UW Suspends Husky Basketball Guard Naz Carter

Punishment is meted out to the senior from New York just six weeks before the college basketball season is set to begin.

The University of Washington suspended senior basketball guard Nahziah Carter for a student code of conduct violation, providing no other details such as cause or length of punishment.

Carter's missteps come at an odd time, considering the COVID-19 pandemic has brought stringent limitations for college athletes to come and go, interact with other students or do much of anything. 

An online report indicates Carter has been accused of personal misconduct by another individual.

The suspension of the Rochester, New York, native represents a huge setback for a Husky basketball team looking to bounce back from a last-place finish in the Pac-12 and prepare for a pandemic-delayed season just under six weeks away.

Coach Mike Hopkins' fourth team appears noticeably light on talent with transfers Erik Stevenson from Wichita State and Cole Bajema from Michigan seeking waivers to play right away but still without NCAA rulings.

The 6-foot-6 Carter, who is the nephew of entertainer Jay-Z, proved to be a huge disappointment last season when the Huskies had an 11-4 season nosedive into a 15-17 finish.

While starting 28 games last season and averaging 12.2 and 4.9 rebounds, Carter failed to accept a leadership role for the Huskies that would have lessened the damage when point guard Quade Green became academically ineligible. 

Once thought to be an NBA prospect, the Husky player has shown himself capable of putting on electric dunking displays but little else. The suspension can't be helpful for his pro aspirations.

The UW, while offering no detail on the player's situation, disclosed that Carter violated the Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) code of conduct. That could have been anything from criminal behavior to ignoring COVID-19 testing protocols to any number of infractions.

The Huskies, who began practicing this week, and other conference teams will play a 20-game schedule, the Pac-12 said on Thursday. Pac-12 women's teams will be allowed to play 22 games. No schedules have been released yet.

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