Reports: Jaland Lowe Leaves Pitt for Kentucky After Entering Transfer Portal
Jaland Lowe, Pitt’s star point guard, made headlines on Saturday when he committed to Kentucky, just hours after the team received positive news regarding the transfer portal. According to various sources, including ESPN, 247Sports, and On3.com, Lowe’s decision to leave Pitt was confirmed. He entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier in the week on Tuesday, with plans to enroll at Kentucky as a junior.
Lowe’s departure is a significant blow to the Pitt program, as he was not only their best player but also a key leader on the court. He is one of eight scholarship players, five of whom are transfers, who have chosen to leave the program following a disappointing 2024-2025 season. Although Pitt started strong with a 12-2 record, they ended the season with a 17-15 overall record.
Over his time at Pitt, Lowe played in 64 games, starting 50 of them. He was pivotal in orchestrating the offense, averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 35.6 minutes per game during the 2024-2025 season. Lowe’s leadership on the floor helped Pitt achieve consecutive 22-win seasons, a significant achievement after years of struggle post-Jamie Dixon’s departure in 2016. However, the current landscape of college athletics, where transfers are granted immediate eligibility and players are paid at a higher level, played a role in Lowe’s decision to leave.
Lowe, a third-team All-ACC selection, will now join Kentucky, a renowned program with a rich history of success, including eight national championships. Kentucky competes in the SEC, a powerhouse conference that sent 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament this season, compared to just four from the ACC. This move signals Lowe’s transition to a more competitive environment, as Kentucky finished the 2024-2025 season with a 24-12 record and 10-8 in SEC play, with Florida and Auburn reaching the Final Four.
Along with Lowe’s departure, Pitt also lost Ishmael Leggett, whose eligibility expired after transferring from Rhode Island two years ago. In addition, Zack Austin and Damian Dunn have both exhausted their eligibility, while four other players — Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, Amsal Delalcic, and Marlon Barnes — have transferred elsewhere.
In response to these losses, head coach Jeff Capel has been actively recruiting through the transfer portal. He recently added Dishon Jackson, a 6-foot-11, 274-pound center from Iowa State, to help bolster the team’s roster. Capel’s next priority is to find a replacement for Lowe in the guard position, with freshman Brandin Cummings being the only returning guard. Cummings is one of only four scholarship players returning, alongside forwards Cam Corhen, Papa Kante, and Amdy Ndiaye. Corhen is the lone regular starter among this group, while Cummings played a crucial role as a reserve.
Pitt’s incoming freshman class includes Omari Witherspoon, a versatile 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo guard from Washington, D.C.
