The 6'6" small forward averaged 19.8 points per game in his senior season
Pitt head coach Jeff Capel’s most recent addition to his 2019 recruiting class was 6’6” small forward Justin Champagnie, who verbally committed to the program on March 14. And on Thursday, the Brooklyn, New York, native made his pledge official by signing his national letter of intent.
Capel commented on the development in a statement released on Thursday.
”Justin is a high-energy player who competes hard on every possession,” Capel said. “He has the skill set and versatility to impact the game in a variety of ways and has shown the toughness to make winning plays. We are excited to have him join our program, as he will be an excellent addition to our culture on and off the court.”
Much is expected of Champagnie, who made a name for himself at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School alongside his brother Julian Champagnie. While there, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 27 games in his junior year. Champagnie upped his average to 19.8 points per game in his senior season, and that was enough to earn him a nod from USA Today as a second-team All-USA New York team selection.
During his time at Bishop Loughlin, the team climbed the national ranks, moving from 4,099th nationally in the 2017-18 season to the 134th in the 2018-19 season. However, despite the undeniable impact Champagnie had at Bishop Loughlin, his rating on the 247Sports composite was downgraded Wednesday from four stars to three stars. He still ranks among the top 200 players in his class, per 247Sports, but fell from No. 111 on Feb. 24 to No. 198.
Nonetheless, there is plenty of excitement in Pittsburgh regarding the addition of Champagnie, who appears poised to make an instant impact with the Panthers in 2019. With his national letter of intent now signed, Pitt is only waiting on the signature of 6'9" power forward Karim Coulibaly, as La Lumiere star Gerald Drumgoole signed on Wednesday.
