Jevon Carter will continue to grit and grind in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies have selected West Virginia guard Jevon Carter 32nd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. The sure-to-be future Mountaineer Hall of Famer averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, 3 steals and 4.6 rebounds per game as a senior.

Carter led the Mountaineers to back-to-back NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances and was the heart and soul of Bob Huggins’ vaunted Press Virginia defense. He won the title of NABC Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Award in both his junior and senior seasons, and was named the inaugural Naismith Trophy Defensive Player of the Year in his final season.

With the selection of Carter, the Grizzlies are getting a tenacious on-ball defender with extremely strong, quick hands that’s not afraid to play a physical game. Carter’s defensive ability has been known to frustrate and completely throw even the best players off their games, as shown by his performances against Oklahoma’s Trae Young during the 2017-18 season. According to Mountaineer head coach Bob Huggins, fellow NBA Draft hopefuls were cancelling and rescheduling their workouts when they’d find out that Jevon would also be in attendance because they didn’t want to have to go up against Carter in front of NBA scouts.

Carter is also very capable on offense. He’s a solid ball handler, and has the ability to penetrate off the dribble then dish to open teammates on the perimeter. Carter improved his shot selection and three-point shot throughout his collegiate career, to the point he was very good when left alone. Catch-and-shoot opportunities were automatic and contested shots were serviceable. Carter was also extremely reliable from the free throw line, making over 85% of his free throw attempts as a senior.

Carter is the first Mountaineer to be selected in the draft since Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks were drafted back-to-back in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft.