Pitt received a verbal commitment from one of the premier shot-blockers in the country Monday night when 6-foot-11, 230-pound center Malcolm Gilbert told coach Jamie Dixon he wanted to be a Panther.

Gilbert, who plays for the The Academy of the New Church Boys School in Bryn Athyn, Pa., chose Pitt over Ohio State, Wake Forest and Virginia.

Terrell Myers, coach of Gilbert's AAU basketball team (the East Coast Elite), said the deciding factor was his relationship with AAU teammate Jaylen Bond, another Pitt recruit who gave Dixon a verbal commitment in April.

Pitt now has four verbal commitments who will be eligible to sign binding letters of intent in November. In addition to Gilbert and Bond, guard John Johnson and swingman Durand Johnson previously committed.

Pitt has three scholarships to offer, which means one of the current players would have to transfer or leave early for a professional career before next August. Or one of the recruits might fail to qualify academically.

Gilbert is a three-star recruit and is ranked the No. 145th player in the country by Rivals.com.

"He blocks shots," Myers said. "That's what he always has been known for. Offensively, he still has a ways to go. But, defensively, he has the timing down. He runs the floor like a guard."

Myers said Gilbert only needs to work on his offensive game and filling out his frame.

"For big guys, it takes time," Myers said. "Not many big guys come in and can play right away in the Big East. And the ones that do are lottery picks. By the time he gets to Pitt, he'll add another 10-15 pounds of muscle. And he already has a nice frame. His work ethic, his athleticism, his speed, they are Big East ready right now."

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