PITTSBURGH – Pitt Panthers star guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington was sent to the Washington Wizards with the No. 14 pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Wizards traded the pick to the Portland Trail Blazers. They sent Deni Avdija and received the No. 14 pick (Carrington). They also received Malcolm Brogdon, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks for Avdija.
Carrington is the second youngest player in the NBA draft pool and the youngest college player in the draft, as he will not turn 19 until July.
He left the high-powered St. Frances Academy in Baltmore as a four-star guard in the class of 2023. He scored over 2,000 points in high school and averaged over 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game his senior year while shooting 49% from the field, 38% from 3-point range and 86% from the free throw line.
Carrington made an immediate impact as a freshman at Pitt. In his very first game, the season opener against North Carolina A&T, he scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists for a triple-double, becoming the first Pitt player to do so.
Carrington started strong but struggled to score points at times midway through the season, which also caused Pitt to struggle overall, winning just one of its first six ACC games.
He grew as the team improved, serving as the primary scorer alongside forward Blake Hinson. His work alongside him and fellow rising sophomore in Jaland Lowe helped the Panthers win 11 of their final 14 conference games, finish fourth in the ACC and earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament.
He demonstrated his great ability to pick up the ball late in the season when he scored 27 points and made seven 3-pointers, both season highs, in a blowout road win over Boston College on March 2.
One of his best games was the season-ending loss to North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC tournament, where he played all 40 minutes, scored 24 points, made 9 of 17 field goals and 4 of 8 three-pointers in the 72-65 loss.
It is important to note that he did this at Capital One Arena, home of the Wizards.
After this defeat, Carrington initially stated that he would stay at Pitt, but in early April he held a press conference and declared for the NBA draft.
His efficiency on pull-up shots is something that sets him apart from other prospects in this draft class. Carrington scored 7.4 points per game on pull-up jumpers, second in Division I behind Oregon State’s Jordan Pope. He hit 50.9% of his pull-up shots, with only four Division I players shooting better, and he hit 32.2% of his pull-up threes, more than all but 20 Division I players.
This makes him a dangerous combo guard, even though he primarily played point guard for the Panthers. This allows him to serve as the head of the offense, but also as someone who can play off the ball and score in other ways.
Carrington was also a great passer at Pitt last season, showing great vision when it came to picking out his teammates and finding them for easy baskets. He averaged 4.1 assists per game and caused just 1.9 turnovers per game.
He also just showed great maturity over the course of the season. His fantastic starts were down to his talent, but even when he struggled, he was able to improve over the course of his first season and ended up playing at a high level against some of the best teams in the country.
Carrington needs to work on his defense, as he only recorded 19 steals all season, and his overall on-ball defense needs to improve if he wants to play significant minutes at the NBA level.
He also needs to work on his catch-and-shoot situations, something he focused on in the offseason as he only made 32% of his 3-pointers from the catch. He will also want to focus on attacking the basket with more ferocity as he has only made less than 50 shots from halfcourt this season, averaged less than 1.5 attempts per game and has only made 50.9% of his shots from inside the basket.
Carrington’s youth is what makes his future so exciting. He excelled early and last season as a freshman at Pitt. Now the Wizards have a chance to add him to their ranks for the foreseeable future.
His issues are easily fixed for the future star and Carrington is a player ready for the next level. If you are a Wizards fan, be patient with his development because he has great potential in the NBA.
Carrington has also been a Wizards fan since childhood, and being from nearby Baltimore, he has the chance to be considered a hometown hero for years to come.
He will also join former Pitt alumnus, forward Justin Champagnie (2019-21), on the Wizards, which will make for a great connection between the two teams for next season.
Washington drafted center Alex Sarr from France with the No. 2 pick and then selected Miami wing/Swiss international Kyshawn George with the No. 25 pick.
Wizards fans will love the combination of Carrington, Sarr and George for the future and it will restore relevance to a franchise that just endured the worst season in its history.
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