Former Pitt Star Named to NBA Rising Stars Game

A former Pitt Panthers star is amongst the best young players in the NBA.
Jan 12, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) dribbles the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) dribbles the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- A former Pitt Panthers star has had a solid rookie season so far and the NBA has rewarded him for it.

The NBA All-Star account on Twitter announced that Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington earned a spot in the Rising Stars Game, which pits the best rookies and second-year players in the league against each other.

The Rising Stars game takes place amongst All-Star weekend, at the Chase Center in San Fransisco, home of the Golden State Warriors, on Feb. 14 with a 9:00 p.m. EST tip-off.

Carrington leads all NBA rookies with 29.8 minutes per game, while ranking second with 3.8 assists per game, and 1.6 3-pointers per game, tied for second with 0.8 steals per game, seventh with 81.5% shooting from the free throw line, tied for seventh with both 4.1 rebounds per game and 33.7% shooting from behind the arc and eighth with 8.8 points per game.

He came to the Wizards in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Wizards got the No. 14 pick (Carrington) in a trade that sent Deni Avdija to the Trail Blazers. They also received Malcolm Brogdon, a 2029 First Round pick and two second round picks.

Carrington is part of a stellar rookie class for the Wizards, including French center Alex Sarr (No. 2 overall) and Miami forward Kyshawn George (No. 24 overall), who hails from Switzerland.

Sarr and Wizards second-year player, guard Bilal Coulibaly, will join Carrington at the Rising Stars game, as the franchise boasts a wealth of young talent.

Carrington has also crafted a strong relationship with former Pitt forward Justin Champagnie (2019-21), who has started 14 contests for the Wizards this season.

He has built off of what was an impressive NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July. He averaged 32.6 minutes, 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 32.9% from the field, 35.9% from 3-point range and 86.4% from the foul line, which helped him earn NBA 2K25 All-Summer League Second Team honors.

Carrington starred for the Panthers last season, earning All-ACC Rookie Team honors, the first Panther to do so. 

He started all 33 games for Pitt, averaging 33.2 minutes, 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, respectively, while shooting 41.2% from the field, 32.2% from 3-point range and 78.5% from the foul line.

One of his best games came in the season opener, as he scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in the win over North Carolina A&T, becoming the first Panther to have a triple-double in their debut in program history.

Carrington was the first Pitt player to go in the first round since center Steven Adams did so when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the No. 12 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

He was also the first Panther to earn an NBA Draft selection since the Atlanta Hawks took Lamar Patterson in the second round in 2014.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Follow Dominic Campbell on Twitter.