Inside The Panthers

Pitt Misses on Transfer G Jesse Zaruela

Another transfer portal guard is off the board for the Pitt Panthers.
Stephen Thompson|
Pitt Misses on Transfer G Jesse Zaruela
Pitt Misses on Transfer G Jesse Zaruela

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will have to go back to the drawing board to find a guard to fill their final remaining scholarship for the 2023-24 season because one of their targets has chosen to go elsewhere. 

Jesse Zarzuela, a graduate transfer from Central Michigan, committed to Oregon this week. He chose the Ducks over Pitt, Arizona, Oklahoma State and others. He had a visit to Pittsburgh in the works. 

Zarzuela has been an elite scorer at every stop of his college career. After redshirting his freshman season at UTEP, Zarzuela played at two junior colleges - Navarro College in Texas and Missouri State-West Plains. Upon transferring back to the Division I level, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for Coppin State during the 2021-22 season. Last year at Central Michigan, he scored 16.3 points per night while cutting down on his turnovers slightly and drastically improving his 3-point shooting - 29.7% to 35.6% on just 0.4 attempts fewer per game.

The 6'3, 170-pound Houston, Texas native, Zarzuela has one season of eligibility available after he graduates from CMU this spring. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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