Pitt’s Brandin Cummings Battling Ankle Injury, Status for Remainder of Season Uncertain
Pitt sophomore guard Brandin Cummings has already missed five games this season due to an ankle injury, and there’s growing concern that his time on the court could be done for the year. Head coach Jeff Capel didn’t rule out that possibility during Monday’s ACC coaches teleconference, offering a candid update on his leading scorer’s uncertain status.
“There’s a possibility that he could miss the rest of the season,” Capel said. “I don’t have any expectations right now. I’m hoping to find out maybe a little bit more today, as he was seeing an expert, he and his father.”
It’s a tough blow for a Pitt team that’s already navigating a brutal ACC stretch and looking for answers in a season that hasn’t gone as planned. Cummings opened the year with a bang, starting the first two games and pouring in 37 points combined in wins over Youngstown State and Longwood. But the ankle injury surfaced early, sidelining him for the Panthers’ third game against Eastern Michigan.
He returned for a rivalry matchup at West Virginia, logging 32 minutes but clearly still finding his rhythm. Cummings finished with seven points on 3-of-13 shooting, including just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Over the next few games, his minutes and production fluctuated - 19 minutes in a win over Bucknell, 29 in a loss at UCF - before the ankle flared up again, forcing him to miss back-to-back games against Quinnipiac and Ohio State.
Despite the setbacks, Cummings found a groove midseason, appearing in 14 straight games and even delivering some explosive performances off the bench. He dropped a career-high 34 points in a loss to Hofstra, followed by 29 against Syracuse and 23 in a road win at Georgia Tech. Even when he wasn’t in the starting five, Cummings proved he could be the engine of Pitt’s offense.
But the injury hasn’t gone away. He was limited to under 12 minutes in a Jan. 31 loss at Clemson and hasn’t seen the floor since, missing both of last week’s games - a 67-47 loss at Virginia and an 86-67 home defeat to SMU.
Through 19 games this season, Cummings has averaged 12.5 points per game - tops on the team. He’s reached double figures 10 times and has scored 20 or more in three of those outings.
He’s also led the team in scoring in four games, showing a knack for stepping up when Pitt has needed a spark. His shooting numbers back it up: he’s fourth on the team with 92 made three-pointers and is hitting 71.8% from the free throw line (51-of-71), ranking third among Panthers in that category.
Now, the Panthers are left hoping he can return - and soon. Pitt is 9-15 overall and just 2-9 in ACC play, and the schedule isn’t doing them any favors.
After an overtime win over Wake Forest two weeks ago, the Panthers have faced a gauntlet: Clemson, Virginia, and SMU. It doesn’t get any easier, with No.
21 Duke coming to the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday night, followed by a trip to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina on Saturday.
For a team trying to salvage momentum and build for the future, Cummings’ presence - even in a limited role - could mean the difference between staying competitive and simply surviving. But until there’s more clarity on his ankle, Pitt will have to find ways to fill the scoring void left by one of their most dynamic young talents.