Maryland Basketball: Analyzing Robert Carter’s draft stock

It appears that Maryland’s Robert Carter is taking his talents to the NBA.

On Thursday, reports surfaced that Carter has declared for the NBA Draft and would be hiring an agent. The news came just two weeks after the Terrapins were eliminated by Kansas in the Sweet 16.

Carter has had an interesting career up to this point.

According to 247Sports, Carter was a Top 30 player in the 2012 class. He ended up staying close to home and chose to commit to Georgia Tech.

During two solid seasons in the ACC with the Yellow Jackets, the former Shiloh (Ga.) standout averaged 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds. Carter finished as one of the team’s top three scorers during those two campaigns.

In May of 2014, Carter decided it was best for his basketball career if he transferred to another school. Ironically, he ended up at Maryland after the mass exodus of Terps left the program, including Seth Allen, Nick Faust, and Charles Mitchell.

After sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, Carter was expected to be a big piece in Maryland’s star-studded starting lineup. The former Yellow Jacket didn’t disappoint as he averaged 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds as the starting power forward for the Terps.

In 25 of Maryland’s 36 games, Carter scored in double figures. In all but five games, he grabbed at least five rebounds.

Carter was a clear mismatch for many opposing post players due to his length and overall athleticism. The former four-star recruit stands 6’9 and weighs 235 pounds, so he definitely has the size to be a force on the low block.

One of his go-to moves was a hook shot from close range. If Carter found himself with just one defender guarding him down low, he’d often break out the hook shot and hit it with regularity.

Overall, Carter had a very strong junior season at Maryland. One can assume that the high level of success factored into his decision to put his hat in the ring for the 2016 NBA Draft.

So, where exactly could Carter be selected in the annual June draft?

Even if Maryland’s entire starting five ends up in the draft pool, it looks like Diamond Stone is the only prospect that is likely to be selected in the opening round. The NBA is all about potential down the road and Stone certainly has a ton of upside.

Jake Layman and Melo Trimble are projected as mid-second round picks. Obviously, Trimble has yet to declare and certainly could return to College Park for another season.

As of right now with the NBA Scouting Combine and individual draft workouts still remaining, Carter is slated to be a late second round pick, according to most draft publications.

DraftExpress currently has Carter being selected with the 51st overall pick by the Denver Nuggets. In this mock draft, Carter finds himself sandwiched between Louisville’s Damion Lee and Providence’s Ben Bentil.

Being selected at the back end of the draft would allow Carter to join a good team. A majority of the picks at that stage belong to teams that will be playing in the postseason later this month.

Bleacher Report lead writer Jonathan Wasserman has Carter going with the last pick in the draft to the Utah Jazz.

It’s really all going to come down to what teams need late in the draft. It’s extremely possible that Carter is selected in the last 10 picks if he is selected at all.

Whether he is or isn’t shouldn’t hinder him from receiving an NBA Summer League invitation in July. It’s more than likely that all the Terp prospects will end up showcasing their talents in the Summer League and may even be fighting for an invitation to training camp.

Next: Maryland Basketball: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Carter certainly has a very strong skillset, so he certainly could impress a team in pre-draft workouts. However, it definitely appears to be an uphill battle due to the amount of talent in this year’s draft.