Listen Now: Morning News

Memphis Grizzlies grab Jevon Carter with 32nd overall pick

West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jevon Carter (2) shoots a 3-pointer during last season’s win against Baylor at WVU Coliseum. Carter became a second-round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.

 

— By Justin Jackson, The Dominion Post

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jevon Carter ended an eight-year drought Thursday night.

The two-time national defensive player of the year was chosen No. 32 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies — with the second pick of the second round — to become the first West Virginia player taken in the NBA draft since 2010.

Carter has local connections with Memphis.

His mother, Cynthia Johnson, lives there. Also, the Grizzlies’ general manager is Chris Wallace, a native of Buckhannon.

It had been since the 2010 draft that both Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks were selected in the second round, coming off the Mountaineers’ run to the Final Four.

Carter watched the draft with family and friends at Quest Multisport, a training facility in Chicago, not far from his home in Maywood, Ill. If this night was anything like his career with the Mountaineers, Carter likely spent some of it getting up shots during the draft.

“One of the hardest working guys I’ve ever had,” Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said last season. “I’ll be in my office and if I hear balls bouncing down below, it’s usually him getting up shots before anyone else even showed up.”

Carter was selected one pick before his former AAU teammate, Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, who went to the Mavs at No. 33. Kansas point guard Devonte’ Graham, against whom Carter played 10 times in Big 12 battles, followed at No. 34 to the Hawks.

Carter’s focused and relentless work ethic helped him develop into one of the program’s all-time greats.

He left WVU as the school’s eighth-best scorer (1,758 points) and career steals leader (330). He was also second all-time with 559 career assists.

Guarding was the name of his game, though, and Carter earned the national Defensive Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior.

According to Huggins, Carter’s defense also prompted many draft prospects to cancel workouts with NBA teams once they found Carter would be there too.

“They’ve had their agents call and cancel when they found out J.C. was going to the workout,” Huggins said.

Carter was unavailable for comment. His agent, Zach Kurtin, did not return a message for comment.

Carter was among 11 college seniors taken in Thursday’s 60-pick draft. Some 13 freshmen were selected, 10 of whom were lottery picks.

The question of Carter’s draft status was always more about “when” than “if.”

He was invited to the NBA Combine last month as one of the projected top 60 prospects, where he interviewed with the Detroit Pistons, according to published reports.

In the weeks that followed, he was invited to work out for as many as 10 teams, including Memphis on June 6.

Carter’s selection is a far cry from where he began his college career.

He chose WVU because the Mountaineers were the only school from a Power 5 conference to offer him a scholarship.

Carter was the furthest thing from a “one-and-done” prospect and had only played point guard for his AAU summer team.

In what has become one of Huggins’ best stories about Carter, the WVU coach said he first saw Carter’s potential during an AAU game.

“I had my morning cup of coffee and I sit down at this game at 8 a.m. and [Carter] is the only one out there pressing,” Huggins said. “I told our guys, ‘We have to get this guy.’ ”

Get him, the Mountaineers did. Over the course of four years, Carter guided the Mountaineers to four consecutive NCAA tournaments and three trips to the finals of the Big 12 tournament.

Huggins “brought me in one day and told me my future was at point guard,” Carter once said. “He told me I had a chance to play at the next level if I switched. There really wasn’t much to think about after hearing that.”

Carter will play with the Grizzlies during the Las Vegas summer league. Memphis’ first game is at 9 p.m. July 7, against Detroit.

As a second-round pick, Carter will not have a guaranteed spot with the Grizzlies, even after he signs a contract. He must make the team to earn a full salary.

Second-round picks are not bound by the NBA’s salary scale for rookies, but the league minimum is $562,493 for the first year.

What kind of salary will Carter command? Last year, Kansas State’s Wesley Iwundu was drafted 33rd overall and signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $4.05 million deal with Orlando. Kansas point guard Frank Mason went 34th to Sacramento and received a $4.18 million contract over three years with only the first two years guaranteed.





More Sports

Sports
Beanie Bishop posts top 40-yard dash time at Big 12 Pro Day
March 29, 2024 - 1:21 am
High School Sports
Herbert Hoover improves to 10-0 with 2-1 win over Hurricane
The Huskies collected a pair of victories Thursday in the Guard the Capital Invitational in Charleston.
March 29, 2024 - 12:51 am
High School Sports
Independence bests Wahama, 10-2 in the Guard the Capital Tournament
March 28, 2024 - 9:03 pm
High School Sports
Photo gallery: University defeats Bridgeport, 12-3
March 28, 2024 - 6:24 pm