PITTSBURGH – Pitt is coming off a season opening win vs. Youngstown State, and for now, it appears that head coach Jeff Capel has found a lineup he wants to roll with.
Pitt is running it back with the same starting lineup it had against Youngstown State. Damarco Minor, Omari Witherspoon and Brandin Cummings are starting at guard, and Roman Siulepa and Cam Corhen are starting at forward.
Minor didn’t score many points against Youngstown State in the opener, but he grabbed six boards, dished three assists and racked up two steals. He has the keys to the offense in his hands.
Cummings was a spark plug against YSU, scoring 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Jeff Capel said during the preseason that Cummings just needs to “be a good player for Pitt” this season – be the glue guy.
Feb 3, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Brandin Cummings (3) calls out a play against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Corhen is perhaps the key to unlocking the Panthers’ full potential on the inside this season. He was strong in the season opener, posting a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Siulepa is a young player who is still learning the game, especially at the college level, but if he gets downhill, he’s hard to stop. He should be able to impact the game best when running in transition – as he showed across both scrimmages.
Witherspoon pressed too hard at times against YSU, but he’s entering just his second college game. He’s a physical presence on both sides of the ball and should have the opportunity to make an immediate impact as a true freshman.
Minor is on his fourth program in five seasons, playing for South Suburban College, a JUCO, as a freshman. He transferred to Division I SIU Edwardsville as a sophomore and stayed for his junior season before transferring to Oregon State for his senior season.
He averaged 31.9 minutes, 9.8 points, 5.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 39.7% from the field, 28.2% from deep and 83.5% from the foul line last season.
Cummings played in 31 games and made four starts as a freshman for Pitt last season, where he averaged 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, while shooting 42.9% from the field, 37.7% from 3-point range and 82.1% from the free throw line.
Corhen is another returner, like Brandin Cummings, joining Pitt last season after a few seasons at Florida State.
Feb 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Cameron Corhen (2) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
He started all 32 games for the Panthers last season, averaging 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, while shooting 63.5% from the field and 59.3% from the foul line.
Siulepa hails from Australia and previously played in the National Basketball League (NBL) and was a prolific rugby player at the youth level — there had been a legitimate conversation regarding his future in both sports.
He has played with both the South West Metro Pirates in NBL1 and the Tasmania JackJumpers in the NBL, while representing Australia internationally at the youth level.
Siulepa played for the Emus at both the FIBA U16 Asian Championships and then FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in 2022, the FIBA U17 Oceania Championship in 2023 and most recently, the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland.
Witherspoon was a standout at St. John’s College High last season, and while he held nearly 20 offers from Division I programs, he went largely under the radar out of the DMV. He has a chance to make a legitimate impact for the Panthers this season.
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