Vernon Carey Jr.
Carey with Washington Wizards at Open Practice in 2022
No. 1 – Pınar Karşıyaka
PositionPower forward / center
LeagueBSL
Champions League
Personal information
Born (2001-02-25) February 25, 2001 (age 22)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High schoolNSU University School
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
CollegeDuke (2019–2020)
NBA draft2020: 2nd round, 32nd overall pick
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–2022Charlotte Hornets
2021–2022→Greensboro Swarm
2022–2023Washington Wizards
2022–2023→Capital City Go-Go
2023–presentPınar Karşıyaka
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Americas U16 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2017 Argentina

Vernon A. Carey Jr. (born February 25, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for Pınar Karşıyaka of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the Basketball Champions League (BCL). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. He finished his high school career at NSU University School as a five star recruit and among the top-ranked players in the 2019 class.[1]

High school career

Carey starred for four years at University School of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During his freshman season, he averaged 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while leading the Sharks to a 15–9 overall record. As a sophomore, Carey averaged 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while leading his team to a 20–7 record and a Florida district state championship. After his sophomore year, Carey was named to the 2017 Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel all-district teams as well as 2017 MaxPreps All-American honorable mention.

As a junior, Carey averaged 26.0 points and 10.1 rebounds a game, while leading the Sharks to an overall record of 36–2, the 2018 Florida 5A state championship, and championships at the 2017 City of Palms Invitational and the 2017 John Wall Invitational.[2] Carey led his team to the finals at the High School National Tournament, losing in the championship game to Montverde Academy and its star, RJ Barrett.[3]

Carey averaged 17.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Circuit for his AAU team, Nike Team Florida.[4]

Carey finished his senior season averaging 21.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.[5] The 2018–19 University team with a supporting cast of Scottie Barnes, Taylor Hendricks Jace and Jett Howard, successfully defended its FHSSA Class 5A State championship with a victory over Andrew Jackson High School, despite Carey being sidelined for the championship game.[6][7]

Recruiting

On December 6, 2018, Carey announced on SportsCenter that he was committed to attend Duke University. He made the announcement on the one year anniversary of his grandfather's passing.[8][9]

At the end of his senior season, Carey was ranked the 6th best player in the country, rated a five-star recruit by all major recruiting services, and selected to play in the 2019 McDonald's All-American Boys Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.[10]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Vernon Carey Jr.
C 		Fort Lauderdale, FL NSU University School (FL) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 275 lb (125 kg) Dec 6, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 5  247Sports: 6  ESPN: 6
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Duke 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  • "2019 Duke Blue Devils Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.

College career

Carey and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in December 2019

Before the start of the 2019–20 season, Carey was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list [11] as well as the Naismith, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, and Lute Olson Award preseason watchlists.[12][13]

On November 12, Carey recorded his first double-double of the season scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 105–54 win against Central Arkansas.[14] On November 15, Carey scored a career high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 74–63 win over Georgia State.[15] On November 21, Carey scored a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds in an 87–52 win over California.[16] On the next night, Carey recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in an 81–73 victory over Georgetown,[17] and was named MVP of the 2K Sports Classic tournament.[18] Carey would earn both player and freshman of the week honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[19]

On December 3, Carey scored 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks in an 87–75 win against Michigan State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.[20] On December 19, Carey posted another double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds in an 86–57 win over Wofford.[21] On December 23, Carey was named ACC freshman of the week for the third consecutive time.[22] On January 4, Carey scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 95–62 win against Miami.[23] On January 28, Carey erupted for 26 points and 13 rebounds in a 79–67 victory over Pittsburgh.[24] On February 1, Carey scored 26 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in a 97–88 win against Syracuse.[25] At the conclusion of the regular season, Carey was named ACC Freshman of the Year and was selected to the First Team All-ACC.[26] Carey averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a freshman, earning National Freshman of the Year honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Following the season he declared for the 2020 NBA draft.[27]

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2020–2022)

Carey was taken by the Charlotte Hornets with the 32nd pick of the 2020 NBA draft.[28] On November 30, 2020, he signed a multi-year contract with the Hornets.[29] Carey made his NBA debut on December 30, playing four minutes in a 118–99 win over the Dallas Mavericks.[30] On April 16, 2021, he scored a career-high 21 points, alongside six rebounds, in a 115–130 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[31]

During his rookie and sophomore seasons, Carey received multiple assignments to the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte's NBA G League affiliate.[32][33]

Washington Wizards (2022–2023)

On February 10, 2022, Carey was traded, alongside Ish Smith, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Montrezl Harrell.[34] On April 10, Carey recorded a season-high 11 points, alongside seven rebounds, in a 108–124 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.[35]

On March 1, 2023, Carey was waived by the Wizards.[36]

Utah Jazz (2023)

On April 8, 2023, Carey signed with the Utah Jazz.[37] After playing in 2023 NBA Summer League, he was released by the Utah Jazz.[38]

Pınar Karşıyaka (2023–present)

On August 30, 2023, Carey signed with Pınar Karşıyaka of the Basketbol Süper Ligi.[39]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Charlotte 19 4 6.1 .500 .143 .818 1.4 .1 .1 .3 2.4
2021–22 Charlotte 4 1 4.3 .500 — .667 1.3 .0 .3 .0 2.0
Washington 3 0 9.0 .571 — .400 2.3 .0 .3 .3 4.0
2022–23 Washington 11 0 2.5 .250 — 1.000 1.0 .3 .2 .2 .5
Career 37 5 5.1 .474 .143 .654 1.4 .1 .1 .2 1.9

Play-in

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Charlotte 1 0 5.8 – – – 1.0 .0 .0 1.0 .0
Career 1 0 5.8 – – – 1.0 .0 .0 1.0 .0

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Duke 31 30 24.9 .577 .381 .670 8.8 1.0 .7 1.6 17.8

Personal life

Carey is the son of Latavia and Vernon Carey, who played with the NFL's Miami Dolphins from 2004 to 2011.[40]

References

  1. ^ "Vernon Carey Jr. recruiting: Top 2019 prospect to make first official visit to Michigan State in February (photos/video)".
  2. ^ Quinn, Brendan (December 6, 2018). "The Birth of Vernon Carey Jr". www.theathletic.com. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "Montverde rolls over University School for Geico Nationals title". www.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  4. ^ "Vernon Carey Jr EYBL stats". www.d1circuit.com. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  5. ^ Caron, Emily (September 13, 2019). "Duke expecting big things from five-star big man Vernon Carey Jr". www.si.com. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  6. ^ "Class 5A Final: University 72, Andrew Jackson 46". The Ledger. March 16, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Lichtenstein, Adam (March 7, 2019). "University School — again with Carey sidelined — rolls to its second straight Class 5A state title". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  8. ^ "5-star Vernon Carey Commits to Duke over UNC, Michigan State". www.bleacherreport.com. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  9. ^ "Duke lands No.3 Ranked prospect Vernon Carey Jr". www.espn.com. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  10. ^ "Duke commit Vernon Carey named a McDonald's All-American". www.miamiherald.com. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  11. ^ "John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy's Announces 2019–20 Preseason Top 50 List". www.woodenaward.com. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  12. ^ "Seven ACC Players Named to Citizen Naismith Preseason Watch List". www.theacc.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  13. ^ "Basketball Hall of Fame Names Twenty Centers to Watch List for 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award". www.hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. October 18, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  14. ^ Trivedi, Dilan (November 12, 2019). "Freshman Center Vernon Carey carries Duke men's basketball with double-double performance". wwww.dukechronicle.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  15. ^ "Jones Pours in 31 as No.2 Duke Beats Georgia State". www.goduke.com. November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  16. ^ Wiseman, Steve (November 21, 2019). "No.1 Duke rides Vernon Carey's big night to a win over California". www.newsobserver.com. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  17. ^ "Krzyzewski gets milestone, Duke tops tough Georgetown in NYC". www.ESPN.com. November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  18. ^ Watson, John (November 22, 2019). "Carey named 2K Classic MVP after dominant performances in MSG". www.247sports.com. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  19. ^ "Carey Jr, Devoe claim weekly ACC Men's Basketball Honors". www.theacc.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. November 25, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  20. ^ "No.10 Duke dominates No.11 Michigan State, 87–75". www.ESPN.com. December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  21. ^ "Baker, Carey help No.4 Duke top Wofford 86–57 without Jones". www.ESPN.com. December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  22. ^ "Carey Named ACC Freshman of the Week". Duke Athletics. December 23, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  23. ^ Kaufman, Michelle (January 4, 2020). "Second-ranked Duke overwhelms Miami 95–62; Vernon Carey Jr stars in homecoming". www.miamiherald.com. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  24. ^ "No.9 Duke defeats Pitt 79–67 behind 26 points by Carey". ESPN. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  25. ^ "No.9 Duke beats Syracuse 97–88, Carey another double-double". Yahoo Sports. February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  26. ^ "2020 ACC Men's Basketball Award Winners Announced". theacc.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  27. ^ "Duke leading scorer Vernon Carey Jr. chooses to enter NBA draft". ESPN. April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  28. ^ Marks, Brendan (November 18, 2020). "Vernon Carey Jr. goes to the Charlotte Hornets: Here's what they're getting". The Athletic. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  29. ^ "Charlotte Hornets Sign Vernon Carey Jr". NBA.com. November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  30. ^ "BALL, HORNETS DOMINATE MAVS' HOME OPENER IN 118-99 WIN". NBA.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  31. ^ "DURANT, HARRIS LEAD NETS TO 130-115 WIN OVER HORNETS". NBA.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  32. ^ "2020-21 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  33. ^ "2021-22 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  34. ^ "Wizards acquire Smith and Carey Jr". NBA.com. February 10, 2022.
  35. ^ "HORNETS TOP WIZARDS 124-108, FAIL TO IMPROVE PLAY-IN SEEDING". NBA.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  36. ^ "Wizards Waive Vernon Carey Jr". NBA. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  37. ^ Hundman, Gabby (April 8, 2023). "Utah Jazz Sign Vernon Carey Jr". NBA.com. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  38. ^ @utahjazz (July 8, 2023). "We have waived forward/center Vernon Carey Jr" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ Pınar Karşıyaka [@KSKBasket] (August 30, 2023). "Vernon Carey Jr. Pınar Karşıyaka'mızda! 💚❤️ #WelcomeVernonCareyJr" (Tweet) (in Turkish). Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ "Vernon Carey Jr". www.usab.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018. Father, Vernon Carey, played football for the University of Miami and Miami Dolphins...

External links

Pınar Karşıyaka current roster
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