PITTSBURGH – Pitt rising senior Blake Hinson has withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft and will return to Pitt for his senior season. The Deltona, Fla., native earned Second Team All-ACC honors a year ago after averaging 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while helping lead the Panthers to a 24-12 record overall, including a 14-6 mark in ACC play.
Hinson was one of two players in the NCAA to average at least 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, while making 95 or more threes last season He led the Panthers in scoring, rebounds, and three-pointers (97), while posting 30 double-figure scoring games, 20 games with 15 or more points, and nine 20+ point games. He was also named CollegeInsider.com Riley Wallace Award winner (Top Impact Transfer) after ranking among the ACC leaders in scoring (15th), rebounding (12), three-point percentage (4th – .380) and three-point field goals (1st – 97). His 97 threes rank as third most in program history.
A native of Deltona, Fla., Hinson has totaled 1,098 points, 440 rebounds, and 188 three-point field goals in 96 career games (93 starts). He has recorded 54 double-figure scoring games, including 11 games with 20 or more points scored. Hinson has made three or more three-pointers in a game 29 times and is shooting 35.6 percent (188-of-528) from beyond the arc in his career.
Pitt is set to return its starting frontcourt of Hinson and Federiko Federiko averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting a team-high 66.7 percent from the field. The Panthers also return twin forwards Guillermo Diaz Graham (3.5 ppg., 3.2 rpg.) and Jorge Diaz Graham (2.9 ppg., 2.2 rpg.) as well as two-year starter William Jeffress, who missed the 2022-23 season with a foot injury.
Pitt’s incoming class includes productive transfers Ishmael Leggett (16.4 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 2.4 apg. in 2022-23) and Zack Austin (14.1 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 2.1 bpg., 62 3FG) along with a trio of highly touted high school prospects – Marlon Barnes, Jr., Carlton Carrington, and Jaland Lowe.
Credit: Matt Plizga/Pitt Athletics
