Bub Carrington Grows, Pitt Prospers

Bub Carrington is moving past his freshman wall and the Pitt Panthers are better for it.

PITTSBURGH -- Bub Carrington is an immensely talented player that has struggled recently and it's no surprise that those struggles have coincided with the Pitt Panthers' lowest stretch of the season. 

But the first two games of this road trip has brought out a more measured, but still extremely confident version of Carrington, one that's fitting into the flow of the game better instead of trying to impose his will on it. And over the past two games against Duke and Georgia Tech, it's yeilded some better results for both he and Pitt as they start their first winning streak in ACC play this season. 

“I felt like I kind of got out of [a funk] a little bit against Duke, but I was in foul trouble so I couldn’t really showcase it," Carrington said. "But today, yeah, I kinda got back to getting back to what I am capable of doing.”

Carrington played his most complete game since the turn of the new year against the Yellow Jackets, leading the team in scoring with 19 points on 60% shooting from the field and 40% from 3-point range, grabbing six rebounds and committing just two turnovers to three assists. 

Last time out against Duke, Carrington was quiet, scoring just nine points and taking just nine shots before fouling out but he fit within what Pitt was doing. He was strong defensively and moved the ball well, helping the Panthers get the ball to red-hot Blake Hinson and Jaland Lowe, who powered the Pitt offense to victory. 

In previous weeks, one would have been more likely to see him try to will the ball in the basket with a pull-up jumpshot and instead - perhaps because he was facing foul trouble - Carrington took a smaller role that allowed others to shine. 

Against Georgia Tech, with Lowe struggling to find his shot and Pitt finding it difficult to create consistent offense, Carrington was rewarded for his patience.

He made 3-pointers and his patented pull-up mid-range jumper but also heeded his head coach's calls to attack the rim more intensely. His decision-making was quick and determined. Carrington passed up some of the rushed shots that had led to a prolonged shooting slump and found good looks from his favorite spots that didn't take Pitt out of their offense. 

What's more, Carrington has added some versatility to his game and become a playmaker beyond just scoring. He tied Hinson for second on the team with six rebounds and dealt three assists. 

It's easy to say that Carrington played well after a game like Georgia Tech, where he scored the ball efficiently and led the team in points, but it's been a much longer process to find just how he fits into this Pitt team's best version of itself and he's embraced that. 

"Anytime you score a lot of points, any basketball player is going to go home feeling good, but it's not really about that," Carrington said following the Georgia Tech victory. "I'm glad our team got back-to-back road wins and that's all I really care about."

Carrington helps these Panthers unlock a better version of themselves when he picks his spots and plays within the flow of the game. As head coach Jeff Capel hands the keys over to his two freshman guards, opting to start Carrington alongside classmate Jaland Lowe for the past four games, he puts a lot of trust in them and those two have rewarded his faith. 

"And then those two freshman guards, man, stepped up and made plays throughout," Capel said. "Really proud of our team to be able to get back. To get back-to-back road wins in this league is something we don’t take lightly and we look forward to having safe travels home."

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