Kithcart, Manigault discuss decisions to stick with Pitt

The final signing date for Division I basketball prospects isn’t for another two weeks and while Pitt’s 2016 class isn’t fully set quite yet, Kevin Stallings picked up one of his first victories as the Panthers’ coach by holding on to three players who signed with the school when Jamie Dixon was still coach – Justice Kithcart, Corey Manigault and Crisshawn Clark.

Late last week, I spoke with both Kithcart and Manigault about their decision to stick with Pitt even with the coaching change, conversations which led to a story in today’s Post-Gazette.

** I’m planning on talking to Clark at some point, but I’m new on the beat and still don’t have phone numbers for some people. Hang in there.

Below is a transcript of both of those interviews, with questions in bold.

COREY MANIGAULT

What do you remember those days being like from when Jamie Dixon left to when Kevin Stallings was hired? Was it kind of an emotional roller coaster for you?

“It kind of was, just because it happened so fast. I didn’t really know what to do. I stepped back and looked at everything and reopened my recruitment. When coach Stallings got the job, he called me instantly to talk.”

About how quickly did he call you?

“On that Monday, I think.”

What were that conversation and some of those initial conversations like?

“We just talked about the things he wants, kind of like telling he knows how the situation is, how coaches move around. He gave me the space I needed instead of like hovering on top of me and really trying to get me to stay. He told me he really wanted me to stay and he knew how to use me. He likes the way I play and said it was on me. He didn’t want to force me to do anything. He just kind of left it up to me. I really liked that. He just had that good vibe from the start.”

You touched on it a little bit there, but what were some of your first impressions of coach Stallings?

“He was kind of cool. I talked to a few people and they told me how he was. He’s kind of relaxed instead of kind of tight. I didn’t really know him, but I met him at my school last week. He was just that kind of guy, the kind of guy that can have fun but knows when to be serious.”

What prompted you to open up your recruitment?

“I just had to step back and look at everything over again. I wanted to make sure this was what I really wanted to do.”

What was it that won you over, that made you recommit to Pitt?

“After I got off the phone with coach Stallings, I looked at some film. He kind of played the same way Dixon did, but it was just faster. His personality in general, he was somebody I felt comfortable with. And the coaching staff. I kind of know some of the coaches on the coaching staff from the recruiting process earlier. That was something that played another part.”

How difficult is it to make that kind of a big decision, choosing where you’re continuing your career and where you’re going to college, in such a cramped timeline, one where you make that kind of a decision in less than a week with a new coach?

“It was very hard. Coach Dixon and his staff, I really liked them. When I reopened my commitment, a bunch of schools were trying to come after me. It just felt right at Pittsburgh – the city, the people there. There was just something about Pittsburgh.”

Based on your conversations with Stallings, what do you envision your role being on the team next season? And how has that changed from how you thought it would be with coach Dixon?

“Coach Stallings, he said he lets his bigs play to their strengths. Basically, making mismatches for other bigs. I think I’m a versatile big who can get out and stretch myself out on the floor a lot. And help rebound, be a big rebounding presence.”

JUSTICE KITHCART

From when coach Dixon announced he was leaving until coach Stallings was hired and even going to when you decided to stick with Pitt, what do you remember that week or week and a half being like for you?

“I was talking to my parents about what we were going to do. I was trying to make the best decision for myself and my career, where I’m going to play the next four years and where I can get to the next level. That was the whole thing I was thinking about. I was just praying, trying to make the best decision for myself and my family.”

What was one instance or one moment in that whole scenario where you felt the most uncertain or were the most worried?

“After coach Dixon went to TCU and I didn’t know who the coach was going to be. Was this guy going to want me still? Would I come to Pittsburgh and contribute and be a part of the team? Was he going to treat me like his family, like coach Dixon treated me? Those were the main things I was wondering about.”

What went into your decision to de-commit after Stallings’ hire was announced?

“Me and my parents were talking and we thought the de-commitment was the best thing for me at the time. We wanted to weigh our options and not rush into anything. We still had Pitt on our list, of course, but we wanted coach Stallings to kind of recruit me like I was coming to Pitt kind of like he was trying to get me to Vanderbilt. I wanted to feel that type of connection with him.”

He was introduced as Pitt’s coach on March 28, I think a Monday. When did he first reach out to you?

“He contacted me either the day after or the day he got the job, I’m not sure. He definitely made it a point to contact me.”

What do you remember that first conversation or those first few conversations being like?

“I had talked to him previously because I was getting recruited by Vanderbilt. When I talked to him, he seemed like a straight shooter, which is what I got from him when I was talking to him at Vanderbilt. I felt like he had a good mindset for the team, a good mindset for me and I could tell he really wanted me. He liked the type of player I was and felt like I could fit in his system. That was great, getting that from him.”

What do you think it was that sold you and swayed you back to Pitt?

“Coach Stallings, he was straight up with me. He didn’t try to sell me a dream. He didn’t try to do too much. He told me how it was going to be. I feel like I can fit into his playing style. He’s a coach who lets his players play and that’s something I really like. I like a coach who will let me play because I’m not a guy who will do too great in a system where a coach wants you to run his specific style. I like a tough coach, but I kind of like that freedom coach Stallings gives you. That won me over.”

What were some of the differences you noticed between Stallings and Dixon, as far as how the recruiting process went and how they wanted to utilize you as a guard?

“A few of the differences were the playing style. Coach Dixon likes to play up and down, but it’s a little different than coach Stallings. That’s really all he [Stallings] wants to do. He wants to get up and down any chance he can. He wants to play a little bit faster and get up a lot of shots. That was one of the differences I saw. And I think coach Stallings is a little more fiery than coach Dixon, but they both get up in you when they have to.”

With James Robinson graduating, the point guard position is kind of up for grabs at Pitt. How do you envision your role freshman year? Do you feel like you have the chance to make an impact and play some big minutes?

“Most definitely. I’m trying to come in and start from day one. That’s my mindset. I’m just trying to come in and lead the team and contribute where I can. If I don’t start, I’ll give great minutes off the bench -- coming in and playing with energy, leading, talking, playing great defense, pushing the ball, scoring when I can. I’m trying to help the team win.”

How difficult is it to make such a life-changing decision – where you’re going to college and where you’re taking your career – in such a relatively short period of time?

“It’s definitely difficult. First off, making a college decision was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life, listening to different coaches, trying to find the right system, trying to find the right fan base, coaching staff, academics and all of that. It was definitely tough. Recommitting back to coach Stallings was tough, just because there wasn’t a lot of time. I had to get a good feel for coach Stallings. It made it easier that I already had a relationship with him previously. That made it a lot easier to make the decision.”

Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG