Zach Ruocco

Tenacious, pressing, and playing till the final buzzer. These are inherent qualities in Bob Huggins coached teams. It makes sense coming from the man who doesn’t rock the traditional suit and tie to games but is known to be a grinder. The same grinder mentality can be attributed to WVU standout Jevon Carter. Known to prefer working out in his spare time, Carter is the personification of grinding. “JC” has been seen showing up early to night games shooting jumpers in the middle of the afternoon.

Jevon takes every defensive possession with a purpose that reminds fans of the game of Patrick Beverley. When you look for defense, look for Jevon Carter. It may not be as flashy as Trae Young’s season, but Trae Young wouldn’t be having that season if he had to play against Jevon Carter every game of the year. He’s an elite defender that makes opponents extremely uncomfortable with incessant pressure and constantly close attention. He’s broken West Virginia’s all time steals record while setting the tone in “Press Virginia’s” defense.

Admiring Derrick Rose when he was younger, JC is the ever evolving gym rat. His constant working has resulted in his overall game improving, especially on the offensive end, and the effect is his draft stock shooting up, even though he is a senior. NBA teams should be gunning for players that display the work ethic Carter has. The likes of Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, and Kobe Bryant had the same work ethic. He doesn’t have to be as good as any of those players, but just watch him work his way to the NBA behind his incredible effort and unmatched perimeter and on-ball defense.

Don’t sleep on Jevon Carter.