NCAA Basketball: Top 10 graduating seniors who will be missed the most
1. Jevon Carter – West Virginia Mountaineers
2017-18 stats: 17.3 ppg 4.6 rpg 6.6. apg
Career stats: 12.2 ppg 3.7 rpg 3.9 apg
When the term “Press Virginia” comes up, the name that coincides with it is normally Bob Huggins. But the man who led that impressive defense was Carter, who became a three-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12. If there was a national award for defense, Carter would’ve easily been a top candidate each year as well.
After producing off the bench in his freshman year, he became the team’s starting point guard, tasked with leading the Mountaineers on offense and defense. While his offensive game continued to improve, his defense was stellar, forcing turnovers all the time with his full court effort. It’s even more impressive that he did that for nearly 40 minutes each night, as he rarely left the court.
Carter’s senior season was fantastic, leading the country with 111 steals while producing career-high numbers across the board. He helped lead the Mountaineers to three Sweet Sixteen appearances, one of the best stretches in program history.
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There’s nothing special about Carter from a physical standpoint. But he out-hustled and out-worked everyone on the court night in and night out, never cheating out fans of the game in the process. When even opposing fans show respect to a rival player at the end of their career, that says a lot about that player. He was a joy to watch, and the sport of college basketball will be missing his intensity and effort for sure.