Pittsburgh landed a graduate student capable of helping the team offensively Friday morning, as it was reported by multiple outlets that former Coppin State guard Sterling Smith will be a Panther in 2015-16. With Cameron Wright out of eligibility and Durand Johnson (who was suspended for all of last season) having transferred, adding some experience and production on the perimeter is a positive for Jamie Dixon’s program.
The 6-foot-4 Smith averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Coppin State last season, shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 4.18 percent from beyond the arc. Smith had a stretch last season in which he scored 21 points or more in four of five games, including two 27-point and one 28-point performance, and he was a third team All-MEAC selection.
Smith will join a backcourt that includes returnees James Robinson, Josh Newkirk and Cameron Johnson, with four-star shooting guard Damon Wilson coming on board. While Pitt did lose its top perimeter scorer in Wright (9.3 ppg), they do return their top two scorers and rebounders from a season ago in forwards Jamel Artis (13.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Michael Young (13.4, 7.3).