John Hugley arrived at Pitt on Sunday, eager to open a new chapter of his basketball journey.
It will be a couple of weeks, however, before the process can get started.
A key figure in Pitt's incoming freshman class, Hugley isn't running around campus enjoying the perks of being at college for the first time. There are no pickup games with teammates. No working out in the gym or taking extra jumpers on the court. Heck, there's not even late-night runs for pizza.
Nope. On Monday, Hugley and the rest of the Pitt basketball team started a two-week quarantine, the first step in Pitt's phased return for student-athletes from the coronavirus pandemic. Men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and volleyball began the process, while the football team returned in early June and is in its second week of small-group workouts for medically cleared players.
"It feels weird," Hugley said Wednesday night during the team's IG (Instagram) Live Takeover, which also featured former Panthers guard and current Duquesne assistant coach Ashton Gibbs. "There's been a lot of adapting, but I'm loving it so far. I'm quarantined with my teammates, so I'm getting to know them better."
Players might not be able to make late-night food runs, but at least they can have pizza delivered, play video games, hang out and listen to music.
And Hugley said one thing hasn't changed since leaving his Cleveland home.
"My mom still calls me every day, checking up on me."
Pitt faithful spent plenty of time checking in on Hugley during the recruiting process, and understandably so. If he lives up to billing, the 6-foot-9 post player could provide an answer to the Panthers' longstanding problems inside.
That attention began early but picked up in earnest as a junior, when Hugley averaged 16.1 points and saw his recruiting profile grow considerably. But, early in the process, Pitt faced an uphill battle.
"I didn't know too much about Pitt until they started recruiting me," Hugley said. "I was mostly (watching) Ohio State. In the ACC, I knew Duke, Louisville."
Jeff Capel and company eventually won Hugley over.
"Just seeing the city. It's a great city, great fans" he said. "The relationship that I built with the coaches and the players, it was like a no-brainer that this was where I wanted to be at."
But before Hugley could get to Pitt, he had to finish his high school career, and he did so with a flare.
How's this for senior-season stats? Hugley averaged 24.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 blocks. The runner-up for Mr. Basketball in Ohio and a first-team all-state player scored a Charles F. Brush High School-record 52 points in a game, and he saw his national profile soar.
In last nights win 2020 Ohio Mr Basketball Candidate John Hugley posted 26 points and 12 rebounds, Elmore James posted 20 points, Antwone Woolfolk had 10 points,10 rebounds and 8 assists.
We are now 16-5 on the season @PittHoopsMBB @Pitt_MBB @NEOhsAthletics @PittGuru pic.twitter.com/5loGbhNbLd— chet mason (@ChetMason32) February 12, 2020
Hugley, who golfs and played football in middle school, ended up No. 77 nationally in Rivals final 2020 rankings, making a significant jump from just outside the top 100.
Freshmen don't always make major impacts in the ACC, but it happened two years ago at Pitt with Xavier Johnson and last season with Justin Champagnie. Still, Hugley isn't focused on putting up big numbers ... yet.
"Being vocal, you know, doing the things that the other players don't do, diving for loose balls, going after the boards," he said.
If that answer sounds a lot like Pitt's other freshmen, it should. Grit and determination appear to be characteristics of the class.
So does size.
Hugley, along with 6-8 forward Noah Collier and 6-10 center Max Amadasun, signed with Pitt in November during the early signing period. An already-strong recruiting class then took off with the late additions of 6-5 guard Femi Odukale and 6-7 swing player William Jeffress, a McDowell High School product out of Erie who reclassified. The group was ranked 20th nationally by Rivals, and it could be boosted further if Nike Sibande, a transfer from Miami (Ohio) who was a three-year starter for the Redhawks, is granted a waiver by the NCAA and can play this season.
Plus, guard Ithiel Horton, who sat out last season after transferring from Delaware, is eligible.
There are a lot of fresh faces for the program to go with stalwarts in Johnson, Champagnie, Au'Diese Toney, Terrell Brown, Abdoul Karim Couilibaly and Gerald Drumgoole.
There's plenty of reasons for optimism. Now, if they can just get on the court.
But before that, Gibbs, whose 1,748 career points ranks eighth in Pitt history, has some advice for the newcomers, and it comes from an experience just after he arrived on campus in 2008.
"We played pick-up every day, and I remember Nick Rivers and a couple walk-ons all got picked before me. I got picked last, after the walk-ons," Gibbs said. "After that week, I had a complete chip on my shoulder, and that's how I was going to approach every workout, every practice, every day. I was going to prove to myself that I was going to be one of the best players at Pitt, and it was because of that single moment."
HUGLEY FILE
Height: 6-9
Weight: 240
Position: Center/power forward
Hometown: Cleveland
School: Charles F. Brush
Offers included: Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, North Carolina State
Rivals ranking: Four stars, No. 77 nationally, No. 13 center
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