Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel and his staff landed their second pledge this week on Friday when Karim Coulibaly pledged to the Panthers. Gerard Drumgoole committed on Monday.
By ZACH SMART
At long last, Scotland Campus Sports’ Karim Coulibaly has committed to Pittsburgh. There was much speculation enveloping a potential commitment to Pitt this weekend. The thinking proved prophetic as the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Coulibaly made it official on Friday.
“The visit went great and the whole campus showed me a lot of love,” Coulibaly said.
“Coach Milan Brown, he has been recruiting me since I was in ninth grade at (Saint Vincent) Palotti. I’ve known him the longest. Coach (Jeff) Capel, he’s got a great knowledge of the game. He coached at Duke. I trust these guys and know they will make me better.”
Coulibaly took an official visit the weekend of Feb.2, watching Syracuse’s 65-56 win over the Panthers.
He said the school’s passionate fan base and an array of alumni and former players made it clear there was a demand for him.
A native of Mali, Africa, Coulibaly’s commanding interior presence and deft left handed scoring acumen should offer immediate contributions for the Panthers, which is currently dealing with a dearth of bigs.
Coulibaly recalled several strangers approaching him during the Syracuse game, addressing him by name and using their powers of persuasion to sell him on the culture at Pitt.
“I was on my way to the bathroom (during Pitt vs. Syracuse) and some guy stopped me and said, ‘we need you here next year. We want you at Pitt.’ They showed me a lot of love on my visit, everyone did.”
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