March 30, 2023

 

HOUSTON, TX -- Pittsburgh’s Blake Hinson is the recipient of the 2023 Riley Wallace award, which is presented annually to the most impactful transfer in division I college basketball.

The 6-foot-7 junior averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game and scored in double figures a team-best 30 times with 15 or more points in a game on 20 occasions. He also led the Panthers in 20+ points games (9), double-doubles (5), rebounds (6.0 rpg.), and three-point field goals (97).

The Deltona, Fla., native spent his first two seasons at Ole Miss and missed the next two before arriving at Pittsburgh. He made an immediate impact on a team, which was picked to finish 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Blake Hinson didn't play for two years so he viewed every day on the court as a privilege and helped change the fortunes of the Panthers this season,” said Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider.com. “His ability to stretch the floor, make threes, and play with ‘thankful energy’ helped Pittsburgh compete for an ACC regular season championship.”

After posting an 11-21 record last season, Pitt finished the regular season 21-10 overall and 14-6 in the ACC. The 10-win improvement is tied for the fourth best in program history, while the eight-game improvement in conference play is the best all-time at Pitt.

Along the way, Pittsburgh posted three wins over ranked opponent, beating North Carolina (No. 25), Virginia (No. 11), and Miami (No. 20). Pitt also had road wins over NCAA teams NC State and Northwestern.

The Panthers finished tied for third in the ACC standings and would earn at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the school’s first since 2016. They finished 24-12, the most wins since the 2013-14 campaign.

Hinson, a 2nd Team All-ACC selection, finished the regular season as one of two players in the conference averaging over 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

The award is named in honor of the longtime Hawaii coach. During his coaching career at Hawaii, Riley Wallace welcomed many transfers into the program and became the winningest coach in program history. Wallace guided Hawaii to nine postseason appearances, including a school-record streak of four straight from 2001-04.

The Warriors appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times under Wallace and have been invited to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on six occasions. Prior to his arrival, the program had just one NCAA appearance and two trips to the NIT.

The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.

Note: Some of the content from the press release came directly from University of Pittsburgh media releases.