Pitt loses out on transfer Sterling Gibbs, who will head to UConn

You've likely seen the news by now that Seton Hall transfer guard Sterling Gibbs is heading to UConn. Gibbs chose the Huskies over several schools, including Pitt.

Gibbs indicated that one thing that impressed him was UConn's history of talented guards:

"It’s a great opportunity to be able to come into a veteran team with a great coach and have the chance to make an impact," Gibbs told SNY.tv. "The tradition of UConn and their guards speaks for itself."

He also added the coaching staff and facilities as a reason he chose the Huskies.

A lot was made of Gibbs and his connection to the Panthers because of his brother Ashton who played at the school under head coach Jamie Dixon. But as I said at the time, Sterling repeatedly passed on Pitt three other times so it was always hard for me to weigh that too heavily.

I don't want this to turn into a sour grapes session. Gibbs was certainly a player that would have helped the team and made them stronger. There's no doubt that losing out on him is, in fact, a loss. But the Panthers are still in line to see an improvement in the backcourt with the loss of Cameron Wright and the additions of transfer Sterling Smith and incoming freshman Damon Wilson.

Smith is the player most likely to benefit from Gibbs not coming. Gibbs' arrival would have eaten into many of the minutes he expects to receive and while he certainly is capable of competing, there's no doubt that his role looks bigger without Pitt securing Gibbs.

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