Inside The Panthers

Pitt's Jeff Capel Reacts to Damian Dunn Addition

The Pitt Panthers made the addition of Damian Dunn official.

Stephen Thompson

Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Damian Dunn (11) shoots against Duke Blue
Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Damian Dunn (11) shoots against Duke Blue / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have made one of their biggest additions of the offseason official this week, adding former Houston guard Damian Dunn to a backcourt that's reloaded after the loss of star freshman Bub Carrington.

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel was able to make the addition publicly for the first time and shared some quick thoughts on what Dunn will bring to the Panthers next season in a statement released by the program.

“Damian is an experienced guard with the ability to really score the ball,” Capel said. “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 took a step back into a smaller role when he joined the powerhouse Cougars this past season, playing nearly half as many minutes, taking half as many shots and scoring less than half as many points as he did the season prior. But there is evidence on his resume that he can be productive as a scoring guard.

In his final season at Temple, Dunn averaged a career-high 15.3 points and 3 rebounds per game alongside 3.7 rebounds and a 34.8% shooting clip from 3-point range. He showed strong playmaking ability too, with a career-high 20.8% assist rate while keeping his turnover rate under 20% for a third straight season on high usage (26% or more in his redshirt freshman, sophomore and junior seasons). At Houston, Dunn unlocked a new level defensively with a career-high steal rate and and a defensive box plus minus figure of 2.4 (his previous career-high was 0.1).

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

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

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: