Nelly Cummings attended Pitt basketball camps growing up and remembers working out at the Petersen Events Center as far back as the third grade. He knows what the Pitt program was like a decade ago, and after his commitment on Friday morning, he hopes to bring it back to those days.
“I think my excitement level is through the roof,” Cummings told Panther-Lair.com following his commitment. “I really remember the times in third grade when I was in that gym and I remember that vibe with Sam Young and those guys for years, so I really want to bring that back, and I want to inspire that and keep it going from here. I want my year to be the first step and I just want it to continue to grow and grow back into what I remember it being.”
Pitt has a long way to go to get back to the years of Sam Young and DeJuan Blair, but adding a piece like Cummings is a step in the right direction. He is a 6’0” senior guard that averaged 14.7 points and 3.4 assists per game for Colgate this past season. Cummings comes from a winning culture, as his team made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons and he’s bringing that mindset with him to Pitt.
“Obviously I really think there’s a big opportunity to really change the culture, not change the culture, but add onto the culture and build something special,” Cummings said.
Aside from joining the program he grew up watching, Cummings is returning home to play in front of family and friends, something that is very important to him. Earlier this week, Pitt extended an offer to his younger brother, Brandin Cummings, a 2024 guard from Lincoln Park. That was a key factor for the elder Cummings.
“That’s a major part of it for sure,” he said of Pitt offering his younger brother. “Like I said, family is very important to me, so when you honor my brother like that, I definitely feel that.”
Cummings will be asked to be the Panthers point guard for this upcoming season, a role he is excited about taking on in his fifth year.
“I want to be the lead guard,” he explained. “I’m going to step into it and be the true point guard. Me and Coach (Capel) have talked a lot about having that connection with the head coach and the point guard, so I really want to be that extension of him on the court.”
Cummings entered the transfer portal on March 22nd, and has found a new home by April 1st. He wanted it that way, in part because he wants to help the staff fill out the roster. Pitt still has six open scholarships for next season.
“I was hoping that committing early would allow other recruits to see what we’re building here,” Cummingds said of deciding already. “I didn’t want to string it out too long and miss out on some recruits. So now I’m in recruiting mode, I have to make sure we get the right pieces to the puzzle and get all the guys we need to make sure we can be an elite team next year.”
