POINTS TO THE PAST
Nova, WVU guards have rich history
BOSTON — Dickey Simpkins sensed what would come.
When Jevon Carter followed his cousin to try out for the former Chicago Bulls AAU squad (Team NLP), Simpkins found a hard-working seventh grader — who quickly embraced the suggestion of moving from the two-spot and raised his ceiling by becoming the best point guard possible.
When fellow journeyman Rick Brunson became an assistant coach with the Bulls, he called his longtime friend, Simpkins, to find a team for his son, Jalen — who was in the eighth grade, played with ninth graders and acted like he was getting his diploma the following week. “You could see the unlimited potential that both of them had, and they were so willing to listen and learn, they made the game easy to coach,” Simpkins said. “I knew these things would happen because of what unbelievable workers they were. They both had business-like mindsets. They knew where they wanted to go.”
The former teammates, and Wooden Award finalists, will now face off when topseeded Villanova (32-4) meets 5-seed West Virginia (26-10) in the Sweet 16 on Friday night at TD Garden.
Brunson is the face of the Wildcats, arguably the country’s best player on perhaps the nation’s best team. He leads the country’s highest-scoring offense, with 19.1 points and 4.7 assists, while hitting 42 percent of his 3-pointers.
Carter has spent his career displaying the sport’s most beautiful skill sets, topping the nation in steals and claiming his second straight Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award. The senior also leads the Mountaineers in scoring and assists.
Even those who watched the pair battle during practices in the suburbs of Chicago struggle to predict how the matchup of star point guards will play out.
“They had battles, and it was crazy,” former AAU teammate Josh Dillingham said. “Jevon is more like a dog, get after you, he doesn’t care who you are or what your ranking is. Jalen’s competitive nature is I’m more gonna outsmart you, you’re not gonna beat him mentally.
“I played with Jevon for four or five years, and I’ve never seen anyone destroy him offensively. I can’t see it. But I don’t know how it’s gonna go. Villanova shoots the ball so well and West Virginia gives up a lot of 3s because of their press.”
Brunson and Carter have kept in touch over the years, but haven’t had contact this week. There isn’t much to share. “We’re very familiar with each other,” Carter said. You won’t be able to tell. “They’re both funny, and laid back, but they both have a killer mindset, and neither one of them will back down,” former teammate Connor Cashaw said. “Both have the attitude of it doesn’t matter who you are. This is war. This is what they live for.”
The points guards are here because they helped each other get here.
“He’s a year older, so he was definitely a guy that picked on me, but he got me better every day,” Brunson said with a smile. “It was great to have someone like that at such a young age to help make each other better.”
Simpkins can sense what happens next. He’s seen it so many times.
“I know that those two guys are gonna do what they do,” Simpkins said. “I’ve never watched them play in a game and wonder if they’re gonna perform. That I know for sure. They’re gonna show up.
“It’s a question of if both guys’ teammates are gonna show up and do their jobs.”