Providence Friars guard Devin Carter is a fearless, tough-as-nails basketball prospect and many scouts believe his game translates perfectly to the next level of competition.
Carter reportedly has “significant momentum” leading into the 2024 NBA Draft, per ESPN, and it is easy to see why. After averaging 19.7 points with 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as a junior, the Big East Player of the Year projects as an impactful athlete on both sides of the ball.
He told For The Win during a recent video interview that there is one thing that he wants to make clear when he meets with NBA teams during the pre-draft process.
“I’m going to always compete. I’m going to always show up on time, work hard,” Carter said. “I’m going to be a great teammate and someone who is ready to win from day one.”
One of the biggest winners from the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, the Providence guard measured with a wingspan just short of 6-foot-9 and tested with elite athleticism.
His max vertical leap (42″) and standing vertical leap (35″) were both among the best among all participants. He displayed as much during games, per Bart Torvik, recording more dunks than all but just one draft-eligible NCAA prospect listed at 6-foot-3 or shorter.
Not only was his lane agility elite, but the junior also recorded the fastest three-quarter sprint (2.87 seconds) in the history of the NBA Draft Combine.
But as the son of NBA veteran Anthony Carter — now an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies — he doesn’t just want to hear his name called on draft night.
“I don’t want to be a person who just makes it to the NBA. My dad played for 13 years. Not a lot of people can say that,” Carter explained. So I’m planning on playing as long as God lets me play and just see where it goes from there. I’m very excited to take this next step in my journey.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Watch Episode 1 of Prospect Park, a video series featuring future NBA players brought to you by USA TODAY Sports and For The Win:
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
I’m going to always try to put a smile on someone’s face. I’m going to always dap up everybody from the last man in the rotation to the general manager. I’m going to always go through the whole facility, dap up everybody, like the managers. I’m going to always try to say what’s up and build that relationship with everybody. DC is not going to be one of those people who is a stuck up guy or anything. He is always willing to work hard and put his work in just like everybody else and wants the same goal as everyone, which is to win.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
My confidence level in my shot really put me up there. When Bryce Hopkins went down, I wanted to take that weight and put it on my shoulders and be that guy where if we lose, it’s on me. If we win, it’s on my teammates. I want to be the person who, I can control what happens. I texted coach Kim English like right after Bryce went down: “We got this. I’m going to pick up everything. No need to worry.” I think having the confidence level to do that and everything really put me where I am today. Without confidence, I wouldn’t have hit game-winning shots or make big-time plays or stuff like that.
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
I watch the flight of the ball. A lot of people just go to the rebound just to say they went to the rebound and try to hopefully get it when the ball comes off. But for the most part, every time I look at my man, being a guard, he isn’t going to the rim. He’s going to try to get back and try to stop transition defense. So I look at the flight of the ball and I have a pretty good feel for where the ball is going to land. I think with my fast-twitch muscles, I jump really quick and I’m able to get the rebound.
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
I just learned what it was like to be a pro from an early age. Growing up, he was in Miami in 1999 so he was there before I was born. Being born into that lifestyle is a huge blessing. I got to see how everybody worked. I started to get the picture of everything when he was in Denver with Carmelo, Allen Iverson, and Chauncey Billups. That’s when I started to realize how much work it takes to get to the next level and how much work it takes to stay performing at a high level in the NBA. So just being around people like that showed me what my work ethic needed to be and my mindset of how to carry myself off the court, on the court, how they carry themselves in the locker room. I’d go with him early before games and dap up everybody just as a little 8-year-old or 9-year-old kid. It was just awesome doing that and being able to witness that.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
I’m a plug and play guy right now. You look at the older guys in the draft and I feel like being older, you’re more mature. You played a lot of college games. You’ve seen a lot of basketball. You know you can go help a franchise right now in the playoffs. I feel like I’m a very high IQ basketball player, especially when it comes to defense and ways that I guard people. I force people in certain ways and shoot shots that I want them to shoot on my terms that I consider to be a tough shot for them. Let’s just say for example someone is shooting 40 percent going left and 28 percent going right. I’d rather force them to go right the entire time and live with the results at 28 percent. I think I bring a lot of IQ and defense and shot-making to any team in the NBA.