Nelly Cummings had the chance to play college basketball for an academic powerhouse in the Ivy League, or a perennial NCAA tournament contender in Temple, or locally at Robert Morris, but, when it came down to a decision, he was one for loyalty.
Cummings, a 6-foot standout senior for Lincoln Park who was a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous Five selection last season, committed Friday morning to Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference — which provided one of his first scholarship offers and proved to be one of the most dedicated suitors.
#blessed🙏🏾 #Talonsup @BGMensBB Ready for the next step in my journey! 🏀🏀@derrellcarter thank you for the edit !! pic.twitter.com/iGOMFH6BmT
— Nelly Cummings (@Ambition___3) October 7, 2016
“They were early in the process and they stuck in there the whole time,” Cummings said. “They recruited me hard for two years straight.”
Temple, Bucknell, Brown, Dartmouth and High Point were the other finalists for Cummings, a point guard ESPN analyst Adam Finkelstein tweeted was “under-recruited” Friday. Robert Morris and Saint Francis also had offered scholarships. At times, Cummings had some interest from high-major programs like Indiana and West Virginia, but, even after averaging 22.3 points last season, he just wanted the right mix of location and opportunity.
“It’s all about fit,” Cummings said. “Because if I’m good enough, I’ll go wherever I’m supposed to go.”
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: October 8, 2016, 4:07 a.m.
