Inside The Panthers

Pitt HC Gives Update on Damian Dunn Injury

Pitt Panthers head coach gave an update on Damian Dunn's injury.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Damian Dunn (1) warms up before a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Damian Dunn (1) warms up before a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are hoping that they'll have one of their veteran players back for the rest of ACC play and have encouraging signs he may return.

Sixth year guard Damian Dunn has missed the last seven games for Pitt, after he underwent surgery on his right thumb and also suffered a right ankle sprain in the loss to then ranked No. 19 Wisconsin at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. on Nov. 24.

The program announced that he would miss the next six weeks, which marked Jan. 6 as the earliest comeback date from surgery on Nov. 25.

Dunn went through warmups ahead of the matchup vs. Stanford on Jan. 4 at the Petersen Events Center, which Pitt won 83-68. Dunn did not play in this matchup, but did participate in shoot around.

Panthers head coach Jeff Capel didn't confirm when he would come back, but that he will see the doctor again soon and that they'll know where he is at going forward.

Pitt faces No. 3 Duke on Jan. 7, which serve as a battle of two undefeated ACC teams going at it.

“Could be, could be,” Capel said postgame. “We’ll know for sure on Monday. He’ll see the doctor again on Monday, and we’ll have a better idea on Monday, but he’s getting close, so it could be.”

Capel also said that there was never a chance that Dunn would play vs. the Cardinal, but that Dunn wanted to go through warmups with his teammates.

“No. No. He just wanted to warm up,” Capel said. “He’s been chomping at the bit and he’s been able to do some more stuff in practice. Still has not done any live contact, offensive stuff, but he’s done stuff defensively, he’s done all of our skill-work stuff, so he’s getting back into the rhythm of it and he asked me yesterday, could he go through warmups and so I thought that was a great sign. So, we’ll see.”

Dunn was one of the best players for Pitt this season prior to this injury, ranking third with 13.0 points per game and averaging 25.2 minutes and 2.5 rebounds per game, while starting the first six contests. He also shot 50.0% from the field, 52.6% from 3-point range and 75.0% from the foul line.

He starred in the 86-62 win over rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl at the Petersen Events Center on Nov. 15. He scored a team-high 23 points and shot 7-for-12 from the field, 4-for-7 from 3-point range and 5-for-7 from the free throw line.

Dunn also had a great game in the 83-68 win vs. Murray State at home on Nov. 8. He scored 19 points, shot 6-for-11 from the floor, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 4-for-6 from the foul line.

He hails from Kinston, N.C. and played for Meadowcreek High School in the Atlanta metro.

Dunn would commit to Temple and played for them for four seasons from 2019-23. His best season came in his last, 2022-23, putting up career-highs of 15.3 points and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 41.1% from the field, 34.8% from 3-point range and 81.4% from the foul line.

He would eventually transfer to Houston for his fifth season, starting just four of the 37 games he played in, averaging 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season and shooting 35.9% from the field, 31.7% from 3-point range and 70.6% from the foul line as well.

Dunn chose to come to Pitt ahead of this season and head coach Jeff Capel and his teammates will hope he's ready to go sooner rather than later.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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