Pitt Basketball Recruiting: Updates on T.J. Gibbs and Sterling Gibbs

Former Pitt guard Ashton Gibbs starred for the Panthers becoming one of the school's all-time leading scorers. Jamie Dixon has had his sights on a couple of his brothers and some news broke this weekend regarding both Sterling and TJ.

First up is TJ, who is a four-star guard for the 2016 class. Pitt initially waited on giving Gibbs an offer, presumably in part because they had Maverick Rowan, Mustapha Heron, and Damon Wilson all committed and it was before Gibbs' stock really took off. Last fall, though, they did reportedly send an offer his way. The Panthers have reportedly lost out on him, though, as he is heading to Notre Dame.

Ashton's other brother, Sterling Gibbs, was with Seton Hall but has decided to transfer recently. There were some initial reports that he had committed to UConn, but according to Gibbs, that was false. PantherLair's Matt Steinbrink says he's actually due to visit Pitt this week.

Getting Sterling would be a huge boost for the team - especially since shooting guard is a need for the team. Now, he's had a little bit of baggage, mind you. There was the ugly incident with Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono last year and Gibbs also has hopped around a bit. This will be his third school after initially playing for Texas. Keep in mind, that was after leaving Maryland when he committed there following Gary Williams' retirement. Still, as CBS Sports puts it, he could have a DeAndre Kane-like impact and Pitt could really use him.

In both cases, the Ashton Gibbs relationship really has been a non-factor for Pitt. The Panthers didn't get Sterling the first time around, or during any of his changes in schools. And, per the reports, it didn't help in their pursuit of T.J. You hate to say that any negative reaction Ashton got from fans after the school's CBI year played any part, but to be honest, would you be surprised if it did? At the very least, it didn't help.

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