Eight Pitt Targets Ranked in New ESPN Top 60

The Pitt Panthers are pursuing some of the best the class of 2025 has to offer.

PITTSBURGH -- ESPN recruiting analyst Paul Bianciardi released a new set of top 60 rankings for class of 2025 basketball recruits and the list includes a host of Pitt Panthers targets. 

Six targets in all made the list, including a handful of players the Panthers are particularly close to. 

Koa Peat
Peat, a five-star, 6'7 and 215-pound power forward from Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona is the highest-rated of the bunch, the No. 4 overall prospect in the class. 

Pitt extended an offer to Peat, the cousin of former All-ACC Panthers guard Jamarius Burton, in early May and contacted hima again at the end of the recruiting dead period in the middle of June. 

He holds offers from Michigan State, Houston, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Florida, Mississippi State, Butler, Cal, Washington State, Tennessee, LSU, Baylor, Arizona, Michigan, Nebraska, Standford, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas and Arizona State. 

Maleek Thomas
Thomas is another prospect close to home for the Panthers. The Lincoln Park Performing Arts product is a five-star recruit and the No. 7 overall prospect in this class. 

The Pittsburgh native, teammate of four-star 2024 Pitt commit Brandin Cummings and unanimous No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, holds an offer from the Panthers and they reached out again at the end of the dead period. 

Penn State, Villanova, Indiana, St. John's, Kansas State, Missouri, Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, Xavier, UConn, Tennessee, Louisville, Alabama and others have all offered as well. 

Tyler Jackson 
Jackson, a more recent addition to the recruiting board, is ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the class. 

The 6'2 point guard from Baltimore, Maryland picked up an offer from Pitt this week and told Panther Lair's Houston Wilson that he hopes to take a visit to Pittsburgh at some point soon, along with Mississippi State, LSU and Alabama. 

Jackson is also a former teammate of current Pitt freshman Carlton Carrington, a former four-star recruit in the class of 2024. 

Joson Sanon
Another five-star guard, Sanon checks in at No. 14 on the top 60 rankings. 

Along with Kentucky, Indiana, LSU, Providence, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse, Washington, Boston College and SMU, Pitt contacted him following the end of the dead period. 

Sanon holds offers from Providence, Bryant, Boston College, Iowa, Marquette, Nebraska, Alabama, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Connecticut and Washington.  

Trey McKenney
McKenney, a 6'4, five-star point guard out of Orchard Lake, Michigan, is the No. 16 player in the class. 

Pitt was one of ten programs to reach out to the unanimous No. 1 player in Michigan, alongside Arkansas, Providence, Texas, Arizona State, Miami, Michigan State, Indiana, Xavier and Missouri. 

He already held offers from Illinois, Oregon, Iowa, Kansas State, Iowa, Alabama, TCU, LSU, Memphis Stanford, Memphis, Michigan, the Spartans, Hoosiers, Hurricanes, Friars and others when Pitt reached out

Darius Acuff
Acuff is the No. 19 player in the class of 2025, per ESPN and one of the first of his class Pitt targeted. 

The Panthers were among the first to extend an offer to Acuff, the No. 19 rising junior out of Michigan, and they working to keep up the relationship at the end of the recruiting dead period.

Pitt contacted Acuff this week as he fields calls and messages from high majors around the country. UCF, Iowa State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Michigan, Rutgers, Nebraska, LSU and Indiana also reached out to Acuff following the dead period. 

Alier Maluk
One of the best players in Pennsylvania is also a priority Pitt target and the No. 45 prospect in the class of 2025. 

Alier Maluk, a native of Baldwin, Pennsylvania, and four-star, 6'11 center who attends Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh, was contacted by the Panthers just nine minutes after the recruiting dead period had ended. Earlier this year, Maluk had said that Pitt and assistant coach Jason Capel were among the four schools recruiting him the hardest.

He took an unofficial visit to see the Panthers earlier this month. Maluk holds offers from Ohio State, Penn State, NC State, Seton Hall, Oregon, LSU, Auburn, West Virginia, Pitt and Texas A&M.

Kiyan Anthony
Pitt was one of the first to contact the son of recently-retired NBA star Carmelo Anthony following the end of the dead period two weeks ago. Kiyan now checks in at No. 52 in the class rankings. 

Anthony, who attends Long Island Lutheran in New York, told Joe Tipton of On3 that he is close with an unnamed assistant coach from Pitt and had hoped they reach out when the dead period ended.

Michigan, Maryland, Dayton, Albany, Florida State, Pitt, Illindiana, Tennessee, Seton Hall, UMass and Providence make up his offer sheet. Kentucky, UConn, Arkansas, Auburn and Maryland have also made contact. 

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