Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel welcomed transfer Barry Dunning Jr. to the program Saturday, as the Panthers announced his official signing.
The transfer from South Alabama committed to the Panthers on April 12.
“Barry is a dynamic athlete who has continued to improve throughout his college career,” Capel said in a statement. “He can score at all three levels and also impacts the game with his rebounding ability from the wing. He was a highly touted prospect out of high school and showed why last season at South Alabama. We believe he has the ability to make another big jump in his game and we are eager to help him maximize his talent here at Pitt.”
A 6-foot-6 junior small forward, Dunning averaged 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds this past season in earning first-team All-Sun Belt honors and helping South Alabama (21-11) tie for first in the Sun Belt Conference at 13-5.
Dunning played previously at Arkansas and UAB. He attended McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, Ala., where he was the state’s Mr. Basketball after averaging more than 25 points and 13 rebounds as a senior. He also was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year.
This season he shot 46% from the field and also was a 31% shooter from behind the 3-point arc.
Dunning has totaled 507 points, 251 rebounds, 73 assists and 33 steals over 63 career games (32 starts). He is 195 of 436 (.447) from the field, including 40 of 133 (.301) from 3-point range, and 77 of 102 (.755) from the foul line in his career.
Dunning joins a Pitt transfer class that includes guards Damarco Minro (Oregon State) and Nojus Indrusaitis (Iowa State) and center Dishon Jackson (Iowa State).
The Panthers’ four scholarship returnees are Papa Amadou Kante, Cameron Corhen, Brandin Cummings and Amdy Ndiaye.