Justin Champagnie cleared to play against Florida State

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel announced in late September that Justin Champagnie had suffered a knee injury that had the potential to sideline him for the entire season. However, he added that a timetable for the freshman wing's recovery and return had yet to be established. On Monday, the timetable was clarified, as Capel revealed that Champagnie had been cleared to play in Pitt's season opener against Florida State, which is scheduled for Nov. 6.

The dramatic change in Champagnie’s status was a result of the fact that his injury was initially believed to be an ACL tear in early September but was more recently revealed to be a knee sprain, according to Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Capel also noted that Champagnie had been practicing for several weeks, but he will miss the exhibition game with Slippery Rock on Wednesday.

Champagnie, a 6’6” small forward out of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, New York, committed to Pitt on March 14 and generated some positive buzz through his impressive performance overseas this summer. During a team trip to Italy in August, Champagnie averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in addition to shooting 63.6 percent from the field. He ranked third on the team in scoring during the three-game stretch and is expected to be a key offensive contributor early in his collegiate career.