KING Carter: Devin Carter gets selected by Sacramento with the 13th pick in the NBA Draft

Perhaps no player in college basketball increased his NBA Draft prospects more than Providence guard Devin Carter over the past nine months, and on Wednesday night Carter earned the ultimate reward.

The reigning Big East Player of the Year became the first Friar since Kris Dunn in 2016 to hear his name called in the first round of the Draft when the Sacramento Kings selected him 13th overall.

“Deep down in my gut I felt like that was the team that was going to pick me,” Carter told the Sacramento media on Wednesday night. “I felt like I had a very good workout with them — the meetings with the decision makers, everything was just perfect in my eyes.

“Everything felt right from the moment I walked in.”

Kings GM Monte McNair shared that Carter had been on their scouts’ radar prior to a junior year explosion that saw him average 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, while upping his 3-point field goal percentage from 29.9% to 37.7%. McNair said that Carter’s improved shooting and rebounding numbers “gave him the necessary jump” needed to become a lottery pick.

“There aren’t a lot of Devin Carters out there,” McNair said. “A guy like that, we couldn’t pass up.”

“Frankly, he’s just a winner… What’s appealing about him is that you can put him on the floor, and on both ends he is going to contribute.”

In Sacramento, Carter is joining a talented team with plenty of backcourt depth. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are the established stars, and they just re-signed sharpshooting guard Malik Monk. The Kings’ backcourt has gotten crowded after the drafting of Carter, as Sacramento also has a double-digit scorer in Kevin Huerter and defensive dynamo Davion Mitchell, in addition to Keon Ellis and Chris Duarte on its roster.

The Kings won 46 games in the tough Western Conference last year, falling in the play-in round to New Orleans after eliminating Golden State.

McNair consistently referred to Carter as the type of player you need to win in the postseason, citing his ability to stay on the floor regardless of defensive matchups. Carter measured with a terrific wingspan and was one of the top athletes at this year’s NBA Draft Combine.

In addressing the local media, Carter noted that the night felt surreal (“I don’t know if I’m talking to you guys, or if this is a dream”), but also said he wasn’t surprised to be in this position.

“No, it’s not a surprise. I trust God and everything He has planned for me. I definitely put in a lot of work, countless hours every night and every morning with my dad, Coach Kim (English) at Providence — it’s been a long ride.”

Carter also praised English for his role in his development: “South Carolina, it was a great year just coming in as a freshman. My coach actually got fired, so that was (behind) my decision of why I decided to leave. Second year, at Providence, I was playing for Ed Cooley. He brought me in with a great class, so we had a good year, and then he ended up leaving and Coach Kim came in, and that’s when my numbers really went through the roof for not only scoring and rebounding, but efficiency.”

And now Devin Carter has become the first Providence player since Dunn to be taken, not only in the first round, but as a lottery selection in the NBA Draft.

And as the case was with Dunn nearly a decade ago, Carter’s breakout junior season will help open doors for English and his staff on the recruiting trail. Countless players cited Dunn as evidence that they could reach their NBA dreams coming out of Providence, and not only is Carter proof of that for English and Co., but it happened in English’s first year with the Friars.

Friartown added a new favorite NBA club on Wednesday, and it just so happens to be one that plays one of the most exciting brands of basketball in the league.

The Kings became even more exciting with the selection of Carter.