PITTSBURGH — Brandin Cummings' offer sheet wasn't as extensive as some other recruits of his caliber.

Rated as a three-star prospect, South Carolina, Creighton, Maryland and a handful of mid-majors extended scholarship offers, but there's a reason why few schools came calling. Once Pitt offered, it wasn't much of a decision.

"I knew the moment I got the offer that it was the school I wanted to go to," Cummings said. "I've said before that I've always wanted to go to Pitt. That offer meant so much to me. I was emotional when I got it."

All of Cummings' basketball heroes are local. There's his brother, Nelly, who spent one season at Pitt and broke a seven-year NCAA tournament drought. Dave McCauley, his cousin, was a dynamic scorer for Lincoln Park and, eventually, California University in the late 2000s. Cummings can even trace his basketball roots back two more generations to another two-time WPIAL champion, Chuck Gomez and Pittsburgh pickup legends Johnny, Larry and Donnie Slappy.

He balances confidence and humility, molding himself to any role the Panthers need — and they've needed him in plenty of different forms over the first 13 games of his collegiate career. Cummings wants to add his own name to Pittsburgh basketball lore, and Pitt is giving him every opportunity to do just that as the team races out to its best start in nine years.

"Above all else, I just want to put on for my family and let the world know where I come from and what I come from," Cummings said. "Every time I step on the floor, I try to let everyone know that I'm from Midland, Pa."

Hometown hero

Jeff Capel and the rest of the Pitt coaching staff have known Cummings for a long time. Long before he entered the college ranks, Cummings was one half of a dominant high school team.

Alongside five-star Arkansas pledge Meleek Thomas, Cummings helped lead the Leopards to a pair of WPIAL and state titles at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School.

He was a fixture of the courtside seats in Petersen Events Center while his older brother spent a season as Pitt's floor general — and the year after when he committed to becoming a Panther himself. Cummings is no stranger to that building and this program.

"[Brandin] has basically been part of our program for the past two years," Capel said.

He grew up a fan, watching Pitt basketball compete nationally and under the bright lights of the Big East. It makes moments like his 30-point outburst against Eastern Kentucky so special. Cummings starred on the same stage his idols had while the family he is so close to was in the stands. His older brother was even providing color commentary for the television broadcast.

"It was just something that I've dreamed about when I was a kid," Cummings said. "I always wanted to play for this school, play in this arena, and it just made me feel really at home to have my brother over there doing his thing and my family supporting me."

Cummings is coming of age while Panthers basketball was in a sustained lull. After making 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and earning a top-three seed seven times between 2001 and 2016, Pitt has made just one tournament appearance since 2017 and did it as an 11th seed and one of the Last Four In.

So Cummings arrived in Oakland with a mission in mind. The version of Pitt basketball he knows is a national competitor that commands the respect and attention of its city. He sees it as a personal responsibility to get it back to the heights of his childhood.

"I just remember it feeling like it was a pro program, like it was an NBA team. The energy in Pittsburgh when they were dominating the Big East, ranked top 10 in the country, I remember what that felt like," Cummings said. "I know Pitt had some bad years where it wasn't to that standard, and I felt like I wanted to be part of that group that restored that."

Leveling up

Way before that breakout performance, however, Cummings was trying to prove he belonged. Capel described Cummings as reserved and "low maintenance" off the court, but as soon as he steps inside the lines, he's a different person — and he showed that side of himself right away.

"I know a coach didn't tell him to do this — but the very first thing he did every day was try to guard Jaland [Lowe]," Capel said. "Every day, he would try to pick Jaland up full court. Anything five-on-five, anything if his team scored or there was a dead ball, he would pick him or [Ishmael Leggett] up full court."

"That's different. That's unique for a freshman to kind of want that right away."

As impressive a shot-maker and competitor as he was early on in practices, Cummings wasn't high on anyone else's scouting report when the season began. Pitt's outstanding veteran guard trio of Lowe, Leggett and Damian Dunn were eating up the vast majority of the minutes. Through the first 10 games of his freshman season, Cummings saw the floor for just 15 minutes and took under four shots per game.

But it didn't bother Cummings much. He took comfort in making the most of those limited opportunities — and adopting a more detailed process to prepare for games has made the transition from high school to college easier.

"Me and my brother always live by the phrase 'Stay ready so you don't have to get ready.'" Cummings said. "I'm okay with playing my role off the bench because I know when my name is called, I'm going to be ready because I've prepared for that moment."

But the rotation thinned when Dunn went down with an injury against Wisconsin. Over the last month, Cummings is now up to 23 minutes, 7.8 shots and 13.8 points per game on 56.4% shooting from the field and a 60% clip from 3-point distance. With Leggett sidelined because of an ankle injury on Wednesday against Cal, Cummings made his first career start and scored 15 points with three assists and four rebounds.

"Don't care if he's a freshman or not — we expect that of him, and he has that expectation for himself," Lowe said. "We trust in him, and he did well today."

Pitt certainly wasn't hoping that either of Dunn or lshmael Leggett, two of this team's starting guards and top scorers, would miss any amount of time with injuries this season. But as a team, they've barely skipped a beat because Cummings has stepped into progressively bigger roles without issue. At first, he was counted on for energy off the bench and maybe an open shot or two. On Wednesday, he was a starter, third-leading scorer and critical facilitator.

Every day of his first season has brought something different for Brandin Cummings. But fluctuating minutes and varying roles don't phase him. To restore the program he's loved his whole life back to what he believes is its deserved station, Cummings has to be ready for anything.

"I'm a warrior," he said. "So no matter what happens, I always come back ready."

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