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Iowa State Cyclones center Dishon Jackson (1) drives with the ball to the basket around Cincinnati Bearcats' forward Aziz Bandaogo (55) during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 15, 2025 in Ames, Iowa. Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pitt Adjusting Without Top Portal Addition

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Mitchell Corcoran | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — Dishon Jackson was the top transfer in the Pitt Panthers' transfer portal class this offseason by Rivals and 247Sports.

The 6-foot-11 and 275-pound center played one season at Iowa State last season, where he averaged 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.

Jackson was expected to be a key piece of Pitt's front court as an interior presence until he was ruled out indefinitely on Oct. 1 with an undisclosed medical condition. Jeff Capel did not have an update on Jackson's status today.

Capel did announce that the plan was to have Jackson and last season's starting forward, Cameron Corhen, to be the duo down low, but with those plans nixed, the Panthers are pivoting in another direction.

Until Jackson returns, Corhen will likely be the primary big. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward started all 32 games for Pitt last season and averaged 11.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

The biggest adjustment for the former Florida State Seminole last season was the increase in minutes. He went from averaging 21.5 minutes per game at Florida State to 28.3 minutes last year.

"As the season went on, he wore down," Capel said. "I thought he was good last year. I thought early he was really good, and I thought at the end, he struggled a little bit, but I think a big part of it was that he was worn down."

Capel said the biggest improvement to Corhen's game over the offseason has been his conditioning.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Because the conditioning part is better, I think the confidence in his game is better," Capel said. "He's shooting the basketball better, he's not hurried, he's not rushed as much anymore, not as frantic when he gets the ball, which he was at times last year."

Another area Capel is looking for improvement in is Corhen's rebounding. If Corhen is the primary big man for Pitt, averaging 5.2 boards a night isn't going to cut it.

"That's something that we've been on him, and will continue to be on him about," Capel said. "We feel like he's really grown. He worked his butt off this spring and summer, and the work has shown as we've entered into the fall."

Amdy Ndiaye and Papa Amadou Kante will likely be the two other forwards to play consistently. Amadou Kante appeared in 22 games last season after returning from a season-ending knee injury in the 2023-24 season.

"He's not favoring the leg anymore," Capel said. "He's not thinking about it, and he's made a jump, and so we're excited about him."

But Pitt may be able to use true freshman center Kierean Mullen this season. Mullen stands at 7 feet, 220 pounds and is from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Pitt already announced that Mullen will redshirt this season, but depending on a new NCAA rule, that could change.

The NCAA's "5-in-5" eligibility rule will effectively remove redshirts and give every player five consecutive years of eligibility.

A player is ineligible to redshirt once they appear in one game with the current NCAA men's basketball eligibility rules.

There are reports that the new rule will likely be delayed, but if it is adopted this season, Mullen could be an important piece to the Panthers' front court.

"Kieran's been a pleasant surprise," Capel said. "He's big, he's fluid moving. He's had to have a lot of reps because we've only had 10 guys, and he's done well."

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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