Arizona freshman forward Carter Bryant displayed his skills significantly enough during the 2024-25 season that he is a projected consensus first-round NBA Draft pick. The consensus on Bryant from scouts is that they like his ability to guard multiple positions, athleticism, high basketball IQ, length and his three-point shooting ability.
There are still questions about Bryant's ball handling, shot creation and ability to shoot off the dribble. Yahoo Sports NBA Senior Analyst Kevin O'Connor said Bryant is "raw on offense...beyond his cutting, he needs to improve as a shooter to earn minutes in high-leverage games."
Bryant frequently played high-leverage minutes for Arizona as head coach Tommy Lloyd often played a six man rotation late in games. Bryant rotated in the front court with Tobe Awaka and Henri Veesaar frequent throughout the season on the Arizona front line late in the second half of games.
Bryant played far better in the 32 games he came off the bench than he did as a starter. When Lloyd was still figuring out the rotation on December, Bryant started three games. Bryant started two games in February when Trey Townsend was out with a concussion.
Good NCAA tournament debut for Carter Bryant, showing his two-way versatility, explosiveness, and shot-making prowess in Arizona's blowout win over Akron. 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 20 minutes for the 19-year-old, projected top-20 pick. Oregon up next. pic.twitter.com/wi13z3WkLH
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 22, 2025
Bryant averaged 16.9 minutes, 6.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.94 APG, 1.0 block and 0.97 steals while shooting 48.1 percent from the field, 40.0 percent on three-point attempts and 71.7 percent from the free throw line as a reserve. The production for Bryant varied as a starter.
Carter Bryant (6-8, 220 lbs, F, Arizona, FR)
— Sheed on the Hawks (@SheedinATL) March 21, 2025
in a nutshell: a tall, defensive-minded wing with an NBA body who produces in limited minutes
noteworthy metrics: 60.2% true shooting, 5.8% BLK, 2.7% STL
concerning metric: 27.7% rim frequency
where i’d draft him: mid 10’s to early… pic.twitter.com/Hru38HATue
Bryant averaged 16.8 MPG, 4.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 BPG and 0.8 SPG while shooting 30.0 percent from the field, 10,0 percent on three-point attempts and 61.5 percet from the free throw line as a starter. Townsend provided Arizona with experience as a starter and Bryant gave Arizona energy off the bench.
Carter Bryant is a fascinating NBA Draft prospect. Right now he’s No. 16 on the NBA Draft Big Board 1.0…
— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) February 27, 2025
Listed 6-8/220 with a reported 7-0 wingspan & intriguing analytics.
9.2 box +/-
60.0 TS%
95.9 Def. Rating
1.2 Def. win shares
36.0% 3P on 2.7 attempts
2.8 Steal%
6.0 Block% https://t.co/FTZmsbgc9L pic.twitter.com/jn8C46Jw1j
Looking at several prominent NBA Mock Drafts, Bryant is projected 15th by Bleacher Report/NBA.Com, 23rd by USA Today and 18th by O'Connor on Yahoo. Bryant is solidly projected as a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and now has a decision to make with his team.
Bryant could leave for the 2025 NBA Draft with the likelihood of earning a four-year rookie-scale contract, with the first two years guaranteed, or return to Arizona for his sophomore season, continue to develop and potentially be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.