Justin Champagnie recovering from knee injury

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel spoke with members of the media following the Panthers’ first official team practice of the 2019-20 season, and one topic that was touched on was the status of Justin Champagnie, who suffered a knee injury earlier in September.

”It's still being evaluated,” Capel said of the injury. “There’s no timetable yet. He’s shown some improvement, but we don’t know exactly when he’ll be able to be back.”

Capel then noted that there is a possibility that the injury to Champagnie’s knee could cause him to miss the upcoming season. That would make him the second member of the team facing a lengthy injury recovery period, as Kene Chukwuka is also expected to miss “significant time” as he recuperates from hip surgery.

The 6’6” small forward out of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, New York, committed to Pitt on March 14 and has since developed a reputation as one of the most college-ready incoming freshmen on the team. During Pitt’s trip to Italy in August, Champagnie averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and shot 63.6 percent from the field. He ranked third on the team in scoring during the three-game stretch overseas.