Apr 4, 2024 By Rob Burchianti 3 min read

Pitt’s men’s basketball team is still stinging from being left out of the NCAA tournament field and the Panthers took another hit on Wednesday.

Star freshman Carlton “Bub” Carrington declared for the NBA draft with Pitt coach Jeff Capel alongside him during a news conference at Petersen Events Center.

The 6-foot-5 Carrington is 18 years old and had a solid season that included being named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. He averaged 13.8 points per game which trailed only Blake Hinson (18.5) on a Pitt team that went 22-11 overall and 12-8 in the conference to earn the fourth seed in the ACC tournament.

But is Carrington making the correct decision?

Capel said he checked around and got reports that not only is Carrington a good bet to go in the first round of the NBA draft but also that he’s a potential lottery pick.

Those who watched Carrington play can attest to the tremendous talent he has, but some, like your truly, also got a glimpse of the “bad” Bub in person.

In a 69-58 home loss to Syracuse on Jan. 16, Carrington shot 0%. That’s right. He took 10 shots, seven from 3-point range, and missed them all.

At that point I wasn’t sure he belonged in the starting lineup, let alone believed that this was a first-round NBA draft pick.

It was the Panthers’ second loss to the Orange and, besides a horrendous early-season, non-conference home defeat to a terrible Missouri team, might’ve been the one game that if Pitt had won would’ve put them over the top when the NCAA committee was making its tournament selections.

Now everyone is entitled to an off night, and Capel deserves credit for not benching Carrington at that point in the season and he finished strong.

Perhaps he will thrive in the NBA, but I just can’t get that dud of a Syracuse game out of my head.

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I wonder how the Panthers feel watching fellow ACC team North Carolina State dance into the Final Four?

It could be argued that if the Wolfpack would’ve fallen in the ACC tournament final against North Carolina that Pitt may have gotten that extra at-large bid, because NC State was a longshot to get invited otherwise.

Not only that, but when you look back on the amazing nine-game winning streak the Wolfpack are on you’ll see it began after an 81-73 loss at Petersen Events Center to Pitt.

Yes, Pitt was the last team to defeat NC State and that game saw Carrington total four 3-pointers, 23 points, five rebounds and six assists.

The Panthers actually swept the series with the Wolfpack, also beating them 67-64 in Raleigh.

I don’t think Pitt would’ve reached the Final Four, but I definitely felt they were a Sweet 16 team.

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I was one of the many who watched Caitlin Clark and Iowa take down LSU and Angel Reese to reach the NCAA women’s Final Four on Monday night.

Curious how now the argument is whether UConn’s Paige Bueckers or Clark – the two will clash in a semifinal game – is the best player in the country.

I’m just wondering how that undefeated and overall No. 1-ranked South Carolina team feels watching all this.

Neither the Huskies nor the Hawkeyes are beating coach Dawn Staley’s team in the final.