On Thursday, Pitt head coach Jeff Capel offered an update on Damian Dunn’s status, now weeks after he sustained a dislocated thumb.
“He’s good,” Capel said. “Getting better. He’s chomping at the bit to get back out there. Still going to be a little bit. Still in a cast, so he’s not able to do anything in practice except for conditioning stuff.”
A reporter then asked Capel if there was a target date for Dunn’s return.
“No, I still think we’re looking at that six-week mark, I don’t think anything has changed with that,” he said. “I think once he gets out of the cast, then I think the plan is to get out of the cast, hopefully next week, next Tuesday, and then go to a splint where he can have more movement in his thumb. Then, start the rehab and strengthen that. Then, we’ll see from there.”
Dunn underwent surgery for his dislocated thumb on Nov. 25, shortly after Pitt’s trip to The Greenbrier. Pitt announced that he was expected to miss “at least six weeks of action” on the date of his surgery.
Just two minutes into Pitt’s game against Wisconsin at The Greenbrier, Dunn jumped up in the air and found Jaland Lowe across the court with a pass. On his way down, Dunn turned his left ankle, spraining it. In addition, Dunn dislocated his thumb during the play.
After staying down for a bit, Dunn was helped to his feet by Pitt’s training staff. He left the game and did not return.
Dunn was averaging 13 points per game for Pitt this year before the game in which he was injured. He was a key piece to the Panthers’ 6-0 start to the year. He has started each game for Pitt so far in the regular season.
Dunn came to Pittsburgh after a lengthy career at Temple followed by a one-season stint at Houston.
Dunn is a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 6.4 points per game last season for the Cougars, shooting 36% from the field and 32% from three-point range. Prior to last season at Houston, he spent four years at Temple, averaging at least 13 points per game in each of his three seasons of action. In his final season with the Owls, Dunn started 20 games and averaged a career-best 15.3 points per game. He hit a career-high 48 three pointers that year, shooting 35% from downtown.
“Damian is an experienced guard with the ability to really score the ball,” Pitt head coach Jeff Capel said upon his signing at Pitt. “He is highly competitive with a big frame to get to his spots on offense as well as guard multiple positions on the other end of the floor. We targeted him early in the transfer process and are excited to have him join our program. I really like how our backcourt is coming together with the return of Ish and Jaland as well as the additions of Damian and Brandin [Cummings].”
Dunn is a Kinston, North Carolina native.
