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Since Jeff Capel and the Pitt coaching staff landed Miami (Ohio) transfer Nike Sibande in June, little has been heard from the program. But on Saturday, Jack Seidler, a promising 2022 small forward, revealed that Pitt had been in contact with him and shown some interest.
“Coach Capel messaged me saying he saw some tape of me and hopes he will be able to see me play live over the summer,” Seidler told George Michalowski of 247Sports.
The 6’5”, 180-pound small forward is a rising junior at Marlboro High School in Marlboro, New Jersey, and during the 2019-20 season, he played a prominent role on a Mustangs team that improved to 23-7 after going 14-13 the year before. In a breakout campaign, Seidler averaged 18.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and posted 11 double-doubles.
The rising star has yet to be rated by any of the major recruiting websites and holds no offers, but he has been in contact with Air Force, American and Holy Cross. And with his combination of size, scoring ability and rebounding skill, his stock could rise in the near future. The good news for Pitt is that the program may have the inside track in Seidler’s recruitment, as the Garden State prospect has significant ties to Pitt through his family.
“I actually have grown up a Pitt fan,” he told Michalowski. “Both of my parents went there so I’ve been down there and have been rooting for them all my life. ... A Pitt offer would be like a dream come true.”
Seidler noted that he has been on Pitt’s campus a number of times and watches Panthers games frequently. His last trip to Oakland was in 2018, when he was in town for a Pitt football game. He also saw a Kevin Stallings-led Pitt team play Penn State in the Progressive Legends Classic in 2017.
At this point, the depth of Capel’s interest in Seidler is unclear, but should Seidler receive an offer from Pitt and accept in the future, he would be paired up with blue-chip point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, another prospect with strong ties to Pitt as a Penn Hills native.