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Josh Newkirk commits to Pitt, foreshadows success recruiting in ACC?

Jamie Dixon

Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon reacts to a call against his team with less than 30 seconds left in the second half of Game 2 of the College Basketball Invitational tournament best-of-three championship series against Washington State on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh won 57-53, forcing a deciding Game 3 in Pittsburgh on Friday. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

AP

Jamie Dixon has landed the second member of his 2013 recruiting class, a Josh Newkirk officially committed to Pitt on Wednesday evening. Evan Daniels of Scout.com was the first I saw to report the news.

Newkirk is a nice addition for Dixon. A 6-foot-2, 175 pound point guard, Newkirk is a quick and explosive point guard, able to beat his man off of the dribble and finish above the rim. Some of his perimeter skills need work -- he’d be well-served to tighten up his handle and improve the consistency on his jump shot -- but that athleticism provides upside. A borderline top 100 recruit according to most services, Newkirk visited Pitt last weekend. He cancelled visits with Memphis and Georgia Tech, opting instead to commit to the Panthers on an in-home visit with Dixon on Tuesday night.

What’s more intriguing, however, is where Newkirk is from. A Raleigh, NC, native, Newkirk went to the same high school (Word of God) that produced John Wall, CJ Leslie and Quincy Miller. In general, the Raleigh area has produced quite a bit of talent in recent years, and it’s an area that Pitt hasn’t exactly tapped into before.

Jamie Dixon has cut his teeth bringing in gritty players from cities up and down the I-95 corridor in the Northeast -- DC, Baltimore, Philly, New York -- promising a chance to play in front of family and friends in the Big East. But with the Panther’s move to the ACC coming up next season, the question that many had raised about the future of the Pitt program involved where Dixon will find his players. Will he still be able to lure kids from Philly and New York to play games against Georgia Tech and Clemson instead of Villanova, St. John’s and Georgetown? Will he be able to tap into some of the fertile recruiting grounds of the ACC?

This commitment from Newkirk might provide you with an answer.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.