Carter Bryant joined Arizona legend and national champion Michael Dickerson as the only Wildcats to ever be selected as the 14th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Bryant was selected by the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Dickerson was selected by the Houston Rockets in 1998.
Dickerson spent one season with Houston before being reunited with his Arizona teammate Mike Bibby with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Bibby and Dickerson played together for two seasons in Vancouver. Vancouver traded Bibby to Sacramento and moved to Memphis before the 2001-02 season.
Dickerson played only six games in Memphis and had to retire due to groin and hamstring injuries in 2023. The Cleveland Cavaliers invited Dickerson to training camp in 2008, but he waived before the season started, played four games in Spain and then permantely retired.
Dickerson finished his career averaging 15.4 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 43.2 percent from the floor, 40.2 percent on three-point attempts and 78.4 percent from the free throw line, After playing small forward at Arizona, Dickerson was an NBA shooting guard.
Dickerson was named to the 1999 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, won the NCAA championship with Arizona in 1997, a 1998 Third-team All-American, First-team All-Pac-10 in 1997 and 1998 and Washington Mr. Basketball 1994.
Dickerson was a key contributor for Arizona over his final three seasons and a starter in his last two years, averaging over 18.0 PPG. The era Dickerson played in was vastly different than Bryant with only top players leaving college after a year or two. The one-and-done era changed that.
Bryant enters the era when players are drafted on potential and projection more than production. As a freshman with Arizona, Bryant was a key player as the eighth man in the rotation. Bryant's athleticism, ability to shoot the three and projection that he will be able to guard every position made him a lottery pick.