How Providence Will Look to Unlock Devin Carter in His Junior Season
You might as well throw out the term “50-50 ball” whenever Devin Carter is on the floor. Every time there was a carom, long rebound, or loose ball, it seemingly always found its way to the 6’3 guard from Miami, who endeared himself almost immediately to Friartown thanks to his athleticism, defensive persistence, and the sheer effort with which he plays.
Call it “The Marcus Smart Effect.” There are those rare guards who come up with every loose ball, who willingly challenge big men in the paint, and whose value far exceeds anything found in a box score.
The will to win is what makes Providence’s junior guard one of the best players in the Big East (head coach Kim English called him as good of a competitor as he’s every been around), and it’s that spirit combined with tremendous lateral quickness that makes Carter perhaps the best defensive guard in the Big East. Carter jumps passing lanes, meets bigs at the rim, and makes up three or four strides in a flash on opponents when pursuing the basketball.
Carter played himself to exhaustion at times last year — and was rewarded for it at season’s end by being named Honorable Mention All Big East in March. He averaged 13 points per game in his first season as a Friar. He added nearly five rebounds, 2.5 assists, and over a steal and a block while helping Providence crack the top 25 and reach the NCAA Tournament after they graduated all five starters the year prior.
Carter was essential to Providence kicking off Big East play with six consecutive victories. He went for 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while hitting a huge late 3-pointer in a double overtime win over Marquette at home. A week later, Carter torched Butler on the road, scoring 18 first half points on all sorts of difficult shots in a blowout victory. Two days after that, it was 22 points, four rebounds, five steals, and four blocks at DePaul, then playing a key role in knocking off UConn at home before going for 19/5/5 versus St. John’s in PC’s sixth straight victory.
Perhaps Carter’s best game of the season came on Valentine’s Day, when he scored 25 points, grabbed eight boards, and swatted a game-winning layup attempt by Creighton’s Ryan Nembard with the game tied at the end of overtime. The Friars went on to take another critical double OT win on that night.
Carter ranked in the 95th percentile nationally in free throw attempts per game last season, and the Friars were a +88 with him on the floor. As a point of comparison, Ed Croswell (+74) and Noah Locke (+54) were second and third on the team in plus/minus. He ranked in the 93rd percentile at his position in steal percentage, and in the 98th in blocks.
Yet, for all of Carter’s production a season ago, the new staff at Providence believes he is ready to unlock the next level of his game offensively. Carter will shoot more 3-pointers this season, and the hope is that he will take better ones (he hit 35 threes at a .299 clip in 2021-22). His percentage was hindered by taking so many 3-pointers late in the shot clock, or off the dribble, and the goal for this season is to get him better catch and shoot looks.
Last year, Providence relied on tighter sets with less spacing than what the new staff is aiming to deploy. Most of PC’s threes came off a specific action, whereas this year the hope is that playing four or five out on offense will lead to threes coming from drive and kick or motion offense — which could also open up the likes of Carter to get downhill more often. He’s been among Providence’s best shooters in drills this offseason, and he’s coming off a year in which he shot 37% when taking open catch and shoot attempts (per Synergy Sports).
Carter’s role also figures to be dramatically different from the start of last year. Providence experienced a month-long feeling out process to start last season, with point guard Jared Bynum returning off of an All Big East season and Locke serving as a significant part of the offense. With Bynum and Locke gone, Carter is the clear leader of the backcourt — and maybe the team.
It’s a backcourt that will look significantly different — longer, more athletic, but far younger. The backcourt quartet of Carter, sophomores Jayden Pierre and Corey Floyd Jr., and 6 '5 freshman Garwey Dual has tantalizing defensive potential. Carter is likely the best defensive guard in the Big East, Floyd is 6 '4, 225 pounds and athletic, while Dual has been blessed with physical attributes perhaps only matched by Kris Dunn in Friartown over the past 20 years. English will mix in zones and throw full court presses at opponents, and both options could be terrifying with this combination of guards. These defensive reinforcements may free up some of Carter’s endless energy to be used more on the offensive end, where the Friars will be leaning on some unproven players to produce from the jump.
For all of Bynum and Locke’s offensive ability, Carter was relied on heavily to be the sole stopper in the backcourt. He will be PC’s best defender once again, but this group offers more support.
“We have no small guards,” English told us on the Friar Podcast this summer. “They can size up.”
For all of Carter’s production last season, English tends to circle back to two areas when asked about him: his leadership and competitive spirit.
“Devin Carter has been one of my favorite players that I’ve gotten to coach,” English said. “He’s just a throwback, tough guard that’s going to find a way to have a long career in the NBA just because he’s so tough and so smart, and naturally gifted.”
The Friars hope Carter can find a way to take his game to the next level, and put those gifts on display, this season.
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Can’t wait for the season to start. Thanks Kevin. Great job as always.