It may not be surprising news, but the events leading up to star point guard Jaland Lowe entering the transfer portal were shocking. Everything was in perfect place for the Pittsburgh Panthers early on. Despite a rough road loss to Mississippi State in the ACC/SEC Challenge, Pitt’s loss to Wisconsin (by six at a neutral site) marked their only other loss through 14 games. Pitt played Duke, and senior guard Damian Dunn returned. Everything was going perfectly…until it wasn’t. Pitt trailed by 11 with about six minutes to go, missing multiple shots to trim the lead to single digits. Duke closed on an 18-0 run and won by 29 points. It was a tough loss, but nothing prepared Panther fans for what happened next.
After starting 12-2, Pitt went 5-13 in their last 18 games. They missed the NCAA Tournament after initially ranking 5th in the NET. Since then, Pitt has had five players enter the transfer portal. However, Jaland Lowe’s decision to enter the transfer portal marks the biggest loss for the Panthers.
Pitt Star Point Guard Jaland Lowe Joins Others in Transfer Portal After Collapse
The Highs and Lowes
Lowe may be the most controversial player in Pittsburgh sports. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists for the Panthers this season. He added 1.8 steals per game, but his size was exploited frequently. Lowe was deservingly picked as a third-team All-ACC in 2024-25 for his elite play in all facets of the game. The numbers were there, but numbers only tell part of the story.
Lowe shot only 37.6% from the floor and 26.6% from three. His decision-making on shots often drew the ire of fans. He tried to take over the game, but he often missed or turned the ball over. He averaged 3.0 turnovers per game, doubling his turnover output from a year ago. Like the situation with Elliot Cadeau, the numbers didn’t tell the story of what fans saw. Lowe enters the transfer portal as a star player, but some Pitt fans won’t miss him despite his production.
A Flurry of Pitt Players Enter the Portal
Lowe is by far the biggest name to enter the transfer portal. However, Pitt lost more than just Lowe since it opened last Monday. The most beloved twins in Pittsburgh, Guillermo Diaz Graham and Jorge Diaz Graham announced they were leaving the program only minutes apart from freshman Amsal Delalic announcing his decision to leave. The twins were tall, long players who spread the floor and shot threes well for their size. Delalic was a freshman who sat behind key seniors, leaving him with less playing time than he may have deserved (he scored 14 points in one of the few games he played more than a few minutes).
Marlon Barnes Jr., recruited in the same class as Lowe, also joined the portal. However, Barnes never saw playing time, so he likely will only transfer to a smaller program to get playing time. The other three players had important roles on Jeff Capel’s short bench. Guillermo started most games, while Jorge and Delalic came off the bench in virtually every game. Lowe’s transfer only adds to the lost production.
Jaland Lowe’s Transfer Cements Hard Reset for Pittsburgh
Jeff Capel is used to resetting an entire team. He’s done it multiple times at Pitt but has to do it again for all the wrong reasons. Pitt looked to be away from these collapses following strong seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24. However, the recent collapse ended the momentum and set the Panthers back to the beginning. Let’s look at the returning scholarship players for the Panthers: Cameron Corhen, Brandin Cummings, Papa Amadou Kante, and Amdy Ndiaye. Only two of those players played many meaningful minutes this season. Pitt is back at square one, even if no other players transfer. Pitt only has one freshman in the Class of 2025.
Jeff Capel will need to hit the transfer portal hard. With some of the top players already choosing their destinations, Capel is running out of time to pick up quality players for next season. With only one freshman, next year could turn ugly for the Panthers. One more ugly season would almost assuredly see Capel out the door. The only question for Pitt is whether they will be able to pick up good players to save their coach’s job.
Photo credit: © Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
