Pitt basketball recruiting: Jamel Artis leaning towards Panthers

Back in August, reports surfaced that 2013 recruit small forward Jamel Artis would be deciding between Pitt and La Salle. That decision was later put off and we haven't heard much since.

Fast forward to November and it's sounding as if Artis will not only be deciding soon, but that he'll be picking the Panthers. His coach at Notre Dame Prep expects Pitt to be the choice:

Artis is a decent player to be sure, but with so little depth in the frontcourt, at this point I'd probably prefer a true power forward or center than a small forward. With Steven Adams off to a somewhat slow start, it's clear that he needs more seasoning. It's way too early to tell if Adams will be back for another season, but it doesn't appear the long shot it once did.

But even if Adams remains, with the loss of Dante Taylor, Pitt is going to be pretty thin next year up front. Artis is 6'7" according to the CBS article (though Rivals lists him at 6'5"), so he could presumably play some power forward.

Stay tuned, though, as it sounds like a decision to join Pitt may be coming sooner rather than later.

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