Pitt restricting grad transfer Johnson from joining other ACC programs

With Michael Young and Jamel Artis both having exhausted their collegiate eligibility, Cameron Johnson was set to be Pitt's most prolific returning player for the 2017-18 campaign.

Johnson had different ideas, however, as the standout swingman announced he would be heading elsewhere as a graduate transfer for next season.

Since he's completed his degree, Johnson can play immediately at whichever school he chooses to attend graduate school at ... except in the ACC. Pitt has placed restrictions on Johnson's impending move, forcing him to sit out next season if he moves to another school in the same conference.

The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter is considering North Carolina as a finalist, and would be a natural replacement for the NBA-bound Justin Jackson.

Pitt released a statement saying the restrictions are consistent with the school's student-athlete policy, but that didn't please ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. The former Duke star, who has been an outspoken proponent of paying student-athletes some sort of compensation during their careers, took to Twitter to voice his opinion on the move.

While it may hurt Pitt in the short term to lose a talented player to a conference rival, Johnson didn't commit to play for Panthers coach Kevin Stallings, who joined the program just last season. Nevertheless, it's a bad look for the program, as potential recruits will now be well aware of the possible restrictions the school will place on them should they decide to leave.