PITTSBURGH — The next step in the process of identifying Pitt coach Jeff Capel’s program as a legitimate producer of basketball talent will occur Wednesday night when Carlton “Bub” Carrington is selected — at least, by all projections — in the first round of the NBA Draft.
He will be the first Pitt player drafted after playing for Capel (hired in 2018), and one of 29 Panthers players chosen all-time.
Does the name Clarence “Dutch” Burch mean anything to Pitt fans? It might for those interested in history. Burch, a 6-foot guard from Oil City, was the first Pitt player drafted — in the fifth round by the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1954 after he scored 588 points in two seasons.
Burch started a streak of at least one Pitt basketball player drafted in each ensuing decade, a distinction Carrington will keep alive Wednesday. He could be Pitt’s ninth all-time first-round pick, including Billy Knight (1974) and Mel Bennett (1975), who were drafted by the ABA’s Indiana Pacers and Virginia Squires.
The downside is it has been 10 years since a player was drafted directly from Pitt: Lamar Patterson, second round, 2014. Pitt still counts 2019 first-round pick Cam Johnson, who started his career with the Panthers before transferring and finishing his collegiate career at North Carolina. Center Steven Adams was a first-round choice in 2013 after spending one season at Pitt.
The expectation is Carrington could be chosen within the first 20 picks, perhaps 12th to the Oklahoma City Thunder or 15th by the Miami Heat, according to respective projections by The Athletic and CBS Sports. The Athletic’s mock draft projected Carrington to come off the board before Purdue’s Zach Edey and Duke’s Jared McCain. Carrington was one of 24 players invited to sit in the Green Room at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., during the draft.
What makes Carrington such an inviting target for NBA teams after he played only one season at Pitt and won’t turn 19 until next month?
On the day Carrington declared for the draft (something Capel celebrated as a victory for his program), the coach pointed to “positional size.” As a guard, Carrington was listed at 6-foot-5 last season. Actually, he measured 6-3 3/4 (without shoes) at the NBA Combine, where he caught scouts’ attention with his shooting and passing skills, according to The Athletic.
And he still has room — and time as an 18-year-old — to grow in stature and ability.
“I think he’s grown (in height) since the season’s been over,” Capel said, only half-jokingly less than three weeks after the last game.
Carrington’s reputation has sprouted for many more reasons than good genetics.
The Athletic reported Carrington “was the talk of the scouting community” after he scored 24 points in Pitt’s 72-65 loss to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals. All five of Carrington’s 20-point efforts came against ACC teams, including North Carolina (twice), Final Four qualifier N.C. State, Wake Forest and Boston College. His triple-double (18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) in the opener against North Carolina A&T triggered incredible hype.
“We had more pro scouts at our practices this year than we had in our first five years combined. That’s when I knew, ‘OK, this is real,’ “ said Capel, whose career includes coaching 27 draft selections (18 in the first round and 10 lottery picks).
While deciding whether to enter the draft, Carrington received positive feedback from the NBA on his basketball IQ, feel for the game and outside shooting, he said on the day he declared for the draft. He added league scouts told him to work on making better use of his size to get to the rim.
The Athletic called Carrington “a monster pull-up shooter and sharp passer and … an improved defender throughout the season.”
Carrington, who totaled 65 made 3-pointers, was the only freshman in the nation to average at least 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. His final numbers were 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Seven of the past eight freshmen to achieve those standards were selected in the top 15 of the draft.
