Dunn: 'I felt like I was coming home'
Pitt secured a commitment from Damian Dunn out of the transfer portal on Tuesday evening. Dunn is 6-foot-5 guard who played for Houston last season and will come to Pitt with one year of eligibility remaining. He took a visit to Pittsburgh over the weekend, and in the aftermath, announced his decision earlier this evening.
“I felt like I was coming home, in a sense,” Dunn told Panther-Lair.com about why he picked Pitt. “I felt like Coach Capel’s family welcomed me and my family with open arms. We instantly connected and just having the opportunity to come here and play for him, I think me style reminds me of what he has in store for me. It was just a perfect match.”
Pitt was the only school Dunn visited since he hit the transfer portal and he had an inking he would commit following his visit. He said his time spent in Pittsburgh helped seal the deal. The other big connection was having a prior relationship with Jeff Capel.
Dunn was a target of Pitt’s last year when he entered the transfer portal after a successful four-year run at Temple. While he ultimately picked Houston, there was a prior connection with Capel that he was able to rekindle.
“Coach Capel just felt like family, even from the first time last year that we got a chance to talk about everything,” Dunn explained. “Just coming around the second time, we just picked up right where we left from. We talked a lot about fit, scheme, and systematic stuff and help where I want to get to and help me reach my fullest potential in this last year here.”
Dunn is likely looking to return to being a high scorer. He scored over 1,000 points and averaged double figures for three straight years at Temple. His role was not as prominent with the Cougars, but he got to play for a top five team all season. The newest Panther believes there was value in the experience.
“Just what it takes to win every day,” Dunn said of his experience with Houston. “Knowing how hard winning is, but also what it takes behind the scenes to get to that point of constant winning at a high level.”
Pitt will at least have four freshmen on the roster next season. He joins an experienced group overall, but he brings an even greater level on that front. Dunn was in the class of 2019 coming out of high school, so he has plenty of experience and thinks that can be asset for Pitt next season.
"I have kind of been in different situations, so just being able to attain what I’ve learned throughout my years and just bringing forward to the culture, coaching the young guys, and showing them how to come to work everyday and setting an example of how hard you’ve got to work every day and be at your peak come game time,” Dunn said of what he will look to bring to the Pitt program.
The commitment of Dunn gives the Panthers 11 scholarship players for next season, meaning Capel still has the option to add two more players before the 2024-25 campaign begins.