When Branden Carlson tipped in a teammate’s heave at the buzzer, pulling off a 70-69 upset at UCLA back on Sunday Feb. 18, his father was asked how the family’s living room ebbed and flowed as officials went to the replay monitor at Pauley Pavilion. 

“Honestly, pure joy, then some reservations that the refs might take it away,” Bryan Carlson said. “Then joy again!”

There was probably some reservation when “BC,” as his dad calls him, didn’t hear his name called with the 2024 NBA Draft.

Whether or not that was in the name of a guaranteed $7.9 million contract Bronny James of USC signed can be argued until the cows come home. Perhaps the LA Lakers that had the No. 55 pick didn’t want a big man versatile enough to “be a stretch four”—that’s what several scouting services said about the Utah center Carlson, who signed a two-way contract in June to play for the Toronto Raptors.

Also referred to as a “super senior” by those same scouts, it was Carlson, the 7-foot senior with the headband, long hair and pride of South Jordan, who starred in college at the University of Utah after a storied career at Bingham High School and put up 13 points and eight rebounds in just 23 minutes of action in his professional debut Saturday, July 13.

Carlson’s Raptors tipped off their NBA Summer League season with a 94-69 thumping of an Oklahoma City team that featured first-round draft pick and Weber State’s own Dillon Jones, who scored 17 for the losing Thunder.

How He Got There

For Branden Carlson, the road he took to get to every single significant point in his basketball journey is just as important as its end point.

Playing in two different ways as a basketball player is nothing new to Carlson; he backed up BYU-bound, eventual pro Yoeli Childs as a sophomore and junior at Bingham High.

It was only during his senior year that Carlson took over. And, he not only led the Miners to a state title in the 2016-17 school year—he left Bingham ranking eighth in scoring and third all-time in rebounds, and departed the University of Utah with even bigger numbers as the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

Let’s also understand that’s not what Carlson averaged upon his return from his  mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Manchester, England at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. 

Carlson—along with 10 other frosh that then-Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak recruited—only averaged about seven points and two rebounds for the Utes as a freshman.

In the 2020-21 season as a sophomore, Carlson’s 9.6 points per game, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks got people’s attention. But, Carlson wouldn’t receive any accolades from Pac-12 coaches and media then, either. Yet he didn’t leave the program after new head coach Craig Smith arrived at Utah from Utah State. Instead, Carlson got married and waited for his turn to shine.

All that patience paid off; as a junior, Carlson scored at a rate of 14 points, six rebounds and had 1.6 blocks per contest. That would earn Carlson second-team All-Pac-12 honors at a time when Utah’s program was undergoing some turnover on its roster.

Again, Carlson had opportunities to leave Utah after his junior year, but he stayed. It turned out to be a great move for the South Jordan native; the Bingham Miner’s numbers from his junior year not only increased, Carlson was named first-team All-Pac-12 after a 16.4/7.5/2.0 senior season.

It’s that legacy that kept Carlson at Utah for the COVID/senior year he was allowed to take, and it’s that legacy the Bingham Miner has kept. The only thing Carlson asked for in his entire Utes basketball career was to have the Huntsman Center filled one last time at the NIT quarterfinal versus a VCU team coached by former Utah State coach Ryan Odom.

“My last time playing at the University of Utah on Wednesday after 5 amazing years,” said Carlson Tuesday March 26. “Would love to see a packed Huntsman Center one final time! Go Utes!”

What Comes Next

Keep one thing in mind here when we talk about Branden Carlson. There is what he is—versus what he could be. Because the two are very important to understanding what makes the former Utah star tick.

When Carlson poured in 12 points to become the University of Utah’s fifth all-time leading scorer back on Sunday March 24 in a 91-82 NIT tournament win over Iowa, that milestone only became possible after the Bingham Miner decided to stay at the U for his senior season rather than declare for the 2023 NBA Draft.

“This year, the NBA process has taught me a lot and showed me the level I aspire to be, but I’m not done here — not yet,” said Carlson in a video statement this past May. “Legacy, that’s what’s on my mind — my legacy as a Ute, as a player and as a teammate.” 

Not only did Carlson’s numbers improve as a graduate senior at Utah from 16.4 to 17.2 in terms of points, the elbow sprain suffered at Oregon in the season finale healed and the Utes advanced all the way to the NIT semifinal.

Again, Carlson chose loyalty over leaving when he wasn’t considered the best player on his team. He didn’t act selfishly or bolt for the next best thing on the schedule. Nope, the Utes’ big man just kept plugging away.

That’s exactly what you’d expect Carlson to do after his 5 point, 7 rebound game on Sunday on less than 24 hours rest and his 7 point, 5 rebound outing against the Jazz in a fairly full Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday.

“Atta boy BC!” exclaimed a proud father, himself a former college basketball player, after Carlson’s NBA Summer League debut and three-point drop in the bucket from the right elbow.

“Great NBA debut. Keep working and the best is yet to come.” λ