You can debate whether Pitt deserves an NCAA bid, but there’s no questioning Bub Carrington’s freshman season
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The numbers connected to Pitt’s quest to land an NCAA Tournament berth paint hopeful and discouraging scenarios at the same time.
7: That’s good. Pitt has seven victories on an opponent’s home floor, as many as No. 4 Tennessee, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 12 Creighton and No. 18 South Carolina. Will it matter? Who knows? To find out, you would have to get a seat at the table when the NCAA Tournament committee meets for the final time March 17.
2: That’s bad. Pitt has only two victories (Duke and Virginia) in eight games against Quad 1 teams.
31: That’s bad. Wake Forest lost to also-rans Notre Dame and Virginia Tech last week to drop to 31st in the Net. The Quad 1 cutoff is 30, meaning Pitt’s victory against the Demon Deacons at Petersen Events Center is now only a Quad 2.
12-8: That would be good, because it would be Pitt’s ACC record if it can win its last two home games Tuesday against Florida State and Saturday vs. N.C. State. Actually, Pitt can finish as high as third in the ACC if Syracuse, Virginia, Clemson and Wake Forest lose this week. (I know, too many ifs.)
52.9%: That’s good. Bub Carrington is shooting that percentage from the field over the past three games, possibly indicating he’s getting hot when games matter the most. He also has 15 rebounds, 11 3s in 18 attempts and nine assists in that time.
Finally, we have real basketball to discuss.
You can argue endlessly over whether Pitt is worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid. But you can’t argue with Carrington’s development over the first four months of his college career.
It’s hard to ask for more from a freshman. He is averaging 13.4 points per game, shares the team lead in total rebounds with Ishmael Leggett (151) and is first in assists (121). Just as impressive, he committed only two turnovers in games last week against Clemson and Boston College while being on the floor for a total of 69 minutes.
Carrington is a legitimate candidate for ACC Freshman of the Year, with Notre Dame’s Marcus Burton and Duke’s Jared McCain.
How does he rank among past Pitt freshmen?
Some Pitt freshman records pic.twitter.com/2ZZAiNggI6
— Jim Hammett (@JimHammett) March 3, 2024
With 388 points, 55 3s and 121 assists, he is in the midst of one of the greatest freshman seasons in Pitt history.
• He needs 32 points to move past Justin Champagnie and into fourth place among Pitt’s all-time freshman scorers.
• Only four 3-pointers will give him one more than Sean Miller had during the 1987-1988 season. Miller is second to Parker Stewart (71 in 2017-18)
• Nine assists move Carrington into fourth place past Marcus Carr (129, 2017-18).
Carrington looked every bit an NBA prospect Saturday night when he scored a career-high 27 points against Boston College. It was his best game of the season against one of the worst teams on Pitt’s schedule, but the natural ability was there. It’s hard to believe some NBA team won’t want to start developing Carrington’s potential as soon as this summer.
But imagine how Pitt’s program could benefit from three more seasons of Carrington getting better and better. It’s likely the NBA will call, if not this year, certainly in 2025. Will it come down this year to NIL vs. NBA?
Carrington said Saturday night on the ACC Network that his first year as an 18-year-old freshman has been “educational.”
“I learned a lot, been through a lot, making us better, making us stronger.”
Meanwhile, Carrington made it clear that the only goal on his mind at the moment is reaching the NCAA Tournament.
“I want to be there. That’s all.”