Pitt makes top four of FIU transfer Antonio Daye Jr.

Pitt is in the market for a transfer who can facilitate plays and reliably score, and it may be closing in on a contributor who fits that description, as Florida International transfer Antonio Daye Jr. revealed his top four on Monday evening and included Pitt.

The other three finalists for Daye include Arkansas, Clemson and Providence, and the final four programs standing beat out the likes of Cincinnati, Florida, Marquette, Maryland, Missouri, NC State, Oregon, St. John’s, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Wichita State to get to this point in his transfer process. However, Pitt may face an uphill climb from this point on, as it is the only program still in the running that posted a losing record this season.

With that said, Pitt can virtually guarantee the 6’3”, 188-pound point guard a key role, as the young team is in dire need of senior leadership and, in particular, a floor general to replace departed star Xavier Johnson. That makes Daye a perfect fit for the team, as he averaged 17.1 points, 4.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game at Florida International this season and has improved every year.

The addition of Daye would also change the makeup of Pitt’s primary rotation of contributors, as every member of the rotation but Femi Odukale would be an upperclassman. That increase in overall experience could be a game-changer for Pitt, which has had four underclassmen in the rotation for the last two seasons. And with Daye sharing the court with shooters like Nike Sibande and Ithiel Horton and proven inside scorer Justin Champagnie, the Panthers could be a tough out this fall.

Of course, even with all Pitt has to offer Daye, Arkansas and Clemson may have stronger pitches for the transfer. The Razorbacks have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons under Eric Musselman, and the Tigers finished fifth in the ACC this season. Both teams are also set to play in the NCAA tournament, and of the four remaining schools, Clemson happens to be the closest to home for the Durham native.

Daye has yet to set a decision date, but he previously noted that he will announce his commitment by the end of the month.