Pitt Guard Out vs. Virginia With Injury

The Pitt Panthers won't have a key player against the Virginia Cavaliers.

Nov 13, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Brandin Cummings (3) shoots a three pointer during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers head into their road matchup against No. 18 Virginia without one of their most important players.

Panthers sophomore guard Brandin Cummings won't play vs. the Cavaliers due to ankle pain, according to a press release from the program.

The ACC injury report that came out a day prior to this matchup listed Cummings as "Questionable," but now the guard won't feature in their mid-week road contest.

Pitt is already thin on depth as it is and this injury hurts their efforts against one of the best teams in the ACC.

Brandin Cummings' 2025-26 Season with Pitt

Cummings has dealt with an ankle injury earlier in the season, which saw him miss three games back in November.

Those games he missed included a 78-66 win over Eastern Michigan on Nov. 10, an 83-75 loss to Quinnipiac on Nov. 23 and then a 67-66 win over Ohio State on Nov. 28, all three contests at the Petersen Events Center.

Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Brandin Cummings (3) reacts after making a three point basket in overtime against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cummings has featured in the past 14 games, including all nine ACC contests for the Panthers, starting in four of those contests, including three of the past four ACC games.

He leads the team with 12.5 points and has shot 42.4% from the field, 32.6% from 3-point range and 71.8% from the foul line.

Cummings scored a career-high 34 points in the 80-73 home loss to Hofstra on Dec. 7, shooting 10-for-15 from the field, 5-for-8 from 3-point range and a perfect 9-for-9 on free throws, while dishing out five assists.

He also had back-to-back 20-point games in ACC play, scoring 29 points in the 83-72 home loss to Syracuse on Jan. 10 and 23 points in the 89-66 road win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 14.

Cummings has had inconsistent play this season, which is why he's not been a main starter throughout, going from big scoring performances to games where he's largely missing from the offensive production Pitt needs out of him.

Where Pitt Turns To Without Cummings

The Panthers have just four available guards vs. the Cavaliers in fifth year Damarco Minor, sophomore Nojus Indrusaitis and freshmen in Omari Witherspoon and Macari Moore.

Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Damarco Minor (7) brings the ball up court against the NC State Wolfpack during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Minor and Witherspoon should start in this matchup, but Indrusaitis may come into the lineup as well with Cummings' absence.

None of the Pitt guards have averaged double-figures in scoring, with Minor at 8.2 points, Witherspoon at 6.9 points, Indrusaitis at 5.6 points and Moore at 2.0 points per game.

Pitt will need big performances from Minor and Witherspoon, plus Indrusaitis and Moore as they take on a tough defensive team in Virginia on the road.

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