Pitt lands grad transfer Eric Hamilton

The UNC Greensboro graduate transfer is a key addition to the Pitt frontcourt

Eric Hamilton, a 6’9” power forward out of Atlanta, announced his intent to transfer out of UNC Greensboro on May 15, and on Thursday, he revealed that he would be concluding his collegiate career at Pitt.

”I have chosen to play my last year of college at [Pitt] under the leadership of Coach Jeff Capel and his highly qualified staff,” Hamilton wrote in a message posted on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone else that has helped me along the way and still continues to help and be a blessing to my life in every positive way.”

Hamilton was a standout at Duluth High School in Atlanta, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds in his senior season. As a result, he earned three-star ratings from Rivals and 247Sports and drew offers from Wichita State, Georgia and several other schools.

He began his collegiate career at Wichita State under Gregg Marshall, playing in 47 games but averaging just 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds over 5.5 minutes per outing. As a result, he opted to transfer to UNC Greensboro, where he took on a larger role. There, he averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds over 16.3 minutes per game during the 2018-19 season. He also appeared in 36 games and started seven.

As a graduate transfer, Hamilton will be eligible to play immediately, and as he alluded to in his announcement on Twitter, he has just one year of eligibility left. He addresses Pitt’s most pressing area of need, as the team often found itself undersized and overmatched against ACC competition last season.

The power forward will join a frontcourt manned by 6’10” center Terrell Brown and 6’8” power forward Karim Coulibaly in the 2019-20 season. Kene Chukwuka, a 6’9” power forward, is expected to miss time as he recovers from surgery, making the addition of Hamilton all the more important. Pitt has two open scholarships remaining and is still in the mix for several additional recruits.