New to the Zoo: Pitt lands Oakland transfer Dan Oladapo

Jeff Capel and the Pitt coaching staff have been active in the transfer market since February, but they had little to show for it until Monday night, when Oakland transfer Dan Oladapo committed to the program.

“Coming from Bladensburg, Maryland, it wasn’t made for me to make it this far,” Oladapo wrote in a message posted on Twitter on Monday. “Thank you to coach Jeff Capel and the entire Pitt staff. New home same goal!”

Oladapo, who checks in at 6’7”, 222 pounds, was a standout at Bladensburg High School in Maryland, as he finished his high school career with 1,394 points and 856 rebounds and was named the Prince George County Player of the Year in 2018. He began his college career at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, where he averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds over 31 games and was subsequently named Panhandle Conference Freshman of the Year.

The following season, Oladapo ended up at Oakland, where he would serve as a forward for the Golden Grizzlies. In his first season, he averaged 9.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. And as a junior last season, Oladapo was able to bring those averages up to 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Oladapo was particularly adept at reeling in offensive boards last season, as he led the Horizon League and ranked ninth in the nation, with 3.8 per game. That figure notably topped Pitt forward Justin Champagnie, who averaged 3.4 per game for the Panthers last season.

In addition to bringing Oladapo closer to home, the move will give a boost to a Pitt frontcourt that has been in dire need of reinforcements for years. With that said, there is still more work to be done on that front, as the Panthers are limited at center after the departures of Abdoul Karim Coulibaly and Terrell Brown. But the addition of Oladapo is a solid start.