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A Little Know-Howe: Amidst Amazing Success, WVU's Carter First NBA Selection in Last Eight Seasons

By Brad Howe on June 23, 2018 from Sports Blog via Connect-Bridgeport.com

Eight years.
 
It’s hard to believe if you think about it. West Virginia had gone eight years without having a basketball player drafted by the NBA.
 
Until Thursday night.
 
The Memphis Grizzlies made Jevon Carter the second pick of the second round (32nd overall) to end one of the more surprising streaks in college basketball.
 
Prior to Carter’s selection, the last Mountaineers chosen in the NBA draft were Devin Ebanks and De’Sean Butler back in 2010.
 
Butler went 42nd overall that year in the NBA Draft to the Miami Heat and Ebanks went 43rd to the Los Angeles Lakers. 
 
Think about that for a minute.
 
Eight seasons with just one player drafted by the NBA
 
And yet, West Virginia is a program that has won 175 games in the seasons since its last NBA draft pick.
 
WVU has also been to three Sweet Sixteens in that time.
 
In that same time, they have been to three (consecutive) conference tournament championship games.
 
Has any power five program had more success with less NBA talent than West Virginia University over the past eight seasons? 
 
Look at this list of schools that have had the same number of players taken in the NBA draft as West Virginia University in the last eight seasons:
  • Texas-Arlington 
  • William & Mary 
  • Eastern Washington
  • South Dakota State
  • Bucknell
  • The University of North Texas
  • Detroit Mercy
  • Tennessee Technological University
Heck, even Murray State, WVU’s first round opponent in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, has had TWO players drafted in the last six years. All due respect to each of those basketball programs, but it’s unfathomable to me that they would have the same number of NBA draft picks as WVU over the last eight seasons.
 
Here are some more numbers for you:
 
The Big 12 had 35 players drafted from 2011 - 2017. 
 
Kansas alone had 13 players drafted between 2011 - 2017. Eight of those players were selected in the first round. Two Jayhawks, Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk were selected in this year’s NBA draft.
 
West Virginia and Kansas have met for two of the last three Big 12 basketball tournament titles. In the NBA drafts following those seasons, Kansas has had five players selected compared to WVU’s one.
 
Here's more: 
  • Texas has had six players drafted from 2011-2017, all in the first round.
  • Baylor: six overall picks, two in the first round.
  • Oklahoma: four overall picks, two in the first round.
  • Oklahoma State: three overall picks, one in the first round.
It’s simply remarkable what WVU has done on the basketball court with so few NBA players on its roster. I know you Mountaineer fans don’t need any more evidence that Bob Huggins is a Hall of Famer, but you just got it.
 
His 800-plus wins, two Final Fours and success at every stop in his career should be (and will be) more than enough to get him in the Hall. But, if you needed a cherry on top, I think this is it.
 
The last four years alone, WVU has won 105 games, been to three straight conference tournament title games and had three appearances in the Sweet Sixteen while having ONE player drafted by the NBA.
 
ONE.
 
That one was certainly one of the best to ever come through Morgantown.
 
Jevon Carter will always be known as one of the faces of ‘Press Virginia.’ His relentless, aggressive, on ball defense was a hallmark of the system that brought West Virginia basketball back to life. His work ethic and decision to remain at WVU for all four years have paid off.
 
Carter now heads to Memphis where he’ll team up with a General Manager who knows his game well. Chris Wallace is a Buckhannon, West Virginia native who has worked in the front office for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and for the last 11 years, the Memphis Grizzlies.
 
Wallace is a passionate WVU fan who is more likely to want to talk Mountaineer football (yes, I said football) with you than he is to discuss the NBA. He’s obviously a big fan of Jevon Carter. 
 
On Friday’s edition of Citynet Statewide Sportsline, we had a chance to catch up with Chris and get his thoughts on Jevon Carter. If you would like to watch the full interview, you can find it here: wvmetronews.com/Sportsline
 
And so the draught is over. West Virginia has an NBA draft pick for the first time in eight seasons. Jevon Carter heads to Memphis to play for a GM who grew up in West Virginia and a franchise that uses the slogan, GRIND CITY, as its rallying cry.
 
It sounds like Carter is headed exactly where he is supposed to be.
 
Editor's Note: Top photos of Jevon Carter and bottom photo of Coach Bob Huggins by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.


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