Editor’s note: The NBA Draft is on June 26, and with the Suns holding the first round pick (No. 22), we should learn about the available picks and who to scout as we prepare for the draft. Enter Damon Allred, the Bright Side’s resident college basketball scouting expert.
It’s time to look at the 2024 NBA Draft through the prism of the Phoenix Suns, starting with a guard who could serve as a rotation stabilizer both on and off the ball. Meet Devin Carter, a Providence guard.
Vitals
6-foot-3, 195 pounds, ~6-foot-7 wingspan, 22 years, three months, and eight days on draft day (more accurate measurables to be taken at the combine, which he got an invite to).
Background
Taking it all the way back to high school, Carter’s senior season at Doral Academy in Florida was cut short due to a shoulder injury, so he spent a postgraduate season at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before starting his collegiate career.
Carter concluded his season at Brewster ranked No. 87 in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports. He chose South Carolina over offers from Georgia Tech, Florida Atlantic, and Richmond.
Carter played solid reserve minutes as a freshman at Columbia (18.7 minutes per game over 30 games, seven starts), but he chose to transfer to Providence and pledge to head coach Ed Cooley.
As a sophomore at Providence, he played 32 minutes per game in 33 starts, but he didn’t appear to be an NBA-ready player. And after the season (21-12), Cooley left to become the head coach at Georgetown (9-13).
Kim English replaced Cooley and would play a big part in Carter taking a big step forward as a junior, empowering the guard as a shooter and creator. When Bryce Hopkins — who nearly led the Friars in usage the season prior — went down for the season with an injury, Carter’s leap was brought to the forefront.
Before the injury, Carter was averaging 16.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists (3.2 turnovers), and 1.4 steals per game over 13 games.
After Hopkins went down, Carter averaged 22 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists (2.4 turnovers), and two steals per game over 20 games.
For his efforts on a team that nearly made the NCAA Tournament despite not much help outside of himself, Carter was named Big East Player of the Year. He led the conference in points per game (19.7) and was 12th in assists per game (3.6).
He is also the son of Anthony Carter, who played 13 seasons in the NBA from 1999-2012 and is now an assistant on Taylor Jenkins’ Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff.
Film Breakdown
Carter did everything for the Friars in 2023-24. From skying for boards and pushing the pace to using his post game in the half court to cashing deep 3s in a pinch, it seemed like he was always there when Providence needed someone.
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