Pitt Reveals Starting Lineup vs. West Virginia

The Pitt Panthers are rolling out a familiar lineup vs. West Virginia in the 192nd edition of the Backyard Brawl.

Jeff Capel has talked about tinkering the lineup a few times early this season, but aside from an injury to Brandin Cummings that held him out of the Eastern Michigan win, he's rolled with the same starting lineup. And that's continuing tonight.

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Pitt Reveals First Starting Lineup

Pitt is running it back with the starting lineup from two of the first three games this season. Damarco Minor, Omari Witherspoon and Brandin Cummings are starting at guard, and Roman Siulepa and Cam Corhen are starting at forward.

Minor has been ultra important to Pitt so far this season, serving as the vocal leader offensively and providing a much-needed edge on defense. He has the keys to the offense in his hands.

Cummings is back in the lineup after missing the EMU game earlier this week, and his return is huge for the Panthers' chances to win. Jeff Capel said during the preseason that Cummings just needs to "be a good player for Pitt" this season — be the glue guy.

Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Brandin Cummings (3) reacts after hitting a three point shot in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-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 — and has been stronger on the boards this season.

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.

A Closer Look at the Starting Lineup

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.

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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