From Pitt to Zoo Crew to pros in Cyprus, Nelly Cummings completes basketball circle of life

Nelly Cummings said suiting up for the Zoo Crew in The Basketball Tournament next week won’t be much different from playing for Pitt last season.

With one distinct difference.

“It’s just you know there’s a million dollars at the end of it,” he said. “If there’s a loose ball, you better dive for it.”

Zoo Crew coach DeJuan Blair taking charge at practice at The Pete. pic.twitter.com/oifWVVkboC

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) July 20, 2023

Several proud former Pitt basketball players have formed the Zoo Crew and are returning to the TBT, an ESPN event structured like the NCAA Tournament with 64 teams in a single-elimination, winner-take-all format. First and only prize: $1 million.

The Zoo Crew, formerly known as the Untouchables, will play Herd That, a collection of former Marshall players, at 9 p.m. Tuesday at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. With a victory, Zoo Crew could meet Best Virginia in the next round in a different type of Backyard Brawl.

“I think I’m going to have to suit up for that one,” said Zoo Crew assistant coach and former Pitt center DeJuan Blair, who most recently played in 2009 and is still mindful of the rivalry.

For Cummings, Greg Elliott and Nike Sibande, who led Pitt back into the NCAAs this year, it is part of the circle of basketball life. They will join fellow Pitt alumni Sam Young, Gary McGhee, Michael Young, Jamel Artis, Talib Zanna, Josh Newkirk, LeVance Fields and player-coach/general manager Gilbert Brown on the Zoo Crew.

After the TBT, Cummings will travel overseas to play professionally for AEL Limassol in Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. He announced his contract signing Thursday before Zoo Crew practice.

“It’s been a whole bunch of different emotions,” he said. “Excitement is at the top of that list.”

Cummings spent part of the summer playing pick-up with members of the current Pitt team.

“They look real good, different unit,” he said. “They’re younger than us, a little more athletic. They got some young legs out there.”

Turning around and practicing with the older Zoo Crew players is “a full-circle moment for me,” he said.

“I remember watching these guys, hopping in some drills (when he was a youngster visiting from Midland). Now that I’m an alumni and I can sit back and watch these guys practice and we come out here and do this, I can finally say we left the program in good hands.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m a part of that group. It’s kind of surreal for me, still, being around these guys that I used to idolize and being one of them and not just a little kid looking up to them anymore.”

The competition will be fierce in the TBT, but Cummings — maintaining the attitude he displayed during the season —is confident of success.

“We’re a collection of guys who played at the University of Pittsburgh. If anything, you know you’re going to get a tough group from us,” he said. “With a million dollars on the line, it’s going to be tough to beat us.”

Blair wouldn’t reveal the starting lineup, other than to say, “The plays are easy. Get Sam the ball.”

Sam Young, the fourth-leading scorer in Pitt history with 1,884 career points, finished his career in 2009 and has played overseas for many years.

“He’s still Sam,” Blair said. “He’ll never lose that pump fake. He’ll never lose his hunger for the game. He’s got a motor you can’t teach. That’s our go-to guy. I’m leaning on Sam.”

The Zoo Crew’s Sam Young, with a slick move and a basket at practice for The Basketball Tournament. First game Tuesday in Wheeling, W. Va. pic.twitter.com/A4lhNBQDJu

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) July 20, 2023

During practice Thursday at the Pete, Zoo Crew members were joined by former Pitt player Justin Champagnie, now a member of the Boston Celtics. He won’t play in the TBT, but he was happy to give the Zoo Crew stiff competition in practice scrimmages.

“I love Pitt. I always come back to school,” said Champagnie, an All-ACC player who spent two seasons at Pitt. “It’s like my home.”

Of coach Jeff Capel, he said, “I consider him family.”

Champagnie said he was so excited while watching Pitt defeat Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament in March that he broke the TV in his hotel room.

“I’m living through them. When I watch them, I envision myself back at school,” he said. “Getting to watch those guys means a lot.”

He also has observed the current Panthers in practice this summer.

“Some young guns. They’re young, but they can compete,” he said. “In basketball, if you have guys who can compete, you can go a long way.”