Harlan: Lincoln Park guard Cummings sharing the scoring

When it comes to his basketball future, Nelly Cummings is willing to trade some points for assists.

“I'm 6-foot,” he says. “To get where I want to, I can't be a scorer first. I need to distribute, score when I have to and lead a team ­— all of that.”

The Lincoln Park junior saw at times this summer how it benefited him to pass more and shoot less.

The point guard averaged 24.5 points last regular season for the Leopards when his first responsibility was scoring. But he's worked to better balance his approach, and college coaches have noticed. Cornell was first to extend a Division I offer last weekend.

Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski said it's no surprise that the Ivy League was interested: “He's a great student — straight As.” In fact, Cummings will graduate high school with 18 college credits, he said.

So other teams could follow. Indiana is expected to visit him this week, Bariski said. Cummings visited Bloomington in late August after meeting coach Tom Crean at an AAU event. West Virginia, Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary's also are scheduled to talk with him soon.

“They like his quickness and his ability to see the open man,” Bariski said. “He is equally as talented going right and left. I don't think anyone knew that he has that much of a command of the basketball until they saw him this summer.”

Cummings embraced the point-guard mindset while handling the ball for AAU team All-Ohio Red. With the Midland native at the point, the team won a national title July 26 at the AAU Super Showcase in Louisville, Ky.

“When he played with Ohio Red, he was playing with four great kids,” Bariski said. “You don't just have to throw the ball to the same guy all the time. You don't have to shoot it all the time. I think that's what he learned.”

“We had a lot of tools, a lot of players, a lot of egos,” Cummings said. “I made sure to get everybody involved and win the game. I liked that a lot.”

Cummings still averaged double figures but wasn't always the focus.

“A year ago, he wouldn't have thought that was enough points,” Bariski said. “Now he understands 18 with eight or nine assists is the way to go. It's just as gratifying for him now to hit a guy for an open 3 or an open layup as it is for him to hit that 3 or shoot that layup.”

He works out in the gym each morning with passing drills included, but he's also sharpened his mid-range jumper.

“I still shoot and still score,” he said, “but I'm looking for my teammates more.”

Chris Harlan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.