Why Jevon Carter Is The Perfect WVU Ambassador For The NBA
When you say the name, Jevon Carter, to any WVU fan, you will see an instant smile come across their face. His name alone reminds them of great times to be a WVU Basketball fan. Four straight trips to the NCAA tournament which included three Sweet 16 appearances. But most importantly, J.C. ranks second, only behind Da'Sean Butler, in total wins with 105.
Carter being a defensive specialist was the 2017-18 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, two-time winner of the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards. He's a former All-American Second Team selection who was second in the nation in steals (3.03) as a senior.
Carter's competitiveness and toughness are what being a Mountaineer is all about and is a great representation of WVU and the entire state of West Virginia. We have seen a decent amount of Mountaineer greats who had opportunities to play at the next level, but unfortunately things happened where their careers didn't take off like we hoped they would have.
Jevon is the first Mountaineer in years to have had a role on an NBA team that was critical to their success. Jevon backed Mike Conley in Memphis during his first season in the NBA and exploded in the final game of the season against the Golden State Warriors. Carter finished with 32 points and was 8 for 12 from 3 point range. He played hard, was a great defensive player, was a selfless basketball player and he gave it all back to the fans, too. These things are what led to him being an instant fan favorite regardless of playing time; fans even thought of him as a Tony Allen 2.0. But most of his time was spent in the G-League as one of the top performers in the league. He finished the season with the Memphis Hustle averaging 18.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.
West Virginian's should be proud to have Jevon representing them at the professional level. A young man with a positive attitude, someone who gives back to the community, and works hard with the "Treadmill Mentality" are traits we want to see in a Mountaineer. As he grows his career, and young kids watch him play, they will learn that he went to WVU and may impact the future of the program. Seeing someone who wasn't recruited by other power five schools out of high school and got a chance at WVU, worked hard and made something out of it, and made it to the NBA, will inspire America's youth.
As he continues his career next year as a member of the Phoenix Suns, West Virginia fans will continue to go to NBA games across the league just to see Jevon and will wear the Flying WV with pride and he notices every time they do. He stays after to take photos, favorites your tweets, and likes your Instagram posts. Jevon loves West Virginia and West Virginia loves Jevon.
Please follow me on Twitter @John_Pentol_ for the most up to date info on the Mountaineers and be sure to subscribe to DubVNation.com for all West Virginia news!
