Junior college guard signs papers to join Pitt basketball
Ryan Murphy made his commitment to Pitt official Friday when the former junior college guard signed his aid agreement. He had verbally committed to the Panthers on May 8.
Murphy, who has played at Charlotte and New Mexico Junior College, will get an opportunity to become the 3-point shooter Pitt coach Jeff Capel needs to replace departing senior Jared Wilson-Frame.
“Ryan is a seasoned player with a strong competitive spirit,” Capel said in a statement. “He is an outstanding shooter with deep range and will be an excellent floor spacer in our offense.
“He has the skill set and intangibles to be a significant contributor for us. We are excited to add another tough-minded and experienced player to our program.”
Murphy, 6-foot-2, is ranked No. 41 overall among junior college players by 247Sports. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 13 games at New Mexico Junior College before missing the remainder of the season with an injury. He scored a season-high 46 points on 14-of-26 shooting from the field and 14-of-16 from the free throw line in a victory against Macomb Community College.
Murphy averaged 6.7 points while shooting 40 percent (32 of 80) from 3-point range in 19 games (five starts) at Charlotte as a redshirt freshman in 2017-18.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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