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There are times when you chase and chase a kid for years only to lose him. Then there are times when one falls out of nowhere right into your lap.
Such was the case of four-star hoops recruit, shooting guard Detrick Mostella. Never heard of him? There's good reason for that. There's no evidence from the major recruiting sites that he ever was pursued by Pitt to any great degree and he was headed to Oklahoma State to play for the Cowboys this fall.
That is until today when CBS' Jon Rothstein reported that Mostella was now jumping ship to Pitt.
Pitt has received a commitment from 2013 guard Detrick Mostella, per a source. Originally committed to Oklahoma State. Big time get.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 2, 2013
Mostella also confirmed the news on his Twitter account, per the Trib. What gives? Too early to tell, but really, are you going to complain about a four-star kid coming to the basketball program and in a position of need no less? Didn't think so.
One thing I found really interesting from when he committed early was this quote:
"I’ve been talking to my parents and my AAU coach, and they know where they want me to go and what is the best place for me, so I am just doing it for all my people," said Mostella.
That's not all, though. Here's a separate interview where Mostella says his parents played a role, too:
I really like the school; it’s a good place for education. My parents really liked it; they helped me a lot [with my decision]. They said it would be a great place to get an education and they really like the coaching staff. I also like that they run a lot. They get you involved and they’re guards get a lot of touches.
Was Mostella going to OK State because others told him it was the right thing to do instead of actually wanting to be there himself? Beats me, but those quotes makes it seem possible. It's only natural to get guidance from your parents, but this is a curious decision to say the least. One thing Pitt has going for them, though? Playing time. I'm not sure if Mostella can come in this late in the game and win the starting job over others, including Josh Newkirk and junior Cam Wright. But a kid that can flat out shoot as so many of the reports indicate should at least get time right away.
Oklahoma State has apparently let him out of his commitment and because he hadn't played for them, is reportedly eligible to play for the Panthers right away. As in, this fall. Onto the vitals.
Mostella is from La Lumiere (La Porte, IN) and was a four-star recruit according to Rivals, ESPN, and Scout. MaxPreps says four stars, too. Rivals says he was the No. 53 overall player in the 2013 class and the 14th best shooting guard. He reportedly had a ton of offers from schools including: Oklahoma State, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Xavier, Georgia, Miami, West Virginia, and others. At 6'3", he won't tower over players, but he's not on the short end for a shooting guard, either.
He's hailed as one of the best shooters in the 2013 class, but can dunk a little, too. Okay, a lot.
'Iolani Classic: Detrick Mostella wins dunk title (v.3) (via PupulePaul)
Yikes.
Future150 actually says his size was one of his weaknesses, but says he was only 6'1" at the time. And for the record, they called him the 40th best recruit and the TENTH best shooting guard in the nation.
Just a huge, huge get for Pitt. He's still got to fit into the system and get acclimated but man, talk about late Christmas presents.
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