One tidbit, though expected, that came from Jamie Dixon’s initial postgame press conference was the fact that guard-forward Chris Jones and forward Aron Nwankwo will both likely redshirt this season.
“I liked what I saw from us tonight and I like how deep we are as a team,” said Dixon after the Panthers defeated Mount St. Mary’s. “That will make it an easier decision to probably redshirt Chris and Aron this season.”
Jones is a true freshman from Teaneck, N.J. who didn’t sign with the Panthers until April of 2012.
He is a 6’6″ 2-guard who can also slide over and play the 3. He was known is high school as a consistent shooter with game-changing athleticism and slashing ability. He has great size for the shooting guard position and is also a great athlete with better than average strength.
He still is in the mix to be a big part of the Panthers future, but with the Panthers having great depth this season, especially in the backcourt, it makes sense for Dixon not to use a year of eligibility for Jones.
As far as Nwankwo goes, he is a 6’7″ forward from Baltimore, Maryland, who has been around the Pitt program for a couple of seasons now, having played a combined 23 minutes in 15 career games.
He was a walk-on as a freshman and brings energy and some decent rebounding skills to the table.
The year off could make him a factor in the Pitt frontcourt in the future if he is able to develop his game more.
Plans can still change and injuries could affect what Dixon does this year, but with the Panthers’ depth, it makes sense that both Jones and Nwankwo get redshirted this season.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
