Pitt staff cancels visit with ex-commit Jalen Hood-Schifino

Jeff Capel and the Pitt coaching staff have been busy bringing recruits on campus for visits this month, and they were expected to host former Pitt commit Jalen Hood-Schifino on Wednesday. However, on Tuesday, it was revealed that the visit had been canceled after the Pitt staff informed Hood-Schifino that they were no longer interested in hosting him.

The recruit’s mother, Angel Schifino, told George Michalowski of Pittsburgh Sports Now that Hood-Schifino was still interested in Pitt and was ready to visit the school this week before the staff informed the family of its change of heart. The visit was one of a series of visits Hood-Schifino is in the process of conducting. Recently, he visited Georgetown, Wake Forest and Tennessee. Hood-Schifino also plans to visit Indiana in the near future.

Hood-Schifino is a Pittsburgh native who currently plays at Montverde Academy in Florida. The 6’5”, 210-pound combo guard is a consensus four-star recruit, and from Dec. 30, 2019, until July 27, 2020, he was committed to Pitt. However, he reopened his recruitment last year as blue bloods began to show interest in him. And shortly afterward, Hood-Schifino reeled in offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Indiana, Seton Hall and Tennessee.

Since Hood-Schifino backed off his pledge to Pitt, the two sides have remained in contact, and Pitt was considered the favorite to land him. However, it is unclear where this move leaves matters with the coveted recruit.

What is clear is that Hood-Schifino’s uncle, former West Virginia player Drew Schifino, was unimpressed with the decision. After the cancellation, he called the move “idiotic” and claimed Pitt “can’t afford” to lose a recruit of his caliber in a series of social media posts.

Given all that, it seems increasingly unlikely that Hood-Schifino will ultimately end up at Pitt. But considering the fact that the move followed a series of visits from other recruits, the possibility exists that Capel made inroads with a prospect he deemed a better fit. Time will tell whether that is the case or not, but for now, it seems safe to say Pitt's recruitment of Hood-Schifino has once again hit a snag.