnati and Kansas and SEC schools in Mississippi State and Tennessee.

The graphic that 247Sports put out when he announced his commitment date only had seven schools, with Cincinnati, Michigan and Mississippi State missing out.

That list is down to six schools, with Kansas now out after he cancelled his visit, in Pitt, ACC schools in Miami, North Carolina and Wake Forest, plus Ohio State and Tennessee.

Pitt offered Denis at the end of May and the coaching staff has made him a priority. Denis told Jamie Shaw of On3 in an interview in June that the way Bub Carrington operated last season is what stands out to him about Pitt and that he would also like to function in that role.

“I really liked the way they let Carlton Carrington play this year," Denis said to Shaw."I feel like I could come in and play like him. Coach (Jeff) Capel sees me filling the same role that he did. So he feels like I could come in and play that way. He has shown that he is not afraid to play freshmen, and I want to go somewhere I can play right away. I really like the system they had last year, and I feel like I can play in that type of system.

“My relationship is good with Coach Capel, we are steadily building. At first, I was talking with Coach Milan (Brown), and then Coach Capel reached out and offered me and we have been building that relationship ever since.”

Denis made his official visit to Pitt on Aug. 30, which helped him put them in his final seven schools. He took official visits to Ohio State on Sept. 7, Miami on Sept. 13, North Carolina on Sept. 28, Wake Forest on Oct. 5 and his final one to Tennessee on Oct. 12.

He previously took unofficial visits to ACC schools Clemson and NC State, plus Virginia Tech. 

Denis played last season for Davidson Day School in Davidson, N.C. He helped his team to a 24-7 record and the NCISAA (North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association) Class 2A State Title, scoring a team-high 18 points in the 74-64 victory over Greenfield School.

His performances for Team CP3 on the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) Circuit serve as a large reason why Pitt and a number of other schools started paying attention to him over the summer.

Denis is a versatile guard, that has a beautiful shot and long arms that make it difficult for defenders to contend with. He also possesses great speed, that allows him to blow by defenders for baskets at the rim, as well as good vision to find teammates for easy scoring opportunities. 

His play is a result of him rising up the recruiting rankings, as sites generally had him as a three-star. 

247Sports, Rivals and On3 rank Denis as a four-star. 247Sports has him as the No. 2 recruit in North Carolina, the No. 8 combo guard and the No. 47 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2025m, Rivals ranks him as the No. 18 shooting guard and No. 62 in the country, while On3 has him as the No. 2 recruit in the state, No. 15 point guard and No. 90 in the U.S. 

The Panthers are still in for three players in the Class of 2025, along with Denis.

Four-star wing Amari Evans, who played for Bishop Canevin in Pittsburgh and is now with Overtime Elite in Atlanta, will pick between Pitt, Tennessee and Xavier on Nov. 1. Pitt is also still in the top seven schools for five-star guard Meleek Thomas.

The Panthers have one commitment in the Class of 2025 in four-star guard Omari Witherspoon from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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