Arizona's Carter Bryant puts on a show in NCAA Tournament

SEATTLE — Whether it's next season or two years from now, Carter Bryant will soon be wearing an NBA uniform.

The Arizona Wildcats' 5-star freshman forward is a projected top-20 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — if he elects to leave Tucson. If he stays for his sophomore year, watch out.

Bryant, who is averaging 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game, staged his own personal dunk contest against Akron in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. Bryant, who is 6-foot-8, had a significant height advantage most of the night, and he used it to throw down multiple thunderous dunks in Arizona's impressive 93-65 win.

Bryant finished with 12 points (5-of-8 shooting), 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal.

One one play in the first half, Bryant rebounded his own missed 3-pointer and took off outside the key for a two-handed jam.

The most impressive sequence of the game came in the first half when Bryant blocked a shot on one end, then sprinted the floor and finished the break with a two-handed jam on the other end. It brought the crowd at Climate Pledge Arena to its feet.

Bryant 'checks all the boxes'

Bryant is a coveted "3-and-D" wing in the modern NBA. With his length and athleticism, Bryant can guard four positions at the college level, and he can shoot with range. He is Arizona's "x-factor" in the NCAA Tournament. If he plays like he did Friday night — and knocks down contested 3-pointers — he gives the Wildcats another dimension against a team like Duke.

"The one thing about Carter is ... he checks two boxes that are really hard to check. He's an elite talent and he has elite character," Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said in early January. "The game is going to come to him. The refinement is going to come. The experience is going to come, and the progress he's made in the last month has been game-changing for us."

"I'm really proud of him because when you're somebody with Carter's stature, and you come to a place like Arizona, the expectations might be a little unrealistic. Sometimes it works out for freshmen right away. A lot of times it doesn't, and you've just got to hang with it. And he's hung with it and he's continued to get better. He has had an amazing attitude."

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