Leading up to Pitt basketball’s first game of the season on Nov. 7, Pittsburgh Sports Now will release profiles of each player on the active roster, including the walk-ons.
We continue our All-14 series with the hometown guard.
NELLY CUMMINGS
Hometown: Midland, Pennsylvania
Height, Weight: 6’0, 185 LBS
Position: Point Guard
Number: 0
Year: Graduate Student
Last year: At Colgate, Cummings earned All-Patriot League First Team honors last season after averaging 14.7 points and 3.4 assists in 32 games (started all 32). Cummings knocked down 36% of his three-point attempts last season, draining a career-high 62 threes on the year. The PA native dished out 110 assists on the career year while at Colgate. He led the Raiders to a conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance, in which he scored 20 points, dished out six assists, and also grabbed six rebounds.
The storyline: Cummings, a Pittsburgh native, made his return to his hometown this offseason when he committed to the Panthers out of the transfer portal. He is the team’s lead point guard, and he showed a glimpse of excellence from the point in Pitt’s exhibition win over Clarion recently. Cummings can shoot the ball from deep, can get into the lane, and is a crafty passer which will benefit each of his teammates. Look out for the Cummings/Hugley tandem in the pick-and-roll, as Cummings thrives in ball screen situations.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Cummings on running the point for the Panthers:
“I am very comfortable running the point,” Cummings said after the game. Especially with those types of guys who set those good screens. They get me open, so I’m able to make decisions seamlessly when they’re setting screens.”
Cummings on feeding off of his teammates in the recent exhibition win:
“I think that’s going to be our thing this year. We’ve got to share the ball; we’ve all got to contribute. We can’t be just a one-man team. So, we all have to be able to contribute in multiple different ways – scoring, assisting, playing defense, and everything. This is a together unit, and that’s what we’re going to continue doing every single time we play.”
Cummings on playing his first game (exhibition) in the Pete:
“I think it felt really good, man. I had my family here. Just to get the environment, to get our feet wet out here a little bit. Everybody got the chance to contribute. I think it was a good time, for sure.”