Pitt Basketball Lands Oregon State Transfer Guard

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers landed a transfer guard that will bolster the team for next season, as they rebuild their roster.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN reported on Twitter that Oregon State transfer guard Damarco Minor committed to Pitt, according to his agent, Scott Nichols of Rize Management.

He picked Pitt over his other two finalists in Virginia Tech and Florida State, which Joe Tipton of On3 reported last week.

Minor hails from Chicago and played for Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Ill., just south of the city.

He attended South Suburban College, a junior college in nearby South Holland, Ill., for the 2021-22 season, where he led them to a 33-0 record and the school's first NJCAA Division II National Championship.

Minor averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.8% from the field and making 112 steals, second most in the nation, leading to NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year honors.

He transferred to Division I program SIU Edwardsville for his sophomore season, where he started all 33 games he played in. He averaged 32.4 minutes, 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting 42.0% from the field, 29.5% from 3-point range and 87.6% from the foul line, earning a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer team.

Minor again started all 33 games he played in for SIUE in the 2023-24 season and had an even better campaign.

He averaged 33.5 minutes, 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 39.7% from the field, 31.5% from 3-point range and 86.2% from the foul line. His performances earned him First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection honors.

Minor transferred to Oregon State this past season, where he started all 32 games he played. 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.

He has one year left of eligibility, as Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia filed an injunction against the NCAA, which allows JUCO players an extra year of eligibility for next season, if they exhausted theirs prior.

Minor is the fourth transfer that Pitt has landed out of the portal, including Iowa State duo in guard Nojus Indrusaitis and center Dishon Jackson and South Alabama forward Barry Dunning Jr.

The Panthers desperately needs players on its team for next season, as they have lost six players to the transfer portal so far.

This includes guards in All-ACC Third Team honoree Jaland Lowe, who transferred to Kentucky, and Amsal Delalić, plus forwards in Papa Amadou Kante, Marlon Barnes Jr. and twin duo of Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham.

Pitt also had three players graduate who started throughout last season, including guards Ish Leggett and Damian Dunn, as well as forward Zack Austin, who earned All-ACC Defensive Team honors.

The Panthers only have three returning players in forwards Cameron Corhen and Amdy Ndiaye and just one guard in Brandin "Beebah" Cummings. They also have an incoming guard in Omari Witherspoon from St. John's College in Washington, D.C.

Pitt Basketball Roster Heading into the 2025-26 Season

Graduate Student (One Year of Eligibility)
Center Dishon Jackson (Iowa State)
Guard Damarco Minor (Oregon State)

Senior (One Year Left of Eligibilty)
Forward Cameron Corhen
Forward Barry Dunning Jr. (South Alabama)

Junior (Two years Left of Eligibility)
Forward Benjamin Mayhew (Walk-On)
Forward Jajuan Nelson (Walk-On)

Sophomore (Three Years Left of Eligibility)
Guard Brandin "Beebah" Cummings
Guard Nojus Indrusaitis (Iowa State)
Forward Amdy Ndiaye
Center Liam Mignogna (Walk-On)

Freshman
Guard Omari Witherspoon