Entering the 2019-2020 season, only four players from Kevin Stallings' abysmal 8-24 2017-2018 team remained on the Pitt roster, and Samson George was one of them.
On Friday, only one remains after George announced he was transferring to the Central Arkansas Bears of the Southland Conference. The 6-7 forward from Nigeria had a limited role in three seasons with the Panthers.
In 2017-2018, he averaged 0.9 rebounds/game and 0.8 points/game. He recorded a season-high three rebounds in a January loss vs Duke, while scoring a season-high four points in a December victory vs McNeese State.
In 2018-2019, under first-year head coach Jeff Capel, George saw action in just six of the team's 33 contests. He recorded a season-high four rebounds and three points, both in a late-January loss at Clemson.
In his junior season of 2019-2020, George saw the court in only seven of the team's 33 match-ups. Due to early foul trouble against Terrell Brown and Eric Hamilton in a November loss vs rival West Virginia, George played a season-high eight minutes and recorded a season-high four rebounds.
During the February 26 senior night ceremonies, George was honored alongside Kene Chukwuka (an expected transfer), Anthony Starzynski (senior) and Eric Hamilton (graduate transfer). George's last game at the Petersen Events Center saw him notch his first career start in a loss to the rival Syracuse Orange.
Before committing to play for Kevin Stallings and Pitt, George was originally committed to play for Tim Cluess and the Iona Gaels, a mid-major blue-blood in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, who have appeared in six of the eight NCAA Tournaments since 2012.
George will likely benefit from the transition back to a smaller program, while Central Arkansas will welcome an ACC player like George in with open arms.
Over the last two seasons, Central Arkansas has recorded a lackluster 24-40 record, with a 17-21 mark in Southland Conference action. UCA has never made the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level since their transition began in 2006.
Of the seven freshman that Stallings brought in prior to 2017-2018, to-be senior forward Terrell Brown is the only one that remains with the Panthers.
George is the third player to transfer from the program this offseason. Trey McGowens committed to play for Fred Hoiberg and the Big Ten Conference's Nebraska Cornhuskers, while Ryan Murphy offered his talents to Ron Hunter and the American Athletic Conference's Tulane Green Wave.
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