Pitt lands four-star forward William Jeffress
The end has come for William Jeffress. The four-star forward, who reclassified earlier in the year into the 2020 class, has made the decision for where he will begin his college career in the fall. Jeffress committed to Pitt on Tuesday, giving the Panthers a multi-dimensional solution to its frontcourt questions.
“My relationship with Coach (Jeff) Capel, he has been there since the first day he could first contact me on June 15 of my sophomore year and even before that, he was there from the beginning coming to my games,” Jeffress said about his relationship with his future head coach. “Him being there, and also the first to call me on that day and having 40-minute conversations with him and with what he sees in me and how much he believes in me even before I believed in myself, to build a relationship outside of basketball was really big.”
Selecting Pitt over Memphis, Northwestern, Stanford and Vanderbilt, Jeffress, who reclassified this winter, was forced to make his college decision without taking an official visit due to the coronavirus. “Pitt is close to home, it is in my backyard, I have a support system not just from Erie but one also that flows into Pittsburgh,” Jeffress said. “To have those people behind me, that is a big plus. Being a homegrown kid, it is just really nice.”
A 6-foot-7 power forward that is rated as the 75th best prospect in America, Jeffress brings great versatility to Pitt. He has improved as a jump-shooter in recent months but remains at his best relying on his energy levels and defensive prowess in guarding more than just one position.
“You’re In the ACC, you’re in one of the best conferences in college basketball. Pitt is an up-and-coming program and I want to be a part of something special and part of a team that is striving for excellence,” Jeffress went on to say. “The heart of that city, Pittsburgh people have a lot of passion so to see a lot of people like that, you see the heart and passion they have for the Penguins and the Steelers, they are just looking to revitalize their college hoops team now, too, and get it back to what it once was.”
Sitting with one open scholarship before completing its 2020-2021 roster, Jeff Capel may just sit on it and roll it over towards the next recruiting cycle. In the meantime, Jeffress is part of a five-man recruiting class that will enroll in the fall which also includes Femi Odukale, John Hugley, Max Amadsasun, and Noah Collier.