(Pittsburgh,PA) The University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball program has added walk-on guard KJ Marshall to the roster for the 2019-20 season. Marshall, a former high school teammate of sophomore Au’Diese Toney, was ranked as the No. 77 player in the state of North Carolina.
Congrats KJ!!! @jeffcapel and Pitt got a great player and an even better person!! Keep working boy! RiP DAD! https://t.co/xIMYw7XkoE
— Quinn Cook (@QCook323) July 14, 2019
Marshall averaged 9.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while helping Trinity Christian [N.C.] to a 21-10 record and a NCISAA semifinal appearance as a senior. The 5-11, 160-pound combo guard knocked down 42 three-point field goals and shot 39 percent from beyond the arc last season.
In 2017-18, Marshall averaged 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as the Crusaders went 25-6 and claimed the NCISSAA 1A state championship. He made 42 three-point field goals and added 34 steals in 27 games.
For his career, Marshall played in three state championship games (winning two titles), helped his teams to 85 wins and scored over 1,000 career points.
Marshall joins a recruiting class featuring graduate transfer Eric Hamilton, JUCO guard Ryan Murphy and the freshman trio of Justin Champagnie, Karim Coulibaly and Gerald Drumgoole. The Panthers also added Ithiel Horton, a CAA All-Rookie Team selection at Delaware last season, who will sit out the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Pitt returns four starters from last season, including double-figure scorers Xavier Johnson (15.5 ppg., 4.5 apg.) and Trey McGowens (11.6 ppg., 64 steals).
https://twitter.com/ACCSports/status/1149044580349829121
Johnson earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors, while setting Pitt freshman records for scoring, double-figure scoring games, games with 15 or more points scored, 20+ point scoring games, free throws made, free throw attempts and field goal attempts. He was the only player in the ACC to average at least 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game during the 2018-19 season.
McGowens scored in double figures 17 times and set a Pitt freshman record with 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a Jan. 9 overtime win against Louisville. The Pendleton, S.C., native also had 30 points, while going 18-of-19 from the foul line, in a 75-62 win over then 11th-ranked Florida State Jan. 14.
The Panthers return Toney (7.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg.), Terrell Brown (5.7 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 60 blocks) and Kene Chukwuka (3.9 ppg., .534 fg pct.), who each started 16 or more games last season. Pitt also brings back forward Samson George along with guards Curtis Aiken, Jr., Onyebuchi Ezeakudo and Anthony Starzynski.
Pitt’s 2019-20 home schedule features a pair of marque games in November with the season opener against ACC opponent Florida State (Nov. 6) and against West Virginia (Nov. 15) in the latest edition of the Backyard Brawl presented by EQT Corporation. The Panthers will also help Robert Morris open its new arena, Peoples Court at UPMC Events Center (Nov. 15), during non- conference play.
The Panthers’ non-conference schedule will be released in late July with complete schedule including dates and game times is expected to be announced in late August.
Atlantic Coast Conference opponents for 2019-20 have been announced with Pitt’s six repeat (home and away) opponents in 2019-20 being Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina and Syracuse. The Panthers will also host Boston College, Clemson, Virginia and Wake Forest, while making trips to Duke, NC State, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.
