Inside The Panthers

Nelly Cummings Closes Impactful One Year with Pitt

A hometown hero says goodbye to the Pitt Panthers.

Stephen Thompson

Nelly Cummings Closes Impactful One Year with Pitt
Nelly Cummings Closes Impactful One Year with Pitt /
In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- He grew up rooting for this team and was a key part of its resurrection, now Nelly Cummings has to say goodbye to the Pitt Panthers. In posts on Instagram and Twitter highlighting some of this team's best moments like reaching March Madness and meeting civil rights icon John Carlos at the Petersen Events Center, Cummings officially brought his one-year tenure as a Panther to a close. 

Some of his brightest moments as a Panther came in the biggest games. He made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points in a tight win over Syracuse up at the JMA Wireless Dome in December. His personal 9-0 run late in the second half at North Carolina helped the Panthers turn momentum and escape Chapel Hill with a win in early February. He recorded a season-high 13 assists, along with 14 assists in a win over Georgia Tech later that month. At the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, he led the Panthers in scoring with 15 points as they beat Mississippi State for the first NCAA Tournament win for this program in almost a decade. 

He is leaving a legacy that will last long beyond his time as a player at Pitt, with his brother Brandin set to succeed him in 2024 when he signs with the Panthers and enrolls at Pitt. Brandin Cummings is a three-star combo guard, the only player currently committed to the Panthers in the class of 2024. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

What Made This Pitt Team Special

Pitt Seniors Reflect on What They Built

Aidan Fisch Says Goodbye to Pitt Basketball

Pitt vs Xavier Takeaways: Historic Season Comes to Bitter Close

Blake Hinson Proud of How Pitt Defied Odds

Pitt F Aidan Fisch Reflects on Historic Season

Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

Home/Basketball